[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 371 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]


        H.Con.Res.371
                                         Agreed to April 6, 2006        

                       One Hundred Ninth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
             the third day of January, two thousand and six


                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the Minnesota National Guard traces its origins to the 
  formation of the Pioneer Guard in the Minnesota territory in 1856, 
  two 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 three 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 three regiments;
Whereas one of the three 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 federally recognized 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;
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 six major Army campaigns in 
  North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, which led to the division being 
  credited with taking many of the enemy-defended hills 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 11th, 2001, in numerous ways, including 
  airport security;
Whereas the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing's F-16s flew patrols over 
  cities after September 11th 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 11th 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;
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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
        (1) honors and congratulates the Minnesota National Guard for 
    its spirit of dedication and service to the State of Minnesota and 
    to the Nation on its 150th anniversary; and
        (2) recognizes that the role of the National Guard, the 
    Nation's citizen-soldier based militia, which was formed before the 
    United States Army, has been and still is extremely important to 
    the security and freedom of the Nation.
  Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.

  Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.