Here is the Big Picture, an official television report of the United States Army produced for the armed forces and the American people. Now to show you part of the Big Picture, here is Master Sergeant Stuart Quain. There is a story which has endured since the Napoleonic Wars about an English cavalry officer who, according to the tale, said that the purpose of cavalry and warfare was to give tone to what otherwise would be simply a vulgar brawl. The cavalry trooper was always from the beginning a magnificent fighter and the cavalry itself a magnificent service. Surrounding the very word cavalry, there is a warm glow of nostalgia, of romance and valor, a sense of proud men fighting a proud cause with both dash and distinction. These are valid impressions, but the cavalry's historic role in the defense of this country is one of the Army's most illustrious chapters. It is now many years since the horse cavalry was abolished. A global war and a localized police action have been fought without it. But the cavalry itself, its concept and its mission, is still a vital part of today's Army. A fact dramatically symbolized in a recent ceremony involving the first cavalry division. The first cow, the heart and soul of the mounted service, whose history parallels the lusty history of this country's growth, leaves Japan for Korea to become one of the first U.S. Army divisions to be reorganized into a phantom unit, a division organized to meet the demands of warfare on an atomic battlefield. Today the big picture camera sweeps back through history to bring you the story of the cavalry in its long ride to glory. The story of the U.S. cavalry threads through our nation's history from its opening pages. This is a salute to those valiant mounted warriors. The cavalry was part of the ragged and untried continental Army, which secured the dream of independence for the young nation. It was a small force, however, and it did not really come into its own until the southern campaigns toward the end of the war. Then at King's Mountain and Cowpens and in a series of other mounted battles, small bodies of regular cavalry routed the British and helped turn the tide of the war. From the Revolution emerged one of the first of a long line of distinguished cavalrymen, Light Horse Harry Lee of Virginia, whose son Robert E. Lee would later make his own mark in another chapter of American history. During the War of 1812, American mounted troops twice scored important victories against the British, once in the battle of the Thames in western Ontario and against their Indian allies on the Tala Pusa River in Alabama. The war with Mexico, which followed the admission of Texas into the Union, was a cavalry war, particularly with the invasion of the Mexican territories of New Mexico and California, which extended the nation's boundaries to the coastline of the Pacific. The mounted warriors in this conflict fought with the magnificence which prompted their commander to tell them, you have been baptized in fire and blood and have come out steel. The growing nation now stretched across the western prairies. Settlement of the land was violently resisted by the hostile Indians, who made war on the pioneers carrying civilization to the Buffalo lands. It now became the task of the hard riding and hard fighting cavalry to make the westward creeping frontiers secure. 12,000 miles of territory had to be protected against tribes prepared to fight to the death the migration of white men into their world. The firing of Fort Sumter, heralding the civil war which presented the nation with its greatest test, interrupted the cavalry's mission in the west. But leaders like Jeb Stuart, who twice led his cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia completely around the opposing Union armies, used mounted troops wisely and colorfully and with spectacular success from the beginning. As a result, the Confederacy had a mounted superiority over the north in the early part of the war. The Union, however, had cavalry giants of its own. Bill Sheridan and James H. Wilson, and under them, the Union cavalry became one of the greatest forces in the history of warfare. When it broke into action after almost two years on the defensive, it literally tore the heart out of the Southern forces. The cavalry of both armies, Union and Confederacy, fought with daring and distinction and with imagination. Together they developed a new concept of cavalry warfare, which took fullest advantage of the cavalry's potential for speed and mobility, completely revolutionizing strategy and tactics which had always before characterized mounted action. With the end of the Civil War, the cavalry trooper turned his attentions once more to the enemy in the west. While the divided nation had been struggling for survival for four years, the Indian tribes taking advantage of the conflict had loosed a fury of attacks against the settlements in the west. They followed almost three decades of terror and bloodshed on the plains. Many heroic names from cavalry lore emerged from this period but none more enduring than that of Major General George Armstrong Custer. His defeat at the hands of a horde of screaming Sioux and Cheyenne Braves near the Little Big Horn River has symbolized the generations of Americans, the cruel character of the Indian