NationalGuardHistory

Historical Overview

In an effort to help the public understand the history of the National Guard a historical sketch of both the
National Guard of the United States and the Delaware National Guard is provided. Topics include overall history
of the Guard, Colonial Origins, the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Cold War, Desert Storm
and the Delaware Guard as it presently stands.

When was the National Guard "founded"?

The National Guard is the oldest military organization in the United States whose lineage of 357 years of
service can be traced back to four units in Massachusetts. The 181st Infantry, 182nd Infantry, 101st Field
Artillery and the 101st Engineer Battalion have the oldest lineage in the National Guard and the U.S. Army.
They were organized on December 13, 1636 when the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
ordered the organization of the colony's military companies into three regiments, the North, South and East
Regiments. The colonists had adopted the English militia system which obligated all males, between the ages of
16 and 60, to possess arms and participate in the defense of the community. The early colonial militia drilled
once a week and provided guard details each evening to sound the alarm in case of attack. The growing threat
of Pequot Indians to the colony required the militia to be at a high state of readiness.

How did the National Guard get its name?

The Marquis de Lafayette, who commanded a Virginia brigade during America's War of Independence, coined
the phrase "Garde Nationale" for his French Revolutionary Army during the French Revolution in the 1790's.
Lafayette popularized the term in the United States, during a return visit in 1824, by applying it to all organized
militia units in America. The term immediately began to appear in newspapers and magazines as popular slang
for the militia.

The 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Artillery, New York Militia, voted to rename itself the "Battalion of National
Guards" in 1824 in tribute to Lafayette's command of the Paris militia. New York, by state statute, adopted the
term National Guard for its militia during the Civil War. Many states followed New York's lead after the Civil War
by renaming their militias "National Guard." The term was not recognized as the militia's formal title by federal
legislation until the 1916 National Defense Act.

The Colonial Period

The Delaware National Guard began on August 31, 1655. The commissary (someone appointed to do a
particular task) rode up and down the length of the colony calling the settlers to take up arms and defend the
colony against the Dutch force that was about to attack Fort Christina, the present site of Wilmington. The area
now known as the State of Delaware was a Swedish colony. This colony was called the "Three Lower Counties"
of the William Penn domain.

Earlier, the Swedes had relied entirely on professional soldiers to protect the colony and, except for former
soldiers who had remained as colonists, the citizens had no preparation for the military duties they were
suddenly called upon to perform. The colonists' lack of military training allowed the Dutch to easily defeat the
settlers. However, the occasion is significant as the first time in Delaware that the citizen-militia was called on for
military service.

When the State of Delaware was established, there were few provisions for peacetime training. Even when
pirate raids threatened the safety of coastal towns on the Delaware, Quaker opposition to warlike activities
dominated the combined legislature of Pennsylvania and Delaware and prevented any action.

However, citizens of the "Three Lower Counties" took matters into their own hands and volunteered for
additional training. It was, in large measure, the desire of Delawareans for an effective trained militia that
eventually resulted in the existence of Delaware as a separate state.

According to English law, able-bodied males (aged 18 to 45) were organized into units (called common militia)
based on the geographical location of their homes. Among the men liable for military service in the colonial
wars, there were some who saw the need for additional training if they were to be effective against professional
French troops and their Indian allies. Many who saw this need volunteered to train beyond the minimum
requirements of the militia law.

Because they volunteered for extra training, and also because they volunteered to serve outside their own
colonies (the common militia could only be called out if an enemy actually invaded the colony), these troops
became known as volunteer militia, or Volunteers. Sometimes they were called uniformed militia to distinguish
them from the common militia, which did not wear uniforms.

Besides this voluntary training, the settlers had to have training according to English law to provide for the
nation's defense. The soldiers of the full-time army were fined if they did not attend training. The volunteer
army was for the defense of the state, as it is still today.

It was these volunteers who carried Delaware's colors in the five pre-revolutionary wars. It is from these early
Delaware volunteer militia units that our modern Delaware National Guard is descended.

The Delaware Regiment, The Battle of Long Island -- August 27, 1776

At the Battle of Long Island, the actions of the Delaware Regiment kept the American defeat from becoming a
disaster. Indeed, the soldiers from tiny Delaware, fighting alongside the 1st Maryland Regiment, may well have
prevented the capture of the majority of Washington's army, an event that might have ended the colonial
rebellion then and there.

