By Maj. William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard
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| Left: The cover of the November 1952 edition of the Georgia Guardsman Magazine depicts Citizen-Soldiers from Canton battling wildfires near Ellijay. Right: The units dispatched to fight the wildfires of 1952 currently serve in the Calhoun-based 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment. |
For more
than 100 years, the Georgia National Guard has served overseas and at home in times
of emergency. Whether responding to natural disasters, providing personnel for
overseas contingency operations or participating in the state’s coordinated
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia’s Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen have
responded in time of need.
In 1952,
following six weeks of severe drought wildfires erupted in north Georgia. Fueled
by high winds, the fires scorched more than 60,000 acres. By November, the
fires were burning out of control and the Governor of Georgia turned to the
National Guard for assistance. Citizen-Soldiers of the Dalton-based Company H,
122nd Infantry Regiment and Company G, 122nd Infantry
based in Canton reported to their home armories and rushed to the scene of the
wildfires November 6. Major General Ernest Vandiver, Georgia’s Adjutant
General also activated medical units in Calhoun and Atlanta to be prepared to
provided treatment for Soldiers and civilians.
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| The Dalton-based Company H, 122nd Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Division, Georgia Army National Guard at annual training at Fort Jackson July 23 to August 6, 1950. Today, the unit is designated Troop C, 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment. Georgia National Guard archives. |
Assisting State
Forestry Department officials, the Guardsmen labored to construct firebreaks to
prevent the spread of the fires. Additional personnel manned mobile kitchens
preparing meals for the Guardsmen, state employees and volunteers.
On November 10, the fires were brought under control. After four wearying days the
Guardsmen returned to their armories and resumed their civilian jobs.[1]
Today, Canton
and Dalton are home to Troops B and C of the 1st Squadron 108th
Cavalry.
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| First Sgt. William Bookout holds a formation for the Canton-based Troop B, 108th Cavalry Nov. 26, 2018. The following month the unit deployed to Afghanistan with the 48th IBCT. Photo by Maj. William Carraway |
[1] “122nd
Guardsmen Fight Forest Fires in North Georgia.” The Georgia Guardsman. November
1952, 10.
