[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18347-18349]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING NATIONAL GUARD ON 374TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1740) recognizing and honoring the National 
Guard on the occasion of its 374th anniversary.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1740

       Whereas the National Guard celebrates its 374th birthday on 
     December 13, 2010;
       Whereas the National Guard and its citizen-soldiers have 
     participated in all major American conflicts, most recently 
     Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 
     Operation New Dawn;
       Whereas the National Guard is the oldest component of the 
     United States Armed Forces;
       Whereas the National Guard has served with distinction as 
     America's first line of defense against natural and man-made 
     disasters within the United States;
       Whereas Colonial and State militias were the precursors to 
     the National Guard;
       Whereas the militia stood their ground during the opening 
     shots of the Revolutionary War at Lexington Green and Concord 
     Bridge in 1775;
       Whereas more than 164,000 members of the militia from the 
     13 colonies served under the command of George Washington 
     during the Revolutionary War;
       Whereas in 1824, the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment, New York 
     Artillery became the first military organization in the 
     United States to adopt the title ``National Guard'';
       Whereas during the Mexican War of 1846-1848, more than 70 
     percent of the total manpower effort was from citizen-
     soldiers through volunteer militiamen;
       Whereas the Union and Confederate Armies relied heavily on 
     militias and volunteer regiments during the Civil War of 
     1861-1865;
       Whereas on April 15, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln 
     invoked the Calling Forth Act of 1792 and ordered 75,000 
     militiamen into Federal service for 90 days;
       Whereas during the Spanish-American War in 1898, over 
     160,000 National Guardsmen volunteered for active duty;
       Whereas a group of National Guardsmen from Arizona, New 
     Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas were called the ``Rough Riders'' 
     and were led by Lieutenant Colonel and future United States 
     President Theodore ``Teddy'' Roosevelt;
       Whereas in 1902, Major General Charles W. Dick, commander 
     of the Ohio Division of the National Guard and a member of 
     the United States House of Representatives, became president 
     of the National Guard Association;
       Whereas the Militia Act of 1903 created the modern National 
     Guard and affirmed the National Guard as the primary 
     organized combat reserve force of the Armed Forces;
       Whereas in World War I, the National Guard made up 40 
     percent of the United States combat divisions;
       Whereas the National Defense Act of 1920 established the 
     Army of the United States, to consist of the Regular Army, 
     the Organized Reserve Corps, and the National Guard, when 
     called into Federal service;
       Whereas an amendment to the National Defense Act enacted on 
     June 15, 1933, established the National Guard of the United 
     States as a reserve component of the Army;
       Whereas the National Security Act of 1947 established the 
     Air National Guard as a reserve component of the Air Force;
       Whereas more than 300,000 members of the National Guard, 
     including 18 infantry divisions, participated in World War 
     II;
       Whereas more than 138,000 members of the Army National 
     Guard and more than 45,000 members of the Air National Guard 
     were called to active duty during the Korean War;
       Whereas almost 23,000 members of the Army and Air National 
     Guard were mobilized for two years of active duty during the 
     Vietnam War;
       Whereas more than 70,000 members of the Army and Air 
     National Guard were called upon to participate in Operation 
     Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991;
       Whereas since the attacks on September 11, 2001, hundreds 
     of thousands of members of the Army and Air National Guard 
     have been called upon by their States and the Federal 
     Government to provide security at home and combat terrorism 
     abroad; and
       Whereas more than 50,000 members of the Army and Air 
     National Guard were deployed in the Gulf States following 
     Hurricane Katrina in 2005: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) thanks the members of the National Guard for their 
     service in response to the attacks on September 11, 2001, and 
     their continuing role in homeland security and military 
     operations;
       (2) supports providing the National Guard with the 
     necessary resources to ensure its readiness;
       (3) expresses its condolences and gratitude to the families 
     of those members of the National Guard who have lost their 
     lives through their dedication and commitment to the freedom 
     and security of the United States while serving in the 
     National Guard; and
       (4) honors and supports the compassionate, courageous, and 
     dedicated members of the National Guard who serve a critical 
     role in protecting the United States and its citizens' 
     freedoms and treasured liberties.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Garamendi) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1510

