126th Cavalry Regiment ( United States ) The 126th Cavalry Regiment ( " Second Michigan " ) is a United States military unit of the Michigan Army National Guard . The 126th was originally an infantry regiment , then was converted into an armoured role , and then was converted to a light cavalry reconnaissance unit , with subordinate units stationed in Cadillac , Wyoming , Dowagiac , and Manistee . Early history & the American Civil War . The 126th Infantry existed for its first 144 years as an infantry unit . The 126th Infantry dates back as early as 12 July 1855 when the Grand Rapids Light Guard and Grand Rapids Artillery companies were organized . The first officers of the Grand Rapids Light Guard included Wright L . Coffinberry as captain ; Frederick W . Worden , E . T . Nelson , and A . L . Gage as lieutenants ; Milton S . Littlefield , Benjamin B . Church , S . S . Porter , and G . M . McCray as sergeant s . Other charter members of the Light Guard included Edward A . Earle , Joseph C . Herkner , Benjamin Luce , Henry Spring , Miles Adams , E . H . Hunt , Dr . Willard Bliss , Frank Earle , Warren P . Mills , James Sargeant , J . E . Earle , John Grady , C . B . Hinsdill , Charles D . Lyon , George E . Judd , Henry Whipple , Robert M . Collins , F . Shriver , Byron R . Pierce , B . D . Ball , Edwin S . Pierce , John Seymour , Samuel Judd , Thomas Sargeant , G . W . Remington , William Livingston , Henry Ely , and Joseph Houseman . Later that year Ringgold ’ s Light Artillery was organized , and four years later in 1859 , the Grand Rapids Rifles came into existence . These companies along with several others from Ionia formed the 51st Volunteer Uniformed Michigan Militia Regiment prior to the American Civil War . The four companies formed the core of the Third Michigan Infantry Regiment that joined the Civil War on 13 June 1861 . The regimental commander at the time was Colonel Daniel McConnell . The Third Michigan fought in twelve campaigns before it was mustered out in June 1864 . Besides five Grand Rapids companies , the Third included companies from Boston and Lyons in Ionia County , Lansing , Muskegon , and Georgetown . On 13 June 1861 the Third Regiment marched out of Cantonment Anderson in Grand Rapids , Michigan towards the recently constructed railroad depot near Leonard and Plainfield streets , where it boarded and departed the area for the war . While attached to Richardson ’ s brigade of Colonel Miles ’ s Division , the Third participated in its first engagement against Confederate forces just thirty - eight days after being federalized . It began as a part of a reconnaissance in force towards Blackburn ’ s Ford along Bull Run ( the term “ run ” is southern for creek or small river ) . On 21 July , the Third marched with Richardson ’ s brigade back to Blackburn ’ s ford to keep the rebels occupied while the rest of McDowell ’ s army hit the Confederate ’ s left flank . After desultory firing at the ford , Richardson learned of the Federal rout on the right and was recalled to Centreville . What they saw was utter chaos and confusion as the Confederate forces , now reinforced , literally cut through the advancing and then retreating Union forces . Morale by the close of that first summer was presumably low in the Third Michigan . During the next few months a number of officers including Colonel McConnell resigned and returned home to Grand Rapids . Major Champlin , who had originally organized Ringgold ’ s Light Artillery back in 1855 , assumed command of the regiment on 28 October 1861 , and under him , the Third went into winter quarters at Alexandria , Virginia . That next March , the Third Michigan was assigned to General Berry ’ s Brigade of the Third Red Diamond Division and entered the Peninsula campaign . A few months later at Fair Oaks , the regiment ’ s losses were severe — thirty killed , one hundred and twenty - four wounded , and fifteen missing . Included among the dead was Captain Samuel Judd , and Colonel Champlin had been severely wounded . [ Summary of campaigns will be added at a later date ] Several months following Lee ’ s surrender in April 1865 , a great homecoming by the citizens of Grand Rapids was held for the returning heroes . On 4 July 1865 , tables were set the entire length of the Pearl Street Bridge for a welcome - home celebration . Two soldiers in the Third earned the Medal of Honor . After the Civil War . In the months and years that followed , veterans ’ groups were formed under the banner of the Grand Army of the Republic ; however , the Old Third Michigan didn ’ t organize an association until 23 February 1871 . When they did , they elected Colonel Edwin S . Pierce , president ; John H . Sumner , secretary ; and Colonel George