Happy New Year!
The Blackhorse Association wishes everyone a very Happy New Year. We are looking forward to another great year of camaraderie and remembrances.
As we start the New Year, please keep in your thoughts and prayers all those men and women of the Armed Forces who are today in harm’s way and who are still guarding the frontiers of freedom. Our freedoms are a direct result on their current sacrifices, as well as that of all of our members and others who have served in the past.
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Christmas Greetings from Fulda, Germany
The note below was sent from Winfried Jäger, President of the German-American Friendship, Culture & Sports Association Fulda/Germany, and Blackhorse Museum Fulda.
A year full of happenings has been already going to the end. Christmas and Sylvester approaching and this means that now the pretty holy time begins, but on the other hand, most humans are wondering where one whole year is gone away so fast. However, this is a good time looking back and we also enjoy doing it.
For us, there were many challenges which we have done, as I think, well.
The soon coming holy days and the change of the year is the reason why we would thank you for the help and support.
Also in the year 2015, the DAFKS contact Fulda can look back on a lot of highlights and we have been representing our slogan “wir bewegen was”.
Our German-American Friendship, Country & Trucker Festival Fulda has in the meantime developed into the second biggest Trucker festival in the association of the German Trucker Club community.
By the way, we have made many great events and therefore we have expanded the cultural life in the city and different villages.
With the Blackhorse Museum Fulda, we keep the history of the former US soldiers – our friends – stationed in Fulda, Bad Hersfeld and Bad Kissingen alive. In this year there were nearly 2000 visitors from here and outwards in our exposition. We are seeing us on a good step and looking forward to getting supported with further exponents by the association of the 14th Cavalry Regiment.
Though, we have also cooperated with the Blackhorse Association and that is why we could invite many of our friends at the “Last Border Patrol” to our museum and so we had happy hours together on those two days.
At the moment, we are working on the extension of the name “Museum of all American Troops in the Fulda area”. We can be proud of our work in the sports departments too. Hereby, I could also add many more successful points, but I choose only a few. With our basketball teams DAFKS Fulda Thunderhorse, we are playing in the country league and with our newest kind of sport – Ultimate Frisbee – we have firstly took part on the German championship in Frankfurt (M) and there, in the domain “Spirit”, we were able to win the second place in the regional league south west.
Because of the term “Social Youth Work” invented by us, we have settled well in our integration and youth work too. We are working in many networks and putting it into the basis straightaway. In 2015, we launched new projects and transformed them, and we also could be awarded the first place of the youth promoting price of the federal association according to the German-American friendship. In 2016, we will start a whole day of charity for four families in the domain Asylum. The project will be supported by students of the University Fulda who have been learning social work. This is possible by using the buildings from the association, sports, and naturally with a lot of engagement.
So, we are on about 320 days in the year in action. I have already mentioned at the beginning that’s a little excerpt to which we are doing.
I’m really sure that we do a valuable contribution to the society with our concepts and its conversion, even from non-members until to the whole integration into our world of association as well in the society. So I think we’re representing our slogan “we move something” in the whole.
Because of the program “integration by sport” we could give many young people with a migration background the possibility of a useful leisure-time activity and to integrate them into society. We are proud of being a base partner of the sports youth in Hessen and of the German Olympic sport association promoted by the federal department for migration and refugees. We have been putting positive accents in the work with young people by cooperating with Grümel, the sports youth in Hessen, the network of integration from the district and city of Fulda, and the program “sport association plus school” (here we are in cooperation with the Brüder-Grimm-school and “make school without violence” called SMOG). At different occasions, we also presented this work correspondently. We are proud that some of our projects in the meantime could be transformed as well from other organizations and associations in the same way or similar. With our “Schaschlikmobil” and the “Hamburger Wagon”, we could also again transform work into positive.
Well, I could state loads of things more about our association, but this is not the occasion why I write – no, what I want to do is to thank you for your help and support and when is the best time to do it than Christmas. Once more: many, many thanks. I connect this “thank you” with the best regards – particularly also for all relatives and wish a blessful, peaceful Christmas and a healthy and happy 2016.
For Christmas and the approaching change of the year, I wish you and your family altogether pleasant and joyful hours, but as well rest and time to relax.
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Beau Richards’s Other Vehicle
When Beau Richards is not riding his motorcycle as part of the Blackhorse Motorcycles, he still displays his pride and passion in his truck. Well done, Beau!
