NEWS A6 June 18, 2015 www.FortHoodSentinel.com 2-7 Cav Regt honors , 9/11 hero

BY SGT. BRANDON BANZHAF Rescorla carried his ability to 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs lead from Vietnam back to the after transitioning The 68th Annual 1st Caval- to the private sector. ry Division Reunion provided He was working in the World an unusual opportunity to link Trade Center in New York City the Soldiers of the present with during the terrorist attack on heroes of the past, even those Sept. 11, 2001. long passed on. “He followed the same Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, instincts he followed in Vietnam , 3rd Bri- and led over 2,700 people to gade Combat Team, 1st Cav. safety,” Watson said. Div. held a day of remembrance Before making his way up the for retired Col. Cyril Richard stairs for what turned out to be “Rick” Rescorla, a Vietnam vet- his last time, he called his wife, eran who died Sept. 11, 2001. Susan, and reminded her that In recognition of Rescorla’s she had made his life meaning- accomplishments and actions, ful. the battalion leadership dedicat- “He then charged one more ed their conference room to him time into battle singing his June 11 and invited his widow, Welsh war songs,” Watson said. Susan, to the event. As part of the remembrance “How better can you epitomize ceremony, the current platoon selfless service to a nation than leader of the same platoon to first embark on the conflict changed their motto to “Hard in Vietnam, and then to contin- Core,” a phrase Rescorla used to ue to serve your community at Lt. Col. Andrew Watson, commander of the 2-7 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., speaks at a ceremony June 11 at Fort refer to his own troops. every level you find yourself,” Lt. Hood dedicating their conference room to retired Col. Cyril Richard “Rick” Rescorla, a Soldier who served in the battalion All the troops in the battalion during Vietnam. Both Rescorla’s widow, Susan, and his radio operator in Vietnam, Sam Fantino, were invited to be a part Col. Andrew Watson, the bat- of the remembrance ceremony, and to talk to the battalion about what type of man and leader Rescorla was. listened to Watson, Fantino and talion commander, said. “And Susan talk about Rescorla during to give that last full measure of the ceremony. Fantino charged dedication of service and sup- Army and became a commis- company, anyone else in the bat- After three days, he and his men the current platoon leader of the port in an unexpected terrorist sioned officer. talion. We had to prove to him were evacuated only to return to “Hard Core” platoon to match attack that, in lesser countries, Straight out of Officer Candi- that we were going to be No. 1.” another battle as quickly as pos- Rescorla’s intensity and selfless would bring the country down date School, he was assigned as Fantino said eventually, sible. service. to their knees, but served as a the platoon leader for 1st Pla- through all of the extra work “We were all sitting in our After the ceremony, Susan and galvanizing force.” toon, Company B, 2-7 Cav. Regt. and hardship, his men began to holes with our knees knocking, the 1st platoon of Co. B gathered Born in Wales, Rescorla first “Rick Rescorla was a very hard understand why Rescorla pushed we have dead guys all around into the conference room deco- served in the . After task master,” said Sam Fantino, them so hard. us, and here comes Rick singing rated with posters and memora- admiring many of the American Rescorla’s radio operator. “We “At first we hated him, and we Cornish songs,” Fantino said. bilia dedicated to Rescorla. Soldiers he met, he immigrated had to run more; we had to do hated it,” Fantino said. “Until “And pretty soon you are say- She spoke of her love for her to the United States to join its more than anyone else in the we found out he wasn’t doing ing to yourself, ‘If this guy can husband and how fulfilled she it for him, he was doing it for walk from hole to hole checking felt being with him. us. He wanted us to believe in to see if you have your grenades “I was so proud,” she said. ourselves, because that is what in the right place, checking to “He had a choice. He could would bring us back alive.” see if you have your magazines have walked out there anytime During the battle of the Ia and standing up like he is going he wanted to … if he was here Drang Valley in Vietnam in on a Sunday afternoon’s walk today he would be proud. This 1965, Lt. Rescorla encountered … what do you have to worry is the 7th Cav. This is our home, enemy fire for the first time. about?’” our history.”

