Blackhorse E-News — May 2025
Blackhorse History Corner
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At the end of World War I, the U.S. Government announced a series of public events designed to pay off the huge national debt incurred during “the War to end all wars.” In April and May 1919, the 1st Squadron and band of the 11th Cavalry rode on horseback from Fort Myer, Virginia to New York City (about 550 miles round trip) to participate in the Liberty Victory Loan parade. The New York Herald published an article about that parade on May 4, 1919. The accompanying photo is of A Troop in that parade. |
Alexander W. Perry graduated from West Point with the Class of 1888. He served with a brigade of volunteers in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. On February 2, 1901, as a Captain, he was assigned to the 11th Cavalry. A year later, prior to joining the Regiment in the Philippines, he was married — just. |
From the June 1, 2000 edition of the Olathe [KS] Daily News. |
This article appeared in newspapers nationwide in early 1980. |
We (the town archives of Bad Kissingen) are looking for information from veterans about life in Bad Kissingen and Daley Barracks. If you lived there, could you answer some of our questions? I worked on a list of questions/topics we are interested in, especially about the main gate (we haven’t been able to find out the construction date yet). The list is below. My contact data is included below. Thank you so much in advance! Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Victoria May STADT BAD KISSINGEN Archiv, Kultur und Bildung Promenadestraße 6 97688 Bad Kissingen T +49 (0)971 807-4203F +49 (0)971 807-4209vm...@stadt.badkissingen.dewww.badkissingen.de |
Fragenkatalog zu den Daley Barracks: List of questions about Daley Barracks history: Zu welcher Zeit waren Sie in den Daley Barracks stationiert? When have you been stationed at Daley Barracks? Wie lange waren Sie in Bad Kissingen? Waren Sie mit Familienangehörigen in Deutschland? How long have you been in Bad Kissingen? Did family members accompany you? Welcher Teil der Kaserne war Ihnen persönlich besonders wichtig? Which part of the barracks has been important to you personally? Welche Gebäude sind Ihnen gut in Erinnerung geblieben? Which buildings do you remember well? Welchen Eindruck machte die Stadt Bad Kissingen auf Sie? Wie war das Verhältnis zu den Kissingern? How did you perceive the town of Bad Kissingen? How did you experience the relationship between the Daley Barracks and the locals? Haben Sie heute noch Verbindungen zu Kissinger Bürgern? Are you still in contact with locals from Bad Kissingen? Haben Sie Bad Kissingen seitdem noch einmal besucht? Have you been visiting Bad Kissingen since? Wir haben leider nur wenige Informationen zu dem Eingangstor der Kaserne. Es steht heute noch, allerdings ohne den Schriftzug. Wissen Sie etwas über das Baujahr oder andere Fakten rund um das Tor? Unfortunately, we only have few information about the main gate in the south part of the Daley Barracks. It is still there today, but the lettering is gone. Do you have any information about the date of construction or about anything else concerning the gate? Besondere Ereignisse, die Ihnen in Erinnerung geblieben sind? Are there any other events you remember well and want to share? |
Northeast Region Blackhorse Luncheon |
Saturday, August 16, 2025: 10 a.m. – ? Lakeside Park Gazebo 78 Water Street Route 394 Mayville, NY 14757 |
Here is a timeline for the events on Friday, July 11. |
This is a timeline for the ball on Saturday, July 12. |
Information from our Hotel |
History in the Fulda Area |
US Army liberates towns in the Fulda region in April 1945 - in some places fighting with many deaths
Status: 07.04.2025, 06:25
By: Rainer Ickler |
At the beginning of April 1945, the Second World War also ended in the Fulda region. However, not all towns and villages in eastern Hesse surrendered. In some parts of eastern Hesse, fighting continued, resulting in many casualties, such as in Rückers.
Fulda – 80 years ago, the Second World War ended in the Fulda region – a good month before the official surrender on May 7. Between March 29 and April 7, the US Army liberated the towns and communities in the Fulda district. However, Wehrmacht soldiers still offered resistance in some places.
US Army liberates towns in the Fulda region in April 1945 - many dead
Fighting broke out, resulting in many deaths. However, the US Army's conquest and occupation of the towns in the Fulda district generally occurred without resistance. The residents had had enough of the war. Just a few days earlier, US and British fighter planes had bombed targets in the city of Fulda and the entire region. In Fulda alone, 150 people died after the bombing on March 25, 1945. People longed for peace and quiet. Therefore, in most places, white cloths or sheets were hung from the windows to show that the villages were being surrendered without resistance and that the war was thus over for the residents. |
The cathedral in Fulda after an air raid at the end of the war in 1945. © Fulda City Archives But there were exceptions. In Hauswurz, Mackenzell, and Oberkalbach, where six more died during the liberation, including the prisoner of war Albert Vasseur. In Flieden-Rückers, deluded members of the Wehrmacht resisted the advancing US soldiers.