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Every Blackhorse Golfer’s Dream
This golf car was a Christmas present from wife Brenda to her husband, Mike Kathman of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Mike was in L Troop, 3/11 ACR in Vietnam 1966-1967.
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Blackhorse Videos
Below are several videos related to the Regiment; they cover everything from the Regiment’s early years to the current posting at the National Training Center and deployments to Iraq. These videos vary in production quality, but all provide insight into Blackhorse history. There’s a lot more out there; this is just a sample.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDObQAYBHj4
This is a short history of the Regiment with lots of old photos from the founding of the Regiment to the present day.
opens in a new windowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3jkazuMuNQ
For those of you who remember the Army’s Public Affairs show of the 1950s and 1960s The Big Picture, here is one about the border cavalry regiments. We see some great vintage footage of the early border fortifications.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtatvG7QB2E
Here’s another The Big Picture show; this one is about the Blackhorse in Vietnam.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n_sDjkqflE
This is a short documentary on the Blackhorse during Operation Junction City in Vietnam.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y26iz4H3Nec
This is a short video of photos and narration about an action of B Troop in Vietnam.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bjLrmKO12o
This is the Regiment in 1966’s Operation Abilene in Vietnam.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UJfHJ0mddA
A short piece, this is stock footage of the Regiment in Cambodia heading towards a base camp.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JbTqatiYAI
Here is an unnarrated short video of the Regiment in Vietnam.
opens in a new windowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QReV0Y-yy0M&sns=em
This video was used by the Border Operations personnel as an introduction to the Border during the numerous tours given to groups visiting the Regiment.
opens in a new windowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah1DU-QpIJE
Here is a ten-minute piece on 2nd Squadron’s Border Camp – Camp Lee – and the 2nd Squadron trace.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_2M3l3pVA
This is a 10-minute tour of Daly Barracks, home of 2nd Squadron in Germany.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw7eiD7AkHg
This is mostly about 3rd Squadron, both 14th and 11th ACR, and it is told through still photos.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfOxEvtMGeM
While this one is about 3rd Squadron, 14th ACR, it will be of interest to anyone who served in Bad Hersfeld.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4gpWYCfNfQ
Here is another short video of McPheeter’s Barracks, Bad Hersfeld, to include the ceremony dedicating the service of both the 14th and 11th ACRs in Bad Hersfeld. All is told through still photos.
opens in a new window https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ5pfkHfHQw
This is our Regiment in Operation Iraqi Freedom III.
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2016 Blackhorse Association Reunion San Antonio, Texas June 16-19, 2016
As a reminder to all, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s Blackhorse Association will hold its annual Blackhorse Family Reunion in San Antonio, TX, June 16-19, 2016, as we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the last US Cavalry horse-mounted charge in Mexico. The reunion is open to all past and present troopers who served with the Regiment, including anyone who served in the Regimental Community or any of the separate units that supported the Regiment.
We will be at the Drury Plaza Hotel Riverwalk, formerly the Alamo National Bank Building. Rooms have been set aside for reunion attendees at the negotiated rate of $125 per night. Included in the price of your room is Free Hot Breakfast, Drury “5:30 Kickback” with free hot food and drinks each evening from 5:30-7:00 pm, and in-room internet access. Parking at the Drury is valet only and is $15 per night (Note: the website will show it as $21, however, our group rate is $15.). Attendees are encouraged to make plans early. The cutoff for making hotel reservations at our negotiated rate is May 25. Reservations for the Drury can be made by reserving online: go to opens in a new windowwww.druryhotels.com, and enter Group Number 2253104. Reservations can also be made by phoning 800-325-0720 and referring to the group number.
The registration fee is $95 for adults. Children 12-and-under who do not attend the banquet are $30. There is a late registration fee of $120 for adults and $40 for children after May 25, 2016. This fee covers reunion mementos, small hors d’oeuvres at the Friday evening Stable Your Mount social, the Saturday banquet with wine, and other reunion costs. You may register online at our website at opens in a new windowwww.blackhorse.org or complete the registration form and mail it in. Make checks payable to “The Blackhorse Association”. Attendee transportation, including airfare, rental car, and lodging must be organized separately. For more information, see opens in a new windowwww.blackhorse.org, or contact one of the following Reunion Committee members: Tom Smart at 703-973-3703, tom.smart@nullacrpros.com; Jim Bennett at 210-275-2028, devine78016@nullyahoo.com; or Glenn Snodgrass at 703-250-3064, jgs525@nullverizon.net.
