The Thoroughbred

The newsletter of the 2d Cavalry Association

The names listed below fall into two categories: annually, we publish all the names in the 1836 Society, recognizing those who have made substantial monetary contributions. Additionally, we publish the names of those who contributed financially last year, noting that you are likely to see some overlap.

As we strive to enhance the Association’s functionality, inclusivity, and sustainability, the talents of writers, historians, planners, and leaders become invaluable contributions, equally impactful as monetary donations.



Lastly, as we deepen our engagement with our Regiment and with the broader Army community, the investment of time by each member who attends a mini-reunion, joins a chapter of a professional organization, or submits a memoir for the TBred, for example gives generously of their time. That dedication also, significantly enhances our Association.

Recently, I came across a birth announcement in the February 1959 issue of Army Aviation magazine. Doris Nolan, wife of SGT William Nolan of 1/2 ACR, gave birth to a baby boy while traveling in a H-34 Choctaw helicopter from Bayreuth to Nurnberg. According to The Stars & Stripes of 13Jan1959, Milton Billy, named after the “pilot and crew chief of the whirley bird,” was delivered in the helicopter ten minutes before landing. To make the experience even more exciting the flight was during a blizzard. We had two children born in Nurnberg in January and, while amazing, were not nearly this exciting.

I don’t think we should ever lose sight of the out-of-uniform aspects of our time in the Regiment. What did you do when you were not in uniform? What was the experience like for your family? I hope that you’ll share your experiences with us that add significant dimension to the story of the Regiment. I’d really love to hear from spouses about their time in the Regiment.

The Reunion is now less than three months away. As I write this, registration is going well. Jeff Davidson has put together a great agenda. I hope that you’ll join us in Nashville from 3-6 April. Details and registration can be found on our website: https://www.2dcavalryassociation.com/reunions/. This is always a great time; you truly are missing out.

May 23 is the Regiment’s birthday. I hope that you’ll participate in our global celebration. As I did last year, I plan to be in Gettysburg that day. Choose your place—an old fort manned by the Second Cavalry, a gravesite of a fallen Second Dragoon, your basement—but please join us as we celebrate the 189^th anniversary of our Regiment. Gather your army buddies and let’s party like only Dragoons know how. Details to follow in the February Thoroughbred.

We recently began a project with Denise Wald, curator of the Reed Museum, to scan materials that reside in the Museum into our digital archives. Using funds available from the 1836 Society (https://www.2dcavalryassociation.com/donate) we purchased a scanner for this purpose. Thank you to Paul Liebeck, always our man on the ground in Germany, who take care of ordering and delivering the equipment to the Museum in Vilseck. Aaron DeCino (C Troop 2015-2018) volunteered to do the scanning—we are very grateful for his willingness to take on this endeavor. And, as always, a big Dragoon thank you to Denise for her outstanding partnership with our Association.

Matt Simon, John McFassel and Mike Minard continue to organize our digital archives for public consumption. This is a huge effort that is gaining momentum as they dig through the materials we have on our Regiment. What they are doing is truly exciting. From literally boxes and folders and piles of papers, they are organizing these materials into a digital forum that preserves for all time the lineage of the Second Cavalry. This work will not stop, especially as each of you who is sitting on material from your time in the Regiment allow us to scan what you.

For example, Mike Long, a red bag veteran of ODS, recently sent me materials. The box contained documents from his time on the border AND several documents captured from Iraqis during Desert Storm. We’re working on a partial translation from the Arabic the next Thoroughbred. This is absolutely great stuff! Thanks, Mike, for sharing.

Let me reinforce two points about these comments, although I risk beating the dead horse. First, don’t let the documents and pictures and letters and emails sitting in your attic get thrown away. Let us can them for our archives. These are not significant; all our individual experiences collectively add valuable contour to the long and distinguished lineage of our Regiment. Help us to preserve them. Second, we always need help with compiling our history, so please think about volunteering. Helping out doesn’t need to be a big time commitment nor is this nuclear gynecology. You don’t have to be a tech wizard to contribute.

We are working on a number of other issues as well. Goldstar Families, Wounded Warriors, Dragoon Families, Veterans Affairs, communications (The Thoroughbred, Dragoonbase, etc.), fundraising, and expanding our liaison efforts to name a few. Stay tuned to this net as well progress on these projects. Critically, don’t hesitate to step up if you want to help. We need you.

Finally, I am very excited to announce that yesterday I received my copy of A Hero and Advocate for All Others about our very own Vern Schmidt. Written by Kaye Ackerman, Laura Bailey and Reagan Steele, the book chronicles Vern’s WWII service and his life after returning home. Many of you remember Kaye and Laura from the Annapolis reunion. For all that know our friend, Vern, you will want to read this book. You can get your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Advocate-All-Others-Remembered/dp/B0DQB7DCZK. I will be bringing my copy to Nashville to get Vern’s signature. I hope that you will as well.

Always Ready, Dragoon for Life

Tim White

President

A Valuable Web Resource every Veteran Should be familiar with The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics or (PACT) Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022. This act expands veteran benefits and eligibility and includes presumptive conditions which lessens the burden of proof on the veteran when accessing veteran benefits and healthcare. If you have heard of this expansion of care and are curious if any of your conditions make you eligible for benefits an important webpage to make yourself familiar with is hosted by Veterans Administration and can be found by entering search words “Veteran Administration Outreach Events” or by following this link: https://www.va.gov/outreach-and-events/

This page lists events nation-wide and virtual that cover areas like flu shot clinics, food pantries, toxic exposure screening, suicide prevention training and caregivers support workshops. What is more interesting is if you attend one of the Medical Outreach events or PACT Act events, there may be services to enroll you for VA Healthcare, perform C&P exams and in some cases receive a same day decision on your claim. Please reach out to POC of the event you are interested in to inquire about services you are looking for prior to attending. Also, be prepared to bring relevant IDs and medical history documentation in support of your claim especially if you have been receiving care outside of the VA network.