wars in the west. The bridge in southern Montana on a scorching June afternoon in 1876, where every member of Custer's proud and spirited Seventh Cavalry Regiment faced and met violent death, the Indian achieved his most memorable victory over the white man. Skirmish followed Skirmish in those lusty and troubled years. The whole savage west was aflame. East came hard and slowly and only with the constant pressure of force applied by the mounted guardians of the nation's territories. By the turn of the century, the bloody work of the trooper and his steed was over in the west. America's frontiers were secure at last. For the first time in half a century peace pervaded the plains and the mountains and life for the tough cavalrymen became almost routine after the capitulation of the long warring red men. Chief Joseph, the indomitable chief of the Napersay who had fought the army bitterly, spelled out the tragic destiny of all the Indian nations with his words of surrender to the cavalry in northern Montana. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people have run away to the hills. Hear me, my chiefs.  From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. The next great chapter in cavalry lore bears the indelible imprint of one man, Theodore Roosevelt, whose first United States volunteer cavalry, or rough riders as they were called, captured the public's imagination and romantic attention with their courageous charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War. What was to be the last campaign of the old cavalry came in 1916 with the punitive expedition across the border into Mexico to pursue the bandit Pancho Villa, who had wreaked destruction on American lives and property near the border. Through the heat and wind and dust of the Chihuahua Desert, the columns rolled, living off the land in much the way the troopers of the Indian wars had had to do. It was a long ride and a final one. With the beginning of World War I, the history of the cavalry changed forever. A regiment of cavalry troopers and horses landed in France with the American expeditionary force. It was stabilized into a trench warfare of mass fire and little change of position and there was no use for the mobility of cavalry. Training camps back in the States, there was still no reason to believe that the end of the cavalry was in sight, however. Even though the greatest war in human history had left it behind, this was because of factors beyond the controlled strategists. The cavalry was still very much an active force and mounted troops trained constantly to keep in readiness for the day when the combat situation might change. So the training went on unceasingly. Training in all the qualities which had made cavalry indispensable. Maneuverability, movement, horsemanship. Once in Europe during World War I, however, was American cavalry employed tactically. For the most part, instead of fighting with the esprit and dash which had distinguished it in so many other wars, the cavalry in Europe was left with the unfamiliar task of running various remount stations. Tools and horses used for transport were cared for at these depots. The horse himself, proud steed bred to the thrill of excitement, became for a while a messenger, a carrier of supplies for whom the bugle called a battle no longer sounded. He was treated well and with consideration, however, as befits an honored warrior who had been withdrawn for a while from the battle. Still, there was no valid reason to believe the story of the cavalry was ending. Despite the small part it had played, all the great generals of the war paid tribute to its continuing function. General John Pershing declared, there is not in the world today an officer of distinction who does not believe with emphasis that cavalry is as important today as it ever has been. So with the end of World War I, the pride and the polish of the cavalry remained undiminished. Colorful and aggressive, it continued to train devotedly in its traditional role of the army's mobile army, the antennae of a striking force. It was well prepared to carry out its mission of reconnaissance and counter reconnaissance, screening and planking in every kind of terrain and situation. The cavalry kept alive the disciplines and the skills and the aileron, which were the soul of the mounted tradition. Yes, the cavalry trained hard during the 20s and 30s while war clouds were forming over Europe and the Orient. But it was training for a war it would never fight. These were the twilight years for the cavalry. But by the time World War II broke out, the age of mechanization had overtaken the horse. German Panzer divisions overran Northern Europe, crushing all resistance under a rolling mass of steel and fire. Devastating successes of the Blitz Kriegs, which these armored divisions spearheaded, pointed up clearly the kind of mobile force that each side would employ on the battlefields of World War II. The United States Army adopted the armored force as its new mobile arm. Under the direction of such old-time cavalrymen as General George S. Patton in Europe, it launched its spectacular drives into the heart of the enemy's country. On the other side of the world, cavalry troopers received their baptism in a new kind of warfare. Cavalry division traveled not by horse, but