[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>