For nearly
three centuries, Georgia’s citizens have volunteered to leave home and family
to protect their fellow citizens. Lord James Oglethorpe established the first
elements of the Georgia National Guard. Upon arriving in Savannah In 1733 Oglethorpe
moved swiftly to establish and train the Georgia Militia.
In 1742, a
Spanish force of more than 2,000 troops threatened Simons Island. Among the
units Oglethorpe had at his disposal was a troop of mounted rangers, a
forerunner of today’s 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment.
On July 7,
1742, the rangers spotted Spanish troops near Gully Hole Creek. Oglethorpe
personally led an assault that blunted the Spanish advance. Subsequently, Oglethorpe’s
small force routed the numerically superior Spanish at Bloody Marsh. The
Spanish withdrew from St. Simons and would not again seriously contend for
Georgian soil.
Since the first rattle of musket
fire at Gully Hole Creek, Georgia Guardsmen have served their state and nation
in conflicts and in times of emergency. Units such as the Chatham Artillery of
Savannah and the Liberty Independent Troop of Hinesville were formed before the
American Revolution, served through that conflict, and continue in service
today.
Georgia artillerymen employed
their cannons during the War of 1812 and Macon infantry served in the Seminole
Wars. Georgians fell at the Alamo and crossed Mexico with Zachary Taylor.
During the great shattering of the American Civil War, more than 130,000
Georgians served, and more than 18,000 lost their lives. Georgia Guardsmen
mobilized for the Spanish American War and served on the Mexican Border in
1916. More than sixty Georgia Guard companies were deployed to Europe during
World War I.
More than 70 units of the Georgia
Army National Guard served during World War II. Field artillery units from
Savannah and infantry units from across the state went ashore at Omaha and Utah
Beach. Expanding the Normandy beachhead, these units soldiered east across
France and entered Germany, achieving victory, but at a terrible price. The
casualty list for the 121st Infantry Regiment alone is 70 pages long. In the
Pacific Theater, field artillery and anti-aircraft units protected the skies
over Allied bases in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Guadalcanal, where their
guns stood watch over Henderson Field. Georgia Guardsmen participated in the
beach assault at Makin Island as part of the 193rd Tank Battalion
and engaged in the bloody conflict for Okinawa.
During the Korean War, the Marietta,
Ga.-based 54th Fighter Wing was activated and units of the Georgia
Air National Guard deployed to Japan and Korea. Citizen-Airmen flew missions
over the skies of Korea and six Airmen made the ultimate sacrifice. Soldiers of
the Georgia Army National Guard’s 108th Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Brigade was activated to protect the skies over American cities.
In 1961, with the Cold War
escalating, the Georgia Army National Guard activated the 111th Signal
Battalion in response to the Berlin Crisis. Beginning in 1965, the Georgia Air
National Guard flew global air transport missions to Vietnam delivering
supplies and evacuating wounded personnel.
Nearly 6,000 Georgia Guardsmen
were mobilized for Desert Shield in 1990. During Desert Storm, the 138th
Medical Company cared for American and Iraqi patients while the 265th
Engineer Group commanded the largest engineer force in the XVIII Airborne Corps,
constructing more than 800 miles of road.
More than 33,000 Georgia National
Guard Soldiers and Airmen mobilized overseas to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other
nations within the Central Command area of operations following the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001. Elements of the 48th Infantry Brigade
Combat Team were serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina at the time of the attacks and
units of the Georgia National Guard were swiftly called to support missions
overseas and at home.
As you read this, it is likely
that Citizen Soldiers and Airmen are deployed on six continents supporting
missions in all geographic combat commands, as they have continuously for
decades. The spirit of service and courage that defended Georgia in the 18th
century is carried on by today’s generation of Georgia Guardsmen.
