E-News – July 2016

As the largest-ever reunion crowd will attest, the spirit of the Regiment is alive and well, and I am proud and honored to continue to serve Blackhorse Veterans and Troopers as the President of the Blackhorse Association. As I assume this responsibility, I thank Glenn Snodgrass for his living example of selfless service, exceptional commitment to others, and his superb leadership guiding the BHA over the past four years. Well done Glenn! I would also like to congratulate fellow Blackhorse veterans Ricky Pring, Bob Akam and Bob Hatcher as they join the BHA leadership team; I offer heartfelt thanks to Jim Tankovich, Bob Hurt and Don Wicks for their years of outstanding dedicated service to our Regiment and the Association. The success of our reunion was due to the efforts of many. On behalf of all, I especially want to recognize and thank Tom Smart, Scott Harrison, Jim Bennett, Bob Akam, Dewey Bolton, and Rick and Lisa Walton for their efforts organizing every aspect of our weekend. Our silent auction was the most successful ever, and it raised one of our largest amounts ever because of the exceptional work by JT Taylor and Beth Ann Demeter. Great job to each of you!

Our team is already well into planning and organizing the 2017 reunion, which will be held June 8-11, 2017 at the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel and Conference Center in Marietta Georgia. The agenda will feature the opportunity to visit the Armor School and our 11th ACR Memorial at Ft. Benning. I know we will have another record-breaking year!

One last thing: Our life blood is our members. I encourage every BHA member to reach out to at least one fellow Trooper from your era and encourage them to joinwith us as a member of the Association. Bringing strength in numbers is a Cavalry tradition, and through our strength we will support and preserve everything we hold dear about our Regiment.

Allons!

Pete Bayer
61st Colonel
President of the Blackhorse Association

This year’s reunion at the Drury Plaza Riverwalk Hotel San Antonio is over, and if you missed it, you missed a wonderful event. Our 2016 reunion was by far our best-attended reunion as we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the last mounted cavalry charge. We pushed the seams of the Drury’s ballroom and seated 392 for our Saturday Texas BBQ banquet.

Friday was a great day in San Antonio. The evening’s program focused on the Regiment’s Boeselager teams of the 1980s and included an introduction to Boeselager by the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment, Tom White. Over 25 Boeselager team members were able to attend the reunion. We also had our largest-ever golf event with 24 players in the 2nd Annual Ernie Ford Memorial Golf Tournament at the Silver Horn Golf course; thanks to Bob Akam, who organized the event. Bob also set up a Historical Tour of Fort Sam Houston, and Dewey Bolton led a busload of troopers and family members, who learned of the significance of Fort Sam Houston. Jim Bennett, the San Antonio on-site reunion coordinator, organized and led the 3rd Annual Top Phillips/Trip Lemire Memorial Motorcycle Ride with 15 riders.

The silent auction and pistol raffle both brought record amounts to our scholarship fund, and a sizable check was sent to the Association’s Treasurer. Please read more about these two events further below in today’s E-News.

Reunion photos are on our website at opens in a new windowwww.blackhorse.org/2016reunion.cfm.

See you June 8-11, 2017 at the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel and Conference Center when we visit our Regiment’s monument at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Colonel Joseph D. Clark initially entered military service in 1989 as an Infantryman in the Michigan Army National Guard. Upon completion of his initial assignment, COL Clark attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, achieving a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice.

COL Clark received his Regular Army Commission in Armor as a 1993 Distinguished Military Graduate. After completion of the Armor Officer Basic Course, COL Clark was assigned to the 1st BN, 72nd Armor at Camp Casey, Korea serving as both a Tank Platoon Leader and Tank Company Executive Officer. Upon returning, COL Clark was assigned to the 3rd BN, 8th U.S. Cavalry as a Tank Platoon Leader, Tank Company Executive Officer, HHC Executive Officer, and HHC Commander. During his time at Fort Hood, COL Clark participated in the fielding and operational testing of the first M1A2-equipped Battalion, conducted the first digitized JRTC Rotation, deployed with limited notice to Kuwait as part of OPERATION DESERT STRIKE, and commanded his first company: HHC/3-8 Cavalry.

Following the Armor Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to Fort Riley in the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor, where he served as the Battalion Adjutant, the Battalion S-3 Air/Planner, and the commander of his second command: Company B, 2-34 Armor.

