126th Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 126th Cavalry Regiment ("Second Michigan") is a United States military unit of the Michigan
Army
National Guard
. The 126th was originally an infantry
regiment, then was converted into an armoured
role, and then was converted to a light cavalry
reconnaissance
unit, with subordinate units stationed in Cadillac
, Wyoming
, Dowagiac
, and Manistee
.
unit. The 126th Infantry dates back as early as 12 July 1855 when the Grand Rapids
Light Guard and Grand Rapids Artillery companies were organized. The first officers of the Grand Rapids Light Guard included Wright L. Coffinberry as captain; Frederick W. Worden, E.T. Nelson, and A.L. Gage as lieutenant
s; Milton S. Littlefield, Benjamin B. Church, S.S. Porter, and G.M. McCray as sergeant
s. Other charter members of the Light Guard included Edward A. Earle, Joseph C. Herkner, Benjamin Luce, Henry Spring, Miles Adams, E. H. Hunt, Dr. Willard Bliss, Frank Earle, Warren P. Mills, James Sargeant, J.E. Earle, John Grady, C.B. Hinsdill, Charles D. Lyon, George E. Judd, Henry Whipple, Robert M. Collins, F. Shriver, Byron R. Pierce, B. D. Ball, Edwin S. Pierce, John Seymour, Samuel Judd, Thomas Sargeant, G. W. Remington, William Livingston, Henry Ely, and Joseph Houseman. Later that year Ringgold’s Light Artillery was organized, and four years later in 1859, the Grand Rapids Rifles came into existence. These companies along with several others from Ionia
formed the 51st Volunteer Uniformed Michigan
Militia
Regiment prior to the American Civil War
.
The four companies formed the core of the Third Michigan Infantry Regiment
that joined the Civil War on 13 June 1861. The regimental commander at the time was Colonel Daniel McConnell
. The Third Michigan fought in twelve campaigns before it was mustered out in June 1864. Besides five Grand Rapids companies, the Third included companies from Boston and Lyons
in Ionia County
, Lansing
, Muskegon
, and Georgetown
.
On June 13, 1861 the Third Regiment marched out of Cantonment Anderson in Grand Rapids, Michigan towards the recently constructed railroad depot near Leonard and Plainfield streets, where it boarded and departed the area for the war. While attached to Richardson’s brigade of Colonel Miles’s Division, the Third participated in its first engagement against Confederate forces just thirty-eight days after being federalized. It began as a part of a reconnaissance in force towards Blackburn’s Ford along Bull Run (the term “run” is southern for creek or small river). On July 21, the Third marched with Richardson’s brigade back to Blackburn’s ford to keep the rebels occupied while the rest of McDowell’s army hit the Confederate’s left flank. After desultory firing at the ford, Richardson learned of the Federal rout on the right and was recalled to Centreville. What they saw was utter chaos and confusion as the Confederate forces, now reinforced, literally cut through the advancing and then retreating Union forces.
Morale by the close of that first summer was presumably low in the Third Michigan. During the next few months a number of officers including Colonel McConnell resigned and returned home to Grand Rapids. Major Champlin, who had originally organized Ringgold’s Light Artillery back in 1855, assumed command of the regiment on October 28, 1861, and under him, the Third went into winter quarters at Alexandria, Virginia. That next March, the Third Michigan was assigned to General Berry’s Brigade of the Third Red Diamond Division and entered the Peninsula campaign. A few months later at Fair Oaks, the regiment’s losses were severe—thirty killed, one hundred and twenty-four wounded, and fifteen missing. Included among the dead was Captain Samuel Judd, and Colonel Champlin had been severely wounded.
[Summary of campaigns will be added at a later date]
Several months following Lee’s surrender in April 1865, a great homecoming by the citizens of Grand Rapids was held for the returning heroes. On July 4, 1865, tables were set the entire length of the Pearl Street Bridge for a welcome-home celebration.
Two soldiers in the Third earned the Medal of Honor
.
; however, the Old Third Michigan didn’t organize an association until 23 February 1871. When they did, they elected Colonel Edwin S. Pierce, president; John H. Sumner, secretary; and Colonel George E. Judd, treasurer.
In Grand Rapids, the earliest of the new, independent companies was the Valley City Zouaves, organized first in 1866 and reorganized on 14 March 1873. However, this company did not remain in existence for long and was never actually mustered into state service.
Several years after the end of the Civil War, the Grand Rapids Guard company was organized by veterans of the Third and other regiments. The company was mustered into state service in 1872 as part of the Michigan State Troops. It was called out to aid authorities during a riot at the Muskegon County
jail in 1873 and to quell a disturbance at Greenville
during the Flat River
labor dispute in 1874. That year the Grand Rapids Guard became Company B 2nd Infantry Regiment when the regiment was organized at Grand Rapids. Over the course of the next 24 years through various reorganizations the 2nd Infantry included companies from Coldwater
, Kalamazoo
, Flint
, Bay City
, East Saginaw
, Port Huron
, Marquette
, Niles
, Ionia
, Manistee
, Big Rapids
, Three Rivers
, and Grand Haven
.
The Michigan State Troops were redesignated as the Michigan National Guard on 31 December 1894, in response to a growing use of that designation across the country. It was first applied to the New York state militia in 1824 as a compliment to General Lafayette, who had been visiting the United States at that time. Lafayette had commanded the Garde Nationale in Paris around 1789.
as one of five Michigan regiments. It was redesignated the 32nd Volunteer Infantry
Regiment
and included twelve battalions: four from Grand Rapids, four from Detroit, and one each from Coldwater, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek
. The 32nd rendezvoused at Island Lake and was sent to Tampa, Florida
with Colonel William T. McGurrin in command. It was just about to embark for Cuba
when hostilities ceased and the 32nd returned home.
Back at home, the regiment resumed its 2nd Infantry designation and moved into a new armory. This was the first time since 1855 that all four Grand Rapids companies were located in one armory. The remaining companies were located at Coldwater
, Kalamazoo
, Big Rapids
, Lansing
, Manistee
, Muskegon
and Battle Creek
. Owing to poor showings in annual inspections, the Manistee company was dropped for Grand Haven
and a new company was organized at Manistee. The Battle Creek company also was disbanded and Adrian
joined the regiment. The Lansing company was eventually redesignated as artillery
, and an Ionia company joined the 2nd.
The Clark Building armory in Grand Rapids was thought in its day to be one of the finest armories in the state. Its furnishings and equipment had a value estimated at $11,000. The drill hall was rather large, and the armory included ample equipment rooms, assembly rooms, billiard rooms, reading rooms, officers’ rooms, an indoor target range eighty feet in length, a cafe, club rooms, elegantly furnished parlors, and a library.
In 1903, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1903
, which had a huge impact on the Second Michigan and all other militia units in the United States. The bill and its amendments in effect served to nationalize the militia and reduce its status as a state volunteer force. Under terms of the act, the organized militia was uniformly redesignated as the National Guard and organized along army lines, with provisions for federal weapons and equipment. Twenty-four training sessions per year plus a summer encampment were now required for all units. Federal instruction and inspection were authorized and provisions made which elevated the status of Guard officers to equality with their federal counterparts.
