On the east side of the road.

On 11 March 2016, the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment dedicated the memorial to mark the 25th anniversary of the battle. Veterans of the Battle, including retired Army LTG Leonard D. Don Holder, the acting Regimental commander during Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, and others, also participated in the dedication ceremony.

Leading the VII Corps deployment to Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD, 2nd ACR occupied assembly areas deep in the Saudi desert by mid-December 1990. There, intensive training and planning for the ground offensive took place for several months. The 210th Artillery Brigade, the AH-64 Apache helicopters of the 2/1 Aviation Battalion, the 82nd Engineer Battalion, and other assets were added to form the 8,500-strong Dragoon Battle Group.

This Battle Group, which had worked together in Europe, continued to train and to provide security for the Corps through the commencement of the ground offensive for Operation DESERT STORM. The Regiment, under Colonel Holders command, received the following mission: At G- day, H-hour, 2nd ACR attacks through the western flank of the enemy defenses and conducts offensive cover operations to develop the situation for VII Corps. On 23 February, artillery fire prepped the area and 2nd ACR attacked, breaching the Iraqi-Saudi border berm and moving north into Iraq. It was the first time the Regiment had seen combat in over 45 years

For the next 72 hours, 2nd ACR spearheaded the VII Corps attack as it advanced into southern Iraq. On 26 February 1991, the Regiment fought a series of fierce engagements with elements of four Iraqi Divisions, three of them armored or mechanized. Best known is the Battle of 73 Easting in which Ghost (G), Eagle (E), and Iron (I) Troops destroyed an entire Iraqi armored Brigade. CPT Joe Sartiano commanded Ghost Troop, CPT (later LTG) H.R. McMaster commanded Eagle Troop, and CPT Dan Miller commanded Iron Troop during this engagement.

By the end of its covering force mission, the Regiment had broken the defensive line of the Republican Guards Tawakalna Division and led three heavy Divisions into the fight. During the 100-hour war, the Regiment moved over 250 kilometers, captured over 2000 prisoners, and destroyed 159 enemy tanks and 260 other fighting vehicles. Its actions against the Iraqi Divisions have become textbook examples of modern tank warfare. The Battle Group had limited its casualties to seven Soldiers killed in action and 19 wounded.

Source of information: en.wikipedia.org, www.army.mil, history.2dcavalryassociation.com

THIS CAPTURED IRAQI T-72 TANK WAS EMPLACED IN 2016 AT COUGAR SQUADRON HQS, TO COMMEMORATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2ND CAVALRY REGIMENT'S VICTORY IN THE BATTLE OF 73 EASTING - THE LAST MAJOR ARMOR BATTLE
OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

ON 26 FEBRUARY 1991 ELEMENTS OF THE REGIMENT, SPECIFICALLY EAGLE TROOP AND GHOST TROOP, 2ND SQUADRON,
2ND ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT ENGAGED IRAQI REPUBLICAN GUARD FORCES OF THE TAWALKANA DIVISION IN WHAT WOULD
BECOME KNOWN AS ''THE BATTLE OF 73 EASTING.''

AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 EAGLE TROOP MANEUVERED THROUGH A SANDSTORM INTO A REPUBLICAN GUARD TANK BRIGADE
DEFENSIVE LINE. OVER THE NEXT THIRTY MINUTES THE SOLDIERS OF EAGLE TROOP DESTROYED APPROXIMATELY
30 ENEMY TANKS, 16 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS, AND 39 TRUCKS.

AFTER COMING ONLINE WITH EAGLE TROOP, GHOST TROOP FORMED A DEFENSIVE LINE TO ALLOW THE REGIMENT TO
REGROUP AND PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOW-ON FORCES OF VII CORPS. OVER THE NEXT 16 HOURS, GHOST WOULD FIGHT OFF
THREE SEPARATE COUNTERATTACKS TOTALING 12 TANKS AND 34 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS.

BY FIXING THE SOUTHERN FORCES OF THE IRAQI ARMY, COUGAR SQUADRON AND 2ND CAV ALLOWED THE AMERICAN
MAIN EFFORT TO BYPASS THE ENEMY'S DEFENSES, THUS GREATLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE SWIFT COLLAPSE OF
THE IRAQI RESISTANCE.