Need Some Motivation? Visit the Rough Riders Memorial!
Quick answer: Where is the Rough Riders memorial?
The Rough Riders memorial is a dark-gray granite monument at Arlington National Cemetery, erected in 1906 by members and friends of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry and dedicated on April 12, 1907. It lists the regiment's battles, Las Guasimas, San Juan, and Santiago, and the names of its members who died in the Spanish-American War.
Few people remember their official name, the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. Mention the Rough Riders, though, and people picture the charge on the San Juan Heights with Theodore Roosevelt in the lead. Raised by Leonard Wood and Roosevelt, the regiment of cowboys and college men served with distinction in the Spanish-American War. Their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery was erected by members and friends of the regiment in 1906 and dedicated on April 12, 1907. It is a large, dark-gray granite stone bearing the regiment's insignia on its west face and listing its battles: Las Guasimas, San Juan, and Santiago. The names of all the officers and men of the regiment who died in the war are engraved on it. The inscription reads: "In memory of the deceased members of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, Spanish-American War, erected by the members and friends of the regiment, 1906." On July 1, 1898, the American advance stalled below the heights, the men unwilling to move forward and unable to fall back. Roosevelt rode out of the woods. Reporter Richard Harding Davis watched it happen: "Colonel Roosevelt, on horseback, broke from the woods behind the line of the Ninth, and finding its men lying in his way, shouted: 'If you don't wish to go forward, let my men pass, please.'" What struck Davis most was how few they were, a thin line of men "creeping up a steep, sunny hill, the top of which roared and flashed with flame." Many fell in the high grass, "but the others waded on, stubbornly, forming a thin blue line that kept creeping higher and higher up the hill." Near the top they gathered in a sudden rush, and the Spanish defenders fired a last volley and fled. If you need motivation, John suggests, go stand at that stone.
Why it matters for leaders: The memorial is a reminder that the famous charge was carried out by a thin line of men who kept climbing while others fell beside them.
Q: When was the Rough Riders memorial dedicated?
A: On April 12, 1907, after being erected in 1906 by members and friends of the regiment.
Q: What battles are listed on the memorial?
A: Las Guasimas, San Juan, and Santiago.
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By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation