106th Cavalry Regiment ( United States ) The 106th Cavalry Group ( later reorganized as a regiment ) was a mechanized cavalry unit of the United States Army in World War II . The 106th Cavalry Group had previously been known as the 1st Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry during the Spanish American War and World War I and was constituted in 1921 as part of the Illinois National Guard . It underwent a number of reorganizations before World War II . Like other guard units during the inter - war years , the 106th held monthly drills and yearly training . Readiness for war in 1940 led to the mechanization of the unit and induction into Federal Service at Camp Livingston , Louisiana on 25 November 1940 . After the Pearl Harbor attack , the 106th trained at Camp Hood , Texas until the spring of 1944 when they deployed to Europe . Upon arriving in England , the group was reorganized into the 106th and 121st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons along with a Group Headquarters . After arriving in Europe , they were often in the lead of other units . Lightly armed , they scouted ahead to fix enemy locations . For the next year and a half , they fought through France , Luxembourg , Germany and Austria , earning five campaign streamers and the Croix de guerre from Charles de Gaulle , President of the Provisional French government . The Regiment lead the Allied advance across the Rhine , and were the first unit to attack a town south of the Siegfried Line or West Wall . In late 2006 , the 33rd Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois Army National Guard was formed and the 106th Cavalry Squadron was included in the reorganization . Heraldry and colors . Coat of arms . Blazon " Shield " Per fess dovetailed Or and Gules , in base four fleurs - de - lis , three and one , of the first . " Crest " That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Illinois Army National Guard : On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules upon a grassy field the blockhouse of old Fort Dearborn , Proper . " Motto " UTCUMQUE UBIQUE ( Anywhere At Any Time ) . Symbolism " Shield " The shield is divided per fess dovetailed Or and Gules ( yellow and red ) , denoting that the organization has served as Artillery as well as Cavalry . Red and yellow , being the Spanish colors , also indicate Spanish - American War service within the continental limits of the United States . The fleurs - de - lis on the red portion symbolize the combat operations of the organization in Europe during World War I and World War II . " Crest " The crest is that of the Illinois Army National Guard . Background The coat of arms was originally approved for the 106th Cavalry Regiment , Illinois and Michigan National Guard on 17 December 1930 . The description wording was modified on 30 December 1932 to show the unit ' s correct period of service on the Mexican Border . The unit was redesignated as the 106th Heavy Tank Battalion , Illinois and Michigan National Guard on 3 October 1949 . The shield was amended to delete the crest for organizations of the Michigan National Guard on 6 October 1949 . Four years later , on 19 October 1953 the unit was redesignated as the 106th Tank Battalion , Illinois National Guard . The insignia was redesignated for the 106th Armor Regiment , Illinois National Guard on 13 December 1960 . It was redesignated once again as the 106th Cavalry Regiment , Illinois Army National Guard on 7 January 1965 . It was amended to change the symbolism of the shield of the coat of arms on 7 October 1969 . Distinctive unit insignia . The unit device is a gold - colored metal and enamel device 1 1 / 32 inches ( 2 . 62 cm ) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned : Per fess dovetailed Or and Gules , in base four fleurs - de - lis , three and one , of the first . The shield is divided per fess dovetailed Or and Gules ( yellow and red ) , denoting that the organization has served as Artillery as well as Cavalry . Red and yellow , being the Spanish colors , also indicate Spanish - American War service within the continental limits of the United States . The fleurs - de - lis on the red portion symbolize the combat operations of the organization in Europe during World War I and World War II . Pre - World War II . The 106th Cavalry was before World War II a National Guard unit based in Chicago , Illinois . Prior to World War I and the Spanish - American War it had been known as the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry . The 106th underwent a number of different reorganizations until 1 September 1940 , when it was redesignated the 1st Squadron , 106th Cavalry ( Horse - Mechanized ) . The 106th was inducted into federal service on 25 November 1940 in Chicago . The Regiment moved to Camp Livingston , Louisiana on 3 January 1941 under command of V Corps . The Black Horse Troop . From 1929 – 1940 , Troop E of the Regiment was known as " The Black Horse Troop " and participated in parades and ceremonies as a horse mounted unit . Businessman Samuel Insull raised funds to outfit the Troop and their Mounted Band . The Troop wore a dress uniform of blue shell jacket s . World War II . Along with