E . Judd , treasurer . In Grand Rapids , the earliest of the new , independent companies was the Valley City Zouaves , organized first in 1866 and reorganized on 14 March 1873 . However , this company did not remain in existence for long and was never actually mustered into state service . Several years after the end of the Civil War , the Grand Rapids Guard company was organized by veterans of the Third and other regiments . The company was mustered into state service in 1872 as part of the Michigan State Troops . It was called out to aid authorities during a riot at the Muskegon County jail in 1873 and to quell a disturbance at Greenville during the Flat River labor dispute in 1874 . That year the Grand Rapids Guard became Company B 2nd Infantry Regiment when the regiment was organized at Grand Rapids . Over the course of the next 24 years through various reorganizations the 2nd Infantry included companies from Coldwater , Kalamazoo , Flint , Bay City , East Saginaw , Port Huron , Marquette , Niles , Ionia , Manistee , Big Rapids , Three Rivers , and Grand Haven . The Michigan State Troops were redesignated as the Michigan National Guard on 31 December 1894 , in response to a growing use of that designation across the country . It was first applied to the New York state militia in 1824 as a compliment to General Lafayette , who had been visiting the United States at that time . Lafayette had commanded the Garde Nationale in Paris around 1789 . War with Spain . In 1898 , the 2nd Infantry was mobilized for the war with Spain as one of five Michigan regiments . It was redesignated the 32nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment and included twelve battalions : four from Grand Rapids , four from Detroit , and one each from Coldwater , Grand Haven , Kalamazoo and Battle Creek . The 32nd rendezvoused at Island Lake and was sent to Tampa , Florida with Colonel William T . McGurrin in command . It was just about to embark for Cuba when hostilities ceased and the 32nd returned home . Back at home , the regiment resumed its 2nd Infantry designation and moved into a new armory . This was the first time since 1855 that all four Grand Rapids companies were located in one armory . The remaining companies were located at Coldwater , Kalamazoo , Big Rapids , Lansing , Manistee , Muskegon and Battle Creek . Owing to poor showings in annual inspections , the Manistee company was dropped for Grand Haven and a new company was organized at Manistee . The Battle Creek company also was disbanded and Adrian joined the regiment . The Lansing company was eventually redesignated as artillery , and an Ionia company joined the 2nd . The Clark Building armory in Grand Rapids was thought in its day to be one of the finest armories in the state . Its furnishings and equipment had a value estimated at $ 11 , 000 . The drill hall was rather large , and the armory included ample equipment rooms , assembly rooms , billiard rooms , reading rooms , officers ’ rooms , an indoor target range eighty feet in length , a cafe , club rooms , elegantly furnished parlors , and a library . In 1903 , Congress passed the Militia Act of 1903 , which had a huge impact on the Second Michigan and all other militia units in the United States . The bill and its amendments in effect served to nationalize the militia and reduce its status as a state volunteer force . Under terms of the act , the organized militia was uniformly redesignated as the National Guard and organized along army lines , with provisions for federal weapons and equipment . Twenty - four training sessions per year plus a summer encampment were now required for all units . Federal instruction and inspection were authorized and provisions made which elevated the status of Guard officers to equality with their federal counterparts . On 3 September 1912 , in response to a request from officials at the state prison in Jackson , the governor directed that Companies C and M , Second Infantry from Kalamazoo , join companies of the First Infantry in aiding civil authorities in quelling the riot and protecting the institution from outside attack or interference with the discipline of the convicts . Within two hours of receiving the order , both companies were ready to leave the armory . The entire regiment saw service in the 1913 copper strike in the Upper Peninsula , serving in copper country from 24 July to the first of November . During the regiment ’ s stay , there was no loss of life and negligible property damage for any of citizen . Mexican Border War . On 19 June 1916 , the entire Michigan National Guard was called out for service on the Mexican border instigated by raids on American border towns by the Mexican bandit , Pancho Villa . The Thirty - second was mustered into federal service on the first of July . The organization of the 2nd included four companies from Grand Rapids , two from Kalamazoo , and one each from Coldwater , Adrian , Ionia , Grand Haven , Muskegon and Big Rapids . This war also became known as the Pancho Villa Expedition . Shortly thereafter , the regiment departed for El Paso , Texas , arriving at Camp Cotton on 12 July , located a mere three hundred yards from the Mexican border . Upon its arrival , regular army inspectors took note of the excellent condition of the regiment and the short amount of time it took to get settled into camp . The next four weeks were spent in intensive training . During this time , details were organized to guard important points in the vicinity of El Paso . On 15 August , the regiment took over the entire outpost along the Rio Grande and the boundary line in New Mexico . This consisted of a line stretching from Fort Hancock , southeast of El Paso , to Las Cruces , New Mexico , for a total of in length . While the Grand Rapids battalion was on the border , construction work on the new Michigan Street armory was completed . On Saturday , 13 January 1917 , the final inspection of the regiment had been conducted . The regiment struck camp on Thursday and returned to Fort Wayne , where it was mustered out of service on 15 February . Under federal laws Congress adopted in June 1916 the regiment reverted to its National Guard status . World War One . The 32nd returned home that spring only to find itself being activated for the World War . In September , it was ordered to Camp MacArthur , Texas , where it underwent another major reorganization to become part of the 32nd Division , which included Michigan and Wisconsin troops . Under the command of Colonel Joseph Westnedge , the 32nd became the 126th Infantry Regiment . The new regiment included the following companies : A - Coldwater , B - Adrian , C - Kalamazoo , D - Ionia , E - Ann Arbor , F - Jackson , G - Detroit , H - Detroit , I - Big Rapids / Muskegon , K - Grand Rapids , L - Grand Haven / Muskegon , and M - Grand Rapids . In addition , the regimental headquarters , machine gun company , supply company , sanitary detachment and band were all from Grand Rapids . The regiment left the United States on 19 February 1918 bound for France . When it first arrived it was used for replacements and supply duty . Soon , the regiment , along with the 32nd Division , was sent into battle . When the war was over on 11 November , the 126th had seen service in four major campaigns and earned the French Croix de Guerre . The 126th returned in May 1919 but without its dearly beloved Colonel Westnedge who had died that previous fall from the effects of mustard gas . PFC Joseph William Guyton , the first American killed on German - held territory in WWI , was posthumously awarded the French Croix de guerre . Following the war , Colonel Earl R . Stewart reorganized the 126th with units coming from many of the same towns as those of the pre - war 32nd . The only actions the unit participated in between the World Wars were the 1936 Second Army maneuvers across Allegan County and the 1937 Flint Sit - Down Strike . World War Two . On 15 October 1940 , during the Second World War , the 126th headed to Louisiana along with the rest of the Red Arrow Division . The makeup of the 126th included the following units : Headquarters , Headquarters Company & Anti - Tank Platoon , Service Company , Band - Grand Rapids ; 1st Battalion Headquarters Detachment - Adrian , Co A - Coldwater , Co B - Adrian , Co C - Kalamazoo , Co D - Holland ; 2nd Battalion Headquarters Detachment - Muskegon , Co E - Big Rapids , Co F - Grand Haven , Co G - Muskegon , Co H - Ionia ; 3rd Battalion Headquarters Detachment , Co I , Co K , Co L , Co M - all Grand Rapids . During the summer of 1941 , the regiment participated in the Third and Fourth Army maneuvers — nicknamed the Louisiana Maneuvers — which provided the army high command a good look at the preparedness of the regiment . The first test , which was held in the vicinity of Camp Beauregard , was conducted from 16 June through the 27 and included the Thirty - second Division as well as the Thirty - seventh from Ohio . From 16 – 30 August , the maneuvers expanded to include the Thirty - fourth and Thirty - eighth divisions . During September , the largest maneuvers were held with the Seventh Corps of the Second Army , opposing the Fourth , Fifth , and Eighth corps of the Third Army . The Grand Rapids Guard was part of the Fifth Corps . It was the largest maneuver of its kind in the history of the army and included some one hundred thousand men . Redirected to the Pacific . Initially trained for the war in Europe , they