Vietnam Veteran -4th CAVALRY REGIMENT - Epoxy Photo Belt Buckle - NEW!
waist sizes 28" - 52"(Please send pants waist size!)
"Quarter Horse"
Initially, senior US commanders believed that armored cavalry formations would not have success in the dense jungles of South Vietnam, but the successful actions of 1-4 Cavalry, attached to the 1st Infantry Division, and 3-4 Cavalry, attached to the 25th Infantry Division, proved that armored formations could be decisive in the Vietnam War when used in conjunction with mechanized infantry and air cavalry to defeat the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong.[21]
1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry (1-4 Cavalry, popularly called "Quarterhorse") was assigned to be the divisional reconnaissance squadron of the 1st Infantry Division based at Di An. It arrived at Vung Tau on 7 October 1965, making it the first element of the 4th Cavalry to deploy to Vietnam. Commanded by LTC Paul M. Fisher, the Squadron was ready for action.[22] On 12 November 1965, 1-4 Cavalry received its baptism by fire in the Vietnam War when Troop A, attached to 2-2 Infantry, engaged a Viet Cong regiment in the village of Bau Bang. Three enemy probing attacks were thrown back, and on the fourth charge, .50 caliber machine-gun fire broke up their assault and the enemy retreated, leaving 198 dead. On 24 February 1966, Troop B fought a stiff skirmish with the Viet Cong and repulsed the enemy. In April 1966, LTC Fisher became the executive officer of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and his replacement was LTC Leonard L. Lewane. LTC Lewane led the squadron in several operations in conjunction with other elements of the 1st Infantry Division, including Operation Birmingham, El Paso, and Shenandoah.[23]
On 8 June 1966, Troop A, en route to An Loc, was ambushed by the 272nd VC Regiment along Route 13. The battle lasted 5 hours, and 148 dusty, tired cavalrymen had fought and defeated a thousand enemy soldiers through their own tenacity and with skilled coordination of air support. For their courage, Troop A was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. On 30 June 1966, HQ, Troops B, C, D, and C Company 2-18 Infantry engaged the 271st VC Regiment while conducting reconnaissance and managed to kill 300 enemies during the seven hour battle.[24] One month later, 1-4 Cav troopers engaged the enemy again on the Minh Tanh Road, and killed 250 of their number. For these three engagements, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.[25]
Throughout the Vietnam War, the troopers of 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment participated in numerous battle and operations including; Operation Niagara, Operation Cedar Falls, Operation Williston, Operation Tuscon-Delta, Operation Junction City, Operation Manhattan, Operation Shenandoah II (where Troop C handed the VC one of their heaviest defeats of the war[26]), the Tet Offensive, and many more in numerous small villages along the Cambodia- South Vietnam border, and throughout South Vietnam. Meanwhile, Troop D provided helicopter support for the 1st Infantry Division, and acted as air cavalry, a new concept in the Army. The 1st Squadron participated in eleven campaigns of the Vietnam War from 20 October 1965 to 5 February 1970. The 1st Squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its heroism in Binh Long Province as well as a Valorous Unit Award for Binh Doung Province. Troop A, 1st Squadron received a Valorous Unit Award for its actions at the battle of Ap Bau Bang.[27]
The 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry (3-4 Cavalry, or popularly known as "Three-Quarter Horse" or "Mackenzie's Riders" after Ranald S. Mackenzie) acted as the reconnaissance squadron for the 25th Infantry Division.[28] Deploying to Vietnam on 24 March 1966, the men were based at Cu Chi northwest of Saigon, while Troop C served with the division's 3rd Brigade in the Central Highlands. Here, Troop C pioneered the use of armored vehicles in dense jungle terrain and fought fiercely against NVA and VC units. The Troop received a Valorous Unit Award for engaging VC forces in Quảng Trị Province and later joined the rest of 3-4 Cavalry on 1 August 1967. The 3rd Squadron participated in 12 campaigns from 24 March 1966 to 8 December 1970.[29] The squadron’s primary mission was to conduct route and convoy security along South Vietnam’s Route 1 ensuring that the main supply and communications route from Saigon to Tay Ninh remained secure. By 1967, Mackenzie's Riders was escorting some 8,000 vehicles each month in both day and night escorts.[30] It also participated in large scale combined arms operations such as Cedar Falls, Junction City and the invasion of Cambodia. During the Communist Tet Offensive during the Vietnamese New Year in January 1968, 3-4 Cavalry was rushed to Tan Son Nhut airbase near Saigon where it successfully repelled a massive Viet Cong attempt to seize the air base. For details of this action see Battle of Tan Son Nhut. For its gallantry at Tan Son Nhut, the 3rd Squadron was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. In addition, the squadron received two Valorous Unit Awards for battles along the Cambodian border and in Bình Dương Province.[31] Also, Troop D (Air), 3rd Squadron received a Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry in Tay Ninh Province. Troop A, 3rd Squadron received a Valorous Unit Award for contributing to the defeat of Viet Cong forces in the Cu Chi District. The 1st Platoon, Troop A, 3rd Squadron also received a Presidential Unit Citation while attached to 1-5 Infantry during the Battle of Bến Củi[32].
Troop F, 4th Cavalry was activated on 10 February 1971 in Vietnam and assigned to the 25th Division as a separate air cavalry troop in support of the 25th Division’s 2nd Brigade. After the 2nd Brigade left Vietnam on 30 April 1971, Troop F remained assigned to the 25th while serving with the 11th and 12th Aviation Groups. It was one of the last Army units to leave Vietnam on 26 February 1973[33].
This buckle is made in USA with durable epoxy finish on a brass/ox backing. Buckle is 2 1/2" X 4" and fits any 1 1/2" - 1 3/4" belt.
Black Bonded Belt is 1 1/2" wide . Waist sizes 28" - 52" (Please send pants waist size!)
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