9th Cavalry Distinctive Badge

An Indian in breech clout and war bonnet, mounted on a galloping pony, brandishing a rifle in his right hand and holding a single rein in his left, all gold and superimposed on a dark blue five bastioned fort.
    
The five bastioned fort was the badge of the Fifth Army Corps in Cuba, of which the 9th Cavalry was a part.  The gold (yellow) is for the Cavalry and the blue is for active service during the War with Spain. The mounted Indian represents the Indian campaigns of the regiment.

The sample of the badge was approved 31 December 1925.

This insignia (badge, or (D.I.) Distinctive Insignia) is often referred to as the "Unit Crest", this is in error. The description for the 9th Cavalry Unit Crest follows;

Unit Crest: On a wreath of the colors of a horseshoe with nine nail holes, heels down argent, winged purpure, debruised by two arrows in saltire sable and flitted gules.

Shield: Or, on a pile azure, in a chief a sun of eight points of rays between three five pointed mullets, two and one of the field; in a base overall the block house of San Juan Hill, Santiago, Cuba, proper.

The field is yellow for Cavalry and the blue triangle with the sun and three five-pointed stars are from the old flag of the Philippine Insurrection with a change of color. The three stars also represent the three tours of duty in the Islands. The block house is the old pride of the regiment, a representation of the actual one which was taken at San Juan, Santiago, Cuba in 1898. The wedge is blue in color and recalls the fact that the 9th split the Spanish line at Santiago with the capture of the block house when they charged dismounted as Infantry. The crest is the well known Scotch device signifying the alertness of the mounted man and the arrows are for the Indian campaigns of the regiment.

The 9th Cavalry Motto: We Can, We Will.

These Pages are from the John Maclean First Cavalry websites click on here to review it