They shot at them. US soldiers returned fire, some with heavy tank guns. 27 soldiers and residents died in Mackenzell and 18 in Hauswurz. In Rückers, 35 soldiers were killed in the final hours of the war in the region.
In Flieden-Rückers there were 35 more dead
Eighty years ago, the Americans approached Fulda from the west and initially reached the Vogelsberg Mountains. Großenlüder and Bad Salzschlirf surrendered on March 29. One day later, the US Army stood before Fulda. On that day, the last German troops blew up the Fulda bridges to stop the American advance.
Mayor Danzebrink tried to convince the city commander, Major General Heinrich Hofmann, to abandon the senseless resistance and surrender the city to the Americans. The US Army was closing in. The GIs captured Haimbach, Sickels, Neuenberg, Gläserzell, Maberzell, Horas, and Niesig on April 1. |
It was Easter Sunday at the time. During the advance toward Fulda, there were repeated minor skirmishes with German troops. According to historian Günter Sagan, four American and three German soldiers, as well as two women, died in these skirmishes.
Without a fight, other US units moved north and occupied Langenschwarz, Tann, and Hilders on April 1. Hünfeldsurrendered without a single shot being fired.
Despite this heavy shelling, many houses in Hauswurz could have been saved if they had not been set on fire by German soldiers.
Hofbieber, Poppenhausen, and Dipperz were also liberated. On April 6, the Americans captured Wüstensachsen and Wildflecken, the site of the military training area, and on April 7, they occupied the Wasserkuppe. The latter were strategically important locations.
This marked the end of the war in the Fulda district. However, in some places, scattered German soldiers had resisted the advancing US troops in the days before, firing on them and their tanks. Many German soldiers withdrew at the end of March and remained in Hauswurz.
German soldiers attack the advancing US units in Hauswurz
They were supposed to hold off the US units. On March 31, the Americans reached Hauswurz. The US tanks fired three times over the village, demanding surrender. When everything remained quiet, the Americans drove into the village. But then the first tank was attacked. Four American soldiers were killed. Tanks then surrounded Hauswurz and fired one volley after another into the houses. Most residents had hidden, while others tried to extinguish their burning homes despite risking their lives. |
Soldiers on Langebrückenstrasse after the capture of Fulda in April 1945. © Fulda City Archives The church was also ablaze and destroyed. Many residential and commercial buildings burned to the ground. "Despite this heavy shelling, many houses in Hauswurz could have been saved if they hadn't been set on fire by German soldiers," the chronicle states.
Fourteen German and four American soldiers died in the senseless fighting. 33 residential buildings were completely destroyed, nine severely damaged. 46 agricultural buildings were destroyed. This made Hauswurz the most devastated village in the Fulda district. Many residents lost everything. |
In Mackenzell, too, deluded German soldiers attempted to prevent the advance of US troops on April 1, firing on US tanks. Twenty-four German soldiers and three Mackenzell citizens died in the fighting. Many houses and farms were damaged or destroyed by US tank fire.
The US troops were not to be stopped and continued toward Nüsttal and Thuringia. Most of the deaths occurred in Flieden-Rückers. German soldiers were in the village, along with some Hitler Youth members. According to eyewitness accounts, they brought rocket-propelled grenades into the basement of the Seng Inn to stop the US troops.
Alois Lauer hoists a white flag twice in Rückers
But the residents wanted to surrender, and Alois Lauer hoisted a white flag from the church tower window of Rückers. When a German officer saw this, he threatened to shoot Alois Lauer if he didn't remove the white flag. The flag was then taken down.
More German soldiers arrived in Rückers from Schlüchtern in the Kinzig Valley and the Vogelsberg Mountains, dug trenches, and hid in houses to delay the US Army. Since a peaceful surrender was not possible, the US troops opened fire.
They continued to advance with tanks, firing on the soldiers in the trenches. A total of 35 soldiers died in the fighting. When things calmed down, Vicar Knobloch and Josef Ackermann spoke with the US Army officers and made it clear to them that the town was surrendering.
Alois Lauer then raised the white flag in Rückers a second time, reported eyewitness Hedwig Röhrig. This marked the end of World War II in the town near Flieden. |
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