On this day in Ohio National Guard History
Compiled and created by Ohio Army National Guard Historical Collections
JANUARY 01, 1904
Ohio Army National Guard Medical Detachment
The Ohio Army National Guard Medical Detachment is organized as the Medical Department, Ohio National Guard. During World War I, the unit was designated as the 112th Sanitary Train and was an element of the 37th Division. As the 112th Medical Battalion during World War II, it earned two Meritorious Unit Commendations in the Pacific Theater. Prior to its reorganization as a medical detachment in 1997, the unit spent 22 years as the 112th Medical Brigade. This photo shows a view of the Hospital Corps of the Medical Department in 1910 at Marietta, Ohio.
FEBRUARY 01, 1972
196th Public Affairs Detachment
The 196th Public Affairs Detachment (Mobile) is organized in Worthington, Ohio as the 196th Public Information Detachment. The unit has earned two Meritorious Unit Commendations for mobilizations to Iraq in 2004-05 and 2010-11. In this 1990 photo, Master Sgt. Jim Hall uses a photographer’s loop to check film negatives during annual training in Panama.
FEBRUARY 02, 1926
812th Engineer Company
The 812th Engineer Company is organized in Akron, Ohio as Headquarters Company, 73rd Infantry Brigade. The company bears eight campaign streamers from World War II and the War on Terrorism and two Meritorious Unit Commendations from each conflict. In this 1998 photo, Spc. William Phelps of Company B, 112th Engineer Battalion, uses a chain saw to clear a fallen tree from a bridge in Lower Salem, Ohio, during a state active duty mission to Washington County in response to the aftermath of severe weather. The unit served as Company B between 1971 and 2007.
FEBRUARY 05, 1945
2nd Lt. Robert M. Viale
2nd Lt. Robert M. Viale, of Company K, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division, is killed during the Battle of Manila. His actions will lead to him being awarded the Medal of Honor. In video interviews as part of the “In Their Own Words” series, Charles Henne and Harold Vogel, both World War II veterans of the 148th Infantry Regiment, describe the events that day. Vogel was a member of Company K and was in the room with Viale when he died. ~ FULL AWARD CITATION
FEBRUARY 09, 1945
Paco District of Manila, Philippines
During the drive through the Paco District of Manila, Philippines, Pfcs. Joseph J. Cicchetti, Cleto Rodriguez and John Reese Jr. of the 148th Infantry earned the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress
FEBRUARY 23, 1847
Battle of Buena Vista
American forces under Maj. Gen. Zachary Taylor defeat Mexican troops under Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Battle of Buena Vista. The 2nd and 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiments were active in the battle, guarding Taylor’s supply depots and escorting wagon trains that were rushing needed supplies to the battle. Today, the 148th Infantry Regiment displays a campaign streamer for Buena Vista on its organizational colors as a descendant of the 2nd Ohio.
FEBRUARY 27, 1948
220th Engineering Installation Squadron
The 220th Engineering Installation Squadron is organized in Zanesville, Ohio as the 105th Communications Squadron.
TOP:
In this April 1986 photo, Maj. Gen. William G. Work, Air National Guard assistant to the commander of Air Force Communications Command, attaches the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award streamer to the 220th Engineering Installation Squadron guidon during ceremonies in Zanesville.
BOTTOM:
In this 1984 photo, Tech. Sgt. John Lawter of the 220th EIS straps cable while securely attached to his ladder during the 1984 Air Force Communications Command EI Shootout competition.
MARCH 1911
Support Company, 216th Engineer Battalion
The Ohio Army National Guard’s Support Company, 216th Engineer Battalion originated in March 1911 in Cincinnati as Troop C, 1st Cavalry Squadron. Since then, Soldiers of the unit have served in both World War I and II as well as Iraq. In this photo, Soldiers of Troop C, 1st Cav move a wagon in El Paso, Texas in 1917.
National Guard Bureau Heritage Series Painting by Keith Rocco
MARCH 03, 1945
‘…Manila Would Do’: Marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Manila
The scene depicts the Silver Star action of Pvt. Billy E. Vinson of Company E, 148th Infantry, who fought off a bayonet attack by six Japanese rifleman in the Paco District during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. Then, with his squad under orders to withdraw, Vinson remained alone with his Browning Automatic Rifle to cover the evacuation of the wounded and withdrawal of his unit. When all had reached safety, he returned to his platoon.
Graphic by the Ohio National Guard Heritage Center
MARCH 05, 1941
107th Cavalry Regiment
The 107th Cavalry Regiment is ordered into active federal service. The mobilization was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s series of executive orders that placed National Guard units into active service for one year of training as war in Europe and the Pacific grew. The regiment was sent to Camp Forrest, Tenn. for training and was later sent to California to patrol the west coast. After a reorganization in 1944, the 107th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron was sent to Europe, were it performed reconnaissance missions in France and Germany for various divisions, corps and armies. In this photo, Soldiers from the 107th Cavalry conduct dismounted drill outside the cavalry armory in Shaker Heights, Ohio during their induction process in March 1941.
Graphic by the Ohio National Guard Heritage Center
MARCH 05, 1990
Headquarters and Headquarters Company,
1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment is organized in Worthington, Ohio. The company was allotted to the Ohio Army National Guard in 1987 and began its organization process at Don Scott Airfield before moving to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in the early 1990s. The company has mobilized multiple times in support of the War on Terrorism and earned the meritorious Unit Commendation during its deployment to Iraq in 2009. In this June 24, 2018, photo, Capt. Jason Brand, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment, tries to catch his breath after leaving the CS gas chamber during annual training at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling, Mich.
MARCH 8-12, 1944
Soldiers of the Ohio National Guard’s 37th Infantry Division defended the Island of Bougainville from Japanese army attack during the Battle of Hill 700
On Bougainville, Japanese forces attack the 37th Infantry Division perimeter at Hill 700. After five days of bitter fighting, the attack is repulsed by the 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments. The Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to four 37th Infantry Division units for their part in the battle.
TOP: In this photo, fresh troops climb the steep terrain that made up Hill 700 while a group of Soldiers serving as litter bearers wait to bring down a wounded comrade to vehicles of the 37th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop and 112th Medical Battalion who made numerous round trips under enemy fire to evacuate wounded men.
BOTTOM: Medical aid Soldiers from the 145th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division rush a wounded Soldier to an aid station during the Battle of Hill 700, March 8-12, 1944, on the Island of Bougainville in the South Pacific. The battle was among the bloodiest and most fiercely fought days the Buckeyes saw in their nearly 600 days in combat during World War II.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
Chaplain William Patrick O’Connor was an Irish Catholic priest from Cincinnati who served as a chaplain in the Ohio National Guard. Following the U.S. entry into World War I in 1917, Father O’Connor became the first priest in Ohio to enter the Army and was commissioned as a chaplain with the 136th Field Artillery, 37th Division, remaining in the Guard after the war and eventually serving as the 37th Division chaplain until his retirement.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
March 18, 1910
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is organized in Hamilton, Ohio as Company M, 1st Infantry Regiment. The battery has earned credit for participation in World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this 1934 photo, Soldiers from Company K, 147th Infantry proudly display their hometown Hamilton streamer as they sit for a company photo during annual training at Camp Perry, near Port Clinton, Ohio.
BOTTOM: In this 1960 photo, Master Sgt. Don Printy of Company C, 1st Battle Group, 147th Infantry, instructs Pfc. Arthur Hormann (from left) and Pvt. Tim White on the Browning Automatic Rifle during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich. Battery B was under this unit designation from 1959 to 1963.
174TH AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY REGIMENT
March 21, 1945
The 147th Infantry Regiment lands on the island of Iwo Jima
Marine Corps leaders estimated only a few hundred Japanese troops remained on the island. However, the 147th soon found that thousands of the enemy had turned the eight square miles of the island into a series of complex underground defenses with connecting tunnels. It was the end of June before the mop-up operations were complete and September when the regiment left the island. Today, the 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment perpetuates the lineage of the 147th Infantry and displays the “Air Offensive, Japan” campaign streamer on its organizational colors, denoting the Iwo Jima battle. In this photo, members of Company A, 147th Infantry, proudly display Japanese flags that the Soldiers captured on Iwo Jima.
MARCH 24, 1942
216th Engineer Battalion
The 216th Engineer Battalion is constituted in the Army of the United States as Headquarters, 14th Ordnance Battalion. During World War II, the battalion served in the European Theater, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Allotted to the Ohio National Guard in 1946 as the 38th Ordnance Battalion, the headquarters was stationed in Cincinnati and served on active duty during the Korean War. The battalion was reorganized as the 216th Engineer Battalion in 1959 and deployed to Iraq in 2004, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in support of the 1st Infantry Division.
TOP: In this 1973 photo, a jeep from the 134th Engineer Group makes it away across the Black River at Camp Drum, N.Y. on a pontoon raft constructed by the 216th Engineer Battalion.
BOTTOM: In this 2004 photo, members of the battalion stand in formation with the organizational colors at the front during a ceremony in Iraq.
Mar. 25, 1863
Pvt. Jacob Parrott, first Medal of Honor
The first Medal of Honor was awarded to Pvt. Jacob Parrott of Company K, 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Secretary of War Edward Stanton in Washington D.C. Parrott was honored with the new award for his participation in an April 1862 offensive known as Andrews’ Raid. Parrott was one of six of the 21 volunteers who escaped Confederate prisons and made it back to Union forces in March 1863. Stanton presented the six men with the newly produced medal, $100 and asked Ohio Gov. David Tod to commission each of them as first lieutenants. Since first being awarded, 3,526 Medals of Honor have been presented to American service members, with 254 being credited to Ohioans. This photo shows the Andrews Raiders monument that was erected by the State of Ohio at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Tennessee.
Mar. 27, 1911
Support Company, 216th Engineer Battalion
Support Company, 216th Engineer Battalion is organized in Cincinnati as Troop C, 1st Cavalry Squadron. The company is credited with participation in eight campaigns from World War I and II as well as the War on Terrorism. During World War I, the cavalrymen traded their sabers for howitzers and served in France as Battery D, 136th Field Artillery.
TOP: This Nov. 20, 1918, photo shows men of Battery D, with Sgt. Robert W. Gruesser of Cincinnati in charge, pulling a cart while doing salvage work in Chaillon, France.
BOTTOM: In this 1925 photo, Troop C, 107th Cavalry poses for a mounted unit photo during annual training at Camp Perry, Ohio.
Mar. 29, 1954
Battery C, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Battery C, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is constituted as Howitzer Company, 3rd Battalion, 107th Armored Cavalry. Since its formation, the unit has served as a cavalry, engineer and armor unit before converting to air defense artillery in 2005. In this June 17, 2019, photo, Soldiers from Battery C, 1-174th ADA Regiment carry a FIM-92 Stinger missile system as they participate in a Short Range Air Defense Exercise as part of Tobruq Legacy in Utska, Poland.
