Blackhorse E-News — May 2026 |
General Membership Meeting on July 12, 2026 |
Please save this date/time: July 12, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET.
The Blackhorse Association will hold its 2026 Annual General Membership meeting remotely in an online live meeting on July 12, 2026.
During the remote meeting, you will receive up-to-date and valuable member information, such as details on these programs and operations:
• 2026 Scholarship Awardees
• Future reunions
• Fort Irwin Memorial project
• Financial report of the BHA
• Other initiatives, programs, and activities
We’ll also vote on the 2026 – 2027 slate of BHA board members.
Please mark your calendar, and we’ll have dial-in information available next month in th June E-News.
Thank you for being a member of the Blackhorse Association, and we look forward to updating you with some exciting information! |
Blackhorse History Corner |
Sammy Davis, Jr. was the headliner of a USO Show at Long Binh Post in February 1972 — just about a month before the last Blackhorse Troopers left Vietnam for good. This article appeared in the February 28, 1972 edition of the Pacific Stars & Stripes. Look closely and you will see the Blackhorse patch on Sammy's right breast pocket. Allons! |
Throughout their combat deployments since 1901, Blackhorse Troopers have been called upon to uncover weapons caches. In the Philippines between 1902 and 1904, the Moros hid their weapons in the barrios and the jungles, much like the Cuban insurrectos did in 1906- 1908, Pancho Villa's banditos did in 1916-17, the post-World War II Nazis did in 1945-47, the Viet Cong did in 1966-1972, and the al Qaeda insurgents did in Iraq. These two photos show the similarities of such caches. The first shows a cache of Viet Cong weapons captured by Blackhorse Troopers in South Vietnam in 1967. The second shows a cache of al Qaeda weapons captured by another generation of Blackhorse Troopers in Iraq in 2005. You may notice that many of the weapons and munitions come from the same source: the Soviet Union. Oh, I'm sorry. How politically incorrect of me. I meant Russia.
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From the York (PA) Dispatch, July 16, 1968 |
From the September-October 1945 edition of the Cavalry Journal. The 36th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (CRS) was one of two CRSs that made up the 11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) during World War II. Along with the 44th CRS, they fought from the Roer River to the Elbe River between December 1944 and May 1945, earning three Distinguished Service Crosses and 23 Silver Stars. |
Under the heading: “Be careful what you ask for.” This article from 1907 is about Blackhorse Trooper Harry Collins who was serving with 2nd Squadron in Camp Columbia in Cuba. |
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Last month we featured a newspaper article about the Fulda Marathon. That prompted the note and photos below. |
Note and photos are courtesy of J Chesney. |
Attached are some pictures from the 1986 event in which I was the Bravo Troop OIC and we came in first place for the military half-marathon event. I believe Colonel Joe G. Driskill presented us with the first-place trophy and COL Snodgrass might be somewhere in the photo. |
Sherman L. Smith, Certified Flight Instructor and retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major, took his final flight on March 17, 2026, in Riverview, Florida, at the age of 95. A longtime resident of Balm, Florida, Sherman lived a full and remarkable life guided by service, hard work, and a lifelong love of the open sky.
Born on July 3, 1930, in Diamond, Missouri, Sherman was the son of Samuel L. Smith and Gladys Jenkins. He proudly served his country in the United States Army for 22 years, including service in the 11th ACR in B Troop, 1/11 ACR 1954-56 and in Vietnam with K Troop, 3/11 ACR 1966-67. He retired with the rank of Sergeant Major. His strength, leadership, and quiet sense of duty left a lasting impression on all who knew him.
After his military service, Sherman worked for 15 years as a Supervisor with Cargill. Never one to stay grounded for long, he simultaneously pursued his passion for aviation, founding and operating Sherman’s Flight Training. Over the course of more than 50 years, he logged over 19,000 hours in the air and helped hundreds of students earn their wings. In recognition of his extraordinary dedication to flight, he was awarded the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. When he wasn’t flying, Sherman could often be found tending to his land, embracing the simple and steady life of a farmer.
Sherman was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 55 years, Mary Jean; his parents; his sons, Jerry Lin, Terry Lee, and Ronnie Allen; his brothers, Edward Best, Warren Smith, Royal Jenkins, Roland Jenkins, Jessie Jenkins, and Robert Jenkins; and his sisters, Lucille Andrews, Esther Smith, Ethel Richardson, and Roneta Loving.
He is survived by his loving daughters, Linda Sadlo and her husband Richard; Janet Yarnell and her husband Bill; and Pamela Allen and her husband Danniel; and his sister, Rhonda Ashby. He also leaves behind six grandchildren and five great- grandchildren, who will carry forward his stories, his lessons, and perhaps a bit of his adventurous spirit.