were turned around in late March and told to be in San Francisco in three weeks . On 18 April 1942 , the 32nd Division boarded a convoy of seven Matson Line ships , and the 126th boarded the S . S . Lurline , a luxury liner converted to transport duty , and four days later sailed for the South Pacific . The regiment crossed the equator on 30 April , and the international date line on the seventh of May , reaching Adelaide , Australia , seven days later . There , the 126th unloaded and moved to Camp Sandy Creek some outside the city . In August 1942 , the 126th moved to Brisbane and was billeted at Camp Cable . The camp was named in honor of Corporal Gerald Cable , the first member of the 32nd Division killed by the Japanese during World War II . Cable , a member of Service Company , 126th Infantry , along with approximately twenty other men , were on board a ship transporting trucks and other equipment from Brisbane to Adelaide when a torpedo hit the ship in the stern . Move to New Guinea . The 126th was organized into a regimental combat team composed of the entire 126th Infantry Regiment ; Company A , 107th Medical Battalion ; Company A , 114th Engineer Battalion ; First Platoon , Company D , 107 Medical Detachment ; Section C , Tenth Evacuation Hospital ; 107th Quartermaster Company ; and a number of other support forces . Colonel Lawrence A . Quinn was in command of the combat team . First , Second , and Third battalions were under the command of Lt . Col . Edmund Carrier , Lt . Col . Henry Geerds , and Lt . Col . Clarence Tomlinson , respectively . The regiment was the first U . S . forces to be dispatched to Port Moresby in New Guinea in September 1942 . Once in Port Moresby the Regiment was put to work constructing the American base camp , once again missing out on valuable training . In October 1942 the 2nd Battalion , assisted by several hundred natives carriers , was sent across the Owen Stanley Ranges via the Kapa Kapa Trail in an attempt to cut off Japanese forces retreating down the Kokoda Trail . They were completely unprepared ; the Battalion suffered greatly from exposure to the elements in the mountains . The troops also suffered from malaria , dengue fever , bush typhus , trenchfoot , and tropical dysentery . Some of their rations , Australian bully beef , had spoiled , and many men got food poisoning . It was " one of the most harrowing marches in American military history . " Trek across Owen Stanley Range . They were charged with making an extremely difficult trek inland over the Kapa Kapa Trail toward Jaure , where they were to flank the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail . The total distance over the mountains to the Japanese positions was over , and most of the trail was barely a goat path . The men carried only six days rations , expecting to be resupplied en route . The food however was very poor , including hardtack , rice and bully beef , some of which had become rancid and sickened many men . They had leather toilet seats but no machetes , insect repellent , waterproof containers for medicine or personal effects , and it rained heavily every day . The Battalion took 42 days to cross the mountains and reach the coast . They never saw a Japanese soldier during their trek , and the battalion reached the north coast after the Australians who had fought the Japanese down the Kokoda Trail . During their march , the remainder of the Regiment was flown across the Owen Stanley Range , arriving before the 2 / 126th . The battalion earned the nickname " The Ghost Battalion " during the march , referring not only to the ghost - like conditions encountered when they passed - high Mount Obree , which they nicknamed Ghost Mountain , but to their condition upon arrival . Lt . Gen . Robert Eichelberger found the soldiers of 2 / 126th were in a decimated state . Nonetheless , the men were immediately ordered to the front where they were key players in the extremely difficult Battle of Buna - Gona . Campaigns . The 126th participated in four major campaigns : New Guinea , Western New Guinea campaign , Leyte and Luzon . The 32nd Division logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II , more than any other United States Army division . The unit was inactivated in 1946 after occupation duty in Japan . Recognition . Three soldiers in the 126th earned the Medal of Honor : Cold War forward . Following the War , the 126th returned to its home stations , but over the course of the next 45 years it underwent many transformations and reorganizations . It lost its attachment to towns such as Adrian , Coldwater , Muskegon , Ionia , and Kalamazoo . For a time , Greenville , Alma and South Haven were elements of the 126th . In March 1953 , Wisconsin