April 1, 1925
Company A, 237th Support Battalion
Company A, 237th Support Battalion is organized in Cleveland as Troop G, 107th Cavalry. Company A perpetuates lineage from Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula and has participated in campaigns in World War II and the War on Terrorism. The company came under its present designation on Sept. 1, 2007, and serves as the distribution company for the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
In this 1988 photo, Sgt. Carl Laver and Spc. John Harper transport a cargo of 105 mm mortar ammunition for Troop L, 3rd Squadron, 107th Armored Cavalry during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich.
BOTTOM: In this 2008 photo, Soldiers of Company A, 237th Support Battalion, prepare to recover a vehicle after a simulated IED attack during urban operations training at Fort Hood, Texas.
APRIL 1, 1998
1485th Transportation Company
The 1485th Transportation Company is constituted in Coshocton, Ohio as Detachment 2, 1485th Transportation Company. The detachment mobilized in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, where it was decorated with the Meritorious Unit Commendation. On Sept. 1, 2007, the detachment was reorganized as the 1485th Transportation Company.
TOP: In this July 14, 2014, photo, Sgt. Ken Arner, a truck driver with the 1485th Transportation Company, readies to man the gunner position in the Virtual Convoy Operations Trainer (VCOT) at Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center, near Newton Falls, Ohio.
BOTTOM: In this July 2005 photo, the unit commander salutes as the 1485th passes the reviewing party during a pass in review ceremony at the conclusion of annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich.
APRIL 3, 1974
Remembering the deadly Xenia tornado
Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on state active duty assisted in the cleanup efforts in Xenia, Ohio after an April 3, 1974, tornado. The F-5 storm that destroyed or damaged thousands of homes, businesses and schools was responsible for 33 deaths, and hundreds more injured.
Image of Brig. Gen. Sill courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
APRIL 6, 1892
1194th Engineer Company
The 1194th Engineer Company is organized in Chillicothe, Ohio as Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment (Sill Guard). The local designation was in honor of Brig. Gen. Joshua Sill, a Chillicothe native who was killed at the Battle of Stones River, Tenn. during the Civil War. The company displays campaign streamers from World War I, II and the War on Terrorism. In April 2004, then Company A, 216th Engineer Battalion, was decorated with the Valorous Unit Award for operations in An Najaf Province, Iraq.
TOP: In this 1934 photo, Soldiers of Company H, 166th Infantry pose for a unit photo at Camp Perry, Ohio.
BOTTOM: Brig. Gen. Joshua Sill, a Chillicothe native who was killed at the Battle of Stones River, Tenn. during the Civil War.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress/Ohio Army National Guard Historical Collections
APRIL 06-07, 1862
Battle of Shiloh
Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Tennessee defeated Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh, Tenn. Ohioans made up about one-fifth of Grant’s Army, representing 28 infantry regiments, five batteries of artillery and a cavalry regiment. Today, three Ohio National Guard units display the Shiloh campaign streamer on their organizational colors, the 112th Engineer Battalion (1st Ohio), 134th Field Artillery Regiment (Battery G, 1st Ohio Light Artillery) and the 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (6th Ohio). This lithograph depicts the charge and taking of a New Orleans battery during the battle by a Wisconsin regiment and was sketched by A.E. Mathews of the 31st Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
APRIL 9, 1884
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment is organized in Columbus, Ohio as the 8th Battery, Light Artillery. Except for a brief period from 1904 to 1910 as an infantry company, the unit has spent its 136 years of existence as an artillery battery. The battery is entitled to campaign streamers from World War I, II and the War on Terrorism, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in Afghanistan during a 2011-2012 mobilization.
TOP: In this 2005 photo, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery sit for a unit photo at Camp Grayling, Mich.
BOTTOM: In this March 1941 photo, Battery A, 134th Field Artillery is photographed for a unit photo while in federal service prior to World War II.
APRIL 10, 2008
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery,
174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade is organized in Columbus, Ohio. Since its organization the unit has seen a steady state of mobilizations that covers a variety of assignments in and out of the air defense mission.
TOP: In this photo, a team of Soldiers from the brigade that organized the first Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) rotation in 2009 pose with their Hungarian counterparts at a base in Afghanistan. OMLTs were multinational teams that trained and deployed together to Afghanistan to train and mentor Afghanistan National Army soldiers.
BOTTOM: In this March 25, 2019, photo, a combined U.S. and Israeli color guard, which includes the 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, presents the colors during a closing ceremony for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployment to Israel.
APRIL 16, 2006
Company C, 237th Support Battalion
Company C, 237th Support Battalion is constituted in Akron, Ohio. The unit serves as the medical company for the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation during a 2011-2012 mobilization to Afghanistan.
TOP: In this April 24, 2012, photo, Sgt. N. Kahle Wright, combat medic assigned to Company C, 237th Support Battalion, and Sgt. 1st Class Bethany Ballangee, medical operations noncommissioned officer in charge assigned to Headquarters Company, 37th IBCT, demonstrate splint application techniques during medical training near Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh province, Afghanistan.
BOTTOM: In this April 24, 2012, photo, Sgt. N. Kahle Wright, a combat medic assigned to Company C, 237th Support Battalion, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, looks on as two female Afghan Batrol Police members practice splint techniques during training near Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh province, Afghanistan.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
APRIL 19, 1854
174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
The 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is organized in Cincinnati as the Guthrie Greys. During the Civil War, the Greys formed the nucleus of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry that fought at Shiloh, Stones River and Chickamauga. As the 147th Infantry in World War II, the regiment fought in the Pacific and was engaged in operations on Iwo Jima 75 years ago. Today, the regiment has two active battalions, which are among the most heavily mobilized units in the Ohio National Guard with multiple mobilizations, both home and abroad, since 2001.
TOP: In this 1964 photo, Soldiers from Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 174th Artillery discuss training scenarios in front of their M42 Duster Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun during their 1964 annual training at Marblehead Training Area near Camp Perry, Ohio.
BOTTOM: In this 1904 photo, Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Regiment march during a maneuver exercise near Athens, Ohio. The regiment served as the 1st Infantry between the Civil War and World War I.
174TH AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY REGIMENT
APRIL 19, 1900
Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is organized in Marietta, Ohio as Company B, 7th Separate Infantry Battalion. As an element of the 37th Division in World War I, the unit earned credit for participation in the Lorraine campaign as Company F, 112th Ammunition Train. The battery converted to air defense artillery in 1959 and moved from its armory in Marietta to its present station at McConnelsville in 1992. The battery also earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation during its 2017-2018 mobilization to Central and Southwest Asia. In this 1917 photo, Company B, 7th Infantry Regiment Soldiers pose for a photograph on the front steps of the Marietta Armory prior to leaving for World War I.
174TH AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY REGIMENT
APRIL 23, 1920
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 837th Engineer Battalion
is organized in Springfield, Ohio as the 1st Separate Machine Gun Company. The Springfield unit has earned campaign credit in World War II, Kosovo and the War on Terrorism as well as the Meritorious Unit Commendation during its 2012 mobilization to Afghanistan.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
LINEAGE LINKUP: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 837th Engineer Battalion
April 26, 1945
City of Baguio
The Philippine City of Baguio is captured by the 37th Infantry Division. Beginning in late March, elements of the division began supporting the attack on the city along with the 33rd Infantry Division of the Illinois National Guard. By April 9, the Buckeye Division was in full operation along the mountainous terrain of Highway 9. Elements of Company G, 129th Infantry reached the center of the city on April 26. When the 33rd Division entered the city from the south, they were greeted with a sign that read, “You are now entering Baguio, Courtesy 37th Infantry Division.” In this April 28, 1945, photograph, Soldiers from the 37th and 33rd Infantry Divisions salute as the American flag is raised in the City of Baguio.
APRIL 27, 1927
285th Medical Company Organized
The 285th Medical Company is organized in Columbus as Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 166th Infantry. The Columbus unit has served as a medical company since 1963 and earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation during its mobilization to Iraq in 2006-2007.
TOP: In this 1965 photo, Company D, 112th Medical Battalion Soldiers take a unit photograph during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich.
BOTTOM: In this 1995 photo, Spc. Charles Derrer, a dental technician with Company C, 237th Support Battalion, evaluates a patient during a mock casualty exercise in southern Ohio. The unit was under this designation from 1988 until 2006.
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 166th Infantry, Camp Perry, Ohio, 1935.
APRIL 28, 1861
145th Armored Regiment Organized
The 145th Armored Regiment is organized as the 7th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry and is mustered into federal service for the Civil War. The regiment is most famous for its years as the 145th Infantry Regiment from 1917 to 1974. The regiment bears campaign credit for the Civil War, War with Spain, World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this 1898 photo, Soldiers from the 5th Ohio Volunteer Infantry stand guard outside of the regimental headquarters in Florida during the War with Spain.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
APRIL 29, 1812
War of 1812
Ohio Gov. Return J. Meigs issues orders to the major generals of the middle and western divisions of the Ohio Militia to bring proportions of their men to rendezvous in Dayton, Ohio in preparation for the garrisoning of Fort Detroit at the start of the War of 1812. This drawing shows Ohio Militia Soldiers in camp during the War of 1812. Nearly 25,000 Ohioans served in Ohio Militia units that organized for the war.
MAY 1, 1919
Joint Force Headquarters
Army National Guard Staff Element, Joint Force Headquarters Ohio is organized in Columbus, Ohio as State Staff Corps and Detachment. Prior to World War II, the adjutant general was only authorized a small section of staff officers and enlisted men to run the state headquarters. Following the war, it was expanded but did not see a full staff until the early 1980s reorganization as Headquarters, State Area Command. In 2003, headquarters across the National Guard reorganized as Joint Force Headquarters, which consisted of an Army and Air Force Element that could serve as a joint staff for the adjutant general. In this 2000 photo, Col. Greg Wayt (left), Ohio Army National Guard chief of staff, hands the unit guidon for Headquarters Detachment, State Army Command, Ohio Army National Guard, to incoming command Capt. Greg Rogers during a change of command ceremony at the Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler Armory in Columbus.
MAY 1, 1921
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment is organized in St. Marys, Ohio as Sanitary Detachment, 2nd Infantry Regiment. This year marks a century of service for the unit during which time the company has earned campaign credit for World War II and the War on Terrorism. During World War II, the unit was designated as the Medical Detachment, 148th Infantry and earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its part in the liberation of Manila, when over 20 members of the detachment earned valorous awards including 2 Distinguished Service Crosses. Following World War II, the unit moved to Toledo, Ohio and in 1975, as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 50th Military Police Group, was the first unit to occupy the new Maj. Gen. Gilson D. Light Armory in Walbridge, Ohio, where it remains today. In this 1965 photo, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 37th Infantry Division poses for a unit photograph during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich. From 1963 to 1968, the company was designated under this name.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM | Historical Sketch, smaller file
MAY 5, 1898
The Ohio National Guard is ordered into federal service for the War with Spain
The Ohio National Guard assembles at Camp Bushnell on the east side of Columbus, Ohio. The 4th Ohio in Puerto Rico as well as the 6th and 8th Ohio in Cuba would be the only Buckeye regiments to serve overseas before the war came to an end.
