[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19839]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL GUARD'S 375TH BIRTHDAY

  (Mr. PALAZZO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALAZZO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to wish a very happy birthday 
to our National Guard. As the only active noncommissioned officer in 
Congress, this anniversary is a landmark that I am personally very 
proud of.
  Three hundred seventy-five years ago today, on December 13, 1636, the 
Massachusetts General Court in Salem declared that all able-bodied men 
between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to join the militia. These 
men were called upon when needed, and we proudly continue this 
tradition of citizen service.
  Today our National Guard soldiers are called upon to serve both here 
in our communities and around the world in support of our current 
overseas operations. Our Nation's citizen soldiers dedicate themselves 
to the defense of our Nation both here and abroad. I personally would 
like to thank all of my fellow Guardsmen for the job they are doing, 
and thank you to all of our men and women in uniform, and especially 
their families.
  Thank you, happy birthday, and God bless.

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