The History of the Indiana National Guard
Serving the Citizens of Indiana and the Entire Country
Sep 15, 2009
The Indiana National Guard began in 1801. Known originally as the Indiana Legion, the volunteer companies protected people on the frontier against attacks from Native Americans. The Indiana Legion was renamed the Indiana National Guard during 1805.
19th Century Conflicts
Thousands of Hoosiers, as Indiana residents call themselves, have served in all of the country’s major military conflicts. During 1811, its members fought with General William Henry Harrison at the Battle of Tippecanoe. For the rest of the 1800s, Indiana militia units were called for service during the Mexican War (1846-1848) and volunteer units served during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Several regiments were mobilized for the Spanish-American War in1898.
20th Century Service
Indiana units served on the Mexican Border during 1916. A year later, all the regiments in the Indiana Guard were mobilized for service during The Great War, now known as World War I. Most of the new 38th (Cyclone) Division came from Indiana units that were deployed to France. Indiana's 150th Field Artillery Regiment fought as part of the new 42nd (Rainbow) Division. During World War II (1941-1945), the 38th Infantry Division fought in the Southwest Pacific. Its landing at Luzon in the Philippines reclaimed the Bataan Peninsula from the Japanese. General Douglas MacArthur christened the 38th the "Avengers of Bataan".
Indiana Air Guard units were mobilized during the Korean War (1950-1953) and during the Berlin Crisis (1958-1962), in which the powers of the world argued over the status of the German city of Berlin. During the 1960s, Company D (Ranger) of the 151st Infantry was mobilized for service in Vietnam and earned the distinction as one of the most highly decorated combat units of the war. Most recently, personnel from four Army Guard and four Air Guard units of the Indiana National Guard were called into federal service to support Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East.
State service for the Indiana National Guard has included disaster relief and keeping the peace. Men and women of Indiana's units have served their fellow Hoosiers during tornadoes, floods, blizzards, utility failures, aircraft accidents and many other emergencies.
National Guard Operations
The Charter for the National Guard lies within the United States Constitution. The Guard has a dual state/federal role. For each state, the governor is commander-in-chief of the Guard and can use the Guard as needed for the security of a state's citizens and property. During a national crisis, units of the Guard can be called from a state and placed into active federal service.
Learn more about the Indiana National Guard by reading "Indiana's Citizen Soldiers: The Militia and National Guard in Indiana History." Published in 1980, it was written by William J. Watt and James R.H. Spears.
