 Operation Cowboy is about cowboys and horses. In this case, the cowboys of the Second Calvary Group, Mechanized, commanded by Colonel Charles Reed. And the horses were prized, liposineered, show horses with a 400-year unbroken lineage. In the closing days of World War II in April 1945, several hundred liposineered horses were to staple in the Czechoslovakian village of Hostel. Colonel Reed knew that the brave horses would not survive a turbulent aftermath of the war. As a long-time calvary man, he saw it as his duty to protect and relocate the horses. We were so tired of death and destruction, we wanted to do something beautiful, Reed said. This set the stage for Operation Cowboy, the final mission of World War II for the Second Calvary. The unit had spent more days in combat, captured more ground and any prisoners, and survived with the lowest casualty rate of any equal-sized unit in the war. The top secret mission to bring the rare horses to safety was unique in many ways. First, it marked one of the few times German-American horses actually fought together during the war. Reed sent Captain Thomas Stewart via motorcycle 20 miles away to the German compound at Hostel to talk with the German commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Rudovsky, where he was promptly taken prisoner. Knowing the end of the war was imminent, however, Rudovsky's men was able to convince him to surrender to the Americans. Stewart soon returned, riding side-by-side on a white, liposineered horse with a German veterinarian officer. The two units would work together to relocate the horses to the safety of Bavaria, actually fighting side-by-side and attacks from holdout boffin SS troops. When all was said and done, thanks to the unified effort, the beautiful horses survived, with some actually being brought to the U.S. The mission was an interesting footnote in the history of the war and a proud moment and a long and storied history of the Second Calvary Regiment. On the 76th anniversary of Operation Cowboy, we would like to join our friends in the Czech Republic in remembering all those who sacrificed for our freedoms. Although the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us from being together today, our friendship has never been stronger. To the people of Hauston and Bella, we are humbled by the opportunity to celebrate Operation Cowboy. We remain grateful for our enduring friendship and we look forward to seeing you again in the near future. Always ready, stronger together.