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I've always wondered this. What is the history and tradition behind having a red and white, swallow-tailed guidon?
UPDATE: A member said it is because the US Cavalry traces it's linage to European Dragoons and Dragoons are often associated with red and white. This makes a lot of sense. So the next question is why are Dragoons red and white?
UPDATE: A member said it is because the US Cavalry traces it's linage to European Dragoons and Dragoons are often associated with red and white. This makes a lot of sense. So the next question is why are Dragoons red and white?
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 71
I have heard two different versions. The first is; it represent cooperation between the US Cavalry and Indian Scouts. The other is something about "Blood Over Virtue" or something like that.
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Cpl John Sanheim
Actually the red over white swallow tail pennants predate the reasons you state - they were originally carried by lancers in the 16th Century - later became the lancer pennants in many Napoleonic armies - almost always (however there were some exceptions) RED over WHITE - even the Polish lancers whose national colors were white over red - bore the RED over WHITE pennants. Somewhere along the line of history these pennants became guidons adapted by the MOUNTED TROOPS (cavalry and light artillery) . During the American Civil War the guidons were replaced - (1862 regs) due to the fact that they resembled the Confederate fist national colors (stars and bars, red-white-red) and replaced by Stars and stripes in swallow tail design. Sometime after the war red over withe came into use again - not to say that many units never discarded the red and white guidons in the first place but like many Civil War flags they were often used until in total tatters . . .
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It's our lineage to King and Queen of Battle. White is the traditional color of the Infantry of which we all belong and Red is for the Field Artillery... That's my official Hooah answer of the day.
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2nd Squadron 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment station at Bad Kissingen, West Germany from 1978 to 1981
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I think it has a lot to do with Command trying to keep track of the troops during the confusion of battle.
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