other National Guard units , the regiment was federalized in 1940 . At the beginning of World War II , most of the members of the regiment were given the opportunity to enroll in officers school . A core group of about 60 men chose to stay with the unit . The Regiment was assigned to the Third Army on 12 January 1942 , and to IV Corps on 1 May 1942 . In spring 1942 the Regiment became fully mechanized . The regiment participated in several maneuvers at Hineston , Kinisatchie , and Dry Creek , Louisiana ; and in the Louisiana Maneuver Area through the beginning of November 1942 . They were assigned to XV Corps on 1 March 1943 and transferred to Burkeville , Texas , on 25 June 1943 , after which it was sent to Camp Hood , Texas on 25 August 1943 under the Tank Destroyer Command . The Regiment staged at Camp Shanks , New York from 20 February 1944 until 27 February when it departed the New York Port of Embarkation for England . Campaign summary . The 106th served in the European campaign . The unit comprised approximately fifteen hundred men and was given various typical mechanized cavalry missions later recognized by the French nation with award of two Croix de guerre . The unit finished its wartime duty with the 7th Army , XV Corps . As a forward cavalry force , the 106th provided the first American troops to enter Salzburg , Austria . The 121st Squadron of the 106th received information that the Germans were holding the King of the Belgians and his family prisoner in a chateau near Strobl , Austria . Captain Benning , the commander of B Troop of the 121st Squadron , led some cavalrymen of his unit , including those who spoke German , on a rescue party . The group later served as Honor Guards for the King of the Belgians and his consort . The 106th secured a truce from the defending German Army on 7 May , the day before the German High Command surrendered to the Allies on 8 May 1945 . Organization and tactics . The 106th Cavalry Group ' s purpose was to act as the " eyes and ears " of a field army or army group , scouting ahead of slower and heavier - equipped armored and infantry formations to locate the enemy and shield friendly units from ground detection . Whenever enemy forces were found , the cavalry was designed to determine opposing size and positions using reconnaissance - by - fire tactics , and report this information to higher command . The group was too lightly armed to engage in sustained combat , and regular infantry or armor was utilized if the opposition proved beyond cavalry - group capabilities . Another routine aspect of its reconnaissance duties involved employment of the cavalry group to fill measurable gaps separating frontline Allied units . The cavalry group was also assigned missions requiring rapid movement to bypass enemy forces , if opportune weaknesses or uncovered terrain was discovered by mechanized reconnaissance methods . Equipment and armament . The 106th Cavalry was lightly equipped to allow it to move quickly and deploy rapidly . They fought mounted in mobile Bantam Jeeps and M8 armored cars . Each squadron ' s complement of troops and vehicles consisted of a headquarters troop that included communication , administrative , mess , maintenance , transportation , and supply support , a medical detachment , a cavalry assault gun troop , and three reconnaissance troops , lettered A , B , and C . A squadron of about 760 men was about the equivalent of a typical Army battalion in numbers , though Cavalry units were typically smaller . The three reconnaissance troops were each equipped with Bantam jeeps with a bracket - mounted . 30 caliber machine gun , manned by a soldier sitting in the front passenger seat . A second Bantam jeep was mounted with a 60mm mortar manned by two soldiers . Sometimes the Bantam was mounted with a . 50 caliber machine gun . Each troop was usually equipped with a mixture of the three vehicles . To maximize speed and maneuverability on the battlefield , the Bantams were not given extra armor protection . The only modifications the 106th made was to add a wire cutter . They mounted a steel pole on the front bumper that extended above the driver ' s head because the Germans would sometimes stretch piano wire over roads with the intention of injuring or decapitating the driver . The third vehicle used was the six - wheeled , light - weight M8 Greyhound armored car , mounted with a 37 mm gun in a movable turret that could swing a full 360 degrees . It also featured a . 