TOP: In this May 15, 1898, photo, Soldiers from the 4th Ohio Volunteer Infantry depart Camp Bushnell as they march toward the train depot for transportation to Camp Chickamauga, Ga. A mass of people lined the route of march along Broad and High streets to the depot to honor the departure of the first Ohio troops to leave the state.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Soldiers from Sandusky’s Company B, 6th Ohio are mustered in at Camp Bushnell.
MAY 7, 1884
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment is organized at Bucyrus, Ohio as Company A, 8th Infantry Regiment
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment is organized in Bucyrus, Ohio as Company A, 8th Infantry Regiment. The company adopted the designation of the Finley Guards, in honor of Ebenezer B. Finley (pictured below), a Bucyrus native who served as Ohio adjutant general in 1884. The battery has served in the War with Spain, World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism, where the unit earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2011-2012 during its mobilization to Afghanistan.
TOP: In this 1975 photo, Sgts. Robert Maloy (from left) and Dean Bower of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 136th Field Artillery, prepare to fire a 105 mm howitzer during training exercises at Fort McCoy, Wisc.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
MAY 8, 1875
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment is organized in Gettysburg, Ohio as the Gettysburg Guard
The unit moved to Piqua, Ohio in 1903, where it remains today, earning campaign credit in both World Wars and the War on Terrorism. During World War II, while serving as Headquarters Battery, 987th Field Artillery Battalion, the unit landed at Normandy and was later cited in the order of the day of the Belgian army for action at St. Vith, Belgium.
TOP; In this Nov. 19, 1943, photo, Pfc. Harry Jogoda, No. 4 man on the No. 3 gun of Battery C, 136th Field Artillery Battalion, can be seen loading a shell on the M1918 155 mm howitzer while the unit was stationed on the island of Bougainville.
BOTTOM: The photo shows members of Battery E, 135th Field Artillery in 1922 (a designation the unit held from 1922 to 1937).
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
MAY 8, 1945
Pfc. Anthony Krotiak
Pfc. Anthony Krotiak, a member of Company I, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division, is killed after jumping on a grenade during action near Balete Pass, Luzon, Philippine Islands. His heroic action saved the life of four Soldiers in his squad and led to him posthumously being awarded the Medal of Honor.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
MAY 8, 1945
Victory in Europe
Victory in Europe, or V-E Day, marked the end of World War II in the European Theater of Operations. There were 11 Ohio National Guard units that served in the European Theater during the war. In his V-E Day proclamation, President Harry Truman said: “The western world has been freed of the evil forces, which for five years and longer have imprisoned the bodies and broken the lives of millions upon millions of freeborn men. They have violated their churches, destroyed their homes, corrupted their children and murdered their loved ones. Our armies of liberation have restored freedom to those suffering peoples, whose spirit and will the oppressor could never enslave.”
MAY 13, 1920
Company A, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment is organized in Delaware, Ohio as the Sanitary Detachment, 4th Infantry Regiment
The unit first became a flying unit in 1959 when it was reorganized as the 37th Aviation Company. Company A has seen mobilizations to Kosovo, where it earned the Army Superior Unit Award and Iraq where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2009.
TOP: The photo shows a UH-60 Blackhawk of Company A flying over a mountain in Iraq in 2009.
MIDDLE: In this 1937 photo, Medical Detachment, 166th Infantry poses for a unit photo during annual training at Camp Perry, near Port Clinton, Ohio.
BOTTOM: In this circa 1960 photo, members of the 37th Aviation Company assemble for a unit photograph during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich.
MAY 14, 1921
The 684th Medical Company is organized in Westerville, Ohio as the 134th Ambulance Company
The unit has spent its entire 98-year history as a medical organization. During World War II, it served in the Pacific with the 37th Infantry Division where it earned two Meritorious Unit Commendations.
TOP: The photo shows members of Company A, 112th Medical Battalion loading a simulated casualty into an ambulance during annual training, circa 1960.
BOTTOM: In this 1985 photo, Spc. Tamara Guzzo of the 684th takes aim from her defensive position during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich.
MAY 14, 1821
The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps was established as the Ordnance Department by an act of Congress
The Ordnance Corps’ mission is to support the development, production, acquisition and sustainment of weapon systems, ammunition, missiles, electronics and ground mobility materiel for the Army. The photo shows Lt. Earl V. Carlin (left) and Pfc. Thomas M. Barnes of the 737th Ordnance Company demonstrating how to fire a rifle grenade from the kneeling position in October 1943, when the unit was stationed at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands during World War II.
MAY 19, 1952
Company A, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment
Company A, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment is organized in Toledo, Ohio as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 107th Armored Cavalry. As Headquarters Company, 612th Engineer Battalion, the unit earned the Valorous Unit Award in Iraq in 2004-2005. Under its present designation, Company A has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2012.
TOP: In this 1955 photo, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 107th Armored Cavalry pose for a unit photograph at Fort Knox, Ky.
MAY 20, 1846
Ohio Militia ordered into service for the Mexican War
Ohio Gov. Mordecai Bartley orders three infantry regiments of the Ohio Militia into service for the Mexican War. Bartley’s call read in part, “Let it not be said that when our country appeals to the courage and patriotism of the citizen soldiers of Ohio for aid that that aid was not properly rendered.” Ohio military forces were organized into five infantry regiments, 15 independent companies of infantry and one company of mounted rifleman. So many Buckeyes answered the call that five companies were supplied to the Fifth United States Infantry. In the end, there were about 7,000 officers and enlisted men in the Mexican War from Ohio, which constituted about one-eighth of the entire land forces of the United States. This photo shows the national colors of the 1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry that was carried during the Battle of Monterrey on Sept. 22, 1846, and is part of the Adjutant General’s Battle Flag Collection.
MAY 22, 1951
Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment is organized in Greenville, Ohio as Battery B, 180th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment is organized in Greenville, Ohio as Battery B, 180th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. The troop deployed to Kosovo in 2004-2005, earning the Army Superior Unit Award, and to Iraq in 2006-2007. From 1972 to 1994, the unit was designated Company B, 372nd Engineer Battalion.
TOP: This photo shows Soldiers from Company B’s 2nd Platoon raising a gin pole, circa 1990.
BOTTOM: This photo shows troopers conducting training in Kuwait prior to their movement to Iraq in 2006.
MAY 23, 1921
The 211th Maintenance Company is organized in Dresden, Ohio as Battery F, 135th Field Artillery
During World War II the unit served as Battery C, 140th Field Artillery Battalion in the Pacific with the 37th Infantry Division. The 211th earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in Iraq during its 2004-2005 mobilization.
TOP: In this 1998 photo, Sgt. Aaron Smith of the 211th Maintenance Company bolts a finished Humvee engine into a container in preparation for sending the engine back to the field, while the unit conducted annual training in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
BOTTOM: This photo shows members of Battery F, 134th Field Artillery with their 75 mm howitzer in the Coshocton armory in October 1940 as they prepared to enter active service for World War II.
MAY 24, 1881
The 811th Engineer Company is organized in Lancaster, Ohio as Company E, 6th Infantry Regiment (Mount Pleasant Guards)
The company fought in Puerto Rico during the War with Spain, in France during World War I and earned the Valorous Unit Award and Meritorious Unit Commendation during its 2004 mobilization to Iraq.
TOP: This photo shows the commissioned and noncommissioned officers of Company G, 166th Infantry at Camp Perry, Ohio in 1922.
BOTTOM: This photo shows the commissioned and noncommissioned officers of Company G, 166th Infantry on the steps of the Lancaster Armory in 1933.
MAY 25, 1900
Company B, 837th Engineer Battalion is organized in Spencerville, Ohio as Company F, 2nd Infantry Regiment
The company has campaign participation credit for World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. The company earned two Presidential Unit Citations during World War II on Bougainville and Luzon; the Valorous Unit Award in Iraq in 2004-2005; and the Meritorious Unit Commendation in Afghanistan in 2011-2012. This photo shows the officers of Company K, 148th Infantry in late 1944, including 2nd Lt. Robert M. Viale (left side, back row) who posthumously earned the Medal of Honor in February 1945 in Manila.
Ohio adjutant general's 2020 Memorial Day message
Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, provides his Memorial Day message and also talks about the historic efforts of the Ohio National Guard in fulfilling many vital needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Video by Senior Airman Marc Wilson, 179th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
179th Honor Guard Airman participates in ‘Taps Across America’ to mark Memorial Day
Staff Sgt. Sean Maloney, a member of the 179th Airlift Wing base honor guard, performs taps from his home as part of Taps For Veterans’ “Taps Across America: The National Moment of Remembrance,” a nationwide playing of taps for veterans on Memorial Day 2020.
JUNE 1, 1944
122nd Army Band
The 122nd Army Band is organized on Bougainville Island in the Pacific as the 37th Infantry Division Band, with personnel from the 145th Infantry and 37th Division Artillery Bands of the Ohio National Guard and 129th Infantry Band of the Illinois National Guard. When the 37th ID’s colors were cased in 1968, the band reorganized as the 122nd Army Band and continues to perform as one of the finest National Guard bands in the nation. The image shows the 37th ID Band in front of the division headquarters at Camp Polk, La. in 1952.
JUNE 3, 1921
1191st Engineer Company
The 1191st Engineer Company is organized in Portsmouth as Battery C, 135th Field Artillery. The unit served on New Guinea as elements of the 134th Field Artillery Battalion during World War II. In 1959, the unit converted to engineers and deployed to Iraq in 2004 as Company B, 216th Engineer Battalion, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Following the unit’s 2007 reorganization as the 1191st, it has deployed once to Afghanistan. This 1999 photo shows Sgt. Dennis Hegarty of Company B, 216th Engineer Battalion operating a backhoe in Nicaragua as part of Exercise New Horizons.
JUNE 6, 1944
D-Day 75: Ohio National Guard Soldiers who were there
On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of beaches at Normandy, France. Two Ohio National Guard units, the 112th Combat Engineer Battalion and 987th Field Artillery Battalion, were involved in the D-Day invasion. The 112th would land at Omaha Beach in support of the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions, where it would receive the Presidential Unit Citation.