by new amphibious steeds to the islands of the Pacific, whose history reaches back to the winning of the plains, was the only cavalry division to remain intact during the war. But it fought dismounted as infantry. The Germans handled their new role well. They fought with a courage that did justice to the reputation established by their mounted comrades of an earlier age. Battled the Japanese in a succession of vital and bitterly fought campaigns. Los Negros. Leyte. They moved on into the capital of the enemy's homeland. After traveling the long route through the beaches of Leyte and the jungles of Luzon, the division was the first to enter Tokyo. It was a proud climax to a valorous performance as tough as any in cavalry history. The fighting spirit of the cavalrymen had endured and emerged once more victorious. The division brought credit to itself in its occupation of Japan. But its fighting days were not yet over. Less than five years after its triumphal entry into Tokyo, the first cavalry division was on the move again to defend the invaded land of South Korea. Less than a month after the North Korean communists began their aggressive war in June of 1950, the division landed at Pohang-dong on the east coast of Korea. Its mission was to push inland and help stop the enemy from reaching the port city of Busan. Dismounted once more, they fought with the same distinction they had shown in World War II. Their mission was successful. The defense perimeter around Busan held. And while the world watched and hoped, the beleaguered nation of South Korea continued to live. In September of 1950, the division broke out of the perimeter along with the rest of the UN forces. And now it had a new mission, to drive North more than 100 miles through enemy territory to link up with the seventh division which had landed on the west coast. It fulfilled this mission in little more than 20 hours in a drive called the most rapid advance ever made in the history of modern arms. The inheritors of the legend of the little big horn pushed North across the 38th parallel. And the cavalrymen who had in World War II achieved the distinction of being first into two enemy capitals, Manila and Tokyo, now set themselves to the task of adding another first to their record. Pyongyang, the capital city of the North Korean aggressor. They succeeded. This victory too was theirs. And with the collapse of the North Korean enemy, symbolized by this capture of his strongly held capital, the hope for peace grew bright again. It was a false hope. An entirely new war came with the entry of the Chinese communists into the conflict. Added many names to the division's roster of memorable battles. Its last big action was a series of sustained assaults on famed old Baldy and the vital hills around it, which in enemy hands, threatened the United Nations supply line. The last campaign ended in victory. A victory bought like all the others with bravery and devotion. When the fighting was over for the weary men of the division, they returned to Japan. The last in a long and gallant line of cavalrymen who had fought their nation's wars with distinction. The inheritors of a tradition which reached back to the earliest pages of the American past, the cavalry. But through two wars, cavalrymen had fought dismounted. And now the word cavalry existed only as a name and a noble memory. Or so it seemed. So it would seem indeed. No more can be heard again the creak of saddle harness in battle. The horse has retired forever from the field of combat. The few horses that remain in the army are stationed at the old cavalry post of Fort Myer, Virginia. The old ones bask in the sun after years of service. Younger horses are still drafted for service. Not the exciting service that their forebears knew, but duty of signal honor nonetheless. They belong along with the men who ride them and care for them to the honor guard unit of the Third Infantry Regiment. Theirs is the job of transporting America's heroic military dead to their final resting place. They are proud symbols of an army that has gone. Today's army is shaped to the demands of the battlefield of the future. It is an army that must be prepared for all possible combat conditions, conditions never before experienced by men at war. It is an army built on firepower. All of weapons with which it can hit an enemy is spectacular. Groups who can disperse over great distances in all kinds of situations. No place in such an army for the old horse cavalry. But that does not mean the cavalry itself is gone. Honorable traditions do not die easily, nor do historic missions which have proved themselves indispensable in warfare. The horse is gone, but the cavalry still remains, mounted now on other steeds. Brides on tanks and armored carriers on the ground, rides in helicopters and other light aircraft in the sky. Cavalry troop capable of operating both in the air and on the ground in each of the army's new pentomic divisions. Divisions reorganized to meet the demands of war on an atomic battlefield. The cavalry troop is still the division's antennae, prepared to carry out the cavalry's time-proved mission of reconnaissance with a mobility in keeping with the characteristics of today's army. Kneaks change, but traditions endure. And the traditions of the men who won the West, who died with custard, who rode with steward and with Sheridan, who found glory at the charge and wrote history with their spirit, are too deeply embedded in the fiber of America ever to be lost or forgotten. Traditions endure. The hoofbeats of the cavalry thunder still in the memory of living men. And they echo and will echo forever in the mind of the nation. First to the air, a long ride and a colorful one. That is the story of the cavalry in your army. Now, this is Sergeant Stuart Queen, your host for The Big Picture. The Big Picture is an official television report for the armed forces and the American people, produced by the Army Pictorial Center, presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station.


