[Music] he [Music] there's hardly a more romantic moment in all of American military history than the story of the Rough Riders when war broke out with Spain in 1898 Theodore Roosevelt who then was the assistant Secretary of the Navy suggested to the war department that he raise a volunteer Regiment of cowboy Cavalry from all over the southwest Arizona New Mexico Texas Roosevelt loved the story of the American West he had been a cowboy up in North Dakota had a ranch up there and so he really wanted to recruit hard tough men from the southwest the kind of men that could face up to any anyone on the field of [Music] battle Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Rider story is very much a New Mexico story 350 of the Rough Riders were from New Mexico that's the largest contingent from any state or territory in the West New Mexicans flocked to Governor otero's call for recruits to fight for not only United States of America not only for the liberation of Cuba but also to win a star in the American flag for New [Music] Mexico the railroad was vital of course in recruitment of the Rough Riders and the railroad provided the link between the communities where all the men would come together and a wonderful event occurred on the Santa Fe Plaza as everyone took the oath they then went from here of course uh VIA Rail to San Antonio where the training took place and where they met Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt meets them Roosevelt just goes crazy these are exactly the kind of men he wants one of the most prominent of the New Mexico ref writers was Captain maximiliano Luna Captain Luna came from one of the most prominent families in New Mexico he had been the sheriff of the Lindy County his father had been a long time legislator in the state legislature and Luna also had served in the state legislature he was only 5' five but uh he was a tough guy and he was one of the most beloved of all the captains of the Rough Riders when the Rough Riders were sent to Cuba several of the companies were going to be left behind and Luna went to Wood and to Roosevelt and pleaded his case that he had a particular reason to go to Cuba Luna felt that he had to prove that New Mexico Hispanic families were loyal to the United States that their Blood Ties to Spain meant nothing to them and that they could be counted on to form a state and to be loyal citizens of the United States [Music] Teddy Roosevelt leads that cowboy regima up that hill hooping and hollering and those new Mexican rough riders plant the their guide on up the top San Juan Hinds they're really planting an American flag that announces we are moving on to the world stage and Teddy Roosevelt leads the old America of the Cowboys and the Indians and the wild west right up that hill out of an agrarian Wild West past into a steel and steam future that he is going to be instrumental in forming as president of the United States just two years [Music] later with the war over the New Mexico connection with the Rough Riders was so important for New Mexico statehood because Roosevelt of course is going to become president of the United States so many of his Rough Rider officers and Troopers are going to take prominent positions in the federal government and in territorial government and it's going to set the stage to prove once and for all that New Mexicans can be trusted that they really are good loyal Americans and it's going to pave the way for New Mexico statehood in [Music] 1912 it was right here in 1899 that a very famous photograph was taken of then governor of New York Theodor Roosevelt at the very first Ruff Rider reunion then for many years after that they would come back to New Mexico to the castanada hotel cuz that had such a sort of strong connection to all those old boys and that glorious moment that all of them recognized uh that they had been a part of where they had changed not only the history of the United States but the history of the world [Music]