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of House Resolution 1740 introduced by our 
colleague from Ohio (Mr. Latta) which recognizes the 374th birthday of 
the Nation's military first responder, our National Guard. I looked at 
that, too, and I said, ``374? How could that be?''
  Well, on December 13, 2010, we will celebrate the enormous 
contributions that our Nation's citizen soldiers and airmen have 
contributed to our national defense for over 300 years. Our forefathers 
relied on its citizen soldiers to protect this young Nation. Today we 
continue to rely on our citizen soldiers to protect the values and 
inalienable rights that Americans enjoy today.
  Our men and women in the National Guard not only volunteer to serve 
overseas in our national defense, they are also an integral part of our 
local communities, providing assistance, support, and protection to 
their neighbors and loved ones in cases of natural and manmade 
disasters within the United States.
  The history of the National Guard began back during the very earliest 
days of our Nation. The colonists adopted the English militia system 
which required all males between the ages of 16 and 60 to bear arms and 
contribute to the defense of their communities. In those early days, 
the militia provided the first line of defense in our Nation and it 
continues to do so to this very day.
  Throughout our Nation's conflicts, the National Guard has been an 
integral part of our country's national defense. During World War I, 
the National Guard made up 40 percent of America's combat divisions. 
The National Defense Act of 1933 established the National Guard as a 
reserve component of the Army. And in 1947 the National Security Act 
established the air component of the National Guard as a reserve 
component of the Air Force.
  More than 300,000 members of the National Guard participated in World 
War II. And over 180,000 members of the National Guard participated in 
the Korean War, and nearly 23,000 deployed in support of the Vietnam 
War. More than 50,000 members of the National Guard were deployed in 
the Gulf States in support of Hurricane Katrina. Today, almost a 
quarter of a million members of the National Guard have mobilized in 
support of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.
  Today we are here to express our appreciation to those who served in 
the National Guard and their families, who are also making a 
contribution in defense of this Nation. We are here to express our 
gratitude and respect for those in the National Guard who have given 
their lives in defense of our Nation. Our sympathy and prayers are with 
their families and loved ones. Their sacrifice is noted and will not be 
forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1740 
and join us as we wish America's National Guard a happy 374th birthday.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page 18348]]


  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the sponsor of this legislation, my friend and colleague 
from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
  Mr. LATTA. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my House Resolution 1740, a 
resolution honoring the National Guard on their 374th anniversary. And 
as the gentleman alluded to, 374 years long predates this Nation.
  The National Guard origins date to December 13, 1636, when the 
General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered existing militias 
to be organized into three regiments. Since then, the National Guard 
has fought in every major war and conflict. From the ``shot heard round 
the world'' on April 19, 1775, on Lexington Green and later that day 
that running battle that occurred at Concord Bridge, to the men and 
women who have stood strong and fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 
National Guard and its citizen soldiers have been there for us no 
matter what, always ready, always there.
  Going back to that day on April 19, 1775, it was one of these days 
that we have to remember, it was April 18, 1775, that Paul Revere and 
two others left Boston to alert the countryside not that the Red Coats 
were out but that the regulars were out. As Revere Road became known 
later as Battle Road from Boston across to Lexington and Concord, he 
was alerting the countryside, and the countryside was alarmed and the 
people awoke. And those were the early National Guard or the militia 
that responded.
  They were the ones that stood up on April 19, 1775, on Lexington 
Green to the command to stand down from the British. No one knows who 
fired that fateful first shot, but that was the beginning of the 
Revolutionary War. And it was the militia--now our National Guard--that 
was there for us and is still there for us today.
  The National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces in the 
United States. The National Guard's number one priority is the security 
and defense of our homeland at home and abroad. Americans have relied 
on their National Guard for more than three and a half centuries, long 
before the establishment of these United States.
  I want to thank all past and present members of the National Guard 
for their service in response to the attacks on our homeland on 
September 11, 2001, and their continuing role in homeland security and 
military operations.
  In today's world, it is essential that we honor and support all of 
our servicemembers who have sacrificed so much to ensure our freedoms 
and liberties that we cherish so dearly in these United States. We need 
to support and provide our men and women in the National Guard and all 
of the Armed Forces with enough resources to ensure their readiness and 
success.
  As the National Guard's official song goes, ``Defending Freedom, 
protecting dreams, this is the spirit of what it means to me. For my 
God and my home that I love: I Guard America, Guarding America, 
America.''
  I urge passage of the resolution.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1740, which recognizes 
the service and sacrifices of the members of the Army and Air National 
Guard on the occasion of the 374th anniversary of the National Guard. I 
want to commend Representative Robert Latta of Ohio for sponsoring this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, America is such a dynamic, forward moving, ever changing 
Nation that few institutions can survive for long unless they 
repeatedly prove their worth and are capable of changing to meet new 
challenges.
  For more than 300 years, the National Guard has repeatedly 
demonstrated its worth and value to this Nation in the crises of peace 
and war. The courage and commitment and sacrifices of National Guard 
members have been an integral part of every war this Nation has fought.
  These citizen soldiers most recently have accepted an entirely new 
role in our national security and enthusiastically transformed 
themselves and their units from a ready reserve to an operational 
reserve where repeated deployments to combat have become the norm, not 
the exception.
  While providing significant combat power to support ongoing wars, the 
Guard has remained true to its mission to support the individual States 
in times of natural disasters. With this dual requirement to support 
not only the Nation but also the people of the States from which they 
come, the National Guard is indispensable to the well-being, safety, 
and security of all Americans.
  This is why it is therefore right and proper that we recognize the 
National Guard for 374 years of outstanding service, and I urge all 
Members to support this resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio for offering 
this resolution.
  I think every Member on this floor understands the critical 
importance of the National Guard in their own communities and in their 
State, and it's certainly appropriate that we recognize the 374th 
birthday of the National Guard. You had me on that one. I didn't know 
it was 374 until this moment. But I do know the history of my own State 
of California and the critical importance of the National Guard not 
only in all of the traumas that occur in my State, but also overseas 
and the wars.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of 
this Resolution honoring our National Guard on the occasion of its 
374th anniversary.
  The National Guard was formed on December 13, 1636 and has fought in 
every major American conflict since that time.
  Today's National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are an operational reserve 
that has served our country admirably in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around 
the world.
  In fact, as we honor the National Guard today, almost 3,000 Iowa 
National Guard Soldiers are deploying to Afghanistan--the largest 
deployment for our state since World War II.
  They have stood up an Agricultural Development Team which is helping 
to move the Afghan economy away from poppy production and they will 
help train the Afghan National Security Forces so that the Afghan 
people can provide for their own security.
  Indeed, today's National Guard is deploying in unprecedented numbers, 
and our National Guard families are coping with multiple deployments.
  And they are doing so while continuing to carry out their homeland 
security mission here at home--protecting our country's airspace and 
our communities from disasters such as the flooding that hit Iowa in 
2008.
  So, as we honor the men and women of the National Guard today, let us 
thank our Citizen Soldiers, Airmen, and their families for their 
service to our Nation.
  And, during this holiday season, let us remember all of our sons and 
daughters who are defending our freedom overseas.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud 
cosponsor of H. Res. 1740, which recognizes and honors the National 
Guard on the occasion of its 374th anniversary. I would also like to 
thank Congressman Latta for offering this resolution and for his 
recognition of this important aspect of our Armed Forces.
  The National Guard is America's oldest military component dating back 
to 1636 when colonial militias--comprised of ordinary citizens--would 
put aside their occupations to defend their fellow countrymen and towns 
from hostile attacks. From their service in the Revolutionary War where 
they stood their ground during the opening shots at Lexington Green and 
Concord Bridge to most recently valiantly fighting in Operation 
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Guard has 
participated in every major American conflict. All Guardsmen are 
combat-trained, and while abroad they serve in combat missions, build 
schools and hospitals, and train local peacekeepers.
  In 1824, the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment, New York Artillery became 
the first military organization in the United States to adopt the title 
``National Guard.'' During the Mexican War, more than 70 percent of the 
total manpower effort was from citizen-soldiers, and in the Spanish-
American War, over 160,000 National Guardsmen volunteered for active 
duty on behalf of their country. As evidenced throughout history, the 
Guard has always