We are transforming this window into a inside-outside bar bringing the kitchen, outdoors, and the outdoors inside the cabin. And finishing this part of our cabin to 100%. Thank you Squarespace for sponsoring this week's video. The first step is to find where our studs are. We are going to be putting a very heavy quartz counter on the inside and the outside wall and we need to make sure it's going to be super sturdy with these brackets. These things can hold, I think, 500 pounds and we're putting three or four on each counter. So that will work, but we need to make sure we hit the studs. So we've brought up one of our old videos to figure out where the studs are. I'm almost 100% that you find at the middle of your window and then you do every 16 on center from there. I got to say, I love having video footage of everything.  Matches the photo. Booyah. Center. For us, this is a dream project. We've been wanting to do this for so long. Many, many moons ago, Jasmine and I worked at a restaurant that had something very similar to this. So of course we made our own custom one for the cabin and we've got all the materials and you better believe that this weather is not going to stop us from enjoying a delicious meal right here. We just need servers. I can serve you. These are extremely strong structural screws. Torx head. Love to see it. It just says something. Rugged structural screws. We will be painting them now. It's just going to be so much stronger with these. Don't want to see the level girl. Not your new hairdo. Crystal got her hair done. Something I wasn't planning on acknowledging. Why? Comment below. Make her feel awkward. A little lovey-pac. Thank you. Better move if you want to go. Turn the hands cause I'm on a roll. Strong. Wow, that's super strong. Five more. Perfection. Next one. All right, we've got heavy duty brackets going up and already they are going very smooth. Don't want to jinx it but they're looking very strong. I'm stoked. It's counter time. Yeah, fly. What's going on? What's going on? Oh, it's the go throw. Oh, it's the go throw. Cause the trim, yeah. And trim goes in there. It's so nice. Come here right now. You want to come Izzy? It actually looks like the counter is attached. It looks so cool. Whoa. Designer crystal and jazz. Honor is completely level. We've put the level on it. It looks perfection. A-OK. But how the window slides. There's a rail. And it's perfectly in line on the left, but not on the right. It's not by much. I think we could just make the counter not perfectly level. And that would just entail us going to the hardware store and getting little sheets of metal and making shims to put it up. Which I kind of like because then there's no holes in the bottom of the brackets. And then the caulking and everything won't all fall out and whatnot. Jumping ahead, are we? I know I'm jumping ahead, but. Wow, that's cool. I just can't wait to like, wow. I can't wait for summer. Yeah. Here he goes already. To be fair, it was living in the garage since like January. A lot of you are probably wondering how this is going to hold up outside and being this close to the window. It's outdoor grade. So they add something, some sort of chemical compound when they're making it to allow it to endure UV rays, cold ice frost, et cetera. So the counter will last a long time. Especially with our Canadian weather. This dog misses her sister. Don't you? We miss her too, Izzy. More on that later. If you're wondering why it's so quiet in here because Bear is at the vet. Closing one eye help. Yeah. Okay. Bucky Elza, that's where the top of the counter should go. Perfect timing. We have to hit the hardware store and the vet just called through Bella. Izzy. Want to go get your sister? Where's Bella? Hi, it's Tammy calling from the Bridgewater Animal Hospital. Hello. Bella can go anytime now. We think she'd be more comfortable at home. Okay. Yeah. We're on our way. Thank you. That call just made me laugh. Of course, Bella. Right after surgery, she was wide awake. The vet's like, yeah, she's wide awake looking at us. And now she wants me more. Oh, they're just such different dogs. When Izzy went in for surgery, she was out of it even when we picked her up hours later. So it looks like the vet wants to get rid of Bella. Bella is at the vet because there was three lumps on her. She is 10 years and seven months. So it is pretty normal. However, they had to do some tests on them. And also she was going to go in for a cleaning since she was being put under anyways to remove those lumps. And when they went to do the x-rays on her