The Ohio National Guard was organized on July 25, 1788 — nearly 15 years before Ohio gained statehood — in Marietta, Ohio, as the Northwest Territory Militia. On Monday, the Ohio National Guard turns 228 years old, celebrating more than two centuries of being a trusted team of Soldiers and Airmen serving their communities, state and nation.
In honor of the organization’s birthday, here are some notable historical facts about the Ohio National Guard:
– On March 25, 1863, Jacob Parrott, a member of Company K, 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, became the first recipient of the Medal of Honor, a new military award first presented by the U.S. War Department to six Union Army Soldiers who participated in the Great Locomotive Chase in 1862. Parrott was originally a native of Fairfield County, and settled in Kenton, Ohio after the war, where he is buried.
– Maj. Gen. Charles Dick, a U.S. senator, Ohio National Guard officer and Akron, Ohio native, sponsored the Militia Act of 1903, which gave increased federal funds and equipment to the National Guard. The act became the most important piece of legislation in Guard history.
– This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Ohio National Guard’s mobilization for Mexican Border Service. On June 18, 1916, in accordance with the commands of the President of the United States, the governor called up 7,000 Ohio troops who began to arrive in Texas by late August.
– On June 20, 1927, Ohio’s first air unit, the 37th Division Aviation, was organized at the Central Armory in Cleveland. It had 101 men but no airplanes or building. The unit’s first anniversary marked the dedication of a new hangar at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and four aircraft.
– The Ohio National Guard has answered the call in 10 of the nation’s wars. That service equals participation in 76 named campaigns.
– Since 9/11, more than 25,000 Ohio National Guard members (more than 18,000 Soldiers and 7,000 Airmen) have deployed to about 40 countries around the world in support of the War on Terrorism.
– More Ohio National Guard history can be found on the Ohio National Guard website at: http://ong.ohio.gov/information/history/history_index.html.