Highway 32 , as well as a portion of former U . S . Route 12 in Michigan , was named in honor of the 32nd Infantry Division , and all Highway 32 shields carry the Red Arrow insignia . A memorial plaque describing the division is located at southern end of WI - 32 on Sheridan Road in Kenosha County , Wisconsin . Ceremonies were held along the route and included veterans of the Grand Rapids Guard , which had been part of the Thirty - second Division during both world wars . Although US - 12 was later moved when Interstate 94 was built , portions of the Red Arrow Highway still exist between Kalamazoo and New Buffalo A devastating tornado struck the Hudsonville , Standale , Comstock Park , and northern Grand Rapids areas on 3 April 1956 . More than eight hundred members of the regiment were called to state duty to protect lives and property . On 15 March 1959 , the regiment reorganized into two Battle Groups , the First and Second Battle Groups 126th Infantry , with both organizations ’ headquarters located at Grand Rapids . This dramatic reorganization in the U . S . Army was in effect the termination of the regimental system , an old tradition in military forces worldwide . This new “ pentomic ” system created five such battle groups in the Forty - sixth Division . The 126th Infantry , heroic in two world wars , ceased to exist less than forty - two years after its organization . Recognizing the problems of the “ pentomic ” divisional alignment in a nuclear era , the U . S . Army reorganized under the new ROAD ( Reorganization Objectives Army Division ) concept on 15 March 1963 . Both First and Second Battle Groups were carved up to reform First , Second , and Third battalions 126th Infantry along with the new Headquarters and Headquarters Company , Second Brigade , Forty - sixth Infantry Division headquartered in Grand Rapids . On Palm Sunday , 11 April 1965 , a series of tornadoes struck the southern part of the Lower Peninsula . The deadly twisters first struck north of Grand Rapids in the Alpine township area . Companies A and C , Third Battalion , 126th Infantry were called into action almost immediately and joined the Kent County Civil Defense Force , as well as other state , county , and city law enforcement agencies . The two companies managed to secure the affected area , prevent looting , and assisted with other disaster response duties . The new Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming , Michigan was dedicated on 31 May 1965 , providing a permanent home to the Second Brigade Headquarters , along with First and Third battalions 126th Infantry , and the Forty - sixth Infantry Division Band . On 15 November 1965 , the most radical reorganization in the history of the National Guard took place on orders of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara creating a Selected Reserve Force ( SRF or " super - ready force " ) . The Second Brigade , Forty - sixth Infantry Division , under command of Colonel Robert T . Williams , was designated the headquarters for SRF units in Michigan , with the Third Battalion 126th Infantry designated as West Michigan ’ s SRF battalion . All Michigan elements of the SRF were additionally assigned to the Thirty - eighth Infantry Division of Indiana , an SRF division in the event of mobilization . Maintaining civil order & reorganization . The Third Battalion 126th Infantry was ordered to state active duty on 31 August 1966 , following four nights of racial violence at Benton Harbor , Michigan . A total force of four hundred officers and men were assembled . The force was reduced the next day to a total of 175 , and training was undertaken to prepare for any deployment into the problem area . On Labor Day , the fifth of September , the battalion was stood down as the situation came under control without the use of troops . On 23 July 1967 , the Grand Rapids Guard was called to active state duty once again , this time in response to rioting in the city of Detroit where radicals had caused extensive damage from fires set by arsonists and sniper fire , resulting in deaths to both rioters and civilian authorities . With the loss of the 46th Infantry Division in 1968 , the 126th was scaled down to a single Infantry battalion , and the 1st and 2nd battalions ’ colors were retired . The reorganization redesignated the Second Brigade as the Forty - sixth Brigade assigned to the Thirty - eighth Infantry “ Cyclone ” Division , headquartered in Indianapolis . Some elements of the First and Third battalions were reorganized as divisional support elements such as Co . D 113th Engineer Battalion , Co . D ( FS ) 738th Maintenance Battalion , Second Platoon Thirty - eighth MP Company , Second Truck Platoon Co . B Thirty - eighth Supply and