[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 85 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
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;
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;
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 enemy-defended 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;
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 Senate (the House of Representatives 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.
Passed the Senate April 6, 2006.
Attest:
Secretary.
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. CON. RES. 85
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Honoring and congratulating the Minnesota National Guard, on its 150th
anniversary, for its spirit of dedication and service to the State of
Minnesota and the Nation and recognizing 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.