On 3 September 1912, in response to a request from officials at the state prison
in Jackson
, the governor directed that Companies C and M, Second Infantry from Kalamazoo, join companies of the First Infantry in aiding civil authorities in quelling the riot and protecting the institution from outside attack or interference with the discipline of the convicts. Within two hours of receiving the order, both companies were ready to leave the armory. The entire regiment saw service in the 1913 copper strike
in the Upper Peninsula, serving in copper country from 24 July to the first of November. During the regiment’s stay, there was no loss of life and negligible property damage for any of citizen.
This war also became known as the Pancho Villa Expedition
.
Shortly thereafter, the regiment departed for El Paso, Texas
, arriving at Camp Cotton on 12 July, located a mere three hundred yards from the Mexican border. Upon its arrival, regular army inspectors took note of the excellent condition of the regiment and the short amount of time it took to get settled into camp. The next four weeks were spent in intensive training. During this time, details were organized to guard important points in the vicinity of El Paso. On 15 August, the regiment took over the entire outpost along the Rio Grande River and the boundary line in New Mexico
. This consisted of a line stretching from Fort Hancock
, 50 miles (80.5 km) southeast of El Paso, to Las Cruces, New Mexico
, for a total of 47 miles (75.6 km) in length. While the Grand Rapids battalion was on the border, construction work on the new Michigan Street armory was completed.
On Saturday, 13 January 1917, the final inspection of the regiment had been conducted. The regiment struck camp on Thursday and returned to Fort Wayne, where it was mustered out of service on 15 February. Under federal laws Congress adopted in June 1916 the regiment reverted to its National Guard status.
. In September, it was ordered to Camp MacArthur, Texas, where it underwent another major reorganization to become part of the 32nd Division, which included Michigan
and Wisconsin
troops.
Under the command of Colonel
Joseph Westnedge, the 32nd became the 126th Infantry Regiment. The new regiment included the following companies: A-Coldwater, B-Adrian, C-Kalamazoo, D-Ionia, E-Ann Arbor
, F-Jackson
, G-Detroit, H-Detroit, I-Big Rapids/Muskegon, K-Grand Rapids, L-Grand Haven/Muskegon, and M-Grand Rapids. In addition, the regimental headquarters, machine gun
company, supply company, sanitary detachment and band were all from Grand Rapids.
The regiment left the United States on 19 February 1918 bound for France. When it first arrived it was used for replacements and supply duty. Soon, the regiment, along with the 32nd Division, was sent into battle. When the war was over on 11 November, the 126th had seen service in four major campaigns and earned the French Croix de Guerre
. The 126th returned in May 1919 but without its dearly beloved Colonel Westnedge who had died that previous fall from the effects of mustard gas. PFC Joseph William Guyton
, the first American killed on German
-held territory in WWI, was posthumously awarded the French Croix de guerre
.
Following the war, Colonel Earl R. Stewart reorganized the 126th with units coming from many of the same towns as those of the pre-war 32nd. The only actions the unit participated in between the World Wars were the 1936 Second Army maneuvers across Allegan County
and the 1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike
.
, the 126th headed to Louisiana
along with the rest of the Red Arrow Division. The makeup of the 126th included the following units: Headquarters, Headquarters Company & Anti-Tank Platoon, Service Company, Band-Grand Rapids; 1st Battalion Headquarters Detachment-Adrian, Co A-Coldwater, Co B-Adrian, Co C-Kalamazoo, Co D-Holland; 2nd Battalion Headquarters Detachment-Muskegon, Co E-Big Rapids, Co F-Grand Haven, Co G-Muskegon, Co H-Ionia; 3rd Battalion Headquarters Detachment, Co I, Co K, Co L, Co M-all Grand Rapids.
During the summer of 1941, the regiment participated in the Third and Fourth Army maneuvers—nicknamed the Louisiana Maneuvers
—which provided the army high command a good look at the preparedness of the regiment. The first test, which was held in the vicinity of Camp Beauregard
, was conducted from 16 June through the 27 and included the Thirty-second Division as well as the Thirty-seventh from Ohio
. From August 16–30, the maneuvers expanded to include the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-eighth divisions. During September, the largest maneuvers were held with the Seventh Corps of the Second Army, opposing the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth corps of the Third Army. The Grand Rapids Guard was part of the Fifth Corps. It was the largest maneuver of its kind in the history of the army and included some one hundred thousand men.
ships, and the 126th boarded the S.S. Lurline
, a luxury liner
converted to transport duty, and four days later sailed for the South Pacific. The regiment crossed the equator
on 30 April, and the international date line
on the seventh of May, reaching Adelaide
, Australia, seven days later. There, the 126th unloaded and moved to Camp Sandy Creek some 18 miles (29 km) outside the city.
In August 1942, the 126th moved 900 miles (1,448.4 km) to Brisbane
and was billeted at Camp Cable. The camp was named in honor of Corporal Gerald Cable, the first member of the 32nd Division killed by the Japanese during World War II
. Cable, a member of Service Company, 126th Infantry, along with approximately twenty other men, were on board a ship transporting trucks and other equipment from Brisbane to Adelaide when a torpedo
hit the ship in the stern
.
composed of the entire 126th Infantry Regiment; Company A, 107th Medical Battalion; Company A, 114th Engineer Battalion; First Platoon, Company D, 107 Medical Detachment; Section C, Tenth Evacuation Hospital; 107th Quartermaster Company; and a number of other support forces. Colonel Lawrence A. Quinn was in command of the combat team. First, Second, and Third battalions were under the command of Lt. Col. Edmund Carrier, Lt. Col. Henry Geerds, and Lt. Col. Clarence Tomlinson, respectively. The regiment was the first U.S. forces to be dispatched to Port Moresby
in New Guinea in September 1942. Once in Port Moresby the Regiment was put to work constructing the American base camp, once again missing out on valuable training.
In October 1942 the 2nd Battalion, assisted by several hundred natives carriers, was sent across the Owen Stanley Ranges via the Kapa Kapa Trail
in an attempt to cut off Japanese forces retreating down the Kokoda Trail. They were completely unprepared; the Battalion suffered greatly from exposure
to the elements in the mountains. The troops also suffered from malaria
, dengue fever
, bush typhus
, trenchfoot, and tropical dysentery
. Some of their rations, Australian bully beef, had spoiled, and many men got food poisoning. It was "one of the most harrowing marches in American military history."
They were charged with making an extremely difficult trek inland over the Kapa Kapa Trail toward Jaure, where they were to flank the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail
. The total distance over the mountains to the Japanese positions was over 130 miles (209.2 km), and most of the trail was barely a goat path. The men carried only six days rations, expecting to be resupplied enroute. The food however was very poor, including hardtack
, rice and bully beef, some of which had become rancid
and sickened many men. They had leather toilet seats but no machetes, insect repellent, waterproof containers for medicine or personal effects, and it rained heavily every day.
