“Captain Harry S. Truman: Citizen-Soldier” (Courtesy of the National Guard Bureau) The 35th Infantry Division of the National Guard has gained a place in the American imagination for its actions during the Normandy Campaign. Despite fame for Normandy gallantry, the 35th’s World War I history is relatively unknown compared to its WWII accomplishments. The 35th [...]
And He Came Out Alive: A Tale of Survival
By Abby Learner Captain Edward Lingo(Courtesy of the New Mexico Military Museum) The National Guard Memorial Museum is proud to have on display the diary of Captain Edward Lingo of New Mexico’s 200th Coast Artillery, one of the first American units to see combat in WW2. Capt. Lingo served, alongside almost 2,000 other Guardsmen from [...]
Christopher Lippitt’s Legacy
By Sam Gentile Located in the National Guard Memorial Museum is a Mobilization Order, written by Captain Edward Knight, ordering Corporal James Briggs and the 3rd Company of Cranston Rhode Island’s militia to appear at Christopher Lippitt’s home the next day. But who is Christopher Lippitt and why was his name mentioned in the mobilization [...]
Remembering the Battle of New Orleans
By Kevin Brown Andrew Jackson leading his troops during the Battle of New Orleans-January 1815(Courtesy of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage) The War of 1812, launched by the James Madison Administration to expand territory and prevent British impressment of American sailors, ended in disappointment. The British were able to mobilize the forces of their empire to inflict [...]
Faces From the Past
By William Roulett A Rendering of Abel Chapin from a Family Register (Courtesy of National Archives) At the National Guard Memorial Museum, we’re always researching something. It could be anything from an outside research request, future Minuteman Minute episodes, a new exhibit, or an existing one. Thanks to our access to the resources of other [...]
The Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941
By Kevin Brown The rise of Hitler’s Germany and new strategies like Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”), which combined tanks, infantry, and artillery to overwhelm enemy forces, shocked the American military establishment. The Third Reich’s rapid sweep through Poland and France from 1939 to 1940 made the dire situation clear, The American military was unprepared for modern [...]
A Distinguished Flying Cross First
By Samantha Burnett The minuteman has long served as a symbol of the leadership and sacrifice of the National Guard. Today, Air Force Major Katie Lunning acts as a modern-day example. An intensive care unit manager at the Iowa VA hospital, the then Captain Lunning answered a short-notice deployment to serve with the 379th Aeromedical [...]
The 29th at Normandy
By Kevin Brown The National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division stands out for its service at Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. The 29th was dubbed the “Blue and Gray,” represented in a yin-yang symbol patch, because the Division traced its history to Union and Confederate Civil War units. In World War I, the 29th [...]
The National Guard and WWII Coastal Defense
By Kevin Brown Coastal defense was an ongoing theme in American military history from 1776 to the beginning of the Cold War. The country’s leadership saw the United States as vulnerable to attacks and invasions. The rise of fascism in the 1930s under Adolf Hitler, Hideki Tojo, and Benito Mussolini only heightened anxieties. Increasingly belligerent [...]
Andrew’s Raiders and the First Medals of Honor
By Will Roulett Visitors to the National Guard Memorial Museum have probably walked through the Medal of Honor Gallery. It is a tribute to 147 Guardsmen who received the Medal since 1898. However, the Medal of Honor was first presented on March 25, 1863, to six of the surviving members of Andrew’s Raiders. Their exploits [...]
