109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 85

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard traces its origins to

the formation of the Pioneer Guard in the Minnesota territory in 1856, 2 years before Minnesota became the

32nd State in the Union;

Whereas the First Minnesota Infantry regiment was among

the first militia regiments in the Nation to respond to

President Lincoln’s call for troops in April 1861 when it

volunteered for 3 years of service during the Civil War;

Whereas during the Civil War the First Minnesota Infantry

regiment saw battle at Bull Run, Antietam, and Gettysburg;

Whereas during a critical moment in the Battle of Gettysburg

on July 3, 1863, 262 soldiers of the First Minnesota Infantry, along with other Union forces, bravely charged

and stopped Confederate troops attacking the center of

the Union position on Cemetery Ridge;

Whereas only 47 men answered the roll after this valiant

charge, earning the First Minnesota Infantry the highest

casualty rate of any unit in the Civil War;

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard was the first to volunteer for service in the Philippines and Cuba during the

Spanish-American War of 1898, with enough men to

form 3 regiments;
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SCON 85 ES

Whereas 1 of the 3 Minnesota regiments to report for duty

in the War with Spain, the 13th Volunteer regiment,

under the command of Major General Arthur MacArthur,

saw among the heaviest fighting of the war in the battle

of Manila and suffered more casualties than all other

regiments combined during that key confrontation to free

the Philippines;

Whereas after the cross-border raids of Pancho Villa and the

attempted instigation of a war between the United States

and Mexico, the border was secured in part by the Minnesota National Guard;

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard was mobilized for

duty in World War I, where many Minnesotans saw duty

in France, including the 151st Field Artillery, which saw

duty as part of the famed 42nd ‘‘Rainbow’’ Division;

Whereas the first Air National Guard unit in the Nation was

the 109th Observation Squadron of the Minnesota National Guard, which passed its muster inspection on January 17, 1921;

Whereas a tank company of the Minnesota National Guard

from Brainerd, Minnesota, was shipped to the Philippines

in 1941 to shore up American defenses against Japan as

World War II neared;

Whereas these men from Brainerd fought hard and bravely

as American forces were pushed into the Bataan Peninsula and ultimately endured the Bataan Death March;

Whereas men of the Minnesota National Guard’s 175th Field

Artillery, as part of the 34th ‘‘Red Bull’’ Division, became the first American Division to be deployed to Europe in January of 1942;
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SCON 85 ES

Whereas when the 34th Division was shipped to North Africa, it fired the first American shells against the Nazi

forces;

Whereas the 34th Division participated in 6 major Army

campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, which led to

the division being credited with taking the most enemydefended hills of any division in the European Theater as

well as having more combat days than any other division

in Europe;

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard served with distinction on the ground and in the air during Operations

Desert Shield and Desert Storm;

Whereas Minnesota National Guard troops have helped keep

the peace in the former Yugoslavia, including 1,100

troops who have seen service in Bosnia, Croatia, and

Kosovo;

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard has participated in

keeping America safe after September 11, 2001, in numerous ways, including airport security;

Whereas the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing’s F–16s flew

patrols over cities after September 11, 2001, for a longer

time than any other air defense unit;

Whereas over 11,000 members of the Minnesota National

Guard have been called up for full-time service since the

September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;

Whereas as of March 20, 2006, Minnesota National Guard

troops are serving in national defense missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq;

Whereas more than 600 Minnesota National Guard troops

have been deployed to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom;
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SCON 85 ES

Whereas members of the Minnesota National Guard, serving

in the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry

Division, have been a part of the State’s largest troop deployment since World War II, with more than 2,600 citizen soldiers called to service in support of Operation

Iraqi Freedom;

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard has greatly contributed not only to battles but to the suppressing of violent

riots, such as the 1947 national meat processors strike,

in which they aided helpless police officers, and the fight

against natural disasters such as the Red River flood in

1997 in which they organized search and rescue missions,

helped shelter people who were left homeless, ran logistics, and helped sandbagging efforts; and

Whereas on April 17, 2006, the Minnesota National Guard

will celebrate its 150th anniversary along with its historical and recent accomplishments: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) honors and congratulates the Minnesota

4 National Guard for its spirit of dedication and serv5 ice to the State of Minnesota and to the Nation on

6 its 150th anniversary; and

7 (2) recognizes that the role of the National

8 Guard, the Nation’s citizen-soldier based militia,

9 which was formed before the United States Army,
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SCON 85 ES

1 has been and still is extremely important to the se2 curity and freedom of the Nation.

Passed the Senate April 6, 2006.

Attest:

Secretary.
109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 85

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Honoring and congratulating the Minnesota Nadom of the Nation. is extremely important to the security and free- fore the United States Army, has been and still izen-soldier based militia, which was formed be- the role of the National Guard, the Nation’s cit- Minnesota and the Nation and recognizing that spirit of dedication and service to the State of tional Guard, on its 150th anniversary, for its