30 caliber coaxial machine gun that could move independently of the turret . The M8 was equipped with powerful FM radios to enable battlefield communications . E Troop , the Squadron ' s mobile artillery , was the Cavalry Assault Gun Troop and consisted of three assault gun platoons . Each platoon was equipped with assault gun s , short - barreled howitzers in an open turret on an M8 chassis . They also utilized two halftracks to carry their headquarters unit and an ammunition section . Two gun sections used an M8 Greyhound . F Troop consisted of five light tank companies . Early in the war , each company had three light tank platoons , consisting of five 37mm M5A1 Stuart light tanks . While fast and maneuverable , the Stuart ' s armor plating and its cannon were soon found to be no match against the German tanks . In February 1945 , they were replaced with the more heavily armed 75 mm M24 Chaffee light tank . The M5 Stuart light tank was capable of speeds up to on the road , while the M24 Chaffee could travel at speeds up to on paved surfaces . The M8 armored car was capable of speeds of up to , while the Bantams could exceed . The officers usually rode with their enlisted men in the Bantams , while the squadron ' s support troops used a variety of vehicles including the Bantams , military trucks , and armored halftracks . At times , the men would dismount from their light vehicles and take on infantry roles , digging in to create a stronger defensive line . Patrols were undertaken both on foot or mounted as the circumstances dictated . In this capacity , the cavalrymen would go into combat with M1 rifles and carbines , hand grenades , Thompson machine guns , and newly developed bazooka s . When facing heavily fortified enemy positions or , later in the war , against the heaviest German tanks , the 106th was accompanied with supporting units , usually in the form of a small number of tank destroyers . However , the mission of reconnaissance units was not to kill all of the enemies encountered , but to summon the slower moving and better equipped infantry and armored units whose job it was to fix and destroy the heavily armored enemy . The headquarters , maintenance , mess , supply and medical units were equipped with a variety of military trucks , M8 Armored cars , halftracks , and Bantam jeeps . Arrival in England . The regiment arrived at Glasgow , Scotland on 9 March 1944 , was moved to Doddington Hall camp in England , and six days later was reorganized as the HHT 106th Cavalry Group ( Mechanized ) , comprising the 106th and 121st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons along with a Group Headquarters . Half of its officers and non - commissioned soldiers formed the basis of the newly created 121st Cavalry Squadron . The 33rd Aviation Battalion of the Illinois National Guard was reorganized as Troop A . After three months of training , the 106th sailed for France on 29 June 1944 . While crossing the English Channel to Europe , the Squadron was transported on two Liberty ship s . The Liberty ship carrying A Troop of the 121st Squadron hit a mine shortly after leaving England . Fortunately , a Red Cross LST came quickly alongside and all the men were safely evacuated back to England for another 19 days before new transportation to France could be found . European operations . The cavalry group served in the European campaign and at various stages screened the advance of the US Third Army , US Seventh Army and US Sixth Army Group . The 106th as a scouting force provided the first American troops to enter Salzburg , Austria and accepted its surrender . Normandy . The 106th Cavalry Group arrived in France under the command of Colonel Vennard Wilson , a Regular Army officer . They were first committed to combat on 2 July 1944 with the VIII Corps . Its first mission was to assist in the reduction of German forces previously isolated during the VIII Corps advance in the Normandy Peninsula . The next mission was an offensive screening mission , which led from Normandy south through St . James , Isigny , La Haye - du - Puits , Manche , Basse - Normandie , Coutance , and Avaranches , to Rennes . With the quick advance , gaps appeared between VIII and XV Corps , and General George S . Patton plugged the gap between Louvigne and Rennes with the 106th Cavalry Group . When VIII Corps turned west to mop up and secure the Brittany Peninsula , the 106th Regiment was reassigned once again to XV Corps . As the XV Corps raced east towards Le Mans , the 106th provided reconnaissance and a screening force . Members of the 106th were among the first to enter Le Mans on 8 August . The German front in the Battle of Normandy had collapsed , and the XV Corps turned north to help close the Falaise Pocket and the 106th provided flank screening security . Northern France . The XV Corps then turned north towards the Seine and Paris . With the pocket closed , the 106th reconnoitered east through Alençon , Sarthe , Nogent , and Mantes - Gassicourt . On 15 August they covered the to Dreux , just west of Paris , in a single day . They remained there covering the XV Corps ' flank until 27 August . This mission helped protect XV Corps against German remnants attempting to escape the Falaise Pocket . The advance east from Auxerre to Gondrecourt was very fast against diminishing German resistance . Their screening mission took them along a front from the left to the right flank of the Third Army . The group was then transferred under the command of and assigned to protect the right flank of XII Corps for twelve days carrying out reconnaissance as that corps advanced east . In mid - September it was reassigned to XV Corps at Joinville . This marked a two - month and trek across France as they moved in to protect the right flank of U . S . Third Army during their rapid advance from Joinville au Marne to Charmes au Moselle . During this advance , the 106th along