124th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 124th Cavalry Regiment (nicknamed "Mars Men") is a United States Army cavalry regiment, represented in the Texas Army National Guard by 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry, part of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Waco.
| 124th Cavalry Regiment | |
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Coat of Arms of the 124th Cavalry | |
| Active | 1929–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Reconnaissance (Parent Regiment under United States Army Regimental System) |
| Part of | 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (1st Squadron) |
| Garrison/HQ | Waco, Texas (1st Squadron) |
| Nickname(s) | "Mars Men" (Special Designation) |
| Motto(s) | "Golpeo Rapidamente" (I Strike Quickly) |
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| Insignia | |
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| U.S. Cavalry Regiments | ||||
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The 124th was originally constituted and organized in 1929 in the Texas National Guard. It was Federalized in 1940 but remained stateside, patrolling the Mexico–United States border, after the Attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in the United States entry into World War II. In 1944 it moved to Fort Riley, the last horse cavalry regiment in the army. The regiment was sent to India, where it arrived in August. After being redesignated as the 124th Cavalry, Special, it joined the Mars Task Force. Operating alongside Chinese troops, the 124th Cavalry and the task force recaptured the Burma Road from the Japanese in early 1945. The regiment was then sent to China to train Chinese troops, and was inactivated there in mid-1945.
The regiment was broken up in 1946 but became the 124th Armor in 1959. In 1963 it was redesignated the 124th Cavalry again.