The Battalion took 42 days to cross the mountains and reach the coast. They never saw a Japanese soldier during their trek, and the battalion reached the north coast after the Australians who had fought the Japanese down the Kokoda Trail. During their march, the remainder of the Regiment was flown across the Owen Stanley Range, arriving before the 2/126th. The battalion earned the nickname "The Ghost Battalion" during the march, referring not only to the ghost-like conditions encountered when they passed 3080 metres (10,105 ft)-high Mount Obree, which they nicknamed Ghost Mountain
, but to their condition upon arrival.
Lt. Gen.
Robert Eichelberger found the soldiers of 2/126th were in a decimated state. Nonetheless, the men were immediately ordered to the front where they were key players in the extremely difficult Battle of Buna-Gona
.
, Western New Guinea campaign
, Leyte
and Luzon
. The 32nd Division logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division. The unit was inactivated in 1946 after occupation duty in Japan.
:
, Alma
and South Haven
were elements of the 126th.
In March 1953, Wisconsin Highway 32, as well as a portion of former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan
, was named in honor of the 32nd Infantry Division, and all Highway 32 shields carry the Red Arrow insignia. A memorial plaque describing the division is located at southern end of WI-32 on Sheridan Road in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Ceremonies were held along the route and included veterans of the Grand Rapids Guard, which had been part of the Thirty-second Division during both world wars. Although US-12 was later moved when Interstate 94 was built, portions of the Red Arrow Highway still exist between Kalamazoo and New Buffalo
A devastating tornado struck the Hudsonville
, Standale, Comstock Park
, and northern Grand Rapids areas on 3 April 1956. More than eight hundred members of the regiment were called to state duty to protect lives and property.
On 15 March 1959, the regiment reorganized into two Battle Groups, the First and Second Battle Groups 126th Infantry, with both organizations’ headquarters located at Grand Rapids. This dramatic reorganization in the U.S. Army was in effect the termination of the regimental system, an old tradition in military forces worldwide. This new “pentomic
” system created five such battle groups in the Forty-sixth Division. The 126th Infantry, heroic in two world wars, ceased to exist less than forty-two years after its organization.
Recognizing the problems of the “pentomic” divisional alignment in a nuclear era, the U.S. Army reorganized under the new ROAD (Reorganization Objectives Army Division) concept on 15 March 1963. Both First and Second Battle Groups were carved up to reform First, Second, and Third battalions 126th Infantry along with the new Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Second Brigade, Forty-sixth Infantry Division
headquartered in Grand Rapids.
On Palm Sunday
, 11 April 1965, a series of tornadoes struck the southern part of the Lower Peninsula. The deadly twisters first struck north of Grand Rapids in the Alpine township area. Companies A and C, Third Battalion, 126th Infantry were called into action almost immediately and joined the Kent County
Civil Defense Force
, as well as other state, county, and city law enforcement agencies. The two companies managed to secure the affected area, prevent looting
, and assisted with other disaster response duties.
The new Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming, Michigan
was dedicated on 31 May 1965, providing a permanent home to the Second Brigade Headquarters, along with First and Third battalions 126th Infantry, and the Forty-sixth Infantry Division Band.
On 15 November 1965, the most radical reorganization in the history of the National Guard took place on orders of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
creating a Selected Reserve Force (SRF or "super-ready force"). The Second Brigade, Forty-sixth Infantry Division, under command of Colonel Robert T. Williams, was designated the headquarters for SRF units in Michigan, with the Third Battalion 126th Infantry designated as West Michigan’s SRF battalion. All Michigan elements of the SRF were additionally assigned to the Thirty-eighth Infantry Division of Indiana, an SRF division in the event of mobilization.
at Benton Harbor, Michigan
. A total force of four hundred officers and men were assembled. The force was reduced the next day to a total of 175, and training was undertaken to prepare for any deployment into the problem area. On Labor Day, the fifth of September, the battalion was stood down as the situation came under control without the use of troops. On 23 July 1967, the Grand Rapids Guard was called to active state duty once again, this time in response to rioting in the city of Detroit where radicals had caused extensive damage from fires set by arsonists and sniper fire, resulting in deaths to both rioters and civilian authorities.
With the loss of the 46th Infantry Division
in 1968, the 126th was scaled down to a single Infantry battalion, and the 1st and 2nd battalions’ colors were retired. The reorganization redesignated the Second Brigade as the Forty-sixth Brigade assigned to the Thirty-eighth Infantry “Cyclone” Division, headquartered in Indianapolis
. Some elements of the First and Third battalions were reorganized as divisional support elements such as Co. D 113th Engineer Battalion, Co. D (FS) 738th Maintenance Battalion, Second Platoon Thirty-eighth MP
Company, Second Truck Platoon Co. B Thirty-eighth Supply and Transportation Battalion, and Brigade Admin Section Thirty-eighth Admin Co.
On 4 April 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, a respected black civil rights leader, was murdered
. The Michigan National Guard was ordered to state active duty the next day, to prevent possible outbreaks of violence similar to the previous summer (such as those in Detroit, Newark, Tampa), Buffalo, Plainfield
). Headquarters Forty-sixth Brigade and Third Battalion, 126th Infantry proceeded to Detroit and established round-the-clock patrols to prevent any incidents. The brigade’s separate units remained at the Grand Valley Armory and were reinforced by units from Muskegon and Greenville
in the event of outbreaks in other western state cities. These units were released two days later. The Forty-sixth Brigade and Third Battalion moved to Belle Isle
for two days before being released from state duty on the tenth of April and returning to their home stations.
On 13 October 1990, fifty years after being mobilized for World War II, the 126th Infantry Regiment, including veterans of many of the “old 126th” and “Red Arrow” units, paraded through the city of Grand Rapids and were honored by many state and local dignitaries. The occasion marked the anniversary of the mobilization of National Guard troops prior to World War II, and the grand old 126th Infantry’s 135th birthday. On 3 June 1991, the city of Wyoming
, under Mayor
Harold Voorhees, passed a resolution designating Forty-fourth Street as 126th Infantry Memorial Boulevard. Street signs that included the regimental crest were placed along the Wyoming portion of the street. On 20 August 1992, the Michigan Historical Commission placed the 126th Infantry on the State Register of Historic Sites. A marker was commissioned and dedicated in front of the Grand Valley Armory on 11 November 1992, prior to the start of the traditional Grand Rapids Veterans Day
parade. The Grand Rapids Guard, Incorporated, underwrote the $2,200 expense.
In the spring of 1991, the 126th Infantry learned it might be inactivated along with the rest of the Forty-sixth Infantry Brigade as part of a post–cold war
reorganization plan by the Pentagon
. A minor reorganization followed and resulted in bringing Alma
back into the battalion as Company A Third Battalion 126th Infantry. Units at Grand Haven
and Holland consolidated and were redesignated as Det. 1 Co. B and Company B (-). In the late 1990s, the units at Grand Haven and Holland
were disbanded. In 1999, the 3rd Battalion 126th Infantry ended 144 years of Infantry tradition when it was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battalion 126th Armor.
for Airbase Security Enforcement and in support of OEF & OIF to Texas
and California
, as well as being deployed to Afghanistan
and Iraq
as part of the War on Terrorism
.
On 12 August 2005, a permanent memorial to the 126th was dedicated at Camp Grayling
, Michigan.