Transportation Battalion , and Brigade Admin Section Thirty - eighth Admin Co . On 4 April 1968 , Dr . Martin Luther King , a respected black civil rights leader , was murdered . The Michigan National Guard was ordered to state active duty the next day , to prevent possible outbreaks of violence similar to the previous summer ( such as those in Detroit , Newark , Tampa ) , Buffalo , Plainfield ) . Headquarters Forty - sixth Brigade and Third Battalion , 126th Infantry proceeded to Detroit and established round - the - clock patrols to prevent any incidents . The brigade ’ s separate units remained at the Grand Valley Armory and were reinforced by units from Muskegon and Greenville in the event of outbreaks in other western state cities . These units were released two days later . The Forty - sixth Brigade and Third Battalion moved to Belle Isle for two days before being released from state duty on the tenth of April and returning to their home stations . On 13 October 1990 , fifty years after being mobilized for World War II , the 126th Infantry Regiment , including veterans of many of the “ old 126th ” and “ Red Arrow ” units , paraded through the city of Grand Rapids and were honored by many state and local dignitaries . The occasion marked the anniversary of the mobilization of National Guard troops prior to World War II , and the grand old 126th Infantry ’ s 135th birthday . On 3 June 1991 , the city of Wyoming , under Mayor Harold Voorhees , passed a resolution designating Forty - fourth Street as 126th Infantry Memorial Boulevard . Street signs that included the regimental crest were placed along the Wyoming portion of the street . On 20 August 1992 , the Michigan Historical Commission placed the 126th Infantry on the State Register of Historic Sites . A marker was commissioned and dedicated in front of the Grand Valley Armory on 11 November 1992 , prior to the start of the traditional Grand Rapids Veterans Day parade . The Grand Rapids Guard , Incorporated , underwrote the $ 2 , 200 expense . During the summer of 1996 , The 126th Infantry was mobilized to provide security for the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta , Georgia . In the spring of 1991 , the 126th Infantry learned it might be inactivated along with the rest of the Forty - sixth Infantry Brigade as part of a post – cold war reorganization plan by the Pentagon . A minor reorganization followed and resulted in bringing Alma back into the battalion as Company A Third Battalion 126th Infantry . Units at Grand Haven and Holland consolidated and were redesignated as Det . 1 Co . B and Company B ( - ) . In the late 1990s , the units at Grand Haven and Holland were disbanded . In 1999 , the 3rd Battalion 126th Infantry ended 144 years of Infantry tradition when it was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battalion 126th Armor . War on Terror . Following the attack on the United States on 11 September 2001 , elements of the 126th Armor were mobilized stateside under Operation Noble Eagle for Airbase Security Enforcement at both TACOM and Selfridge Air National Guard Base . Later , other members were deployed to Texas and California with the mission of loading and unloading ships in support of the War On Terror . In 2004 , a small contingent was sent to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the task of training Afghan soldiers . On 4 January 2005 , a company sized element of the battalion was mobilized at Fort Dix , New Jersey for ( Security Forces ) training , and then later deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . This particular unit was stationed in the Green Zone in Central Baghdad with the primary mission of providing security for Iraq ' s top tier one government personnel , while also having a minor role in conducting route security missions in Western Baghdad . The company returned home to Grand Rapids , Michigan on 26 February 2006 . On 12 August 2005 , a permanent memorial to the 126th was dedicated at Camp Grayling , Michigan . In October 2006 the 1 – 126 Armor transitioned to the 1 – 126 Cavalry , consisting of scout , infantry , and headquarters troops . In April 2007 the unit was alerted for service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The unit was mobilized to Fort Hood , Texas in January 2008 and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in April 2008 . During their deployment they have served as a Security Force ( SECFOR ) unit , providing convoy security to distribution operations in Kuwait and Iraq . They returned to Michigan on 12 December 2008 . In 2011 they deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and returned home in late 2012 . The current commander of the 1 – 126 Cavalry is MAJ Bart Verbanic .