teeth, they saw five rotted teeth and an abscess that was pussing. That poor dog. We had no idea. We often wondered why her breath smelled so much worse than Izzy's. Because her teeth do look really good. Because her teeth look amazing. But it was way back there, something the vet said that we probably wouldn't have been able to see. Two teeth just fell out on their own. And the other three she removed because the abscessed had infected the other two teeth around it because it happened probably over a year ago. The classic Bella doesn't complain, doesn't do anything, gets put under and probably is ready to go for a 10 mile walk. Literally. I love that dog. She's the most weird animal. They're going to be thankful in a couple days too. Are you okay Bella? We missed you. Turns out Bella wasn't just barking. She wasn't able to just relax. Because there's so many dogs going by. So they said she'll probably relax more if she's just at home. She is out of it and had a lot of work done. Three lumps removed, five teeth removed. There was a lump on Bella's back that was a cyst that they removed. And they actually removed the sac I guess is the word. So that way hopefully it doesn't refill.  But it went actually like the root of it went like fairly deep into her neck. So they removed all of that. And then there was a nodule on her ear that they fully removed. And that's the one they were worried about right? They tested it. They tested it. And all three lumps are good. Two theories coming. How are you feeling? A little different? I never thought you would be the more energetic dog Izzy. Thank you all so so much from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our first ever merch drop. You all showed up. I am speechless honestly. I'm blown away. Thank you. And we are so excited that you're so excited we can't wait to see you in it. And because you all love the pack cats so much we are going to give away 10 pack cats to anyone who has ordered or who is going to order before December 16th. Yes. It is the last five days to order the pack year and then it is gone forever. So head on over to vanwives.com or the link in the description. Oh and we have three XL now. We're learning lots. Thank you for your patience. We hear you. We love you. And we cannot wait to include even more sizes when we do this all again. Yes. Also if you get your pack year please send us a photo or a video or something because I want to see it and I can't wait. Five more days. Love you all pack. Bye.  These are going to be our shims that we're going to add on our bracket. That way it all meets up on the rail perfectly like this one. I am a welder certified now. I just don't have the welder. I mean I have the welder. I don't have the machine. Is that how it works? Yeah. Anyways. So I'm going to just cut these down and we'll probably just secure it with caulking because they have to be secured with caulking anyways to the counter and I think we'll be A-okay. Hey but a boom but a bang. Boom. You know what's a great day? When you have a new renovator blade. I was hoping that was going to rhyme more. I am beyond excited to see both of these installed. Last bracket. Now let's hope the counter fits and the window will shut. All of the brackets are in. Let's do it. Wow. That's really nice. That's really close. That's perfect. I hope it shuts as it opens. The window brushes the crumbs off the table for you. Damn. That's my kind of eating. We got that perfect by the way. That's okay. Nah. We have a problem. We just celebrated this one. Oh it's because it's deep. Oh. I found the culprit. Look under here. That. So. When you... Oh. I'm going to fix it. Watch this.  Move that up. What just happened was we got the window open seamlessly. It was exciting. And then a minute later I went to go close it with the counter on. Same deal. And it was getting stuck. And then I thought that it had something to do with obviously how high the counter is. Which would not have been good. Jasmine turned the handle and a mechanism got pushed up and that way we could actually close it again. So when we close the window we just have to make sure the handle isn't in the correct position. Perfect. Yeah. Well it had to work. Could you open it? Because it was shut right. That's why I read no sense. And that's how doors work. The latches. So these are going directly on. Good? Yeah. Beauty. Let's get the pizza oven going.  Trick yeah. This wood-fired pizza oven is going to keep the caulking nice and warm. That way it dries. This is going to pull it together. This one just had five teeth removed and she's trying to bite the cardboard boxes. I can't get over here. Well that was easy. Three outdoor chairs. I love it. It's so nice. Everyone has their own window. I think it's about time. First meal. Thank you. Wow. I can't believe we just did a custom window. Ourselves inside our own house. It is my favorite thing in the entire world. I'm so happy. And we're having butter chicken. This is the best view ever. I love it so much. I can't wait to have friends across the table. I've got you. I just can't wait until people are enjoying the fire playing games on the grass. Dancing on the porch. I can see them over from the other window that completely opens over there. It's literally just a complete flow. This was a vision that we brought to life, hey? I'm day one, girl. I'm also so, so proud. Like you said that we did ourselves.  