In October 2006 the 1-126 Armor transitioned to the 1-126 Cavalry, consisting of scout, infantry, and headquarters troops. In April 2007 the unit was alerted for service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit was mobilized to Fort Hood, Texas
in January 2008 and deployed to Kuwait
and Iraq in April 2008. During their deployment they have served as a Security Force (SECFOR) unit, providing convoy security to distribution operations in Kuwait and Iraq. They returned to Michigan on 12 December 2008.
They are currently on alert and station in fort shelby
The current commander of the 1-126 Cavalry is LTC
Mark Tellier.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Army
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
National Guard
Michigan National Guard
The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard.-Units:Michigan Army National Guard units include:* Joint Forces Headquarters, Lansing, MI* 177th Military Police Brigade, Taylor, MI...
. The 126th was originally an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment, then was converted into an armoured
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
role, and then was converted to a light cavalry
Light cavalry
Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and lightly armored troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the riders are heavily armored...
reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
unit, with subordinate units stationed in Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
, Wyoming
Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 72,125. That makes it the 2nd largest community or city in West Michigan, the 14th largest city in the state of Michigan, and the 18th largest community in the state as well...
, Dowagiac
Dowagiac, Michigan
Dowagiac is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and Manistee
Manistee, Michigan
Manistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from...
.
Early History & the American Civil War
The 126th Infantry existed for its first 144 years as an infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
unit. The 126th Infantry dates back as early as 12 July 1855 when the Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
Light Guard and Grand Rapids Artillery companies were organized. The first officers of the Grand Rapids Light Guard included Wright L. Coffinberry as captain; Frederick W. Worden, E.T. Nelson, and A.L. Gage as lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
s; Milton S. Littlefield, Benjamin B. Church, S.S. Porter, and G.M. McCray as sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s. Other charter members of the Light Guard included Edward A. Earle, Joseph C. Herkner, Benjamin Luce, Henry Spring, Miles Adams, E. H. Hunt, Dr. Willard Bliss, Frank Earle, Warren P. Mills, James Sargeant, J.E. Earle, John Grady, C.B. Hinsdill, Charles D. Lyon, George E. Judd, Henry Whipple, Robert M. Collins, F. Shriver, Byron R. Pierce, B. D. Ball, Edwin S. Pierce, John Seymour, Samuel Judd, Thomas Sargeant, G. W. Remington, William Livingston, Henry Ely, and Joseph Houseman. Later that year Ringgold’s Light Artillery was organized, and four years later in 1859, the Grand Rapids Rifles came into existence. These companies along with several others from Ionia
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
formed the 51st Volunteer Uniformed Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
Regiment prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
The four companies formed the core of the Third Michigan Infantry Regiment
3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Reorganized)
The 3rd Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...
that joined the Civil War on 13 June 1861. The regimental commander at the time was Colonel Daniel McConnell
Daniel McConnell
Daniel McConnell is a former member of the West Coast Eagles Australian Football League club. He was taken at pick 26 in the 2003 AFL draft by the West Coast Eagles, a second round selection....
. The Third Michigan fought in twelve campaigns before it was mustered out in June 1864. Besides five Grand Rapids companies, the Third included companies from Boston and Lyons
Lyons, Michigan
Lyons is a village in Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 726 at the 2000 census. Most of the village is within Lyons Township. A small portion extends west into Ionia Township.- Geography :...
in Ionia County
Ionia County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 61,518 people, 20,606 households, and 15,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 107 people per square mile . There were 22,006 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, Muskegon
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
, and Georgetown
Georgetown Township, Michigan
Georgetown Charter Township is a charter township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 41,658 at the 2000 census...
.
On June 13, 1861 the Third Regiment marched out of Cantonment Anderson in Grand Rapids, Michigan towards the recently constructed railroad depot near Leonard and Plainfield streets, where it boarded and departed the area for the war. While attached to Richardson’s brigade of Colonel Miles’s Division, the Third participated in its first engagement against Confederate forces just thirty-eight days after being federalized. It began as a part of a reconnaissance in force towards Blackburn’s Ford along Bull Run (the term “run” is southern for creek or small river). On July 21, the Third marched with Richardson’s brigade back to Blackburn’s ford to keep the rebels occupied while the rest of McDowell’s army hit the Confederate’s left flank. After desultory firing at the ford, Richardson learned of the Federal rout on the right and was recalled to Centreville. What they saw was utter chaos and confusion as the Confederate forces, now reinforced, literally cut through the advancing and then retreating Union forces.
Morale by the close of that first summer was presumably low in the Third Michigan. During the next few months a number of officers including Colonel McConnell resigned and returned home to Grand Rapids. Major Champlin, who had originally organized Ringgold’s Light Artillery back in 1855, assumed command of the regiment on October 28, 1861, and under him, the Third went into winter quarters at Alexandria, Virginia. That next March, the Third Michigan was assigned to General Berry’s Brigade of the Third Red Diamond Division and entered the Peninsula campaign. A few months later at Fair Oaks, the regiment’s losses were severe—thirty killed, one hundred and twenty-four wounded, and fifteen missing. Included among the dead was Captain Samuel Judd, and Colonel Champlin had been severely wounded.
[Summary of campaigns will be added at a later date]
Several months following Lee’s surrender in April 1865, a great homecoming by the citizens of Grand Rapids was held for the returning heroes. On July 4, 1865, tables were set the entire length of the Pearl Street Bridge for a welcome-home celebration.
Two soldiers in the Third earned the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
- Private Benjamin Morse, Company C, Third Michigan Infantry
- Corporal Walter Mundell, Company E, Fifth Michigan Infantry (This was an old Third Michigan company that transferred in its entirety to the Fifth at the end of the Third’s three-year enlistment period.)
After the Civil War
In the months and years that followed, veterans’ groups were formed under the banner of the Grand Army of the RepublicGrand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
; however, the Old Third Michigan didn’t organize an association until 23 February 1871. When they did, they elected Colonel Edwin S. Pierce, president; John H. Sumner, secretary; and Colonel George E. Judd, treasurer.
In Grand Rapids, the earliest of the new, independent companies was the Valley City Zouaves, organized first in 1866 and reorganized on 14 March 1873. However, this company did not remain in existence for long and was never actually mustered into state service.
Several years after the end of the Civil War, the Grand Rapids Guard company was organized by veterans of the Third and other regiments. The company was mustered into state service in 1872 as part of the Michigan State Troops. It was called out to aid authorities during a riot at the Muskegon County
Muskegon County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 170,200 people, 63,330 households, and 44,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 68,556 housing units at an average density of 135 per square mile...
jail in 1873 and to quell a disturbance at Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
during the Flat River
Flat River (Michigan)
The Flat River is a tributary of the Grand River in the western part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises as the outflow of the six lakes system in Belvidere Township, west of Edmore in Montcalm County. It flows mostly south and slightly west through Montcalm County, Ionia County, and Kent...
labor dispute in 1874. That year the Grand Rapids Guard became Company B 2nd Infantry Regiment when the regiment was organized at Grand Rapids. Over the course of the next 24 years through various reorganizations the 2nd Infantry included companies from Coldwater
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
, Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
, East Saginaw
East Saginaw, Michigan
East Saginaw is a defunct city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan.East Saginaw was founded in 1850, and was incorporated as a village in 1855 and as a city in 1857...
, Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
, Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
, Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, Ionia
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
, Manistee
Manistee, Michigan
Manistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from...
, Big Rapids
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
, Three Rivers
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 7,811 at the 2010 census.Three Rivers derives its name from the confluence of the St. Joseph River with its tributaries the Rocky and Portage Rivers. It is the home of St...
, and Grand Haven
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
.
The Michigan State Troops were redesignated as the Michigan National Guard on 31 December 1894, in response to a growing use of that designation across the country. It was first applied to the New York state militia in 1824 as a compliment to General Lafayette, who had been visiting the United States at that time. Lafayette had commanded the Garde Nationale in Paris around 1789.
War with Spain
In 1898, the 2nd Infantry was mobilized for the war with SpainSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
as one of five Michigan regiments. It was redesignated the 32nd Volunteer Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
and included twelve battalions: four from Grand Rapids, four from Detroit, and one each from Coldwater, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
. The 32nd rendezvoused at Island Lake and was sent to Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
with Colonel William T. McGurrin in command. It was just about to embark for Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
when hostilities ceased and the 32nd returned home.
Back at home, the regiment resumed its 2nd Infantry designation and moved into a new armory. This was the first time since 1855 that all four Grand Rapids companies were located in one armory. The remaining companies were located at Coldwater
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
, Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, Big Rapids
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
, Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, Manistee
Manistee, Michigan
Manistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from...
, Muskegon
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
and Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
. Owing to poor showings in annual inspections, the Manistee company was dropped for Grand Haven
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
and a new company was organized at Manistee. The Battle Creek company also was disbanded and Adrian
Adrian, Michigan
As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
joined the regiment. The Lansing company was eventually redesignated as artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, and an Ionia company joined the 2nd.
The Clark Building armory in Grand Rapids was thought in its day to be one of the finest armories in the state. Its furnishings and equipment had a value estimated at $11,000. The drill hall was rather large, and the armory included ample equipment rooms, assembly rooms, billiard rooms, reading rooms, officers’ rooms, an indoor target range eighty feet in length, a cafe, club rooms, elegantly furnished parlors, and a library.
In 1903, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1903
Militia Act of 1903
The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard of the United States established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was created by the Militia Act of 1903...
, which had a huge impact on the Second Michigan and all other militia units in the United States. The bill and its amendments in effect served to nationalize the militia and reduce its status as a state volunteer force. Under terms of the act, the organized militia was uniformly redesignated as the National Guard and organized along army lines, with provisions for federal weapons and equipment. Twenty-four training sessions per year plus a summer encampment were now required for all units. Federal instruction and inspection were authorized and provisions made which elevated the status of Guard officers to equality with their federal counterparts.
On 3 September 1912, in response to a request from officials at the state prison
Michigan State Prison
Michigan State Prison or Jackson State Prison, which opened in 1839, was the first prison in Michigan. The first permanent structure was constructed there in 1842. In 1926, the prison was relocated to new building, and soon became the largest walled prison in the world with nearly 6,000 inmates....
in Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, the governor directed that Companies C and M, Second Infantry from Kalamazoo, join companies of the First Infantry in aiding civil authorities in quelling the riot and protecting the institution from outside attack or interference with the discipline of the convicts. Within two hours of receiving the order, both companies were ready to leave the armory. The entire regiment saw service in the 1913 copper strike
Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914
The Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914 was a major strike affecting all copper mines in the Copper Country of Michigan. The strike, organized by the Western Federation of Miners, was the first unionized strike within the Copper Country. It was called to achieve goals of shorter work days, higher...
in the Upper Peninsula, serving in copper country from 24 July to the first of November. During the regiment’s stay, there was no loss of life and negligible property damage for any of citizen.
Mexican Border War
On 19 June 1916, the entire Michigan National Guard was called out for service on the Mexican border instigated by raids on American border towns by the Mexican bandit, Pancho Villa. The Thirty-second was mustered into federal service on the first of July. The organization of the 2nd included four companies from Grand Rapids, two from Kalamazoo, and one each from Coldwater, Adrian, Ionia, Grand Haven, Muskegon and Big Rapids.This war also became known as the Pancho Villa Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
.
Shortly thereafter, the regiment departed for El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, arriving at Camp Cotton on 12 July, located a mere three hundred yards from the Mexican border. Upon its arrival, regular army inspectors took note of the excellent condition of the regiment and the short amount of time it took to get settled into camp. The next four weeks were spent in intensive training. During this time, details were organized to guard important points in the vicinity of El Paso. On 15 August, the regiment took over the entire outpost along the Rio Grande River and the boundary line in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. This consisted of a line stretching from Fort Hancock
Fort Hancock
Fort Hancock may refer to:* Fort Hancock, Texas, a census-designated place in Hudspeth County, Texas* Fort Hancock, New Jersey, a fort on the Sandy Hook beach of New Jersey* Fort Hancock, U.S. Life Saving Station, located in Highlands, New Jersey...
, 50 miles (80.5 km) southeast of El Paso, to Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
, for a total of 47 miles (75.6 km) in length. While the Grand Rapids battalion was on the border, construction work on the new Michigan Street armory was completed.
On Saturday, 13 January 1917, the final inspection of the regiment had been conducted. The regiment struck camp on Thursday and returned to Fort Wayne, where it was mustered out of service on 15 February. Under federal laws Congress adopted in June 1916 the regiment reverted to its National Guard status.
World War One
The 32nd returned home that spring only to find itself being activated for the World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In September, it was ordered to Camp MacArthur, Texas, where it underwent another major reorganization to become part of the 32nd Division, which included Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
troops.
Under the command of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Joseph Westnedge, the 32nd became the 126th Infantry Regiment. The new regiment included the following companies: A-Coldwater, B-Adrian, C-Kalamazoo, D-Ionia, E-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, F-Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, G-Detroit, H-Detroit, I-Big Rapids/Muskegon, K-Grand Rapids, L-Grand Haven/Muskegon, and M-Grand Rapids. In addition, the regimental headquarters, machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
company, supply company, sanitary detachment and band were all from Grand Rapids.
The regiment left the United States on 19 February 1918 bound for France. When it first arrived it was used for replacements and supply duty. Soon, the regiment, along with the 32nd Division, was sent into battle. When the war was over on 11 November, the 126th had seen service in four major campaigns and earned the French Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. The 126th returned in May 1919 but without its dearly beloved Colonel Westnedge who had died that previous fall from the effects of mustard gas. PFC Joseph William Guyton
Joseph William Guyton
Joseph William Guyton was the first American soldier killed on German-held soil during World War I. Private Guyton was from the small town of Evart, Michigan.-Life:...
, the first American killed on German
History of Germany during World War I
During World War I, the German Empire was one of the Central Powers that ultimately lost the war. It began participation with the conflict after the declaration of war against Serbia by its ally, Austria-Hungary...
-held territory in WWI, was posthumously awarded the French Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)
The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...
.