COL Clark was then assigned as O/C Team Chief, Operations Officer, and Executive Officer of the 1st Battalion, 305th Armor Task Force, a unit tasked with the training and certification of Reserve and National Guard units deploying in support of OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. In his time with that unit, he planned, trained and resourced convoy live-fire training for over 18,000 National Guard and Reserve Soldiers deploying to combat.

Following this, COL Clark was appointed to be the Operations Officer in a forward-deployed Area Support Group assigned to the 3rd Army, "Patton’s Own." There he was responsible for the security of 28 tenant units on Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, to include the forward headquarters of the US Central Command and US Special Operations Command-Central. Following CGSC, COL Clark served in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse) at Fort Irwin, California. He served as the 2nd Squadron S3, Regimental S3, and Regimental Executive Officer. He then was assigned as the Armor Lieutenant Colonel’s Career Manager in Human Resources Command at FT Knox, KY.

He assumed command of the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment in June of 2011. In addition to providing a trained and ready force for decisive action, COL Clark also deployed a portion of the battalion as Security Forces Assistance Teams in Regional Command-South, Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Following command, he served as Bronco 07, the Senior BCT Trainer at the National Training Center. This assignment was followed with duty as a resident student at the US Army War College, where he earned his second graduate degree, a Masters in Strategic Leadership.

COL Clark’s awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with silver Oak Leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with 4 Oak Leaf clusters, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Airborne and Air Assault Badges. COL Clark has been married to the former Kari-Lynne Heeter of Big Rapids, Michigan for the last 22 years.

We mentioned in past E-News and a Special E-News that the Blackhorse Association was sponsoring a student to study in Fulda at the Fulda University of Applied Sciences. The first recipient of that sponsorship and stipend is Ms. Morgan Hartsell. Below is an extract of the letter she sent to Randall Ponder, our copy editor, who has managed this scholarship program for the Association.

Gentlemen,

You may recall then-Major Wallace Parham, who served as the 11th ACR Regimental Signal Officer in the mid-1980s.

I was fortunate enough to encounter Wally again while he was serving as the XO of the 440th Signal Battalion. Shortly thereafter, he lost his life in a traffic accident not far from Darmstadt.

I have been granted "management rights" for his memorial on the Find-A-Grave website. I have attempted to do some justice to his career at this site, but in truth I lack much information. I forward the URL for this website for consideration by former comrades of Wally.

Should anyone have information about his career or life to be added to the website, I will gladly do so. Simply request that your information be added via the website, and I will add it. Please disseminate this email to any channels you think appropriate.

The URL for the memorial is:
opens in a new windowhttps://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=122188432

Very Respectfully and Blackhorse!
William B. Wilson
Former Signal Officer for the CSS, 1985-87

The origin of the Blackhorse Association centered around a promise to a dying Blackhorse trooper, who asked the Regimental Commander and Regimental Command Sergeant Major that they "take care of our families and children." To that end, we have again this year awarded a number of scholarships to children of Blackhorse troopers. The 2016 scholarship winners are:

Niko Ambrose is from Midlothian, VA and will attend Old Dominion University and study Civil Engineering. His father Samuel served in 2/11 from 1988 to 1991.

Zachary Boal is a History major from Leavenworth, KS. His dad Matthew served in 1/11 from 2006 to 2009.

Veronica Bowen will be studying Neurobiology at the University of Washington this year. She is from Mill Valley, CA. Her father Robert served with the Regiment from 1967 to 1968.

Daniel Byrne will be receiving the Ironhorse Commanders’ Scholarship. He is from Bryan, TX. His father Matthew served in 1/11 from 1994 to 1996. Daniel will be studying Applied Mathematics and computers at Texas A&M.

Morgan Craig was the highest ranking applicant this year and will be receiving the Christian F. Vissers Memorial Scholarship. She is from Denver, CO. Her father Michael received a Purple Heart while serving in 2/11 from 1970 to 1971. She will be studying Marketing at the University of Kansas.

Josep Feliciano is from Elizabethtown, KY. He will be studying Physics at the University of Kentucky. His father Jose served in 3/11 from 1986 to 1989.

Kristy Figueroa will attend Victor Valley College. She is from Helendale, CA. Her father Ignacio served in the Regiment from 2007 to 2013 and received a Purple Heart during one of his deployments.