with the 2nd French Armored Division assisted in eradicating the effective combat power of the German 16th Infantry Division . The 106th ' s commanding officer , Colonel Vennard Wilson , later described the unit ' s action : Eastern France . In late September , the U . S . Army transferred the XV Corps from General Patton ' s Third Army , 12th Army Group to Seventh Army , 6th Army Group . Reassigned with the XV Corps , the 106th — without moving positions — switched from guarding the Third Army ' s right flank to guarding the Seventh Army ' s left flank and maintaining contact between the Third and Seventh Armies . The 106th was then tasked with reconnaissance in front of the XV Corps . They led the XV Corps from the Moselle River to Lunéville , and supported by the 813th Tank Destroyer Battalion , attacked northeast into the wooded Forêt de Parroy , northeast of Lunéville , France . For two months they fought as infantrymen , dismounted alongside the 79th and 44th Infantry Divisions , enduring winter weather and minefields . Major General Wade H . Haislip characterized Forêt de Parroy as being " in reality a jungle . " During what was said to be the worst winter in 30 years , the 1500 men of the 106th held up to of the front . Staying in contact with the XII Corps right flank to its north was difficult because its lines were so thinly spread . Maintaining relatively static lines from 20 September through 5 November , they took the opportunity to rotate the two squadrons in and out of the line as trench foot took its toll on the soldiers . On several occasions the 106th was ordered to counter German probing attacks . The 121st Cavalry Squadron was later awarded the Croix de guerre with Palm for its combat participation during this extended period . When the XV Corps ' infantry attacked the German defensive line , the 106th , once again supported by the 813th Tank Destroyer Battalion , preceded the 2nd French Armored Division in maneuvering through the Vosges Mountains to within of the Rhine River . The 106th screened the north advance , leading the attack on Sarrebourg and then advancing to the east to seize the Saverne Gap . Once through the Gap , the 106th guarded the northwest flank near Sarrebourg as the rest of the Corps advanced east another to capture Strasbourg . On the American ' s Thanksgiving Day , 23 November 1944 , one of the most élite units in the entire German army , the well - rested and refitted Panzer - Lehr - Division counterattacked , trying to recapture the Saverne Gap and cut off the XV Corps from its supply lines . The 106th was forced back ( militarily credited with the usual propaganda of " completing a brilliant delaying action " ) but the retreat gave XV Corps Commander Major General Wade H . Haislip enough time to reinforce and the counter German advance . Two weeks later , on 16 December 1944 , the Germans launched the Ardennes Offensive ( Battle of the Bulge ) . The 106th was placed in a dismounted ( infantry ) patrol mode north of Sarrebourg to scout German forces . On 23 December the Group relieved the 6th Cavalry Group of Third Army in its zone to the north . The 106th Squadron relieved the 28th Squadron near St . Avold and the 121st Squadron relieved the 6th Squadron near Freyming - Merlebach . The 106th Cavalry Group maintained position on the shoulder of the bulge , helping maintain contact with Third Army and check the German attack . Ardennes offensive . As the Ardennes Offensive faltered , the Germans launched Operation Nordwind just before midnight on New Year ' s Eve to try to relieve pressure on its troops in the Ardennes . They once again sought to recapture the Saverne Gap and join up with the German 19th Army , enveloping seven American divisions along the Rhine River . The Germans attacked the right center of the Regiment and the group temporarily withdrew . The bitterly cold winter weather made fighting more difficult , but the 106th finally forced the Germans to retreat . When the Ardennes Offensive was stopped , the Seventh Army and the French First Army resumed the offensive on 29 January 1945 . The 106th continued to patrol until 11 February 1945 , when it was relieved by the 101st Cavalry Group . The regiment moved outside of Merlebach for rest , refitting , and equipment maintenance . They were outfitted with the new M - 24 ' Chaffee ' light tank with its improved 75 mm gun mount , a huge improvement over the M5A1 ' s 37 mm gun . Upon receiving the tanks in mid - February 1945 , soldiers said , " The light tank companies of both squadrons turned in their 37mm gun - toting M5A1 ' s and drew the new M24 ' s Armed with a 75 mm cannon and twice the size of the precursors , these tanks seemed beautiful to us . Our tankers itched to try them out . On 15 March , they got their chance . We were back in the line . " Rhineland . After just over a month ' s break , the 106th Cavalry Group returned to the front lines . From 15 to 26 March it led XV Corps ' offensive through the Siegfried Line near Saarbrücken . Leading the advance across the Rhine were A and B Troops of the 121st Squadron , the first to attack a town south of the West Wall . Finally reaching the Rhine River , on 27 March 