Following the war, Colonel Earl R. Stewart reorganized the 126th with units coming from many of the same towns as those of the pre-war 32nd. The only actions the unit participated in between the World Wars were the 1936 Second Army maneuvers across Allegan County
Allegan County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...
and the 1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike
Flint Sit-Down Strike
The 1936–1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike changed the United Automobile Workers from a collection of isolated locals on the fringes of the industry into a major labor union and led to the unionization of the domestic United States automobile industry....
.
World War Two
On 15 October 1940, during the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 126th headed to Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
along with the rest of the Red Arrow Division. The makeup of the 126th included the following units: Headquarters, Headquarters Company & Anti-Tank Platoon, Service Company, Band-Grand Rapids; 1st Battalion Headquarters Detachment-Adrian, Co A-Coldwater, Co B-Adrian, Co C-Kalamazoo, Co D-Holland; 2nd Battalion Headquarters Detachment-Muskegon, Co E-Big Rapids, Co F-Grand Haven, Co G-Muskegon, Co H-Ionia; 3rd Battalion Headquarters Detachment, Co I, Co K, Co L, Co M-all Grand Rapids.
During the summer of 1941, the regiment participated in the Third and Fourth Army maneuvers—nicknamed the Louisiana Maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...
—which provided the army high command a good look at the preparedness of the regiment. The first test, which was held in the vicinity of Camp Beauregard
Camp Beauregard
For the American Civil War site, see Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley.Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is currently operated by the Louisiana National Guard...
, was conducted from 16 June through the 27 and included the Thirty-second Division as well as the Thirty-seventh from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. From August 16–30, the maneuvers expanded to include the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-eighth divisions. During September, the largest maneuvers were held with the Seventh Corps of the Second Army, opposing the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth corps of the Third Army. The Grand Rapids Guard was part of the Fifth Corps. It was the largest maneuver of its kind in the history of the army and included some one hundred thousand men.
Redirected to the Pacific
Initially trained for the war in Europe, they were turned around in late March and told to be in San Francisco in three weeks. On 18 April 1942, the 32nd Division boarded a convoy of seven Matson LineMatson Navigation Company
The Matson Navigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, is a private shipping company with roots extending into the late 19th century...
ships, and the 126th boarded the S.S. Lurline
SS Lurline (1932)
SS Lurline was the third Matson Lines vessel to hold that name and the last of four fast and luxurious ocean liners that Matson built for the Hawaii and Australasia runs from the West Coast of the United States. Lurlines sister ships were , and...
, a luxury liner
Luxury liner
Luxury liner may refer to:*Passenger ships with a high standard of accommodation, especially ocean liners*Luxury Liner , a 1977 album by Emmylou Harris*"Luxury Liner" , 1948 motion picture from MGM...
converted to transport duty, and four days later sailed for the South Pacific. The regiment crossed the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
on 30 April, and the international date line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
on the seventh of May, reaching Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia, seven days later. There, the 126th unloaded and moved to Camp Sandy Creek some 18 miles (29 km) outside the city.
In August 1942, the 126th moved 900 miles (1,448.4 km) to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and was billeted at Camp Cable. The camp was named in honor of Corporal Gerald Cable, the first member of the 32nd Division killed by the Japanese during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Cable, a member of Service Company, 126th Infantry, along with approximately twenty other men, were on board a ship transporting trucks and other equipment from Brisbane to Adelaide when a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
hit the ship in the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
.
Move to New Guinea
The 126th was organized into a regimental combat teamRegimental combat team
A regimental combat team was a provisional major infantry unit of the United States Army during the World War II and the Korean War, and of the U.S. Marine Corps to the present day...
composed of the entire 126th Infantry Regiment; Company A, 107th Medical Battalion; Company A, 114th Engineer Battalion; First Platoon, Company D, 107 Medical Detachment; Section C, Tenth Evacuation Hospital; 107th Quartermaster Company; and a number of other support forces. Colonel Lawrence A. Quinn was in command of the combat team. First, Second, and Third battalions were under the command of Lt. Col. Edmund Carrier, Lt. Col. Henry Geerds, and Lt. Col. Clarence Tomlinson, respectively. The regiment was the first U.S. forces to be dispatched to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
in New Guinea in September 1942. Once in Port Moresby the Regiment was put to work constructing the American base camp, once again missing out on valuable training.
In October 1942 the 2nd Battalion, assisted by several hundred natives carriers, was sent across the Owen Stanley Ranges via the Kapa Kapa Trail
Kapa Kapa Trail
The Kapa Kapa Trail is a steep, little-used, mountain trail that stretches from the Kapa Kapa village on the south coast of Papua New Guinea, across the extremely rugged Owen Stanley Range, to the vicinity of Jaure on the north side of the Peninsula...
in an attempt to cut off Japanese forces retreating down the Kokoda Trail. They were completely unprepared; the Battalion suffered greatly from exposure
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
to the elements in the mountains. The troops also suffered from malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, dengue fever
Dengue fever
Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
, bush typhus
Scrub typhus
Scrub typhus or Bush typhus is a form of typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi first isolated and identified in 1930 in Japan., accessdate: 16 October 2011...
, trenchfoot, and tropical dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. Some of their rations, Australian bully beef, had spoiled, and many men got food poisoning. It was "one of the most harrowing marches in American military history."
Trek across Owen Stanley Range
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
. The total distance over the mountains to the Japanese positions was over 130 miles (209.2 km), and most of the trail was barely a goat path. The men carried only six days rations, expecting to be resupplied enroute. The food however was very poor, including hardtack
Hardtack
Hardtack is a simple type of cracker or biscuit, made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. Inexpensive and long-lasting, it was and is used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voyages and military campaigns. The name derives from the British sailor slang...
, rice and bully beef, some of which had become rancid
Rancidification
Rancidification is the chemical decomposition of fats, oils and other lipids . When these processes occur in food, undesirable odors and flavors can result. In some cases, however, the flavors can be desirable . In processed meats, these flavors are collectively known as "warmed over flavor"...
and sickened many men. They had leather toilet seats but no machetes, insect repellent, waterproof containers for medicine or personal effects, and it rained heavily every day.
The Battalion took 42 days to cross the mountains and reach the coast. They never saw a Japanese soldier during their trek, and the battalion reached the north coast after the Australians who had fought the Japanese down the Kokoda Trail. During their march, the remainder of the Regiment was flown across the Owen Stanley Range, arriving before the 2/126th. The battalion earned the nickname "The Ghost Battalion" during the march, referring not only to the ghost-like conditions encountered when they passed 3080 metres (10,105 ft)-high Mount Obree, which they nicknamed Ghost Mountain
Ghost Mountain
Ghost Mountain is the name given by US Army servicemen in 1942 to a mountain in the Owen Stanley Range in the South East of Papua New Guinea, also known locally as 'Suwemalla' or more officially as 'Mt. Obree'. Ghost Mountain rises to ....
, but to their condition upon arrival.
Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Robert Eichelberger found the soldiers of 2/126th were in a decimated state. Nonetheless, the men were immediately ordered to the front where they were key players in the extremely difficult Battle of Buna-Gona
Battle of Buna-Gona
The Battle of Buna–Gona was a battle in the New Guinea campaign, a major part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. On 16 November 1942, Australian and United States forces attacked the main Japanese beachheads in New Guinea, at Buna, Sanananda and Gona. Both forces were riddled by disease and...
