Headquarters and Headquarters Company
1st Cavalry Division Support Command
"Wagon Masters"
Unit Insignia
Headquarters and Headquarters Company
1st Cavalry Division Support Command
"Wagon Masters"
The design of the insignia of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st
Cavalry Division Support Command, as well as all non color bearing direct
subordinate units in the division, centers on a gold metal and enamel device
one inch in height consisting of a gold Norman shield emblazoned with a sable
(black) horse's head couped in sinister chief and a sable bend (diagonal
stripe) charged with two gold five-pointed stars.
The patch of the 1st Cavalry Division has a history as colorful as its design,
reflecting the proud heritage of the United States Cavalry in a timeless
manner.
The insignia selected for the First Team patch was designed by Colonel and Mrs.
Ben Dorcy. The colonel was then commander of the 7th Cavalry Regiment at Fort
Bliss, Texas. Mrs. Dorcy related that the combination of the golden sunset at
Fort Bliss and the traditional colors of the Cavalry; blue and yellow, were a
great influence on the background color and the insignia. The choice of the
horse's head for the insignia was made by the family after they observed a
mounted trooper ride by their home on a beautiful blue-black thoroughbred.
Later, to improve visibility, the color scheme was modified replacing the blue
for black, the symbolic color of iron and armor.
On a "sunset" yellow triangular Norman Shield with rounded corners 5 1/4
inches in height, a black diagonal stripe extends over the shield from upper
left to the lower right. In the upper right, a black horse's head cut off
diagonally at the neck, appears within 1/8 inches of an Army Green border. The
traditional Cavalry color of yellow and the horse's head is symbolic of the
original organizational structure of the Cavalry. The color black is symbolic
of iron, alluding to the organizational transition from mounted horses to
tanks and heavy armor. The black stripe, in heraldry termed a "Sable Bend",
represents a "baldric" (a standard Army issue belt worn over the right
shoulder to the opposite hip - sometimes referred to as a "Sam Browne belt")
which retains either a scabbard which sheaths the trooper's saber or revolver
holster.
During the Vietnam engagements, the "sunset yellow" field of the patch was
changed to a subdued Olive Drab (OD) green for the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU)
in order to minimize targeting of personnel. For operations in desert
environments, the field of the patch was again changed to a tan (Khaki) color
and the emblazoned, "Sable" black charge elements was changed to saddle brown
(Spice) so that the contrast against the Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU)
was minimized. The sunset yellow/black patch is retained for Class "A" dress
uniform. Otherwise the patch has not changed from the original design and
shape.
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Revised 19 Aug '04