Today, the 3d Cavalry Regiment is one of the Army's elite brigade-level combined arms units with nearly 5000 soldiers. The Regiment has a history in the United States Army that dates back to May 19, 1845, when the army created the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. This unit was reorganized at the start of the American Civil War as the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment. In January 1943, the Regiment was re-designated as the 3d Cavalry Group (Mechanized). Today, the unit is equipped with Stryker vehicles. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was the last heavy armored cavalry regiment in the U.S. Army until it officially switched over to a Stryker regiment in 2011. This cavalry unit has seen action dating back to frontier conflicts with Native tribes,&nbsp;the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, World War I, World War II, the Persian Gulf War, SFOR in Bosnia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.Twenty-three of the Regiment’s soldiers received the Medal of Honor, all awarded for gallantry in action between 1871 and 1898. The list includes William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, whose award was rescinded in 1916 for not being a member of the military. Cody's medal was reinstated in 1989. The unit consists of six Cavalry squadrons. Each Cavalry squadron is divided into four Cavalry Troops/Batteries/Companies. The regiment also controls four independent companies/troops.

There are two museums on Fort Hood. This museum shares the history of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The other is dedicated to the 1st Cavalry Division. 

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One of two museums at Fort Hood, this museum shares the history of the 3rd Cavalry which was established in 1846. At that time, this was the only regiment of mounted riflemen. Today the regiment is the only armored cavalry regiment. The museum tells the story of the regiment's history and transition from frontier warfare to modern military service. The museum is part of a campus that includes an outdoor static display of equipment as well as exhibits. There is also the Third Cavalry Association gift shop, children’s exhibits, a research room, and a classroom.

Fort Hood 3rd Cavalry Museum

Created in 1882 thanks to the arrival of the railroad and named in honor of Frank P. Killeen, a civil engineer who worked for the railroad, Killeen was a center of regional commerce and served nearby farming communities prior to World War II when Fort Hood was created. This walking tour includes some of the historic sites from the 19th century as well as the military history museum at Fort Hood. 

Historic Tour of Killeen, Texas and Fort Hood 

Instructor

John Churchill Gaines Blackburn was one of the first settlers in the Bell County area along with his wife, Mary Ann Chambers Blackburn. His father, War of 1812 veteran John Porter Blackburn, had acquired property previously and the desire to acquire his own land was the driving force to homesteading in the area. This particular cabin was built almost ten years after John C.G. Blackburn began his 30 acre farm. Blackburn built it in when he enlisted in the Confederate militia of Texas 1863.The structure’s style was known as the ‘dog run’ style and featured&nbsp;two equal halfs with a breezeway between the two sides. This breezeway was called the 'dog run' since it was a favorite place for the dogs to sleep in the hot summer months. The section of the original cabin that remains is what was left after&nbsp;90 years of both habitation and abandonment. The cabin contains some of the original logs from the other section that was not preserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;When the cabin was moved to its present location, it was rebuilt once again with attention to historical detail. After another 40 years in its newest location the structure needed desperately to be rebuilt once again. Thanks to preservationists and local community members, the structure was saved and features a new metal roof and has cedar planking along the gables of both sides as well as the front porch. Work continues on the structure to make sure that it will last for many more generations.&nbsp;The book on Killeen's history by Annette Lucksinger and Gerald Skidmore includes a&nbsp;photograph of Mary Ann Chambers Blackburn in front of the still existing section at its original location sometime near the turn of the 20th century. It shows an excellent view of the stonework in the chimney and the foundation. Closer examination also shows remnants of the chinking between the logs. The doorway and the steps leading into the cabin show the extremely poor state of preservation that the cabin had at the time.2

Built in 1863, this historic cabin was home to early Texas pioneer John Churchill Gaines Blackburn. The cabin has been moved three times and the cabin that exists today is half of the original "dog run" style structure. The cabin was originally built in Palo Alto, about four miles northeast of the cabin’s current location, where Blackburn's homestead was located. The cabin and Palo Alto were absorbed into what is now Fort Hood in the 1950s, so the cabin was moved at that time in order to preserve it. The cabin was moved to this location and dedicated in 1986. The Blackburn family cemetery remains in its original location of old Palo Alto on the Fort Hood installation. 

John C.G. Blackburn Log Cabin

The city of Killeen was established in 1882 with the arrival of the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad. The town is named for a prominent railroad engineer who apparently never saw the city that was named in his honor. Prior to 1882, the community of Palo Alto was the closest thing to a city in&nbsp;western Bell County and the location of the only post office in the area. This church was located in Palo Alto and was a place where different congregations held services in the same building. After the railroad created, Killeen Palo Alto lost many of citizens, some of whom placed their frame homes on wagons and moved in order to be closer to the railroad and the center of commerce. Palo Alto's&nbsp;post office soon closed and some residents moved this church to its present location within a few years of the railroad's arrival.&nbsp;The Killeen Area Heritage Association has maintained the structure since the 1970s and conducts tours of the interior by appointment only. The exterior of the property is accessible and visitors can also see&nbsp;a historic log cabin that was also moved onto the church property.&nbsp; The organization that preserves the church maintain a variety of local history exhibits within the church along with original furnishings such as pews and other items that belonged to the church.A careful exploration of the church property show indentations in the back where a privy may have existed. There is an actual privy replica adjacent the log cabin and the church. The Bell County Museum in Belton, Texas has Christmas ornaments of various historic buildings from the county for sale,&nbsp;including an ornament of the Bethel Primitive Baptist Church.&nbsp;

Constructed prior to 1882, the year that the community of Killeen was established, Bethel Primitive Baptist Church is one of the oldest structures in the city. The church was originally located in Palo Alto (about 4 miles NE of Killeen) and the congregation shared this location with several other denominations. Killeen was established as a railroad stop and as it grew, it gradually absorbed many of Palo Alto’s residents. This frame church, along with several other Palo Alto buildings, was moved to Killeen after the arrival of the railroad in 1882. 