.
Campaigns
The 126th participated in four major campaigns: New GuineaNew Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
, Western New Guinea campaign
Western New Guinea campaign
The Western New Guinea campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. United States and Australian forces assaulted Japanese bases and positions in the northwest coastal areas of Netherlands New Guinea and adjoining parts of the Australian Territory of New Guinea...
, Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
and Luzon
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
. The 32nd Division logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division. The unit was inactivated in 1946 after occupation duty in Japan.
Recognition
Three soldiers in the 126th earned the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
:
- PFC William A. McWhorterWilliam A. McWhorterWilliam A. McWhorter was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
. - SGT Leroy JohnsonLeroy Johnson (Medal of Honor recipient)Leroy Johnson was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II...
. - PFC Dirk J. VlugDirk J. VlugDirk J. Vlug was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
.
Cold War forward
Following the War, the 126th returned to its home stations, but over the course of the next 45 years it underwent many transformations and reorganizations. It lost its attachment to towns such as Adrian, Coldwater, Muskegon, Ionia, and Kalamazoo. For a time, GreenvilleGreenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
, Alma
Alma, Michigan
Alma is the largest city in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,275 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated as the Village of Alma in 1872 and became a city in 1905....
and South Haven
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
were elements of the 126th.
In March 1953, Wisconsin Highway 32, as well as a portion of former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan
U.S. Route 12 in Michigan
US Highway 12 is a US Highway that runs from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan it runs for . Previous to the creation of Interstate Highways in Michigan, US 12 ran along Michigan Avenue between Kalamazoo and Detroit, a highway corridor now served by I-94...
, was named in honor of the 32nd Infantry Division, and all Highway 32 shields carry the Red Arrow insignia. A memorial plaque describing the division is located at southern end of WI-32 on Sheridan Road in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Ceremonies were held along the route and included veterans of the Grand Rapids Guard, which had been part of the Thirty-second Division during both world wars. Although US-12 was later moved when Interstate 94 was built, portions of the Red Arrow Highway still exist between Kalamazoo and New Buffalo
A devastating tornado struck the Hudsonville
Hudsonville, Michigan
Hudsonville is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,160.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,160 people, 2,514 households, and 1,920 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,729.1 per square mile...
, Standale, Comstock Park
Comstock Park, Michigan
Comstock Park is a prosperous suburban community in the northern part of Metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, that comprises parts of three neighboring townships:* Plainfield Township* Alpine Township* Algoma Township...
, and northern Grand Rapids areas on 3 April 1956. More than eight hundred members of the regiment were called to state duty to protect lives and property.
On 15 March 1959, the regiment reorganized into two Battle Groups, the First and Second Battle Groups 126th Infantry, with both organizations’ headquarters located at Grand Rapids. This dramatic reorganization in the U.S. Army was in effect the termination of the regimental system, an old tradition in military forces worldwide. This new “pentomic
Pentomic
Pentomic refers to a structure for infantry divisions adopted by the U.S. Army in 1957 in response to the perceived threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons use on the battlefield....
” system created five such battle groups in the Forty-sixth Division. The 126th Infantry, heroic in two world wars, ceased to exist less than forty-two years after its organization.
Recognizing the problems of the “pentomic” divisional alignment in a nuclear era, the U.S. Army reorganized under the new ROAD (Reorganization Objectives Army Division) concept on 15 March 1963. Both First and Second Battle Groups were carved up to reform First, Second, and Third battalions 126th Infantry along with the new Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Second Brigade, Forty-sixth Infantry Division
46th Infantry Division (United States)
The 46th Infantry Division was a formation of the Michigan Army National Guard active between 1947 and 1968. It was initially headquartered at Lansing. Many of its units had previously been part of the 32nd Infantry Division. It was converted to the Reorganization Objective Army Division structure...
headquartered in Grand Rapids.
On Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
, 11 April 1965, a series of tornadoes struck the southern part of the Lower Peninsula. The deadly twisters first struck north of Grand Rapids in the Alpine township area. Companies A and C, Third Battalion, 126th Infantry were called into action almost immediately and joined the Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
Civil Defense Force
United States civil defense
United States civil defense refers to the use of civil defense in the history of the United States, which is the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack...
, as well as other state, county, and city law enforcement agencies. The two companies managed to secure the affected area, prevent looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
, and assisted with other disaster response duties.
The new Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 72,125. That makes it the 2nd largest community or city in West Michigan, the 14th largest city in the state of Michigan, and the 18th largest community in the state as well...
was dedicated on 31 May 1965, providing a permanent home to the Second Brigade Headquarters, along with First and Third battalions 126th Infantry, and the Forty-sixth Infantry Division Band.
On 15 November 1965, the most radical reorganization in the history of the National Guard took place on orders of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
creating a Selected Reserve Force (SRF or "super-ready force"). The Second Brigade, Forty-sixth Infantry Division, under command of Colonel Robert T. Williams, was designated the headquarters for SRF units in Michigan, with the Third Battalion 126th Infantry designated as West Michigan’s SRF battalion. All Michigan elements of the SRF were additionally assigned to the Thirty-eighth Infantry Division of Indiana, an SRF division in the event of mobilization.
Maintaining civil order & reorganization
The Third Battalion 126th Infantry was ordered to state active duty on 31 August 1966, following four nights of racial violenceMass racial violence in the United States
Mass racial violence, also called race riots can include such disparate events as:* attacks on Irish Catholics, the Chinese and other immigrants in the 19th century....
at Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. A total force of four hundred officers and men were assembled. The force was reduced the next day to a total of 175, and training was undertaken to prepare for any deployment into the problem area. On Labor Day, the fifth of September, the battalion was stood down as the situation came under control without the use of troops. On 23 July 1967, the Grand Rapids Guard was called to active state duty once again, this time in response to rioting in the city of Detroit where radicals had caused extensive damage from fires set by arsonists and sniper fire, resulting in deaths to both rioters and civilian authorities.
With the loss of the 46th Infantry Division
46th Infantry Division (United States)
The 46th Infantry Division was a formation of the Michigan Army National Guard active between 1947 and 1968. It was initially headquartered at Lansing. Many of its units had previously been part of the 32nd Infantry Division. It was converted to the Reorganization Objective Army Division structure...
in 1968, the 126th was scaled down to a single Infantry battalion, and the 1st and 2nd battalions’ colors were retired. The reorganization redesignated the Second Brigade as the Forty-sixth Brigade assigned to the Thirty-eighth Infantry “Cyclone” Division, headquartered in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Some elements of the First and Third battalions were reorganized as divisional support elements such as Co. D 113th Engineer Battalion, Co. D (FS) 738th Maintenance Battalion, Second Platoon Thirty-eighth MP
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
Company, Second Truck Platoon Co. B Thirty-eighth Supply and Transportation Battalion, and Brigade Admin Section Thirty-eighth Admin Co.
On 4 April 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, a respected black civil rights leader, was murdered
Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination
Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent American leader of the African-American civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39...