Sherman will be remembered for his steady hand, his generous heart, and the way he found freedom both in the skies above and in the life he built below. His legacy lives on in every life he touched — and in every pilot who learned to fly under his watchful eye. |
Marvin Nathaniel Alston, Jr. (November 23, 1945 – April 1, 2026) CSM (Ret.) Marvin N. Alston, Jr., the beloved patriarch of the Alston family, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Hospital in Columbus, Georgia. A Celebration of Life service was held on April 10, 2026, at Saint James AME Church, 1002 Sixth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31907, with Rev. B. A. Hart officiating and Presiding Elder Joseph E. Baker serving as eulogist. Interment followed at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. A public viewing was held on April 9, 2026, at Charles E. Huff’s International Funeral Home, 927 5th Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31901.
CSM Marvin N. Alston, Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to the late Marvin and Martha Alston. He answered the call to serve his country when he was drafted into the United States Army in November 1965. Through discipline, excellence, and unwavering commitment, he completed all Noncommissioned Officer Development Courses and graduated from the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Class #32, in January 1989.
During his distinguished military career, CSM Alston served two tours in Germany (one in which he served as a Platoon Sergeant in Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 11 ACR from 1976-1977) totaling twelve years, as well as a tour in Korea. He also served in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He concluded his final four years of military service as the Command Sergeant Major for the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Riley, Kansas.
His many honors and decorations reflect a life of valor and service, including the Army Lapel Button, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (4th Award), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2nd Award), Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Noncommissioned Officer's Professional Development Ribbon with Number 4, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd Award), Kuwait Liberation Medal (K), Kuwait Liberation Medal (SA), and campaign recognition for the Defense of Saudi Arabia and the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. He also earned the Expert Marksman Qualification Badge with Rifle and the Expert Marksman Qualification Badge with Pistol. In addition to these accolades, he held the distinguished honor of serving as the Honorary Command Sergeant Major for the 37th Armor.
After 30 years of honorable service, CSM Alston retired from the United States Army in March 1996. Committed to lifelong learning and growth, he earned an associate’s degree from Regis College in Denver, Colorado as a Certified Licensed Optician, a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Computer Science from Troy State University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Resource Management from Troy University.
He continued his service through a second career with the Department of Defense, retiring on June 30, 2016, as the Test Control Officer for the Fort Benning Army Education Center. He also served as Vice President of the Retired Sergeants Major Association of Columbus, Georgia, was a proud member of American Legion Post 333, and remained a faithful member of Saint James AME Church in Columbus, Georgia.
CSM Marvin N. Alston, Jr. leaves to cherish his memory his loving and devoted wife of 33 years, Rev. Vicki Alston (Retired U.S. Army First Sergeant); his daughter, Daniela A. Alston; his sons, Marcus R. Alston and Tacoma A. Yahola, Sr. (Windy); his sister, Marlene Middleton (Maurice); six grandchildren: SFC Ricky Devon Battle Barnes (Jessica), Anthani Battle, Broderick Battle, Jr. (Joanna), Tacoma A. Yahola, Jr., Ciara
Alston, and Ty Payne; three great-granddaughters and two great-grandsons; two nieces and one nephew; his childhood friend, SGM Wiley Wade Timmons; along with a host of cousins, loved ones, and dear friends. |
Paul R. Sefrin. My name is Marlis Sefrin, and I am living in Schweinfurt, Germany. My husband served as an officer in the U.S. Army. He was Major in the 11th Cavalry and served as a tank commander during the Vietnam war. His name is Paul R. Sefrin, born on August 26, 1943 in New York, N.Y. He died on February 23, 2026 in Schweinfurt, Germany.
He would have wanted his brother cavalrymen to know about his passing. At his funeral, a civilian bugler played “Taps” in his honor. |
Thomas Fludd Sr. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Thomas Fludd Sr. of Charleston, South Carolina, who passed away on May 2, 2026, at the age of 70, leaving to mourn family and friends. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Thomas Fludd Sr. to pay them a last tribute.
Thomas served in C Troop, 1/11 ACR in the mid-1970s.
In the sacred silence of farewell, Thomas is released into the embrace of eternity, knowing that his light will continue to shine brightly in the tapestry of the lives of his loved ones. And as his memory is carried forward, may comfort be found in the knowledge that love is eternal, and that Thomas’ spirit lives on in the beauty that surrounds us. |
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Do you have items of interest that are related to the Blackhorse? Please send them to Clint Ancker, Director of Communications, at band...@aol.com. |
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