You need the sun, girl. What's going on? Just washing, you know. Thing you don't do. Hey. Thing you don't do. I'm out of here. Command Z, Command Z. I'm glad you all came inside. It's pretty chilly out there, right? But there's one thing that I know a lot of you are saying, girls, get that done. And it would make this window 10 times prettier. Should we do it? I'll let you finish your last bite. I'm ready. We're tonight. It's like getting windows all over again. We did it. This is my tractor. All right. Over here. Let's see how it starts on this cold day. And that's where I left my mitts. Silly. It is cold. So am I. Keeping Clem happy? I've tried numerous things on where to put those IPC coats. That is the closest we're going to get them to the house this year. And I am so happy compared to last year. This is a dream. And if you're wondering why I'm not putting it on the deck, that's because they weigh around like 3,000 pounds. And I don't think we engineered our deck for that amount of weight. Today's winter day and project is brought to you by the glorious sunshine. We're breaking outside today and I'm in just a flat and a long sleep. Come on. So it was very important that we finished the trim on the windows in order to start the next project, which will finish off our kitchen completely. Do you hear that, everyone?  Not only are we making our very own backsplash DIY because one, it's awesome and fun. Two, we're off for the challenge. And three, it's way more economical. But we're really pulling hard on our carpentry skills today. We've got the track saw out and we're starting with plywood. I'm really pumped up about this. I feel like our skills are slowly getting better and better and we're accumulating the right tools to get the job done. Like a track saw. Who knew? They're just the best tool ever. The first two pieces of plywood are up and you're probably wondering what are you going to do with a plywood backsplash? And I know it's probably looking quite funny right now but this is the base of what will be a waterproof, easy to clean beautiful backsplash. So you'll see what we're up to next. First piece without a plug. Woohoo! Alright backsplashes done. See you later everyone. Kidding everyone. We have a really cool product we are going to be using and I cannot wait to do it on this backsplash. Go Krista, go! Go Krista, go! Go Krista, go! Who hear me? Well thank gosh you built the table, eh? Spinach dip. This is the best spinach dip of my life. It's hot. Are you a chip spinach dip person or a pita spinach dip person? Answer in the comments. Alright, ready? Set prep. Micro cementing looks a lot different when you're around eh? We're keeping it clean. The last time I did micro cement I had a huge mess and Krista didn't even know until she got home. We've been here for a minute. Then you'll know that this is micro cement. It's like a liquid cement paint that dries and hardens and looks like cement. It's such an incredible product and it's really fun for people who are good at it. Like just definitely not my fourth day but we are taking this backsplash to the next level. This beautiful plywood is getting a coat of micro cement and then we will sand her down and do it again. I will sand. And it's going to look so nice in here. I can't wait. It's about time we got a backsplash. It's not fun cleaning this tongue and groove wood when you're cooking. Sitting here watching jazzy worker magic got to trust the process. At first I was like how is this going to go together? And now it's just looking like one giant slab already. First layer of the backsplash is done and dried 24 hours later and we're sanding. An actual hour just slipped by of me removing all of that tape and cleaning that all up. I'm super super happy with it and I think it's ready for sealing. Let's do it! Bella, give her belly rubs. I am. I think it's outside. This is your dream spot. A counter and you can look up a squirrels. You're my best friend. Counter surfer number one counter surfer number two the best view in the house. Okay now I just need some friends. Let's go come over. That's all you. Hi everyone! Thanks for sitting at the table with me today. We did a big little waitresses dreaming of having a window they were serving customers at to having it in their own house. Cheers everyone. Hope you're having a good Sunday morning and we will see you all next Sunday. Four? This is the last ever video of 2024? 2023. Three? I don't know what year I'm in. See you next week pack. See you next week pack and thank you again for so much support with the merch. I need to stop doing that. Leave it to Bella. This is the absolute best place to thank the sponsor of today's video, Squarespace. You can get a website up and running in just a few hours. Get started with one of their professional templates and customize it to meet your unique needs. To allow your brand, your idea or your business to stand out online and on every device. You can have your own online store services, your physical or digital products. You don't need any experience or prior knowledge to get started. Click the link in the description or head to squarespace.com forward slash van wives for 10% off your very first website or domain.