John Hatcher will attend the University of Virginia and study Architecture. His father Robert served with the Regiment from 2002 to 2006. John is from Chesterfield, VA.

Marion House has been on sabbatical for the past two years and is a carryforward from previous qualifications; she will attend BYU. Her father Harry was the CSM of 2/21 Armor. She is from Winnemucca, WA.

Jacob Maes. His father Jerome was in the Regiment during the Patton era from 1968 to 1969, and Jacob will be receiving the George S. Patton Scholarship. Jacob will attend Chippewa Valley Technical College studying Nursing. He is from Gunwood City, WI.

Sarah Merodio is from Kelseville, CA. She will be studying Psychology and Exercise Science at Monmouth College. Her father Augustine served in 1/11 from 1990 to 1994.

Joshua Nightengale is from Elizabethtown, KY. His father Daniel served with 1/11 from1991-1993. Joshua will be receiving the Cold Steel Scholarship and plans to study Criminal Justice next year.

Katie Nybo will study Biology at Salisbury University. Her father Marc served with 2/11 from 1969 to 1970. She is from North East, MD.

Julie Rigsbee will be receiving the Point Alpha Foundation Scholarship. Her father Arnold served with 1/11 from 1967-1968. She is from Louisburg, NC and will attend North Carolina State University and study Economics.

Cheyanne Slocum plans to study Molecular & Cell Biology at Skidmore College. She is from Pittsfield, MA. Her father Johnathan served with 4/11 from 1992 to 1997.

Lauren Victor. Her father James served with 3/11 from 1969 to 1970 and received a Purple Heart from his wounds in Vietnam. Lauren is from Hampton, NJ. She will be receiving the Workhorse Scholarship and attending Northeastern to study Engineering.

Michael Victor. The brother of Lauren, Michael will study Architecture at Roger Williams University. He is also from Hampton, NJ. He will be receiving the AMVETS Post 13 West Harrison, IN Gary McCann Memorial Scholarship.

Kyle Waters. His father Glenn served in 1/11 from 1990 to 1993. Kyle will attend Renselear Polytech Institute and study Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering. Kyle is from Highlands Falls, NY.

Hearty Blackhorse congratulations to these deserving young men and women. We wish them all the best as they pursue their dreams!

Besides a gathering of the Blackhorse family, the annual Reunion is a significant event for fundraising that supports the Association, and in particular, our scholarship program. This year was another great success. We would like to thank all who participated: those who ran the silent auction; the managers from the Blackhorse Store; those who donated items to the silent auction; those who purchased items from the auction and store, as well as those who entered the raffle for a replica 1860s black powder pistol. Proceeds from these activities are listed below:

Silent Auction – $7,827
Blackhorse Store – ~$12,000
Pistol Raffle – ~$3,000

On Memorial Day, May 30, 2016, in Santa Ana, California, HHT, RSS, with support from the other Troops, took lead of the funeral detail consisting of 11 Soldiers in preparation for the Annual Tri-City Memorial Day Observance at Santa Ana. Staff Sergeant Andrews was the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the detail and practiced daily to ensure Soldiers were ready and prepared for the ceremony. They performed the Presentation of the Colors and the 21-Gun Salute at this ceremony to honor those who have served this great nation. This event provided the Soldiers an opportunity to serve the community and show their appreciation to those who have served.

The Greater Houston Chapter of the 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association and the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum deem it an honor to host the 150th Anniversary Reunion. What an incredible milestone! This year we will gather in Houston, Texas July 25th to July 30th to honor the legacy of the brave warriors who fought, bled and died in defense of America. The Host Hotel is the Houston Marriott, 2900 Briarpark Drive, Houston, TX 77042; the hotel phone number is 800-452-5110. This reunion will provide an opportunity for you to document in a scholarly manner the history and meritorious service of the Buffalo Soldiers.

We look forward to your arrival and participation in reunion activities. Please do not hesitate to contact us in the event you require assistance. Visit our website for Host Hotel, Souvenir Book, and other information: http://www.bsr150.com/. Please inform Reservations that you are a "Buffalo Soldier Reunion Attendee."

We look forward to you joining us for this very special GRAND occasion!

Trooper Cleveland Burrell, Trooper Chairman
Paul J. Mathews, President