[[Page 18349]]

been there in our time of need. Guard troops comprise more than 40 
percent of the manpower for the U.S. in World War I, 300,000 Guardsmen 
participated in World War II, 183,000 in the Korean War, 23,000 in the 
Vietnam War, and 70,000 in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 
Finally, since the September 11, 2001 attacks, hundreds of thousands of 
Guardsmen have and continue to serve in combating terrorism at home and 
abroad.
  Mr. Speaker, while the National Guard has certainly had an impressive 
track record of keeping our nation safe at home and throughout the 
world, they also support our countrymen when they are endangered by 
storms, floods, fires, and other disasters. Every state in the United 
States utilizes the National Guard for disaster assistance, and when 
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf of Mexico, over 50,000 Guardsmen 
were deployed to aid in clean-up and restoration efforts.
  I am particularly honored to have the Georgia National Guard 
headquartered in Georgia's 11th Congressional District, which I have 
proudly represented for 8 years. In 2005, the Naval Air Station-Atlanta 
was closed by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, and on 
September 29, 2009, the Georgia National Guard took control of that 
facility adjacent to Dobbins Air Force Base. The Georgia Guardsmen have 
always served with integrity and have been there for our State during 
times of need.
  I would also like to congratulate Major General William Nesbitt--who 
has a decorated career in the National Guard--for being reappointed as 
the Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard by my good friend 
and former colleague in the House of Representatives, Governor-Elect 
Nathan Deal.
  Mr. Speaker, it is truly a privilege to recognize the 374 years of 
service of the National Guard on behalf of our country, but we must 
take a moment to honor the men and women who have paid the ultimate 
sacrifice on the battlefield keeping the citizens of this great Nation 
safe. I want to say a gracious thank you to these brave individuals for 
their service and thank their families for bearing the great cost of a 
loved one so that America can be a better place. We will never forget 
these heroes, and we will always honor and admire their sacrifice.
  The National Guard has and always will be an icon of the United 
States Armed Services, and I am very proud of the job these men and 
women continue to do at home and around the world.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1740.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the 
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a 
quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________