JUNE 9, 1966
178th Communications Flight
The 178th Communications Flight is organized in Springfield, Ohio. In this June 18, 2019 photo, Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Overstreet, 178th Communications Squadron client systems, prepares a cable for connection at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
JUNE 14, 1775
Happy Birthday, U.S. Army
The Citizen-Soldier legacy of the Continental Army of years ago lives on in the Ohio Army National Guard today. From the Revolution and World War II to the present day, Soldiers have honored the call to service.
JUNE 14, 1777
The Ohio National Guard celebrates Flag Day
In the U.S., Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. In this photo, an Ohio National Guard joint service color guard stands at attention during a helicopter flyover, signaling the start of the honoree ceremony at the Memorial Tournament May 29, 2019, at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
JUNE 16, 1902
Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is organized in New Lexington, Ohio as Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment. The battery is entitled to campaign credit from active service in World Wars I and II. After a 1990 consolidation, the unit also perpetuates the lineage of units from Zanesville, Ohio, with lineage that began in April 1921. This April 21, 1944, photo shows Zanesville’s Battery B, 140th Field Artillery Battalion firing a 105 mm howitzer on enemy positions near Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands.
JUNE 19, 1875
1192nd Engineer Company
The 1192nd Engineer Company is organized in Youngstown, Ohio as the “Iron Guards.” The unit is entitled to campaign credit from active service in World Wars I and II and the War on Terrorism. In addition, the company has been decorated with the Meritorious Unit Commendation twice for service in Iraq in 2004 and 2019-20. In this June 9, 1952, photo at Camp Polk, La., Cpl. James E. Parker and Daniel F. Fedeschi of Company D, 145th Infantry, cover a road with a .30-caliber machine gun during a training exercise.
JUNE 21, 1920
Company D, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment is organized in Port Clinton, Ohio as Company H, Tank Corps
The unit received campaign credit in World War II for service in the Philippines and the War on Terrorism for service in Afghanistan. The unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation four times in WWII and earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its 2011-12 deployment to Afghanistan.
TOP: In this 1938 photo, members of the 37th Tank Company stand by their tents as company officers conduct an equipment layout inspection at Camp Perry, Ohio.
BOTTOM: Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion, Port Clinton, Ohio, Nov. 20, 1940.
JUNE 23, 1846
148th Infantry Regiment
The 148th Infantry Regiment is organized as the 2nd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry and mustered into federal service at Camp Washington, Ohio for the Mexican War. The “We’ll Do It” Regiment bears campaign credit for the Mexican War, War with Spain, World Wars I and II and the War on Terrorism. The 148th is most famous for the almost 600 days it spent in combat during World War II, where six of its Soldiers received the Medal of Honor and the regiment earned the Presidential Unit Citation for leading the Battle of Manila in February 1945. In this photo, Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 148th Infantry are shown prior to leaving Guadalcanal for New Georgia on July 4, 1943.
JUNE 28, 1924
Ohio Guard helps in aftermath of 1924 Lorain-Sandusky Tornado
A deadly F4 tornado struck the Lake Erie shoreline communities of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio. The Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the scene within nine hours to help with rescue work, caring for the injured, guarding property and protecting against vandalism. Elements of the 145th and 148th Infantry, 112th Engineers, 135th Collecting Company and 37th Tank Company focused their efforts in Lorain where nearly 125 city blocks were destroyed or damaged. The 1924 Lorain-Sandusky Tornado remains the deadliest single tornado in Ohio history, killing 80 people.
JUNE 28, 1918
U.S. Army Chemical Corps
The U.S. Army Chemical Corps was established by the War Department as the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service, combining activities that until then had been dispersed among five separate agencies of government. It was made a permanent branch of the Army by the National Defense Act of 1920 and was redesignated as the Chemical Corps in 1945. In this photo, Maj. William Bauer, 37th Infantry Division chemical officer, adjusts the mask of Cpl. Joe Chamberlin of Company F, 145th Infantry prior to entering the gas chamber during a training exercise July 25, 1952, at Camp Polk, La.
JUNE 30, 1884
Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment
Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment is organized in Xenia, Ohio as Company C, 9th Infantry Battalion (Martin Light Guard). During World War I, the unit was designated Company G, 372nd Infantry and earned the French Croix de Guerre near Monthois, France. The 372nd was a segregated unit that fought with the French 157th Division. In this photo, Spc. Michael Fields, a mortarman assigned to HHT, 2-07th Cavalry, leads the rest of the mortar team on a ruck march through the Hungarian countryside during Operation Brave Warrior July 13, 2017, in Veszprem, Hungary.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
JULY 1, 1863
The Battle of Gettysburg begins
The three-day battle marked the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and stopped the Confederate Army’s drive north. Ohio supplied 13 infantry regiments, a cavalry regiment and six artillery batteries, which sustained a total of 1,271 casualties. Today, the 148th Infantry Regiment (4th Ohio), 134th Field Artillery Regiment (1st Ohio Light Artillery), 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5th Ohio) and 145th Armored Regiment/107th Cavalry Regiment (7th Ohio) display the Gettysburg campaign streamer. A monument to Companies G and I, 4th Ohio Volunteer Infantry is shown along Emmitsburg Road in Gettysburg, Pa., marking the location that the two detached companies engaged the enemy late on July 2, 1863.
JULY 1, 1962
The U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps was organized when the Army established the Intelligence and Security Branch
On July 1, 1967, the branch was redesignated as military intelligence. In this photo, Lt. Col. Archibald Rogers, intelligence officer for the 37th Infantry Division, and Master Sgt. William Turlo study the disposition of the enemy during a tactical field problem June 24, 1952, at Camp Polk, La.
JULY 4, 1776
The Ohio National Guard wishes everyone a Happy Fourth of July!
Special thanks to our current and former Soldiers and Airmen, who have helped Americans to enjoy their freedom. Be safe and have fun with your Family and friends during the holiday.
JULY 4, 1863
Confederate forces surrender Vicksburg, Miss
After a seven-week siege, Confederate forces surrender Vicksburg, Miss. to Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The victory gave the Union Army control of the entire Mississippi River and the Confederacy was split in half. Twenty-one Ohio regiments and eight batteries — 18% of his infantry and 30% of his artillery — help Grant take Vicksburg. A portion of the last color guard of the 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry is seen with their battle scarred colors in 1865. The 30th was part of the 2nd Division, 15th Army Corps under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman during the Vicksburg Campaign.
JULY 6, 1839
The 134th Field Artillery Regiment was organized as the Gun Section, Cleveland Grays.
The 134th Field Artillery Regiment was organized as the Gun Section, Cleveland Grays. Sgt. D.L. Wood commanded the nine-member section that built the carriage and caisson for the 6-pound cannon they procured. On July 4, 1845, they detached from the Grays and became the Cleveland Light Artillery. The regiment bears credit for participation in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this photo, a battery of the 1st Regiment Light Artillery is seen fully mounted, circa 1890.
BOTTOM: In this photo, the Cleveland Light Artillery is photographed in 1857 near the old Erie Street Cemetery in Cleveland.
JULY 10, 1899
The 838th Military Police Company is organized in Warren, Ohio as Company F, Unattached Infantry.
The 838th has earned campaign credit for World War I, World War II, Southwest Asia and the War on Terrorism. During World War II, the 838th received the Presidential Unit Citation for its participation in the Battle of Hill 700 on Bougainville as Company F, 145th Infantry, where it sustained 66% casualties.
TOP: In this photo, Soldiers from Company F leave the battle scarred Manila Post Office to assault the ancient walled city of Intramuros on Feb. 23, 1945, during the Battle of Manila.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Soldiers assigned to the 838th Military Police Company participate in a 5-mile dismounted patrol scenario during Exercise Platinum Wolf 18 in the Republic of Serbia.
JULY 15, 1876
The 1486th Transportation Company is organized in Ashland, Ohio as Company F, 12th Infantry (Ashland Guards).
The company has campaign credit for the War with Spain, World War I, World War II, Southwest Asia and the War on Terrorism. During its mobilization for Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the unit earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation for record-setting logistical support of two different corps elements, driving 655,977 mission miles moving vehicles, ammunition, food, water, supplies and enemy prisoners of war.
TOP: In this 1990 photo, Spc. Ryan Frizzell of the 1486th Transportation Company checks out his mirror before starting through the obstacle course at the 112th Transportation Battalion “roadeo".
BOTTOM: In this photo, Soldiers of Company E, 145th Infantry eat their noon meal on the side of Hill 700 on the island of Bougainville in March 1944. The 1486th spent 38 years from 1921 to 1958 as Company E.
JULY 15, 1911
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 437th Military Police Battalion and the 323rd Military Police Company
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 437th Military Police Battalion and the 323rd Military Police Company are organized in Toledo as Troop D, 1st Cavalry Squadron. During World War I and II the unit fought in Europe as a field artillery battery. Following World War II, it was split into two separate units, each with its own history. Both units have deployed multiple times in the War on Terrorism. The 323rd earned the Valorous Unit Award in Iraq in 2003, with the 437th receiving the Meritorious Unit Commendation in Afghanistan in 2013-2014.
TOP; In this 1977 photo, military policemen from the 323rd MP Company lower the American flag during retreat at Camp Grayling, Mich.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Troop D, 1st Cavalry Squadron poses for a photograph at El Paso, Texas during the troop’s Mexican Border Service in 1917.
JULY 17, 1884
The 5694th Engineer Detachment is organized in Plimpton, Ohio as Company H, 17th Infantry (Plimpton Guard)
In 1893, the unit moved to Shreve where it remained until its move to Mansfield in 1996. The Army firefighters have campaign credit for the War with Spain, World War I, World War II, Southwest Asia and the War on Terrorism. In 1997, the unit mobilized to Bosnia where it earned the Army Superior Unit Award.
TOP: In this July 18, 2017, photo, a firefighter with the 5694th straps on his fire helmet after donning his gas mask during an airport rescue firefighting exercise at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Youngstown, Ohio.
BOTTOM: In this photo, a firefighter with the 5694th rushes to unravel a fire hose so he can combat a blaze during an airport rescue firefighting exercise July 18, 2017, at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Youngstown, Ohio.
JULY 18, 1877
Battery C, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment is organized in Marysville, Ohio as Company E, 14th Infantry (Curry Cadets).
The company was named for its first commander, Capt. William Curry, who was a Civil War veteran and later served as the assistant adjutant general from 1893 to 1896. The battery is entitled to campaign credit from the War with Spain, World War I, World War II, Kosovo and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this photo, Soldiers from Company E, 4th Infantry pose for a photograph at Camp Willis, Ohio in 1915.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Soldiers from Company E, 4th Infantry pose for a photograph during strike duty in Columbus during the street car strike of 1910.
JULY 18, 1881
The 237th Support Battalion is organized as the 9th Battalion of Infantry.