1945 the 106th crossed the river and cleared and secured Salzbach . The Group then covered the advance of XV Corps to Aschaffenburg am Main . The 106th secured the Corps ' left flank and maintained contact with the 44th and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 2nd Cavalry Division . From 1 to 5 April , the regiment assisted the 2nd Cavalry Group , advancing north to Bad Orb , Germany and secured an Allied Prisoner of War camp . The Regiment ' s 121st Squadron was then charged with reconnoitering the main road to Neustadt . In the next eight days , the group moved northeast into Germany , rapidly cleared the towns of Alsberg , Siedensroth , Steinau , Schlüchtern and Flieden . From 5 to 13 April , the regiment cleared the enemy eastward to the Main River , a tributary of the Rhine River , covering the advance of the 45th Infantry Division into Lauda - Königshofen and then on 20 April the capture of Nuremberg . On 21 April A Troop of the 106th Squadron was charged with leading the 2nd Battalion , 179th Infantry Regiment , 5th Infantry Division about south to the Danube River , and to secure and hold a crossing near Neuberg . During the next two days , the 106th Cavalry Group fought its final major engagement . From Neuberg , the unit attacked southward towards Augsburg . Leading the 45th Infantry Division rapidly east down the autobahn towards Munich as it tried to locate the rapidly retreating Germans , Troop C along with two light tanks from Company F , drew a concentrated attack from German forces only from their objective . The German self - propelled guns , tanks , and small arms fire left four dead and destroyed four armored M8 vehicles and four Bantams . On 29 April , during the assault towards Munich , the 3rd Battalion , 157th Infantry Regiment , 45th Division liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp . The 45th Infantry Division for which the 106th had reconnoitered for several months , battled diehard Nazi troops and took Munich on 30 April 1945 . After helping to capture Munich , the 106th lead the XV Corps into Austria . On 2 May , they received orders to capture Salzburg . En route , they captured the remnants of the Hungarian 9th Infantry Brigade , about 8 , 800 men , who were retreating eastward , fighting the advancing Soviet Marshall Rodion Malinovsky ' s 2nd Ukrainian Front . Salzburg surrendered on 4 May , and the local German commander offered a truce . Austria . The group ' s final mission involved the release of the King of Belgium Held in internal exile by the Germans since his small nation had withstood a German attack for three weeks in May 1940 , German - speaking members of a small recon party of the 106th learned while searching the towns of St . Wolfgang and Strobl that King Leopold was under guard in a villa in Strobl . Travelling in a six - wheeled Mercedes previously owned by Germany ' s Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop , the troops located the villa . The S . S . Guards were still present , and the men of the 106th disarmed them without any resistance , freeing King Leopold . Decorations . Colonel Vennard Wilson was awarded the Legion of Merit , Legion of Honor , and Croix de guerre for his outstanding leadership of this unit . Lieutenant Benjamin S . Hill of the 121st Squadron was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross . The 121st Cavalry Squadron was awarded the Fourragère . For its action at Lunéville , the 121st Cavalry Squadron was recognized with the Croix de guerre with Palm , and the Croix de guerre with Palm was awarded to entire 106th Cavalry Regiment for their gallantry and action at Caen - Falaise . General Charles de Gaulle ' s citation praised the 106th Cavalry Group ' s action fighting alongside the 2nd French Division into the Vosges Mountains : Address from Colonel Vennard Wilson , Troop Commander at End of War . Headquarters 106 Cavalry Group ( Mech . ) St . Wolfgang , Austria Address to Members of 106 Cavalry Group Memorial Day , 30 May 1945 by Vennard Wilson Colonel , Cavalry Commanding " This is our National Memorial Day . It is fitting that we set aside a few moments to pay honor to our comrades who , by their supreme sacrifices , have made possible the triumph of our forces . It is our custom on this day to pay honor to all the dead of all the wars of the American Armies . We salute them . Yet this is also a special occasion for those of us who have just completed a long and arduous campaign , and who by the accidents of chance still live to tell the story of those who are no longer with us . We cannot but feel a special reverence for those comrades whom we knew intimately , whom we saw while their blood was still warm , men who did not let us down in a fight . Let me briefly review our accomplishments . Our regiment , approximately fifteen hundred men , rather small as a major combat unit , has carried its full share of the action from Normandy to Austria . We landed in Normandy on 2 July 1944 , learned combat in the famous hedgerow fighting there , learned to make swift advances in the initial breakthrough to Avranches . Then came our first open runs , from Avranches to the Seine . We were ready , and