Organized in January 1776 by Col. John Haslet, the Delaware Regiment was noteworthy from the start as the
best uniformed and equipped regiment of the Continental Army. Their blue jackets with red facings and white
waistcoat and breeches would later become the uniform for all the Continental troops.

During the Battle of Long Island, the Delaware and Maryland troops were positioned on the right of
Washington's line, defending the most direct route from the British landing site in south Brooklyn to the
American fortifications in Brooklyn Heights. Though they faced the fiercest fighting of the day, they held their
ground, allowing the remainder of Washington's army to retreat to the safety of the fortifications. When they in
turn were outflanked and forced to retreat, the Delaware Regiment conducted an orderly retreat through
marshland and across the Gowanus Creek carrying off with them 23 prisoners. Two nights later, Washington
entrusted his Delaware and Maryland soldiers to be the rear guard as he secretly withdrew his army from
Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Today, the 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, preserves the legacy of the 1st Maryland
Regiment. The 198th Signal Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, perpetuates the proud lineage of the
Delaware Regiment.

In the Mexican War (1846-1847), the Federal Government would not accept volunteer companies but the
Delaware volunteers were not content to stay home. After much red tape, a statewide composite unit was
formed. They fought with distinction in the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco, Molino del Ray and Chapultepec
where there were almost twice as many Delaware volunteers present as marines. The unit lost so many men in
these actions it became known as "The Bloody 11th."

At the outbreak of the Civil War, President Lincoln called on the Governor for the detachment of one regiment
and Delaware had no common or enrolled militia, only volunteers. Governor Burton, the neutralist governor of a
border state, correctly but misleadingly replied to the President that he had no militia. He recommended the
formation of additional volunteer companies under state law. Volunteers could now offer their services to fill the
state's quota of troops.

One Wilmington volunteer company, the National Guards (198 Artillery) was so anxious for action they didn't
wait for the formation of a Delaware unit but volunteered for service with the 24th Pennsylvania Regiment which
was ready to leave for the front.

Other volunteer units reestablished the State's regiment - the First Delaware. Honors won by the regiment are
proudly carried on their organizational colors.

At Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the regiment was cited in official reports for its outstanding
performance. Three days into the Battle of Gettysburg the Delawares took the full fury of Confederate Generals
Pickett and Pettigrew. Much of the credit belongs to the Delaware regiment for bringing Pickett to a halt at the
"high water mark of the Confederacy."

The regiment went through the Wilderness campaign, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and the siege of Petersburg.
When their three year enlistments expired the two regiments combined into the First Delaware Veteran
Volunteer Regiment made up of men who reenlisted "for the duration."

World War I

Men who served March 25, 1917 for 8 months on the Mexican border, of the First Battalion, First Delaware
Infantry Regiment , were called upon for service. The regiment, federal duty was to defend vital utility and
communications points against possible German sabotage. With the inevitable of being at war, Delaware
immediately applied to the Department of the Army for reorganization of the third Battalion. The consolidation
would aloud for the entire regiment to serve as a single unit, rather than as a separate battalion as in previous
years. Permission was granted, and while the First Battalion continued its guard duty, the second group went to
work recruiting. The four companies were assigned to handle different sector throughout the state. By July 25,
there were enough men muster together to create a full regiment.

But to the states, the move was of great concern for the war, Guardsmen would be returned directly to civilian
life rather than to the National Guard to finish what remained of their state enlistments. It would be difficult
without a core of experienced men still in state service around whom the Guard could be rebuilt upon.

Fortunately, the effort to abolish the Guard by law was rejected by Congress. Within a year the National Guard
would furnish the Army with 17 divisions when the Active Army had only four or its own. All of them were to see
overseas service and six were rated by the German High Command as among the eight most effective
American Divisions

In September, 1917, the First Delaware Regiment received orders to move from the state Rifle Range below
New Castle to Camp McClellan Alabama. The regiment was broken up, with most of the men and some of the
officers assigned to the 114th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division. Even though the Army had assured
Delaware that its regiment would be maintained the reality of the war situation took precedence.

Eventually the regiment of a new type-pioneer infantry, More men were assigned to it from the draft in
Delaware, and it was finally rounded out to full strength. By the addition of required because the new-type
regiment were considerable larger than the pre-war ones.

After a time, the regiment was finally told that its was engineer service,with infantry combat duty required. On
February 27, it was officially designated the 59th Pioneer Infantry Regiment.

The 59th won high praise at camp Dix for its excellent training, and Company E, under Captain Jesse A. Mckay,
was commended for its part in field testing the new model Army gas mask.

In August, orders were received and Governor Townsend visited the camp site for an official farewell to the
Delaware troops.

Because of the urgent need for troops at the front, the units of the 59th were almost immediately assigned to
duty at various points in the first Army's zone.

Companies A and F were engaged in road building and maintenance; Company B operated a concrete block
factory; Company E and H did general construction; Company G was a camouflage units Companies C,D,I and
M worked on water supply, building and operating reservoirs, treatment plants and pipelines; Companies K and
L built railroad.

The Third Battalion-Companies I.K.L. and M-did its work in the Argonne forest at the height of the battle,
building their water and railway systems under almost continuous air raids and shell fire, including gas shells.
This is commemorated on the colors of the present day Delaware National Guard descendants of the 59th-the
198th Signal Battalion-by rainbow-hued battle streamer for Meuse-Argonne.

As a unit, the 261st did not see action in World War II, but by late 1943 most of the original National Guard
members were in combat zones. Some had transferred out of cadre personnel for the many new units being
formed - one Coast Artillery unit went to Greenland, other Field Artillery units joined in the expanding efforts in
Europe and the South pacific. Almost all of the men of the 261st saw overseas service in other units.

To replace the National Guard while it was in Federal service, a State Guard was organized in early 1941, and
under command of Colonel J. Paul Heinel, it rendered dedicated and effective service until 1947, when a
reorganized National Guard could resume responsibility. Originally organized as a single battalion, it was later
expanded to a regiment of two battalions - eight companies - made up of men too old or young for active
military service, or with minor disabilities that kept them from Army service. At annual camps from 1942 to 1946,
the State Guard continually won praise from Army Service Command representatives for its military proficiency.

The Cold War

Throughout the Cold War much reorganization, expansion and consolidation occurred in Guard units,
especially in Delaware. Initially, two new anti-aircraft battalions, the 197th in Smyrna and the 945th in Laurel,
were formed in the mid 1950s to meet these new challenges. In addition, two of Delaware's six battalions
received the new self-propelled twin-40mm "Dusters," and two other battalions received the 75mm
"Skysweeper" guns. At this time the 116th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital was organized in Wilmington.

Then, in 1959, a major reorganization, based on the "Pentomic" division structure and the introduction of the
Combat Arms Regimental System, took place within the Guard. Under this reorganization, all of Delaware's
artillery units once again became part of the old regiment, and the 198th Artillery (First Delaware) became the
regimental headquarters. The 156th Anti-aircraft battalion was redesignated as First Battalion, 198th Artillery.
Their headquarters battery, which dated back to the Revolution, is the senior unit in the state.

The 1959 reorganization increased the need for combat service support troops, causing the 197th Anti-Aircraft
Artillery Battalion to reorganize as the 109th Ordnance Battalion with a transportation helicopter maintenance
company.

During the Berlin crisis of 1961, for the first time in its history, the Guard achieved its objective without combat.
The nation's willingness to commit forces there and to commit soldiers who spent a year stateside supporting
the operation resulted in a highly successful national mission.

Members of the 109th Ordnance Battalion Headquarters Detachment, Middletown served at Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Md. The 116th MASH was stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., in support of the Airborne Division, and the
1049th Transportation Company went to Fort Meade, Md.

The Delaware Guard continued to fulfill state missions despite increasing cold war demands. In March 1962,
over 2,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called upon for rescue, security and recovery operations in the
devastated coastal areas of Kent and Sussex Counties. In addition, the DEARNG's "Dusters" were used to get
through several severe snow storms during that time period.

Then, in 1962, the Army Guard's five air defense outfits were again reorganized, this time into automatic
weapon battalions. From this point on, the National Guard furnished not only all air defense for Army divisions,
but also the automatic weapon capabilities.

Finally in 1963, while maintaining its vital mission, the Delaware National Guard was reduced 10 percent due to
the economy. This forced a consolidation of the Fifth and Third Battalions, and the one artillery battery became
the 198th Army Aviation Company.