Susan Rescorla (left), widow of retired Col. Cyril Richard “Rick” Rescorla and 1st Lt. Ross Reid (right), a Cardiff, Wales native and platoon leader for 1st Platoon, Photos by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf, 3rd ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs Company B, 2-7 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., walk toward the ceremony Susan Rescorla, widow of retired Col. Cyril Richard “Rick” Rescorla, speaks to the 2-7 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. dedicated to Rescorla at Fort Hood, June 11. Reid is the platoon leader of the about how her husband led Soldiers into war during Vietnam, how she met him, and what type of man he was throughout same platoon Rescorla led during Vietnam. his life June 11 at Fort Hood. The battalion leadership held a day of remembrance and dedicated their conference room to Rescorla. Casings: 3 First Team units inactivate June 2

Continued from A1 Battalion (Mobile). Since then, the battalion has been inactivated Regiment and 324th Network or redesignated 11 times. Support Company also cased “Things have a way of being their colors and inactivated. cyclic in the Army, so we look for- The inactivation came as part of ward to a day in the future when the redesignation of the 589th BSB col- the 41st Field Artil- ors are unfurled lery Brigade into 1st again,” said Col. Cavalry Division Patrick Gaydon, Artillery. Under commander of 1st the new structure, Cav. DIVARTY. a DIVARTY isn’t A true legacy First formed in Photo by Keith Desbois, CASCOM Public Affairs authorized a bri- August 1918 at Lt. Col. Steve Erickson (right), commander of 215th BSB, 3rd BCT, stands at attention as the Quartermaster Corps command of a unit is not team Brig. Gen. Ronald Kirklan and Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Sellers attach a streamer to the battalion colors. gade support bat- Camp McClellan, talion. the date of Alabama, as part “A true legacy of the 9th Infantry of a unit is not the activation or Division, Btry. A, 215th: Quartermasters honored date of activation inactivation, or 26th FAR has been or inactivation, activated, inactivat- Continued from A1 battalion command team, Lt. Col. direct support to the logistics readi- or the statistics of the statistics ed or redesignated Steve Erickson and Command Sgt. ness center and Fort Hood with two what the unit has of what the 19 times. years, the Blacksmiths were recog- Maj. Danny Richards, with a bat- attached quartermaster companies. accomplished,” The 324th Net- nized for steadfast support, dedica- talion colors streamer for the rec- By its past and present actions, said Lt. Col. Lance unit has work Support tion and technical expertise dating ognition. 215th has proven itself worthy as a Cangelosi, com- Company can trace back to April 1971. “I was very honored to repre- Distinguished Unit of the Quarter- mander of 589th accomplished. its lineage back to From field testing both the single sent the Soldiers of the Blacksmith master Regiment, Richards said. BSB. ”The legacy January 10, 1943, channel ground and airborne radio Battalion, both past and present,” “The 215th set new standards of a unit is in the – Lt. Col. when it was first system in 1992, the M1A2 tank Erickson said. “My only wish is that at the National Training Center mark it has on the formed as the 324th Lance Cangelosi in 1993 and the unit’s recent per- more Soldiers could have joined me pertaining to distribution, main- Soldiers who have Signal Company formance at the National Training in accepting the award.” tenance, and headquarters opera- served with it. The Wing at Camp Center at Fort Irwin, California, the Today, the 215th BSB provides tions,” he added. comradery they Pinedale, Califor- 215th BSB command team made its direct support sustainment to The battalion elevated the train- have developed and nia. way to Fort Lee, Virginia, to receive three combined arms battalions, an ing standards for brigade support the accomplish- “The driving the award. armored reconnaissance squadron, area operations and was hailed as ment of the unit’s force of the 589th The Quartermaster Corps com- an engineer battalion and a fires the best brigade support battalion alumni.” BSB is not seeking glory or atten- mand team, Brig. Gen. Ronald battalion. to rotate to NTC in five years by the The 589th BSB was originally tion,” Cangelosi said. “It’s in ask- Kirklan and Command Sgt. Maj. Soldiers from the battalion have Goldminers, NTC’s training and activated July 29, 1944, in Eng- ing what we can do to make our Jimmy Sellers, presented the also provided area support and mentoring team. land as the 589th Quartermaster organization and Soldiers better.”