took up the gallop for fifty - and sixty - mile runs , leading the pack all the way . When the Third Army paused for supplies , we covered its right flank for a length of one hundred and fifteen miles . The advance began again and we were told to lead the XV Corps from the vicinity of Neufchateau to Charmes . That , from a tactical standpoint , was one of the most interesting and successful of our accomplishments . An entire German division — the 16th Infantry Division — was in front of us . Our communications and technique were then developed to such a high standard that our infantry following us hardly lost an hour . We used five of our six troops to contain those Germans , slipped around to their north , delivered our infantry on their objective at five in the afternoon after a fifty - mile advance . I wish to pay special tribute to B Troop 106th Squadron and their gallant troop commander , Captain Park , in this operation . This troop was one hundred miles in rear of us when the advance was ordered , came up during the night , arrived at the starting point after the other troops had departed , kept moving as rear troop during the day , and were sent into action late in the afternoon after I had committed the five other troops . Captain Park used on of his platoons on side blocking and reconnaissance missions , and when I arrived at Charmes we had only Captain Park , two platoons , and a platoon of tanks . It was enough to do the job . Our next phas was the advance to Luneville . The Corps paused a few days at Charmes , on the Moselle . Our technique was so well developed that we were already in contact on the objective when the advance started . Then came the foot - slogging days of the Forest of Parroy . We became infantry for a solid month , and slugged it out alongside the 79th Division . That was far from a pleasant campaign . Then the days of the Vosges Mountains , the fight with the 130th Panzer ( Lehr ) , the best fighting Germans we have ever fought against . The fight at Wimmenau , not one of our best . The winter campaign at Ludweiler , where we lost two hills but still retained the position . We were not at our top form then , far from it . But we rebuilt the outfit without withdrawing from combat , and the attack at Schaffhausen by A Troop 106th Squadron smacked them over like professionals . Then the rest at Merlebach , the arrival of the new tanks , the finest present a man could have , and we were ready again . When the advance was begun to the Siegfried Line , I think that this outfit was absolutely at its top form . It was ferocious . I went in with A Troop 121st Squadron when it and B Troop 121st Squadron attacked the first town south of the Siegfried Line . Never could a man be prouder than to feel the weight of such an attack as you put on then . I know that nothing could possibly stop you . Next , the advance to and across the Rhine , to the Main , to Nurnburg , to the Danube , to Munich , and finally to Austria . During this period , we worked with two of the finest fighting divisions of the American Army , the 3rd and 45th Infantry Divisions . They are both fast - moving and hard - hitting . We gained their respect and admiration . One of the most interesting advances was the one on to Salzburg , and beyond . We were attached to the 3rd Division at the time . There was only one road available , and no room for us . The 3rd Division leading elements were delayed by a blown bridge some ten kilometers forward of Salzburg . The 121st Squadron was halted some forty kilometers west of Salzburg in read of a bad by - pass . During the night , the Division Commander gave me permission to use a northern road , and the Squadron took off at midnight . Led by B Troop 121st Squadron , with its troop commander , Captain Benecke , on the point bantam , it accepted the surrender of Salzburg early in the morning , beating the infantry by a very short time . When I informed the Division Commander of what you had done , his comment was " Fine , I didn ' t think you could do it ! " He did not know you men as well as I did . I have mentioned four troops merely because they happened to fit into the story . The others have also had their day . There was C Troop 106th Squadron in a brilliant final drive to Munich , there was C Troop 121st Squadron which played the major share in the Ludweiler Campaign , the assault gun troops who supported us constantly , and those tankers , God bless them , who made the most of our fights successful , those supply men who fed us , those mechanics who kept us rolling , those medics who saved many of us , make us feel that every man played his part . I feel a pride in this regiment . It is always a proud feeling to belong to an outfit which can take its place with the best , which is definitely placed by its Corps Commander and by the infantry commanders with which it has worked , as a first - class fighting unit . Those exploits of ours were not without cost . You cannot whip the enemy unless you take your share of the losses . They were accomplished through the willingness of our comrades to get out and feel his fire , to give back plenty of it , and to make the necessary sacrifice to dominate