The battalion was organized as a segregated, all-black unit, until the Ohio National Guard was integrated in 1954. During World War I, as the 2nd Battalion, 372nd Infantry, the unit earned the French Croix de Guerre for its heroic charge on German defensive positions near Montois, France during the Meuse-Argonne campaign.
TOP: In this photo, Company A, 372nd Infantry Battalion marches past the reviewing stand at Camp Atterbury, Ind., circa 1950.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Soldiers from the 372nd Infantry Battalion receive instruction from an officer prior to conducting weapons qualification at annual training, circa 1950.
JULY 18, 1917
The 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Buckeye) is constituted in the Ohio National Guard as the 37th Division.
As a division the Buckeye Brigade fought in World War I and World War II, where eight of its Soldiers earned the Medal of Honor. Since 9/11, the brigade has deployed to Kosovo, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
TOP: In this photo, Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler, commanding general of the 37th Infantry Division, is shown with Japanese troops holding a sign that reads “Japanese Army Demobilization Center conducted by 37th Infantry (Buckeye) Division.”
BOTTOM: In this photo, Soldiers of the 37th Infantry Division move along a jungle trail during the Battle of Munda, New Georgia Islands in July-August 1943.
JULY 18, 2014
178th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group and the 125th, 126th and 127th Intelligence Squadrons
The 178th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group and the 125th, 126th and 127th Intelligence Squadrons are constituted in the Ohio Air National Guard at Springfield, Ohio. The group and its subordinate squadrons support national and combatant command requirements and partners with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.
In this Aug. 13, 2019, photo, Lt. Col. Michael Roark (right), incoming commander of the 178th ISR Group, receives the unit guidon from Col. Gregg Hesterman, commander of the 178th Wing, during a change of command ceremony at Springfield Air National Guard Base.
JULY 19, 1877
Company B, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment is organized in Napoleon, Ohio as Company F, 16th Infantry (Napoleon Light Guard).
The company is entitled to campaign credit from World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. In March 1944, the company earned the Presidential Unit Citation as Company F, 148th Infantry during the Battle of Hill 700 on Bougainville Island.
TOP: In this photo, members of Company L, 148th Infantry march near the rifle ranges at Camp Perry, Ohio, circa 1930.
BOTTOM: This photo shows members of the Napoleon Light Guard in camp, circa 1890.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
JULY 25, 1788
Celebrating service to our communities, state and nation!
The Ohio National Guard celebrates its birthday on July 25. Originally established as the Northwest Territory Militia on July 25, 1788, in Marietta, the Citizen-Warriors of the Ohio National Guard have responded when natural disasters have struck our communities, deployed across the world to defend our freedoms and protected the front lines during major conflicts.
Always Ready, Always There!
JULY 27, 1953
An armistice agreement was signed to bring the Korean War to an end.
During the three years of fighting, Ohio sent just one Army National Guard unit to the battlefields of Korea, the 987th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, stationed in Canton and Alliance. In this photo, the “Red Bulls,” as they were known, fire a 105 mm Self Propelled Gun on a communist target in Korea.
JULY 31, 1876
Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment is organized in Hillsboro, Ohio as the “Scott Dragoons.”
The Dragoons were one of three troops of cavalry organized in Ohio that constitute the parent units of the 107th Cavalry Regiment lineage. In 1882, the troop switched to the infantry, a branch it remained in until its conversion back to cavalry in 2007. During World War II, the unit was part of the 147th Infantry, which fought as a separate regimental combat team in the Pacific.
TOP: In this photo, Soldiers from Washington Court House’s Company M, 166th Infantry take a break from the heat in Lake Erie during annual summer training at Camp Perry, Ohio, circa 1930.
BOTTOM: In this photo, members of Company F, 147th Infantry, display a captured Japanese flag found in an underground hospital on Iwo Jima on April 11, 1945.
JULY 31, 1943
Medal of Honor awarded to Private Rodger W. Young and Pfc. Frank Petrarca
During the Battle of Munda on the Island of New Georgia, Pfc. Frank Petrarca of Medical Detachment, 145th Infantry and Pvt. Rodger Young of Company B, 148th Infantry, are killed and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
On numerous occasions, Petrarca, a medic attached to Company F, exposed himself to enemy fire to provide aid to wounded Soldiers. Young, just a few hundred yards north of Petrarca, exposed himself to an enemy machine gun in order to cover the withdrawal of his squad. Within a short distance of the enemy position, Young exposed himself to throw a grenade that destroyed the machine gun but was cut down by a final burst.
AUGUST 1, 1943
edal of Honor awarded to Lt. Col. Addison Baker
Lt. Col. Addison Baker earns the Medal of Honor during Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti, Romania. Baker was a pilot in the 112th Observation Squadron, 37th Division Aviation when the unit was inducted into federal service in 1940. Like many experienced Guard pilots, he was soon transferred to expanding Army Air Corps formations. While in command of the 93rd Bombardment Group, Baker’s B-24 bomber, nicknamed “Hell’s Wench,” was hit as he approached the target, but he continued to lead his formation and bombed it with devastating effect. Baker tried unsuccessfully to gain enough altitude so he and his crew could bail out but the plane was too badly damaged and soon crashed, killing all on board. For his determined leadership and devotion to accomplishing his mission, even knowing he and his men might die in the process, he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor, one of seven awarded for this raid.
AUGUST 5, 1877
The 945th Engineer Company is organized in Norwalk, Ohio as Company G, 16th Infantry (Western Reserve Guards)
The 945th has spent its entire 142-year history in Norwalk and has only been an infantry and engineer unit during that time. The company has earned campaign credit for World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. The unit earned the Valorous Unit Award in Iraq in 2004-2005. In this photo, Sgt. Willy Sobczak, 2nd Platoon, Company C, 612th Engineer Battalion, uses a remote control to maneuver the retractable arm on the Buffalo armored personnel carrier Sept. 1, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq.
AUGUST 14, 1950
The 987th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, with units in Canton and Alliance, Ohio, is ordered into active federal service for the Korean War
The 987th would be the only Ohio Army National Guard unit to deploy to Korea as a unit, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its support of U.S. and Republic of Korea units. In this photo, a 987th Soldier poses for a photograph on the front of a M7 Priest self-propelled howitzer in Korea. Known as the “Red Bulls,” the battalion’s unofficial symbol, the yellow triangle with a red bull, can be seen on the turret and barrel of the 105 mm gun.
AUGUST 18, 1917
The 112th Fighter Squadron is organized at Kelly Field, Texas as the 112th Aero Squadron (U.S. Army Air Service).
The squadron has seen active service World War II, Korea, the Berlin Crisis, Panama and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this photo, a group including Toledo Mayor Michael Damas (right) admires an F-84F “Thunderstreak” of the 112th Tactical Fighter Squadron before it is christened the “City of Toledo” at the Swanton Air National Guard Base, circa 1960.
BOTTOM: In this photo, a formation of Douglas O-38 planes from the 112th Observation Squadron fly from Ohio to Michigan on Feb. 22, 1931.
Photo illustration by Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker, 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AUGUST 19, 1939
Celebrating National Aviation Day, Aug. 19
Honoring the development of manned flight, National Aviation Day was established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who issued a presidential proclamation which designated the anniversary of Ohio-born Orville Wright’s birthday on Aug. 19 to be National Aviation Day. The Ohio National Guard has a rich aviation history, with four Air National Guard wings operating unique aircraft (pictured are two F-16 Fighting Falcons, operated by the 180th Fighter Wing) and the Army National Guard operating multiple airframes including three different helicopter models.
AUGUST 29, 1917
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Engineer Brigade and Headquarters and Special Troops Battalion, 371st Sustainment Brigade are constituted as Headquarters, 62nd Field Artillery Brigade
Following World War I, the unit expanded with the Headquarters organized in Cleveland, now the 16th Engineer Brigade, and the Headquarters Battery in Dayton, now the 371st Sustainment Brigade. Both elements fought in the Pacific during World War II as the 37th Division Artillery. Since 2001, both brigades have had several mobilizations to Iraq and Kuwait and each have been awarded multiple Meritorious Unit Commendations. In this photo, Brig. Gen. William Smith (mounted on the first horse, at left) and his staff take a ride at Camp Sheridan, Ala. during training in 1918, prior to World War I.
SEPTEMBER 2, 1940
‘It’s over and we’re coming home soon!’: Marking the 75th anniversary of V-J Day
Sept. 2, 1945: Victory over Japan, or V-J, Day, marked the formal surrender by Japan to Allied forces, ending World War II. The 37th Infantry “Buckeye” Division was one of eight Ohio National Guard units that fought in the Pacific Theater and aided in the Allies’ ultimate victory.
SEPTEMBER 12, 1918
Battle of St. Mihiel
The Battle of St. Mihiel begins in France during World War I. The attack on the German salient (a battlefield feature that projects into and is surrounded by enemy territory on multiple sides) was planned and led by the American First Army and marked the first large offensive launched by the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Ohio’s 166th Infantry, part of the 42nd “Rainbow” Division, made the main effort for the IV Corps in the center of the salient’s southern edge. In this Sept. 12, 1918, photo, units of the 3rd Division cross the supply train of the 166th Infantry in the advance on Mont Sec during the battle.
SEPTEMBER 14, 1955
135th Military Police Company
The 135th Military Police Company is organized in Chardon, Ohio as Battery C, 179th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. In the 1960s, as Battery C, 1st Battalion, 137th Artillery, the unit manned the Fairview Park, Ohio Nike missile site. The site was one of eight locations in Cuyahoga and Lake counties that made up the Cleveland Defense Area and was part of the Army Air Defense Command during the Cold War. When the air defense mission ended in 1971, the unit was converted to the 135th Military Police Company. The unit has mobilized multiple time during the War on Terrorism, including two deployments to Iraq where it earned the Valorous Unit Award in 2003. In this 2002 photo, a noncommissioned officer conducts a guard mount inspection during the company’s mobilization to Fort Bragg, N.C. in support of Operation Noble Eagle.
SEPTEMBER 15, 1986
637th Chemical Company
The 637th Chemical Company is constituted in Covington, Ohio as the 641st Quartermaster Detachment. The unit mobilized during Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 to provide water purification assets. In 2007, the unit was converted to a chemical company and returned in 2019 from a mobilization to Kuwait, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation. In this July 26, 2012, photo, Soldiers from the 637th Chemical Company decontaminate a role player during Vibrant Response 13 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, near Butlerville, Ind.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2000
The 52nd Civil Support Team
The 52nd Civil Support Team is organized in Columbus, Ohio. The 52nd CST is a unique unit and deploys in support of civil authorities at a domestic Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive (CBRNE) or natural disaster incident site by identifying CBRNE agents/substances, assessing current and projected consequences, advising on response measures and assisting with appropriate requests for state and federal support. In this March 2017 photo, Sgt. 1st Class Ross Miller (left) discusses with the medical operations officer, Maj Mary Hummel, how to safety transfer a patient from a hazardous environment to an ambulance during a training exercise in Cleveland.
