9th Memorial |
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We have not heard of a U.S. Army Regiment of Regular troops of the 1800s returning to its "birth" place. Since the original 9th U.S. Cavalry was formed in New Orleans, we of the 9th Memorial Cavalry decided to do this for these forgotten soldiers. We will transport a replica of the Regimental Flag along with soil from the graves of as many 9th Cav. troopers as can be found. These samples will be labeled and placed in a specially made chest, all to be presented to the City of New Orleans.
We are inviting the public to make as much of this journey with us that they can. This "Journey Home" will last approximately 12 weeks.
We are asking for help and donations to make this "Journey Home" an unforgettable living history experience as well as a traveling memorial to all of these men. Anything that you can do for us will be greatly appreciated.
We are a 501 C(3) non-profit organization, so all of your donations to this cause are tax deductible.
For those wishing to join us in this once in a lifetime journey, a nominal donation of one hundred and fifty dollars, per rider, per day, is required. If you are unable to actually ride in this journey you can still make any type of donation, contribution, or sponsorship that you wish. It will be greatly appreciated.
If you are able to sponsor one Trooper fully equipped, one horse, one wrangler, vehicle, etc., this will help to make this endeavor a huge success.
The reason for this ride are many. When the 9th U.S. Cavalry was formed in 1866, it was primarily a government experiment to see if blacks could be trained and used as REGULAR Army troopers. This was met with stiff opposition in Congress and Senate but wiser heads prevailed.
Although there were five other all black regiments formed at the same time, our organization concentrates on the 9th, They were given the worst part of the country to patrol - the Big Bend country of West Texas. The government thought it would not be acceptable to station black troops east of the Mississippi, especially since they were "just freed slaves." So for the next twenty-six years they performed the hardest service of ANY Regular Army regiment in existence; and they got little or no recognition in return. These men did the job regardless of the predjudice and open hatred of the people they were protecting.
No less than twelve Troopers of the 9th U.S. Cavalry were awarded the Medal Of Honor. The Buffalo Soldiers had the lowest desertion rate of any units of the U.S. Army of the time.
During the Spanish / American war the 9th was one of the first Regiments to be called for service in Cuba and later the Philippines. So from the Indian Wars to World War II these men have willingly fought, bled and died for our Nation. You will find little written in our history books about them and it is as if they never existed. Our organization, the 9th Memorial Cavalry, has detemined that these men will be known, their deeds and sacrifices recognized and their highly honorable record placed in our history books, which is their rightful place as willing defenders of our Nation. This ride to New Orleans will be one of the ways to achieve this goal, since the origlnal 9th U.S. Cavalry was formed there, and we have not heard of another Cavalry unit going back to its "home."
We will do this for the 9th. We will carry a replica of the Regimental Flag and a list of the first members to be presented to the city. This will be an historical event going back over some of the country in which they served so long ago.
It was recently said to one of our members, "People aren't paying attention to Indian and Spanish/American wars anymore and the interest is dying out." This is EXACTLY WHY the 9th Memorial Cavalry was formed. The movies have "glorified' the Indian Wars, with the Indian being the "bad guy," with almost no mention of the Spanish / American war. Yet, you hear of the Civil War almost on a daily basis. No wonder this person made that statement. Members of the 9th Memorial Cavalry know and understand the importance of remembering and teaching the history of these wars. After all .... we are "Living Historians!"
The Old West is brimming with history both good and bad and we don't "bite our tongues" on the bad parts. We, as Americans, can no longer be selective in
the telling and teaching of our history especially when it comes to race. These men of the all-black Army regiments played major roles in settling the
West and helping the United States to become recognized as a world power. We of the 9th Memorial Cavalry WILL NOT let this history die. If our endeavor
sounds like something you would like to be a part of, you would be most welcome to participate.
Thank you in advance for your help, concern, and contributions in making this "Journey Home" a success.
Gratefully Yours;
Regt. Sgt. Maj. William McCurtis
For more information and details you may contact us
9th Memorial
United States Cavalry
17655 W. Wolcott Ln
Marana, Arizona 85653
Phone: 520-616-9277
Cell: 602-373-6843
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF THE RIDE
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