History of the 17th Cavalry Regiment
Regimental Distinctive Unit Insignia
Certificates of Lineage & Honors

A Brief History of the 17th Cavalry Regiment

17th CAVALRY COAT OF ARMS

CREST: Per bend tenne and vert, in sinister chief a demi-unicorn and in dexter base a demi-horse, both rampant argent.
CREST: On a hurt wavy of six voided similarly, or, a winged spur argent. MOTTO: Forward.
This regiment was organized in 1916 with personnel from the 1st, 3d, 6th, 8th and 14th Cavalry. The shield is taken from the coats of arms of these regiments; the orange from the 1st, the green from the 3d, the unicorn from the 6th, the demi-horse from the 8th, and the diagonal line from the 14th. The crest is the winged spur, emblematic of the motto of the flying cavalry; the background is the blue ribbon with the motto Forward.

DISTINCTIVE INSIGNIA

The insignia is the crest of the The sample of the insignia was approved 2 September 1966.

DECORATIONS

Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered OAK TO VIETNAM 1966 (Tp A 2d Sgn, 17th Cay cited for period 2-20 Jun 1966: OAG GO 59, 1968)
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered OAK TO (Tp E, 17th Cay cited for period 6-23 Nov 1967; OA GO 42, 1969)
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered TAM KY-HOI Afi (Tp C, 7th Sqn, 17th Cay cited for period 31 Jan-31 Mar 1968; DA GO 60, 1969)
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered OO~iG AP BIA MOUNTAIN (Tp A, 2d Sqn, 17th Cay cited for period 10-21 May 1969; DA GO 16, 1972)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered BEN CAT (Tp E, 17th Cay cited for period 5-25 Jan 1967; OA GO 17, 1968)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered TUY HOA (Tp A, 2d Sqn ,17th Cay cited for period 17 Jan 1966-25 Mar 1968; OA GO 1, 1969 as amended by OA GO 2, 1971)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered KONTUM (Tp 0, 7th Sqn, 17th
Cay cited for period 30 Jan-12 Feb 1968; DA GO 43, 1970)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered SAIGON-LONG BINH (Tp A, 3D
Sqn and Tp 0, 17th Cay cited for period 31 Jan-19 Feb 1968; DA GO 48, 1968)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered TAY NINH PROVINCE (Tp B, 3d
Sqn, 17th Cay cited for period 27 Aug 31 Oct 1968; DA GO 42,1969)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered THUA THIEN PROVINCE (Tp A, 2d
Sqn, 17th Cay cited for period 17 Apr-May 1969; DA GO 2, 1971)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered THUA THIEN-QUANG TRI (20 Sqn,
17th Cay cited for period 7 Dec 1969-16 Feb 1970; DA GO 48, 1971)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered FISH HOOK (Tp D, 3d Sqn, 27th
Cay cited for period 1 May-29 Jun'1970; UA GO 43, 1972 as amended by DA GO 21, 1979)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered CAMBODIA (3d Sqn, 17th Cav
cited for period 6 May-29 Jun 1970; GO 3560, USARV, 27 Dec 1971)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered HO CHI MINH TRAIL (Tp C, 7th
Sqn, 17th Cav cited for period 8 Feb-24 Mar 1971; DA GO 24, 1975)
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered CENTRAL HIGHLANDS (Tp B, 7th Sqn, 17th Cay cited for period 21 Oct-8 Dec 1971; GO 2387, USARV, 13 Oct 1972)
Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1967
(Tp E, 17th Cay cited for period 5 May 1965-4 May 1967; DA GO 48, 1968)
Meritorious Unit Commendation, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1966
(Tp A, 2d Sqn, 17th Cay cited for period 29 Jul 1965-1 Oct 1966; OA GO 17, 1968, as amended by DA GO 1, 1969)

CAMPAIGN STREAMERS

World War II Vietnam
Northern France Defense
Rhineland Counteroffensive Ardennes-Alsace Counteroffensive, Phase II Central Europe Counteroffensive, Phase III
Tet Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase IV Counteroffensive, Phase V Counteroffensive, Phase VI
Tet 69/Counteroffens;ve
Vietnam Cont'
Summer/Fall 1969
Winter-spring 1970
Sanctuary Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase VII Consolidation I
Consolidation II Cease-fire

Lineage

Constituted in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry and organized 1
July 1916 at Fort 81iss, Texas. Colonel. Willard A. Holbrook, commanding. Inactivated 26 September 1921 at the Presidio of Monterey, California. Regiment broken up 9 March 1951 and elements reorganized or disbanded as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Troop consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 17th Armored Group; reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 17th Armored Cavalry Group, remainder of regiment disbanded.
,Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 17th Armored Cavalry Group
activated 20 March 1951 at Camp Polk, Louisiana, inactivated 4 May 1959 at I
Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 17th Armored Cavalry Group consolidated 4 May 1959 with reconstituted troops of the 17th Cavalry (reconstituted between 1 September 1957 and 4 May 1959) and reorganized as the 17th Cavalry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System.

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