SEPTEMBER 17, 1862
Battle of Antietam
At Antietam, near Sharpsburg, Md., Union troops under Maj. Gen. George McClellan fought Gen. Robert E. Lee’s invading army to a standstill. Ohio contributed 11 infantry regiments, two batteries of artillery and an independent cavalry company to the battle. Today, the 148th Infantry Regiment (4th Ohio), 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5th Ohio), 107th Cavalry Regiment (7th Ohio) and 145th Armored Regiment (7th Ohio) display the Antietam campaign streamer on their colors. With over 22,000 total casualties, Antietam remains the single bloodiest day in American military history. This photo shows the monument to the 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry near the “Bloody Lane” where the regiment charged and captured about 300 prisoners.
SEPTEMBER 18, 1837
112th Engineer Battalion
The 112th Engineer Battalion is organized in Cleveland as the Cleveland City Guard. The unit would later change its name to the Cleveland Grays. The Grays were a popular independent militia company during the last half of the 19th century and were one of the first Ohio units to respond to President Lincoln’s call for troops during the Civil War. The battalion is the oldest unit in the Ohio National Guard and bears campaign streamers for the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. In this 1945 photo, Soldiers from the 112th Combat Engineer Battalion pose for a picture in front of a sign that reads “Hitler doesn’t live here anymore. Why not?” while visiting Adolph Hitler’s former home near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria following the end of World War II in Europe.
SEPTEMBER Sept. 19-20, 1863
Battle of Chickamauga
Confederate forces defeat Union troops at the Battle of Chickamauga, Ga. Forty-four Ohio infantry regiments, 11 Ohio batteries and four Ohio cavalry regiments, representing about 30% of the Army of the Cumberland, were engaged in the battle. In two days, 3,591 Ohioans were either killed or wounded and 1,351 were captured. Today, the 134th Field Artillery Regiment (1st Ohio Light Artillery), 112th Engineer Battalion (1st Ohio Infantry) and 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (6th Ohio Infantry) display the Chickamauga campaign streamer. This photo shows the bronze relief tablet that is part of the 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry monument that was erected by the State of Ohio on the battlefield in 1894.
Video by Airman 1st Class Kevin Long
SEPTEMBER 18, 1947
Celebrating National Aviation Day
On Sept. 18, 1947, the Air Force was officially established as a separate branch of the U.S. military. — “Frontiers of Blue” is the theme for the 2019's Air Force birthday, and focuses on heritage, warfighting capability and innovation. In this photo, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the Ohio National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing, flies over the skies of the Florida panhandle during a Combat Archer training exercise.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, Ohio Army National Guard Historian
SEPTEMBER 19, 1947
112th Engineer Battalion organized as Cleveland City Guard
Members of the 112th Engineer Battalion stand for a photograph with their organizational colors on the drill floor of the Cleveland Grays Armory Museum on Aug. 7, 2019, in downtown Cleveland. Members of the 112th Engineer Battalion staff took a tour of the 1893 armory to learn about the history of the Cleveland Grays, an organization whose lineage the battalion perpetuates.
SEPTEMBER 20
The Ohio National Guard honors POW/MIA Recognition Day
About 82,500 Americans remain missing or unaccounted for from wars fought since World War II to the present, including nearly 3,700 Ohioans. We honor prisoners of war and those missing in action for their service to our nation. Pulling from the Buckeye Guard archives, we recount the story of retired Col. Mike Roberts, a former commander of the 178th Fighter Wing in Springfield, Ohio, who spent several weeks as a POW in Iraq when his F-16 Flying Falcon was shot down in the early days of Operation Desert Storm.
SEPTEMBER 25, 1971
200th RED HORSE
The 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) is organized at Camp Perry, Ohio as the 200th Civil Engineering Squadron. The 200th was the first RED HORSE squadron organized in the Air National Guard. The squadron has deployed multiple times in support of the War on Terrorism sine 9/11. In this circa 1990 photo, Master Sgt. Parks (from left), Sgt. Burke, Staff Sgt. Nestinger and Staff Sgt. Warga of the 200th RED HORSE pour concrete during a training mission.
SEPTEMBER 26, 1877
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 112th Engineer Battalion
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 112th Engineer Battalion is organized in Berea, Ohio as Company K, 15th Infantry (Berea Light Guards). The company bears campaign credit for World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism and includes the Presidential Unit Citation for the Normandy Landings. In this photo, officers and noncommissioned officers of Company K, 15th Infantry sit for a photograph in front of the Berea Light Guards armory during a state active duty tour for the Berea Quarry strike in 1896.
SEPTEMBER 26, 1947
Company B, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment
Company B, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment is organized in Columbus, Ohio as Battery A, 183rd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. The battery was a segregated unit and was called into federal service in 1952 for the Korean War as part of the 37th Division. It was converted to an aviation unit in 1959 and later moved to the Akron-Canton Airport. The company was reorganized under its present designation in 2006 and has multiple deployments in support of the War on Terrorism flying the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. In this photo, an H-19 Chickasaw helicopter of Aviation Company, 107th Armored Cavalry circles for a landing in front of a group of Soldiers during winter training, circa 1960.
SEPTEMBER 27, 1918
Citation for 2nd Lt. Albert Baesel,
Medal of Honor Recipient
2nd Lt. Albert E. Baesel of Company B, 148th Infantry, 37th Division was killed near Ivoiry, France while attempting to rescue a wounded Soldier during the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. For his action he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. ~ READ CITATION
OCTOBER 1, 1978
73RD Troop Command
The 73rd Troop Command is organized in Worthington, Ohio as Command and Control Headquarters, Ohio Army National Guard. The headquarters is one of six major subordinate commands of the Ohio Army National Guard and oversees the Homeland Response Force (HRF) for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region V. Its first mission came in 2005 as Joint Task Force Buckeye when it deployed to Mississippi in response to Hurricane Katrina. In this July 2005 photo, 73rd Troop Command’s leadership team, Brig. Gen. Jack Lee (left) and Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Collins, lead Soldiers on a group run during Annual Training 2005 at Camp Grayling, Mich.
OCTOBER 1, 1987
137th Aviation Regiment is constituted
The 137th Aviation Regiment is constituted in the Ohio Army National Guard. Flying the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, the unit has mobilized to Kosovo and has deployed multiple times to Southwest Asia. In 2009, the 1st Battalion earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation for service in Iraq. In this July 22, 2020, photo, UH-60 Black Hawks of the 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment take off and land at a Fort Hood, Texas airfield while preparing for a mobilization as part of the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade.
OCTOBER 1, 1984
The 1484th Transportation Company is constituted in Akron, Ohio as the 637th Service Company.
As a transportation company, the unit has deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the War on Terrorism, earning the Meritorious Unit Commendation twice. The 1484th is currently located in North Canton, Ohio.
OCTOBER 5, 1952
251st Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group
The 251st Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group is organized in Springfield, Ohio as the 251st Communications Group. The 251st is the oldest communications/cyber group in the U.S. Air Force. It was redesignated as a cyberspace unit on May 1, 2014, and has the mission to command, organize, equip, train and administer assigned expeditionary cyberspace engineering installation and combat communication forces. In this December 1987 photo, Maj. Gen. Francis E. Hazard, Ohio Air National Guard chief of staff, affixes a streamer for the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award to the guidon of the 251st Combat Communications Group while the group commander, Col. David Howard, looks on.
Photo from Ohio Army National Guard Historical Collections – Battlefield photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Webster photo courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society
OCTOBER 8, 1862
Battle of Perryville, Ky.
Union Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio and Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Army of Mississippi clash at the Battle of Perryville, Ky. After back and forth fighting, the day ends with a Confederate tactical victory, but Bragg, short of men and supplies, is forced to retreat during the night. The battle ends Bragg’s offensive campaign into Kentucky. Buell’s three corps include 30 infantry regiments, five batteries of artillery and parts of two cavalry regiments from the Buckeye state. Today, the 148th Infantry Regiment (3rd Ohio); 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5th Ohio), 112th Engineer Battalion (1st Ohio) and 134th Field Artillery Regiment (1st Ohio Light Artillery) are authorized to display a campaign streamer with “Kentucky 1862” embroidered on it, signifying this campaign. This post-war photo of the Perryville battlefield shows the location where Col. George R. Webster (pictured) of the 98th Ohio was mortally wounded while in command of the 34th Brigade, 10th Division.
OCTOBER 10, 1877
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment (Black Horse Troop) and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 237th Support Battalion (First Cleveland Troop)
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment (Black Horse Troop) and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 237th Support Battalion (First Cleveland Troop) are organized in Cleveland as the First Cleveland Troop, an independent volunteer militia company. The troop joined the Ohio National Guard in 1887 and has served in the War with Spain, World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this circa 1935 photo, members of Troop A, 107th Cavalry are shown in their ceremonial Hussar uniforms that date back to the organization of the troop. The men are also mounted on black horses, a tradition that earned the troop its “Black Horse Troop” nickname.
BOTTOM: The troop was known for its distinctive dress uniforms, inspired by the French Hussars, that included a black bear skin busby headgear.
OCTOBER 15, 1962
178th Wing is organized in Springfield, Ohio
The 178th Wing is organized in Springfield, Ohio as the 178th Tactical Fighter Group. The wing has flown the F-84F Thunderstreak, F-100 Super Sabre, A-7 Corsair II and F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 2014, it converted from a fighter wing to an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance wing, flying the MQ-1 Predator and currently the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. In this photo, a maintenance crew from the 178th Tactical Fighter Group stands in front of an F-100 Super Sabre, circa 1975.
OCTOBER 15, 1962
178th Wing allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard
The 178th Wing is allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard as the 178th Tactical Fighter Group in Springfield, Ohio, flying the F-84E Thunderjet, a turbojet fighter-bomber. Today, the 178th operates the MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations.
OCTOBER 15, 1962
179th Airlift Wing is organized in Mansfield, Ohio
The 179th Airlift Wing is organized in Mansfield, Ohio as the 179th Tactical Fighter Group. As a fighter group, the 179th flew the F-84F Thunderstreak and F-100 Super Sabre before converting to an airlift group in 1976, flying the C-130 Hercules. From 2010 to 2013, the wing flew the C-27J Spartan and was the first unit to train and deploy the joint cargo plane in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011. In this 1970 photo, personnel from the 179th Tactical Fighter Group stand in formation outside of their hangar at Mansfield Lahm Airport.
OCTOBER 15, 1962
179th AirliftWing allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard
The 179th Airlift Wing is allotted to the Ohio Air National Guard as the 179th Tactical Fighter Group in Mansfield, Ohio, flying the F-84E/F turbojet fighter-bombers. Today, the 179th operates the C-130H Hercules, a versatile, four-engine turboprop cargo and personnel transport aircraft.