Bethel Primitive Baptist Church, Killeen

Under the Hood is a revitalization of the Oleo Strut, the GI
coffeehouse that developed during the Vietnam War. GI coffeehouses were a place
where GIs could spend their leisure time pleasantly without restriction. Later
on the GI coffeehouses developed into places where GIs could express their
anti-war sentiments without being reprimanded. These places also organized
protests and offered legal guidance for GIs during this time of counter-culture
against the Vietnam War. 

The Oleo Strut was the GI coffeehouse located in the Killeen/Fort
Hood community. Today now Under the Hood is the reemergence of this idea. Cindy
Thomas, Tom Cleaver, Jeff Segal, Alice Embree and Fran Clark developed the idea
to create a new GI coffeehouse in the Killeen area. The Fort Hood Support
Network (FHSN) was introduced and developed fund raisers and located a spot to
begin their project. They were able to establish Under the Hood in 2009. 

This new GI coffeehouse offers advice and information to servicemen
and veterans of the war in Iraq. This establishment also offers programs and
training for the servicemen who participate in the activities or are
interested. The UTH has created a strong bond between other organizations with
similar intention such as the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and the
Military Law Task Force.

For more information on the original Oleo Strut please see “Oleo
Strut”.

Under the Hood Cafe & Outreach Center is a revitalization of the Oleo Strut GI coffeehouse from the GI anti-Vietnam War movement. During the Vietnam War a number of GI coffeehouses sprang up near different forts throughout the United States. These establishments gave the soldiers a place where they could freely vocalize their feelings on the war. Similar to the GI coffeehouses from the Vietnam War, the Under the Hood Cafe and Outreach Center wishes to provide a safe place to voice their opinions and seek help from others. This organization offers services for GI's and veterans. It is primarily run by Vietnam Veterans and others that are anti-war but pro-GI rights. Several of the participants are people who refute the necessity or do not condone the entrance of the Iraq War. 

Under the Hood Cafe & Outreach Center

The counter-culture movement during the Vietnam War was a time of social revolution. Although it is generalized that everyone protesting the war were together in their voice against it, in actuality this movement was comprised of many different groups fighting for their own reasons and causes. One group of the many, was a number of soldiers who did not agree with the Vietnam&nbsp;war. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, a chain of GI coffeehouses were opened up near various military bases. The first of these GI coffeehouses began in Columbia, SC and branched out to other locations later that year. The coffeehouses&nbsp;were places where GI's were able to enjoy themselves by drinking coffee, conversing with others, and were offered the opportunity to read anti-war newspapers if they chose to.&nbsp;Many of the GI coffeehouses were met by hostility from the pro-war community. Despite these occurrences however, they were still able to protest and express their opinions on the Vietnam War. By having these areas where they could meet and discuss issues together the soldiers were able to band together and orchestrate ideas to aid their goal to end the war. In 1968, the Oleo Strut was founded by Fred Gardener in Killeen, Texas outside of Fort Hood. Gardener created the Oleo Strut&nbsp;after his prior GI coffeehouse he created&nbsp;in Columbia, SC known as the "UFO" was shut down. The Oleo Strut became the third of a long list of GI coffeehouses that would be developed during this time.&nbsp; The main objective within Oleo Strut's walls became to being Texas's anti-war headquarters. They were able to organize boycotts, lead peace marches, set up legal office, and even printed their own underground anti-war newspaper.&nbsp;Oleo Strut became the birthplace of the anti-war newspaper, The Fatigue Press. This paper would later aid some of their members in creating a defense campaign by publicizing their cases of the Fort Hood 43. One of the boycotts held by Oleo Strut was the conducted by the Fort Hood 43. The Fort Hood 43 was a group of African-American soldiers who refused to be sent to Chicago to aid in putting down the resistance at the Democratic National Convention. They were of course met with resistance from Fort Hood command. The Fort Hood command began by trying to reason and persuade with the 43 soldiers. When that method did not work the soldiers were then beaten by military police. Finally when nothing else worked charges were brought against all 43 soldiers. The Fatigue Press however, streamed the information and news updates on the trials and as a result the men received lighter sentences.

Named after the shock absorbing part on a helicopter, the Oleo Strut was a GI Coffeehouse that operated during 1968-1972. In the beginning, it was a place for GI's to spend their free time leisurely but later developed into protests and other methods to further the anti-war movement. It was one of several GI coffeehouses that contributed to the soldier anti-war effort during the Vietnam War. It was a center where GI's who disagreed with the war could openly voice their opinions. A number of GI newspapers also debuted through these coffeehouses. Popular anti-war advocates also were able to visit these establishments and speak freely. Jane Fonda was one of the anti-war advocates to visit the Oleo Strut.


Historic Tour of Killeen, Texas and Fort Hood

Fort Hood 3rd Cavalry Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information