Professional Soldiers ® - Special Forces Soldiers memorialize Battle of Little Bighorn

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Special Forces Soldiers memorialize Battle of Little Bighorn

RELEASE NUMBER: 060706-01
DATE POSTED: JULY 6, 2006

Quote:

Special Forces Soldiers memorialize Battle of Little Bighorn
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Public Affairs Office

CROW AGENCY, Mont. (USASOC News Service, July 6, 2006) — Arriving at the invitation of Crow Tribe leaders and local National Park rangers, a group of Army Green Berets impressed audiences here by parachuting in to help honor the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn June 23-25.

About a dozen Soldiers from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Carson, Colo., provided three military free fall parachute demonstrations during memorial events to pay tribute to the famous battle, which on June 25, 1876, pitted U.S. cavalrymen against victorious American Indian forces here, including Sioux and Cheyenne Indians.

More than 260 members of the U.S. 7th Cavalry died on the Little Bighorn battlefield here, including the unit commander, Lt. Col. George A. Custer in his famous “Last Stand.”

With support from two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of the Montana Army National Guard’s Company A, 1-189th Combat Support Aviation Battalion based in Helena, the 10th SFG Soldiers parachuted from an altitude of 9,000 feet into three related events. On June 23, they jumped into a veterans’ remembrance ceremony at Apsaalooke Veterans Park here as part of the Crow Native Days celebration. Then, on June 25, they parachuted again to mark the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Their final jump, that same day, commemorated Custer’s Last Stand at Medicine Tail Coulee on the battlefield.

During the ceremony at the national monument, the Soldiers also placed a memorial wreath at the cemetery there to honor the fallen fighters of Little Bighorn, both U.S. Army and American Indian. The Soldiers were recognized individually for their service and received a special blessing from the Crow during the veterans’ ceremony on June 23.

The Green Berets are uniquely suited to help memorialize the Battle of Little Bighorn, in part because the U.S. Army’s Special Forces is the only organization in the U.S. Army that traces its lineage back to the legendary U.S. Army Indian Scouts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, said Lt. Col. Rick Steiner, the deputy commander of the 10th SFG, and one of the Special Forces Soldiers present to mark the occasion.

“Since they have their roots with the Indian Scouts who served with the U.S. cavalry … it’s very special to have (Special Forces Soldiers) here to participate in the 130th anniversary,” said Darrell Cook, superintendent of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

Steiner added that modern-day Special Forces heraldry features many American Indian tributes, including the crossed arrows that represent the Special Forces branch and the arrowhead-shaped shoulder patch of the Army’s Special Forces groups.

-usasoc-

A team of Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), led by deputy commanding officer Lt. Col. Richard Steiner (right), place a memorial wreath during a remembrance ceremony for the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn June 25 at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Mont. The Soldiers, who are based at Fort Carson, Colo., had parachuted onto the battlefield itself only moments before forming up to present the memorial wreath in honor of the warriors who fell there in 1876. (U.S. Army photo)

A team of Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), led by deputy commanding officer Lt. Col. Richard Steiner (left), salute during the playing of “Taps” during a remembrance ceremony for the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn June 25 at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Mont. (U.S. Army photo)

A Special Forces officer from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., surveys the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument June 24 from 9,000 feet above Crow Agency, Mont. Shortly afterward, the officer and 7 other Green Berets jumped from two Montana Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during a military free-fall parachute demonstration jump. The Special Forces Soldiers were in the area to pay tribute to the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn June 25 at the national monument and the nearby Custer’s Last Stand Reenactment with parachute demonstrations and a wreath-laying ceremony. (U.S. Army photo)

I will say again. CUSTER WAS AN ARROGANT ASS WHO KILLED HIS OWN MEN!!!:mad:

Well done 10th Group!:)

TR

Great thing to see Soldiers, SF or whichever, show respect for our country. DOD needs to more actions, events like this one, get the military out to the people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

Great thing to see Soldiers, SF or whichever, show respect for our country. DOD needs to more actions, events like this one, get the military out to the people.

Roger that.

When I was in 7th Group, we jumped into Gettysburg for a staff ride.

Paid for the plane and attracted a bit of attention, but the farm we used for a DZ had WAY too many landing hazards, including frozen icy ground.

TR

I learn something new every time I come here. I didn't realize that you all traced your roots back to the Indian Scouts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I will say again. CUSTER WAS AN ARROGANT ASS WHO KILLED HIS OWN MEN!!!:mad:

We have visited the battlefield on each PCS cross country since the mid-80s, and it's been interesting to watch the analysis, interpretation, and presentation evolve as new discoveries are made.

FYI, the crossed arrows insignia of the FSSF (WW2) and SF today were first worn on the hats of the Indian Scouts (called US Scouts or USS) assigned to the US Army during the frontier wars who wore a combination of Native dress and uniform, usually the uniform jacket, with a red headband. From 1890 to 1926 the crossed arrows in nickel with red and white hat cords / rank chevrons were authorized as uniform wear for the Indian Scouts. A gold version of the crossed arrows is now used by US Army Special Forces.