MN National Guard began in 1856, repeatedly called upon to respond to national threats

Posted 9/27/01

MN National Guard began in 1856, repeatedly called upon to respond to national threats

By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

Gov. Jesse Ventura takes more pride in commanding the Minnesota National Guard than any other duty of his office, he recently stated.
Certainly, the exploits of the Guard provide inspiring history for not only the state but nation ñ a history of citizen-soldiers answering dutyís call.
According to a Guard history, the concept of the citizen-soldier was well established in America prior to the Minnesota Pioneer Guard first donning their uniforms in 1856.

Actually, the concept of citizen-soldiers traces to England and was brought to the New World by early colonists, the Massachusetts Bay Company forming three regiments of militia in 1636.
The United States Constitution and other acts established state-based militia in the newly formed Republic. The right to bear arms, as spelled out in the Second Amendment, is premised on the need for a well regulated militia.
Minnesotaís considerable military legacy was well underway when soldiers of the Pioneer Guard filled the ranks of three companies of the celebrated First Minnesota Volun-teer Infantry during the Civil War (1861-65).

Some 23,000 Minnesota men eventually served in Mr. Lincolnís army.

Early last century, federal law brought more standardization to state militias. And the Minnesota National Guard was repeatedly called on by the federal government to respond to national threats.

In July 1916, elements of the National Guard found themselves in Mercedes, Texas, part of a scratch force sent to the boarder to hunt for the incorrigible Mexican, Pancho Ville.

Scant months later, America entered the First World War and Minnesota Guardsmen were again stationed in the Southwest, filling the ranks of the ìSandstorm Division.î

Yet circumstances would have it only one detachment from the Guard, the 151st Field Artillery, served in France as an intact unit.
The 151st served with the celebrated ìRainbow Division.î One of its commanders was young Douglas MacArthur, who reportedly was in the habit of going ìover the topî wearing a scarf his mother gave him, armed with a swagger stick.

In a prelude to war, President Roosevelt mobilized the National Guard in February of 1941. Minnesota National Guardsmen filled the ranks of the 34th ìRed Bullî Division, which was the first American division to sail to Europe.

The ìRed Bullî division gained its distinctive name from the musings of German soldiers during the hard-fought Italian Campaign, whom referred to the division as the ìRed Devilsî or ìRed Bulls,î seeing the divisional arm patch which depicts a steer skull set against a Mexican water jug ñ the latter image a legacy of those hot days in Mercedes, Texas.

In the dust of the North African Campaign against Rommelís crack Afrika Corp, Minnesotaís 175th Field Artillery fired the first American shells against German troops in World War II.

But with victories came with sacrifice.

A tank unit from Brainerd, incorporated into the 194th Tank Battalion, were stationed in the Philippines when that country fell to the rapidly advancing Japanese in 1942.

The Brainerd soldiers had to endure the infamous Death March.

The Minnesota National Guard has been called up during the Korean War, Berlin Crisis, and Persian Gulf War.

Elements served in Bosnia and Kosovo.
The Minnesota Air National Guard has two flying wings, the 133rd Airlift Wing in St. Paul, flying C-130H transport planes, and the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth, these hotshot pilots flying F-16As.
The Minnesota National Guard has about 11,000 members.

The bulk of the funding for the Guard comes from the federal government.

In peacetime, the Guard is commanded by the state governor.

The guard reacts to many forms of emergency, including natural. The Guardsmen and women slung sandbags in recent floods and helped respond to cities ravaged by tornadoes.
The Guard has facilities in some 60 towns in Minnesota.

Anoka, Brooklyn Park, Stillwater, Eagan, Hastings, and other local communities have armories or other facilities.

As of Wednesday, Sept. 19, no Minnesota National Guard unit had yet been called up in response to the terrorist attacks last week.