[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 230 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 230
Recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Colorado National Guard.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 26, 2010
Mr. Coffman of Colorado (for himself, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Conaway, and Mr.
Snyder) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Colorado National Guard.
Whereas the Colorado National Guard has over 5,500 men and women across the
State in more than 40 units;
Whereas the history of the Colorado National Guard begins on January 23, 1860,
when the 1st General Assembly of the Jefferson Territory authorized the
formation of two military companies, the ``Jefferson Rangers'' and the
``Denver Guards'';
Whereas these units were later disbanded and the Colorado Volunteers stood up as
the official Territorial Militia;
Whereas, on February 26, 1861, Colorado became a territory of the Union;
Whereas William Gilpin, the first Governor, organized the ``Colorado
Volunteers'' for the defense of the territory and to oppose the invasion
of Confederate forces during the Civil War;
Whereas Colorado became a State in 1876;
Whereas the Colorado National Guard mobilized for the Spanish-American War and
on June 14, 1898, sailed for the Philippines;
Whereas Colorado units participated in numerous battles and were the first to
enter and eventually capture the city of Manila;
Whereas during this campaign, the Colorado National Guard's only Medal of Honor
recipient, Lt. Col. William R. Grove earned the military's highest honor
for valiant action against the enemy;
Whereas in June 1916, the Colorado National Guard mobilized for service on the
Mexican border;
Whereas they were stationed on the border of Arizona, protecting the area from
Pancho Villa and his army until returning home in February 1917;
Whereas war was declared against Germany on April 6, 1917, and by the beginning
of August nearly all units of the Colorado National Guard were mobilized
for service in France;
Whereas Colorado's combat arms units provided replacements on the front lines as
well as crucial artillery support in most of the major campaigns near
the end of the war, including the Meuse Argonne campaign;
Whereas during World War II, Colorado National Guard units served with pride in
both European and Pacific theatres;
Whereas Colorado provided a significant contribution to the invasion of Italy
and southern France, eventually liberating the notorious Dachau labor
camp on April 29, 1945, after 511 days in a combat zone and 4 beach
landings as part of the 45th Infantry Division;
Whereas the majority of Colorado's artillery units served in the Philippine
Islands for two years during World War II;
Whereas following the war in June 1946, the Colorado Air National Guard was
formed as a separate arm of the State's National Guard one year prior to
the establishment of the U.S. Air Force in late 1947;
Whereas in 1956, the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron organized an aerial
demonstration team called the ``Minutemen'' making it the first and only
Air National Guard precision aerial demonstration team;
Whereas at the height of its popularity, the ``Minutemen'' performed in more
than 100 air shows for more than 3,000,000 people in 47 States and 5
foreign countries before being replaced by the U.S. Air Force
Thunderbirds;
Whereas elements of the Colorado National Guard were recalled for Federal
service in 1950 for the Korean Conflict, in 1961 during the Berlin
Crisis, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and in 1968 in support of forces
serving in Vietnam;
Whereas after the Cold War, the Colorado National Guard mobilized for Operation
Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, as well as Operations Northern and
Southern Watch, and Operation Noble Eagle;
Whereas Colorado National Guard Special Forces units were sent to Haiti to help
stabilize the country in 1994-1995;
Whereas when the Balkans became a hot zone in 1999, Colorado's air ambulance and
military police units responded as part of Operation Joint Forge;
Whereas over the years, the Colorado National Guard has supported thousands of
counterdrug and search-and-rescue missions as well as dozens of call-ups
for natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, blizzards, and
tornadoes;
Whereas the Colorado National Guard also provided vital support during Hurricane
Katrina and follow-on relief efforts;
Whereas the Colorado National Guard soldiers and airmen have been needed in
support of massive State missions, such as World Youth Day in 1993, the
G8 Summit in 1997, and the recent Democratic National Convention of
2008;
Whereas hours after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on
September 11, 2001, Colorado soldiers were activated as part of
Operation Noble Eagle, guarding sensitive sites across the State while
dedicated aircrews initiated the Air Sovereignty Alert mission which
continues today; and
Whereas following the 9/11 attacks, every deployable unit in Colorado has been
mobilized in support of the Global War on Terrorism, including
prestigious space units that are nearly exclusive to Colorado: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Colorado National Guardress--
(1) recognizes the 150th anniversary of the Colorado
National Guard;
(2) recognizes the valuable, historic, and continued
contribution of the Colorado National Guard to the citizens of
Colorado and the United States;
(3) commends the efforts and contributions of the soldiers
and airmen of the Colorado National Guard in service to the
Nation, along with the sacrifices of the families;
(4) reaffirms the commitment of Colorado National Guardress
to support the mission of the Colorado National Guard; and
(5) honors the men and women of the Colorado National Guard
who have given the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the United
States.
<all>