OCTOBER 15, 1962
180th Fighter Wing is organized in Toledo, Ohio
The 180th Fighter Wing is organized in Toledo, Ohio as the 180th Tactical Fighter Group. The wing has flown the F-84F Thunderstreak, F-100 Super Sabre, A-7 Corsair II and currently the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Today, the wing is part of the nation’s homeland defense mission and reports to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) as part of the Homeland Defense Air Sovereignty Alert mission. In this June 6, 2007, photo, Senior Airman Jacob Burgy of the 180th Fighter Wing directs F-16 pilot Capt. Karl Palmberg where to park after a combat mission out of Balad Air Base, Iraq.
OCTOBER 29, 1947
Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment
Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment is organized in Lebanon, Ohio as Battery B, 136th Field Artillery Battalion. The troop has seen active service during the Korean War, the Kosovo Defense Campaign and the War on Terrorism.
TOP: In this July 14, 1952, photo, a gun crew of Battery B, 136th Field Artillery Battalion is in the process of loading the projectile into the breach of a 155 mm howitzer during training at Camp Polk, La.
BOTTOM: . In this 1950 photo, Battery B, 136th Field Artillery Battalion stands for a unit portrait during annual field training at Camp Atterbury, Ind.
OCTOBER 30, 1907
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is organized in McConnelsville, Ohio as Company M, 7th Infantry Regiment. The unit has served in World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in Central and Southwest Asia in 2017-2018. The unit was designation as the 124th Wagon Company, 37th Division Quartermaster Trains, from 1921 to 1936.
TOP: This photo shows the company at Camp Perry, Ohio in 1934.
BOTTOM: In this 1968 photo, Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 174th Artillery poses for a unit photo during annual field training at Camp Perry, Ohio.
OCTOBER 30, 1947
Company B, 638th Support Battalion
Company B, 638th Support Battalion is organized in Columbus, Ohio as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 183rd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. When the unit was organized, it was a segregated, all-black unit that served with the 37th Infantry Division on active duty from 1952 to 1954.
TOP: In this May 29, 2019, photo, Spc. Max Doppes, of Company B, 638th Support Battalion, screws the weighted tip caps of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter’s blade to maintain balance at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
BOTTOM: In this July 23, 1954, photo Brig. Gen. Kenneth Cooper (right), 37th Division Artillery commanding general, presents the guidon of Headquarters Battery, 137th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion to the battery commander during 37th Infantry Division Day ceremonies at Camp Perry, Ohio.
OCTOBER 31, 1872
1487th Transportation Company
The 1487th Transportation Company is organized in Covington, Ohio, as the Covington Guards, an independent militia company. The company would be mustered into the Ohio National Guard in July 1873 and has campaign credit for World War I, World War II, Southwest Asia and the War on Terrorism. During World War II, the unit received the Presidential Unit Citation for its part in the liberation of the Philippines, as a member of the 148th Infantry.
TOP; In this photo, Capt. Harold E. Weikert, commanding officer of Company M, 148th Infantry, awaits further orders as his company arrives at Camp Atterbury, Ind. via train for annual training, circa 1950.
BOTTOM: In this Nov. 20, 1943, photo, Soldiers of Company M, 148th Infantry man an 81 mm mortar on Bougainville. Ready to place the mortar is Cpl. Gilbert Cutcher (standing), while Staff Sgt. Bert Nichpor (second from right) prepares the firing data by peering through the sight.
Image courtesy of the Walter J. Schweitzer family
NOVEMBER 1, 1920
Company D, 237th Support Battalion
Company D, 237th Support Battalion is organized in Cincinnati as Troop H, 1st Cavalry Regiment. The unit served in World War II as Troop C, 107th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and in Kosovo as Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment, where it earned the Army Superior Unit Award.
TOP: In this photo, members of Troop K, 107th Cavalry pose for a photo while mounted at Camp Perry, Ohio in 1934.
BOTTOM: In honor of the 75th anniversary of World War II ending, this photo shows Staff Sgt. Walter J. Schweitzer of Troop C, 107th Cavalry jumping his horse “Big Cain” over a jeep at Ford Ord, Calif. in May 1942.
Video by Staff Sgt. George B. Davis, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Veterans Day 2020:
Honoring all those who’ve served
Generations of patriots have dedicated themselves to the defense of our country. They’ve made us stronger and far more resilient as a nation. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II; the Ohio National Guard answered the call, and was in every theater the American Army fought in. Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen continue to answer the call today, for duty overseas as well as protecting the homeland and serving their communities. Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, presents this year’s Veterans Day message and video.
NOVEMBER 11
Honoring all those who’ve served on Veterans Day
On Veterans Day, the Ohio National Guard remembers and recognizes all past and present members of the military who have served our country proudly, including our Soldiers and Airmen who have served their state and nation since 1788. We salute the selfless service of our veterans who have made this a strong and resilient nation.
NOVEMBER 17, 1775
Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery
The Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery branches are formed when the Continental Congress unanimously elects Henry Knox “Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery.” Although Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery are separate branches, both inherit the traditions of the Artillery branch. Today, the 134th Field Artillery Regiment (pictured, left) and 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (pictured, right) are active regiments of the artillery branch in the Ohio Army National Guard.
NOVEMBER 18, 1921
Company H, 134th Support Battalion
Company H, 134th Support Battalion is organized in Akron, Ohio as Troop I, 1st Cavalry. The company has served in World War II and the War on Terrorism during its nearly 100 years of service. The unit returned to Ohio in September 2020 after a yearlong deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
TOP: In this Dec. 7, 2019, photo, Sgt. 1st Class Justin Whale, maintenance platoon sergeant with Company H, 134th Support Battalion, Task Force Spartan, works on a pullup bar during joint exercise Iron Union near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Learn more about Company H’s history in Lineage Link Up.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Sgt. Matthew Underwood of the 737th Support Company, measures the fuel level inside a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) used for refueling military equipment June 10, 2008, at a refueling point on Camp Grayling, Mich. Company H is the forward support company for the 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment and was previously designated as the 737th Support Company from 2008 to 2018.
NOVEMBER 22, 1945
Celebrating Thanksgiving
The U.S. Army Transport Puebla is shown loading 2,000 Soldiers of the 37th Infantry Division for their return to the United States on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 1945, at San Fernando, La Union, Luzon, Philippine Islands, following more than three years overseas and 592 days of combat for the 37th ID. Seventy-five years later, during another critical time in our country’s history, Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen continue to serve their communities, state and nation proudly. Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, presents his Thanksgiving 2020 message.
37TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM
NOVEMBER 22, 1900
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 216th Engineer Battalion
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 216th Engineer Battalion is organized in Manchester, Ohio as Company G, 7th Separate Infantry Battalion. The company has earned campaign credit in World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism and has twice been awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for service in Europe and Iraq.
TOP: This June 20, 2016, photo shows Cpl. Tyler Long (from left), Capt. Matthew Curtis and Spc. Alan Shirer of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 216th Engineer Battalion raising a communications antenna during the construction of a hasty tactical command post, as part of a training exercise at Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center, near Newton Falls, Ohio.
BOTTOM: This photo shows Company E, 147th Infantry in 1935 at Camp Perry, Ohio. Manchester was home to Company E from 1930 to 1945.
NOVEMBER 25, 1863
Battle of Missionary Ridge
Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant sends Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee and Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland to assault Confederate works along Missionary Ridge, Tenn. The force contained 46 infantry regiments and four batteries of artillery from the Buckeye State. The day ended with Confederate forces in retreat toward Georgia, ending the two-monthslong siege of Union forces in Chattanooga. The State of Ohio placed a monument, pictured here, on Missionary Ridge in 1903 near where Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood’s 3rd Division, IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland attacked. Today, the 134th Field Artillery Regiment, 145th Armored Regiment, 107th Cavalry Regiment and 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment display campaign credit for Chattanooga.
NOVEMBER 25, 1940
Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion
Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion, stationed in Port Clinton, Ohio, is inducted into active federal service. Organized in 1920, the former 37th Tank Company was Ohio’s first armor formation. The Army consolidated National Guard tank companies from Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky to form the 192nd and equipped them with the new M3 Stuart light tank. Company C fought in the Battle of Bataan before taking part in the Bataan Death March in 1942. The company earned three Presidential Unit Citations and today its lineage is perpetuated by Company D, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, located in Sandusky, Ohio.
NOVEMBER 25, 1943
The Ohio National Guard wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
In this Nov. 25, 1943, photo, men of Headquarters Company, 145th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division go through the mess line and receive their Thanksgiving Day turkey dinner on Bougainville Island in the Philippines during World War II. In his Thanksgiving message, Maj. Gen. John C. Harris, Ohio adjutant general, says Ohio National Guard members’ “readiness to serve your state and nation is why we have the world’s strongest military…take time this Thanksgiving to give thanks for the blessings you’ve experienced this past year. Enjoy the time with family and friends.”
NOVEMBER 27, 1925
Company C, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment
Company C, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment is organized in Fremont, Ohio as Company B, 148th Infantry. The company has earned campaign credit in World War II and the War on Terrorism, where it earned the Valorous Unit Award in Iraq during a 2004-2005 mobilization as Company B, 612th Engineer Battalion and the Meritorious Unit Commendation in Afghanistan during 2012 as Company C. During World War II, Company B earned the Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle of Manila and three men of the company — Pvt. Rodger Young, Pfc. Cleto Rodriguez and Pfc. John Reese Jr. — earned the Medal of Honor. In this 1941 photo, Soldiers of Company B, 148th Infantry cross a bridge near Camp Shelby, Miss. during a practice hike.
NOVEMBER 28, 1995
Companies B and D, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation
Companies B and D, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment are organized in Columbus as Troops D and E, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry. Both units have mobilized multiple times in support of the War on Terrorism and earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2009 while deployed to Iraq. In this June 8, 2017, photo, Spc. Alphonso Grant, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew member with Company B, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment, waits to engage targets with a M240C machine gun from the door of a Black Hawk during an aerial gunnery range at Camp Grayling, Mich.