There is a clear path to service connect your disabilities which typically involves an in-service event and a current medical diagnosis. There are instances where the path is not so clear and recruiting a Veteran Service Officer, Legal Counsel or a basic inquiry to a VA sponsored medical outreach event can be of assistance to ensure success.

If you are trying to reconnect with your 2CR buddies in hopes that they may be able to assist you to complete a claim please reach out to our editor and we will do our best to assist you. Another great way to reconnect is to attend our upcoming reunion in Nashville Tennessee!

Only the Dueler, and only in the Cav…

Reynolds Steinbach, communications officer for 2/2 during WWII[1], represented that era and the Association at the rededication of the Regiment’s museum to the Reed Museum as well as the border camp at Rötz to Camp Reed on May 30, 1980. After lunch, he boarded a helicopter and flew along the grenze before touching down at Hof. “At Camp Hof,” he wrote, “we toured the 2d Cavalry Border Museum. I was proud as LTC (Mike) Lyle asked me to present the Association Gold Pins to the two award winners (LT Paul Jussel, and SSGT John Baumgarten, both of F Troop). I was taken on a land tour in a most unusual vehicle (a combination jeep, command car, swamp buggy, and taxi; made from parts of both American and German vehicles; which carries up to 10 passengers) which moved right along! We stopped opposite one of their observation towers and aroused their curiosity enough so that they sent out two men on motorcycle to see who we were and what we were doing…We departed Camp Hof about 1600 hours for more border tour from the air; then back to Nuernberg. We had been in the air for about five hours and covered over 500 miles.”[2]

I was struck by Reynolds description of the vehicle in which they conducted their land tour. I immediately reached out to LTG(R) Don Holder about this vehicle. According to #65, “the ‘unusual vehicle’ was Wagner’s (COL Robert Wagner, #60) beloved Forward Area Reconnaissance Truck—the FART.” [3] GEN Holder and I had discussed the FART before and in his latest email expanded on this novelty.

“Wagner’s Forward Area Reconnaissance Truck, the FART, came into being to support terrain walks. Equipped with four bus seats, panoramic windows, and radios, the FART carried the RCO, his guest, the SCO, and usually the RS3. It allowed for conversation between briefing points and observation of the routes important to the plan.”[4] He continued with more details, “The FART had two radios, bus windows on the sides and top, a linoleum floor, and four swiveling chairs. It made terrain walks better since the principal participants could talk about the plan throughout the event without interruptions. Previously, we’d all moved separately between stands in a covey of jeeps.

“We took the FART to training too. It transported visitors and we used it for other administrative trips. At the concluding fight of the squadron ARTEPs, called the Capstone Exercise, Wagner would have me (then the S3) park the thing at the place where the last clash was happening. We placed a blue plywood pyramid atop the FART and Wagner awarded it to the winner.”[5]

MG(R) Mike Lyle provided more detail on the history of the FART. General Lyle was the C&C Commander when the Dueler told him that they needed transportation for VIP tours. Colonel Wagner instructed Mike, who later commanded the 3ACR as the 61st Colonel of the Regiment, to get this done. The Dueler’s original plan was to modify one of the Regiment’s garrison vans. However, these vans belonged to the Nurnberg Community Commander, who put the kibosh to the plan when he heard about it. Colonel Wagner thought that Lyle had blown the whistle to Community Commander, which he had not. Wagner told Lyle that he wasn’t sure that he should command the Second Squadron (which he later did for three years) as a result of this grievous transgression.



Ultimately, the FART was a modified ambulance and included heaters and 4WD. According to General Lyle, the FART was used repeatedly by guests, including the Corps Commander. LTG Julius W. Becton, Jr., would pull his train into Hof and be escorted through the GDP in the FART.[6]

The FART, ca. 1978. Courtesy of LTG Holder (65^th)

The FART was clearly a creation of #60 that didn’t please everyone. To accent the FART, COL Wagner made a point of introducing visitors to the driver. “Sir, this is SPC Smith, the Army’s only FART driver.”[7]



There are many things that make the Regiment unique, the FART clearly is one of them. Perhaps you remember the FART or have another example of “uniqueness” that you experience while in the Regiment. We’d like to hear about it, so please share. Email me at [email protected].

[1] Lambert, A.L. and G. B. Layton. The Ghosts of Patton’s Third Army: A History of the

Second Cavalry Regiment. Munich: Germany, Second Cavalry Association, 1946. P. 351.

[2] Steinbach, Renny. “Regimental Rededication Ceremonies Camp Roetz and Nuernberg, Germany, May 1980.” The Thoroughbred, Volume II, 1981, Issue #61, p. 6-7.

[3] GEN Holder email to Tim White on 13Nov2024.

[4] GEN Holder comments to Tim White July 2020.

[5] GEN Holder email to Tim White on 13Nov2024.

[6] GEN Lyle phone conversation with Tim White on 14Nov2024.

[7] GEN Holder email to Tim White on 28Dec2024.

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