312th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

312th Cavalry Regiment
Coat of Arms of the 312th Cavalry Regiment
Active	March–August 1918 1922–1942
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Cavalry
Part of	63rd Cavalry Division (1921–1942)
Garrison/HQ	Oklahoma City (1922–1941)
Motto(s)	"Omnia Virtute" (All by Valor)
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The 312th Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry unit of the United States Army during World War I and the interwar period. It was activated in early 1918 but broken up later that year to form new artillery units. The unit was recreated as an Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado Organized Reserve unit during the interwar period. It was converted into a signal aircraft warning regiment after the United States entered World War II.

Shortly after the United States entered World War I, the regiment was constituted in the National Army on 18 May 1917, and organized in separate elements in early 1918. Elements of the 312th were organized on 12 February at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on 13 March at Fort Myer, and on 23 March at Fort D.A. Russell. The Fort Myer elements became the 60th Field Artillery Regiment on 13 August, the Fort Sheridan elements became the 61st Field Artillery Regiment on 14 August, and the Fort D.A. Russell element became the 28th Trench Mortar Battery on 14 August. The 28th Trench Mortar Battery was assigned to the 90th Division and was demobilized on 17 December 1918 at Camp Jackson; the 61st Field Artillery joined the 97th Division and was demobilized at Camp Jackson in January 1919; the 60th Field Artillery joined the 20th Division and was demobilized at Camp Jackson in February 1919.

On 15 October 1921, the 60th and 61st Field Artillery and the 28th Trench Mortar Battery were reconstituted in the Organized Reserve as the 312th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 63rd Cavalry Division in the Second Corps Area. It was transferred to the Eighth Corps Area on 14 November. The 312th was initiated (activated) on 23 August 1922 with regimental headquarters and 1st Squadron at Oklahoma City, and 2nd Squadron at Douglas, Arizona. The regiment joined the division's 156th Cavalry Brigade. In 1925, the 2nd Squadron relocated to Flagstaff, Arizona. It was reorganized on 1 July 1929 as a three-squadron regiment, with the new 3rd Squadron activated at Denver from personnel of the disbanded 156th Machine Gun Squadron. On 22 August, the 2nd Squadron moved yet again to Ponca City, Oklahoma. The 2nd Squadron was relocated to Tucson, Arizona in March 1937 and its subordinate troops were reorganized in Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas with men from the 3rd Squadron, 311th Cavalry Regiment, which was concurrently moved to Dallas.