him . To our fifteen hundred men , there have been 1 , 195 Purple Hearts issued , and 194 of these will never again go into combat . They are our honored dead who lie buried on foreign soil ; the men to whom we pay special tribute today . We owe a certain debt to these dead . They have aided us in the defeat of a powerful , savage , warlike nation . We must so conduct ourselves in the future that their victory will be complete , that the peace for which they died will be permanent . " Kappelman photographic collection . T / 5 Glenn Kappelman was among replacements who joined the unit on 1 February 1944 , and he was able to take about 750 pictures of the unit ' s action during the remainder of the war . Against orders , Kapplelman had secreted a Kodak 616 camera in his gas mask during embarkation inspection in New York . Because he was a common soldier and not a professional photographer , and since cameras and film were rare among troops in combat , the photographs depict a soldier ' s everyday experience and are relatively unique among war photography . Traveling in an M8 armored car , he stashed film in empty ammunition box es , shooting nearly 100 rolls of film . On one occasion during the winter of 1945 near Lunéville , his M8 was damaged and his squadron was forced to hastily retreat . Unable to carry his boxes of film , he hid them in a nearby home under a table covered by a long tablecloth . He returned two days later to find the ammunition boxes undisturbed . Fifty years later , he began to produce large format prints of selected images and donated copies to the United States Cavalry Museum at Ft . Riley , Kansas , and other collections . He also gave a set to the King of Belgium who had been 15 years old when he was rescued by Kappelman ' s unit from German captivity in 1945 . Kappelman and fellow 106th veteran Art Barkis narrated a largely self - financed video documentary titled " Through My Sights : A Gunner ' s View of WWII " of the photographic collection in 1999 . In 2003 he followed that with a book of the same name featuring a large number of the photos interspersed with his personal recollections 50 years later , along with excerpts from his wartime letters and diaries . Occupation duty . The 106th remained in Austria as an occupation force until October 1945 . Part of their responsibility were acting as an Honor Guard for King Leopold . The King was at the time a controversial figure because of his stand during the war and refusal to flee and set up a government in exile , but surrendered to the Germans . The 106th were billeted in Pension Appesbach next door to the King ' s chateau . They assisted with Military Police duties but otherwise relaxed , playing sports , swimming , boating , and sightseeing . Ironically , one member of B Troop , T / 5 Myron Ricketts , having survived the war , died in a drowning accident during occupation duties . In a speech to the Cavalry Group on Memorial Day , 30 May 1945 , commanding officer Colonel Vennard Wilson described the Group ' s and specifically Troop B ' s accomplishments : Post World War II . The 106th Cavalry Regiment departed Austria for the United States on 1 October 1945 via New York and was inactivated in Urbana , Illinois on 24 October 1945 . In 1952 Companies A and C of the 106th Tank Battalion were headquartered at Camp Lincoln in Illinois . Modern era . Reorganized 1 February 1968 to consist of Troop E , an element of the 33d Infantry Brigade . Troop E 106 Cavalry was constituted as a scout element for the 33rd Separate Infantry Brigade , in Streator , IL , as a unit of the Illinois Army National Guard . Unit won several best unit citations during annual training with the 33rd SIB in the late 1980s . It served with distinction during a call up for Mississippi River floods in 1993 . Deactivated in 1995 and reconstituted as an air defense artillery unit . In late 2006 , the 33rd Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois Army National Guard was formed . A , B , and C Troops of 106th Cavalry Squadron along with its Headquarters Troop were included in the reorganization , forming the 33rd ' s Reconnaissance , Surveillance , and Target Acquisition squadron . Like their predecessors , they are responsible for reconnaissance , engaging the enemy with scout vehicles and anti - armor weapons , identifying and reporting enemy locations and activity , and providing enemy targeting information . On 2 and 16 August 2008 , about 100 Soldiers of the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop and Troop C , 2nd Squadron , 106th Cavalry were honored in a deployment ceremony prior to their deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom , to Afghanistan . As part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team , they acted as mentor teams . They trained both the Afghan Army and Afghan National Police , conducting patrol and security missions . This deployment was a part of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VIII . Current units . The Squadron currently consists of a Headquarters Troop and three cavalry troops : " This article contains text that is a work of the U . S . military and therefore is in the public domain . "