112th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
| 112th Cavalry Regiment | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms
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| Active | 1918-present. |
| Country |
 United States
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| Allegiance |
 Texas
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| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Armored Cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Nickname(s) | "Little Giant of the Pacific" |
| Motto(s) | Rarin' to Go |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia | |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 111th Cavalry Regiment | 113th Cavalry Regiment |
The 112th Cavalry Regiment was a Texas National Guard regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II.
The 112th Cavalry was first organised in 1918 as the 5th Texas Cavalry Regiment in 1918 before being disbanded in 1920. In December 1920 the Texas National Guard was reorganized as the 36th Infantry Division and the 1st Texas Cavalry Brigade less one regiment. On 20 July 1921 the 1st Texas Cavalry Regiment became the 112th Cavalry. In March 1929 the 2nd Squadron and the Machine Gun Squadron of the 112th were reorganized into the 124th Cavalry Regiment. The 112th and 124th Cavalry were brigaded into the 56th Cavalry Brigade in 1940.
On 10 November 1940 President Roosevelt federalized the National Guard, and on 18 November 1940 the 112th was posted to Fort Bliss. The 112th's sister regiment in the brigade, the 124th Cavalry was the last of the cavalry regiments to give up their horses and was later sent to Burma.
The regiment patrolled the Mexican border until being shipped to New Caledonia on 8 July 1942 arriving on 11 August 1942. They were assigned to the Americal Division under General Alexander Patch. The 112th Cavalry were assigned Australian Waler horses, and ordered to New Caledonia to serve as a horse mounted security force. General Patch initially thought horse mounted cavalry could be used in jungle warfare, but the torrential Pacific rains and the mud that followed damaged the horses' hooves, changing the general's mind. The Australian horses were shipped to Burma and assigned to Chinese forces who mistreated them. In 1944 the Walers rejoined the American Army being assigned to Merrill's Marauders.
During the heavy fighting on Guadalcanal, General Alexander Vandegrift of the 1st Marine Division sent an urgent request for machetes for his Marines. General Patch took the sabers of the regiment, cut them down and sent them to the Marines for jungle warfare use.
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