Heraldry
THE 17TH CAVALRY COAT OF ARMS
Each regiment and separate battalion of the U.S. Army is authorized a coat of arms.
A complete coat of arms consists of a shield, a crest and a motto. The coat of arms
is a heraldic representation of the organization's history, traditions, ideals and
accomplishments. Heraldry is picture writing in which every symbol has a meaning.
Every element of a coat of arms including the shape of the shield itself has significance.
The shield, which is the most important part of the arms, consists of a field upon which
are placed the charges or figures that form the coat of arms. The crest was originally placed
upon the top of the chieftain's helmet so that their followers could distinguish them in battle.
The crest is always placed upon a wreath of six twists, which represents the piece of cloth
that was worn around the top of the helmet where the crest was attached. Motto's are perhaps
more ancient that coats of arms. Many of the older motto's were war cries and selected with deep sincerity in the expression of their thought.
The 17th Cavalry Regiment was organized in 1916 with personnel from the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th and
14th Cavalry Regiments. The shield is taken from the coats of arms of these regiments: the
orange from the 1st, the green from the 3rd, the unicorn from the 6th, the deem-horse from the
8th, and the diagonal line from the 14th.
The crest is the winged spur, emblematic of the motto of the flying cavalry. The background
is the blue ribbon with the motto "Forward".
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Last update 1 June 97