Since the Army had no active "Duster" units, Delaware's Second Battalion, 198th Artillery, was called on to support
the Army's 82d Airborne Division in a full-scale field test of the concept. Successful results of the test led to the
almost immediate organization of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and its deployment to Vietnam .

Late in 1965, the Delaware Air Guard began a regular schedule of cargo flights to Vietnam and operated several
each month, in addition to its regular flights to Europe and the Caribbean. The Air Guard carried 60% of the cargo it
would be expected to carry if it were an active unit in Federal service.

Early in 1966, a number of Army Guard enlisted specialists volunteered for six months service as instructors at Fort
Bliss, Texas, when the Army found it lacked men capable of training new personnel on the intricacies of the M-42
"Duster". In this select force were seven Delaware units - the five batteries of the First Battalion, 198th Artillery, the
116 MASH, and the 1049th Transportation Company, comprising about one-third of the Delaware Army Guard
strength. Other Delaware units contributed to their readiness by furnishing fully trained replacements to the
Selected Reserve Force units when necessary.

Following the Viet Cong’s Tet Offensive of January 1968, President Johnson and his political advisors debated
various reserve mobilization plans, as requests for more troops poured in from Saigon. In April, the new Secretary of
Defense announced the mobilization of 76 reserve component units.

Nationwide, thirty four Army Guard units with 12,234 personnel reported for active duty in May ‘68. Eight of these
units, with 2,729 members, were deployed to Vietnam. An additional 4,311 were sent to the combat zone as fillers.

The Persian Gulf War

In August 1990, nurses, medical technicians, medical service corps officers and radio operators from the 142nd
Aeromedical Evacuation Flight (AEF), Delaware Air National Guard, became involved in Operation Desert Shield
very shortly after the invasion of Kuwait. This group provided the first aeromedical evacuation liaison team in the
theater of operations. These individuals served in Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Germany depending on their specialties.
Before activating full units of the Delaware Air Guard, over 150 members would participate on 30- or 60- day tours
to the Middle East.

In November 1990, the 249th Engineer Detachment and the 736th Supply and Service Battalion of the Delaware
Army National Guard were placed on alert status and very shortly thereafter placed on active duty to participate in
Operation Desert Shield.

The 249th was a 70-person unit consisting of carpenters, electricians, brick masons, plumbers, and pipefitters
whose mission was to provide facilities engineering at fixed installations. Their mission in Saudi Arabia was to
maintain a military base camp with the number of personnel reaching 25,000. They built and repaired facilities along
with minor road and construction work. After the war, the 249th completely overhauled an abandoned recreation
center. Thousands of soldiers were able to reap the benefits of the 249th’s efforts in the center.

The 736th had over 60 personnel who provided services to troops in the field. They distributed supplies and food,
controlled critical inventory and managed logistics for King Khalid Military City. This included operating Log Base
Bravo, post exchanges, mess halls and the clothing facility.

In December, members of the 142nd AEF were again incrementally activated and deployed to the Persian Gulf in 14
different locations.

In January 1991 the Headquarters 166th Tactical Airlift Group, 166th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron,
and the 142nd Tactical Airlift Squadron were activated involving over 275 Air Guard members. Shortly thereafter,
members of the 166th Tactical Clinic were also called upon, bringing the total Air Guard involvement to over 350. All
eight of our C-130 Hercules aircraft were deployed with the Air Guard to the Persian Gulf.

The Air Guard merged with the 1670th Tactical Airlift Provisional, part of the largest composite Air Force Wing in the
entire Persian Gulf area. The unit flew missions carrying personnel and fuel bladders critical to destroying the Iraqi
Republican Guard. They were also one of the first crews that flew into Kuwait International Airport to begin
rebuilding. In May, they moved a significant portion of the Shiite Muslim refugees to a camp in Saudi Arabia.

In January and February personnel from the 166th Civil Engineering Squadron were tasked with the 100%
enlargement of the mortuary facility at Dover AFB, DE.

The Air Guard returned May 31 with a gala celebration at the airbase with dignitaries and family members.

On June 15 the 249th returned to Delaware with another grand event for their homecoming.

Last, and certainly not least, was the 736’s homecoming ceremony on July 27 .

Once again, Delaware Guard members proved they were ready, willing and able to support and defend in time of
need.