. The Michigan National Guard was ordered to state active duty the next day, to prevent possible outbreaks of violence similar to the previous summer (such as those in Detroit, Newark, Tampa), Buffalo, Plainfield
1967 Plainfield riots
The Plainfield Riots were a series of racially-charged violent disturbances that occurred in Plainfield, New Jersey during the summer of 1967, which mirrored the 1967 Newark riots in nearby Newark, New Jersey.-Background:...
). Headquarters Forty-sixth Brigade and Third Battalion, 126th Infantry proceeded to Detroit and established round-the-clock patrols to prevent any incidents. The brigade’s separate units remained at the Grand Valley Armory and were reinforced by units from Muskegon and Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
in the event of outbreaks in other western state cities. These units were released two days later. The Forty-sixth Brigade and Third Battalion moved to Belle Isle
Belle Isle Park
Belle Isle is a island park in the Detroit River, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge...
for two days before being released from state duty on the tenth of April and returning to their home stations.
On 13 October 1990, fifty years after being mobilized for World War II, the 126th Infantry Regiment, including veterans of many of the “old 126th” and “Red Arrow” units, paraded through the city of Grand Rapids and were honored by many state and local dignitaries. The occasion marked the anniversary of the mobilization of National Guard troops prior to World War II, and the grand old 126th Infantry’s 135th birthday. On 3 June 1991, the city of Wyoming
Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 72,125. That makes it the 2nd largest community or city in West Michigan, the 14th largest city in the state of Michigan, and the 18th largest community in the state as well...
, under Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Harold Voorhees, passed a resolution designating Forty-fourth Street as 126th Infantry Memorial Boulevard. Street signs that included the regimental crest were placed along the Wyoming portion of the street. On 20 August 1992, the Michigan Historical Commission placed the 126th Infantry on the State Register of Historic Sites. A marker was commissioned and dedicated in front of the Grand Valley Armory on 11 November 1992, prior to the start of the traditional Grand Rapids Veterans Day
Veterans Day
Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...
parade. The Grand Rapids Guard, Incorporated, underwrote the $2,200 expense.
In the spring of 1991, the 126th Infantry learned it might be inactivated along with the rest of the Forty-sixth Infantry Brigade as part of a post–cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
reorganization plan by the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
. A minor reorganization followed and resulted in bringing Alma
Alma, Michigan
Alma is the largest city in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,275 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated as the Village of Alma in 1872 and became a city in 1905....
back into the battalion as Company A Third Battalion 126th Infantry. Units at Grand Haven
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
and Holland consolidated and were redesignated as Det. 1 Co. B and Company B (-). In the late 1990s, the units at Grand Haven and Holland
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
were disbanded. In 1999, the 3rd Battalion 126th Infantry ended 144 years of Infantry tradition when it was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Battalion 126th Armor.
War on Terror
Following the attack on the United States on 11 September 2001, elements of the 126th Armor were mobilized stateside under Operation Noble EagleOperation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
for Airbase Security Enforcement and in support of OEF & OIF to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, as well as being deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
as part of the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
On 12 August 2005, a permanent memorial to the 126th was dedicated at Camp Grayling
Camp Grayling
Camp Grayling, near Grayling, is located primarily in Crawford County, Michigan, and spreads over three counties. Camp Grayling is the main training facility for the Michigan National Guard and is the largest National Guard training facility in the nation....
, Michigan.
In October 2006 the 1-126 Armor transitioned to the 1-126 Cavalry, consisting of scout, infantry, and headquarters troops. In April 2007 the unit was alerted for service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit was mobilized to Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Hood is a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It islocated halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas....
in January 2008 and deployed to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Iraq in April 2008. During their deployment they have served as a Security Force (SECFOR) unit, providing convoy security to distribution operations in Kuwait and Iraq. They returned to Michigan on 12 December 2008.
They are currently on alert and station in fort shelby
The current commander of the 1-126 Cavalry is LTC
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
Mark Tellier.
Further reading
- Britten, David G. Courage without Fear: The Story of the Grand Rapids Guard. Philadelphia, PA. Xlibris, 2004. General history of the unit since pre-1855.
- Sawicki, James A. Infantry Regiments of the US Army. Dumfries, VA: Wyvern, 1981. General history of unit.
- Gansser, Emil B. History of the 126th Infantry in the War with Germany. Grand Rapids, MI: Hicks, 1920.
- Jonker, Hartger. The “Old Command”: Service History of Company “L”, 126th Infantry. n.p., 1919? 51 p. #603-126.1919a
- The 32nd Division in the World War 1917-1919. Madison, WI: Wisconsin War History Commission, 1920.
- Historical and Pictorial Review: National Guard of the State of Michigan 1940. Baton Rouge, LA: Army and Navy Publishing Company, Inc., 1940.
- Blakely H. W., Major General. The 32nd Infantry Division in World War II. Originally Published 1957. Reprinted by The Battery Press, Inc. Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, 2000 - Cannon, M. Hamlin. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1954.
- Eichelberger, Robert L.Robert L. EichelbergerRobert Lawrence Eichelberger was a general in the United States Army, who commanded the US Eighth Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. His Army was among the very first to engage the Japanese in the Pacific Theater of Operations.-Pre-World War II service:Eichelberger was born...
Our Jungle Road to Tokyo. Nashville, Tennessee; Battery Press, 1989. - Kean, Tom B. Battle for Buna Mission. Typescript, 198?
- Mayo, Lida. Bloody Buna. Garden City, NY. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1974.
- Medendorp, Alfred. The March and Operations of Antitank and Cannon Companies 126th Infantry (3rd Infantry Division) in the Attack on Wairopi 4 October-28 November 1942 (Papuan Campaign): (Personal Experience of a Patrol Commander). Fort BenningFort BenningFort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
: Inf Sch PaperUnited States Army Infantry SchoolThe United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
, 1949. - Milner, Samuel. Victory in Papua. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1957.
- Mohl, John L. Operations of a Special Patrol From Units of the 2d Battalion, 126th Infantry, (32d Infantry Division) at Saidor, New Guinea, 22–26 January 1944 (New Guinea Campaign): (Personal Experience of a Patrol Leader). Ft Benning, GA: Inf Sch Paper, 1949.
- Papuan Campaign: The Buna-Sanananda Operation. Washington, DC. War Department, 1944. Reprinted by The Battery Press, Inc. Nashville, TN, 1989.
- Schweinler, Dale J. Operations of Company 'F', 126th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division, Ormoc Road, Leyte Island, 1–24 December 1944. Ft Benning, GA: Inf Sch Paper, 1948?
- Smith, Herbert M. Hannibal had Elephants II. Story of the 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry, 32nd Division over the Owen-Stanley Mountains crossing New Guinea from Port Moresby to Buna. Eau Claire, WI: Heins Publications, 1995.
- Smith, Robert Ross. Triumph in the Philippines. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1963.
- Stanton, Shelby L. Order of Battle, U.S. Army, World War II. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1984.
- "13,000 Hours, Combat History of the 32nd Infantry Division - World War II." Public Relations Office, 32nd Infantry Division. The Philippine Islands, 1944.