NOVEMBER 30, 1864
Battle of Franklin
The Union Army of the Ohio, under Maj. Gen. John Schofield, defeats Confederate Gen. John B. Hood at the Battle of Franklin, Tenn. Schofield’s force contained 26 Ohio infantry regiments, four artillery batteries and one cavalry regiment. Eight of the 11 Union Soldiers who earned the Medal of Honor there were from Ohio regiments. When the enemy broke the Union line near the Columba Pike, Col. Emerson Opdycke (pictured) ordered his brigade forward to stop the rushing Confederates. The counterattack stopped the enemy and turned the tide of the battle, allowing the Union Army to get possession of their line and achieve victory. Opdycke’s brigade included his former regiment, the 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who earned the nickname “Opdyke’s Tigers” after a heroic charge at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Image courtesy of the Roger Freeman Collection, Imperial War Museums
DECEMBER 1, 1942
121st Air Refueling Wing
The 121st Air Refueling Wing is organized in the Army Air Force at Hamilton Field, Calif. as the 357th Fighter Group. The group contained three units that were also organized on this date: the 362nd Fighter Squadron, currently the 162nd Reconnaissance Squadron, Springfield, Ohio; 363rd Fighter Squadron, currently the 164th Airlift Squadron, Mansfield, Ohio; and the 364th Fighter Squadron, currently the 166th Air Refueling Squadron, Columbus, Ohio.
TOP: In this photo, a P-51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group is show in flight during World War II, where the group served in Europe in the Eighth Air Force and earned two Distinctive Unit Citations.
BOTTOM: P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group fly in formation during a mission in World War II, where the group served in Europe in the Eighth Air Force and earned two Distinctive Unit Citations.
DECEMBER 1, 1969
16th Engineer Brigade
The Institute of Heraldry approves the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for the 16th Engineer Brigade. Formed on Feb. 15, 1968, by the reorganization of the 37th Division Artillery, the engineers first were authorized the formed insignia of the 37th Infantry Division. The new insignia is symbolic of their heritage with the scarlet disc with white border. The two crossed towers form a saltire — a symbol used during the Crusades to reward those who scaled town walls — and refer to the combat aspects of the Engineers. The saltire formed by the two crossed towers simulates an X, the map symbol used for brigades and also simulates the Roman numeral 10 (X), which with the three merlons of each tower alludes to 16, the numerical designation of the organization.
DECEMBER 1, 2007
291st Engineer Detachment
The 291st Engineer Detachment is organized in Newton Falls, Ohio. In this photo, members of the 291st and 292nd Engineer Detachments conduct paving operations at Fuse and Booster Spur Roads on Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center June 20, 2016, near Newton Falls.
DECEMBER 4, 1875
Company B, 1st Battalion,
145th Armored Regiment
Company B, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment is organized in Akron as the Akron City Guard. Company B has campaign credit from the War with Spain, World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. From 1886 to 1888, the company was commanded by the Capt. Charles F. Dick, who would later become a U.S. senator and author of the Militia Act of 1903, which gave birth to the modern National Guard.
TOP: In this photo, noncommissioned officers of Company B, 8th Infantry Regiment pose in their dress uniforms and Pattern 1881 Dress Helmets, circa 1890.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Company B, 8th Infantry Regiment is shown at camp in 1895.
DECEMBER 07, 1920
Company A, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment
Company A, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment is organized in Ravenna, Ohio as Troop L, Cavalry. Company A has spent its entire 99-year life as a mounted warfare formation, serving as either a cavalry troop or a tank company. The unit has campaign credit from World War II and the War on Terrorism and is currently deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
TOP: In this 1938 photo, members of Headquarters Troop, 107th Cavalry sit for a unit photograph during annual summer training at Fort Knox, Ky.
BOTTOM: In this photo, Spc. Shawn Zucchero, a gunner with Company M, 3rd Squadron, 107th Armored Cavalry, drives an M48A3 tank into a fighting position at Camp Grayling, Mich. in 1988.
DECEMBER 07, 1941
Commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor
In honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Dec. 7, the Ohio National Guard highlights Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion, which had been stationed in the Philippines since Thanksgiving when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 8, 1941, just hours after attacking Pearl Harbor. In this photo taken during training before going overseas, Company C’s Earl McFay (from left), Paul Grassick, John Robinette, Earl Charles and George Zimmerman stand by their tank at Fort Knox, Ky. The lineage of Company C is carried on today through Company D, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, located in Sandusky.
DECEMBER 07, 1993
Company C, 1st Battalion,
145th Armored Regiment
Company C, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment is organized in North Canton, Ohio as Company C, 1st Battalion, 147th Infantry. As an element of the 148th Infantry, the company mobilized to Kovoso in 2006-2007 and recently returned from a deployment in support of Operation Spartan Shield. In this Dec. 10, 2019 photo, Spc. Matthew Vogtmann, a gunner with Company C, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment, prepares for a night reconnaissance mission in the Rub’ al-Khali desert near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
DECEMBER 10, 1874
Company G, 237th Support Battalion
Company G, 237th Support Battalion is organized in Findlay, Ohio as the Findlay Guards. The company perpetuates the lineage of Lima, Findlay and Van Wert, Ohio through various consolidations of units over the years and is credited with campaign credit from World War I, World War II and the War on Terrorism. During World War II, as Company C, 148th Infantry, the unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its achievement during the campaign to liberate Manila in February and March 1945.
TOP: In this March 1999 photo, Headquarters Company medics Spc. Andrew Martin (from left), Sgt. Eric Mathewson, Spc. William Latimer and Pfc. Jude Remy carry a casualty to a landing zone during platoon training near the Allen County Airport.
BOTTOM: In this Feb. 26, 1945, photo, members of Company C are shown moving forward to attack enemy positions inside the legislative building during the final days of the Battle of Manila.
DECEMBER 12, 1776
Cavalry and Armor branches
The Cavalry and Armor branches trace their origins to a regiment of cavalry authorized by the Continental Congress on this date. Although Armor didn’t become a permanent branch of the Army until 1950, both branches share in the birthday of the Army’s mounted formations. Ohio’s first mounted units were organized during the War of 1812. During the American Civil War, Ohio raised 26 different cavalry regiments and independent units. In the modern era, Ohio has been home to the 107th and 237th Cavalry Regiments as well as the 137th, 145th and 147th Armored Regiments. In this photo, Soldiers from Troop A, 107th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron look over a map after dismounting from their M24 Chaffee Light Tank, circa 1948.
Graphic by National Guard Bureau Public Affairs
DECEMBER 13, 1636
Happy birthday, National Guard: 384 years of service
Since Dec. 13, 1636, when the first militia regiments were formed in Massachusetts, there’s been a National Guard ready to protect and defend. The 384-year legacy of service continues with Citizen-Soldiers and –Airmen who make up today’s 450,000-member National Guard, supporting contingency operations overseas as well as critical domestic operations here at home. Always Ready, Always There.
Graphic from National Guard Bureau
DECEMBER 13, 1636
Celebrating the National Guard’s 383rd Birthday
The official birthdate of the Army National Guard as a reserve component of the Army is Dec. 13, 1636. On this date, the Massachusetts colonial legislature directed that the colony’s existing militia companies be organized into three regiments, marking the beginning of the organized militia. The birth of the National Guard’s oldest organized units is symbolic of the founding of all the state, territory and District of Columbia militias that collectively make up today’s 450,00-member National Guard — Always Ready, Always There!
DECEMBER 13, 1995
Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group
Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group is organized in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Company B has deployed numerous times during the War on Terrorism and earned the Valorous Unit Award in 2016 in Afghanistan. In this October 2011 photo, Soldiers with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) prepare to load a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for a military freefall jump onto H.R. Mills Drop Zone at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.
Graphic from National Guard Bureau
DECEMBER 15, 1864
Battle of Nashville
The two day Battle of Nashville begins as Union Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas defeats the Confederates under Lt. Gen. John B. Hood. Thomas had 28 Ohio infantry regiments and six Ohio artillery batteries, all veterans, together with several newly organized Ohio regiments in his 50,000-strong Army. Today, the 134th Field Artillery Regiment displays a campaign streamer from the Battle of Nashville.
DECEMBER 16, 2004
1483rd Transportation Company
The 1483rd Transportation Company is organized in Walbridge, Ohio. The unit deployed to Iraq in 2009-2010, where it earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation. In this 2018 photo, Soldiers of the 1483rd Transportation Company cruise along during their tactical convoy operations training lane at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling, Mich.
Photograph courtesy of the Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler Audiovisual Collection/Ohio History Connection
DECEMBER 18, 1945
37th Infantry Division is inactivated at Camp Anza, Calif.
The 37th Infantry Division is inactivated at Camp Anza, Calif. After five years of active service, 592 days of combat across three bloody campaigns and seven Soldiers earning Medals of Honor — all but one posthumously — the Buckeye Division ceased to legally exist after returning from the Philippines. The division returned to the control of the Ohio National Guard in 1946 and quickly began reorganizing units across the state. By November 1946, enough of the subordinate elements had been organized that the division once again received federal recognition. In this October 1945 photograph, the 37th Infantry Division Band plays for passing troops during a full division review at Camp LaCroix, Cabanatuan, Philippines. It was the first full review of the division since it had left the United States in May 1942.
DECEMBER 20, 1989
Operation Just Cause
The 180th Tactical Fighter Group supports Operation Just Cause: the Invasion of Panama. Beginning in November 1989, elements of the 180th were deployed to Howard Air Force Base, Panama for a scheduled rotation of units. While there, the operation launched in the early morning of Dec. 20, 1989, with numerous Army units making ground and airborne attacks at various locations. The 180th flew more than 20 combat sorties in their A7D Corsair II aircraft and expended 2,715 rounds of ammunition in support of those ground troops. The group became the first Air National Guard unit in the U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command to experience combat since the Vietnam War.
Photo courtesy of the digital scrapbook of Maj. Robert B. Mearns
DECEMBER during WWII
Celebrating Christmas away from home
The Soldiers of Company D, 145th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division read the Christmas greeting sent to them on Bogainville in the South Pacific by the residents of Berea, Ohio during World War II. All members of Company D were from Berea. Kneeling beside the unique greeting is Capt. Fred Pincombe (from left), Lloyd Washelesky and Lt. Kenneth McCarthey; standing are Pfc. Walter Samek (from left), Staff Sgt. Benedict Yanke, Sgt. Anthony Presewski, Sgt. Ed Yanke, Cpl. John Sinko, Sgt. Malcolm Fish, Sgt. Kenneth Bohland, Sgt. Harry Ives, Staff Sgt. Dorance Case, Pfc. Stanley Sarkiewiez and Pvt. Oscar Ogilrey.
Image from the Life and Speeches of Gen. Wm. H. Gibson
DECEMBER 31, 1862
The Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River, or Murfreesboro, begins in Tennessee. After three days of back and forth fighting, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg abandoned the area, giving control of central Tennessee to Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans’ Army of the Cumberland. During the battle, there were 2,582 Ohioans either killed or wounded and 1,103 either missing or captured. Col. William H. Gibson’s 49th Ohio was on the right flank of the Union Army on the first morning where his regiment received the brunt of the initial Confederate attack. Gibson, who later served as Ohio adjutant general, had two horses shot out from under him during the battle including Morgan (pictured), the horse presented to him by the citizens of Tiffin, Ohio in 1861 when the regiment was organized.