House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

 

For more than three centuries, the National Guard has served our communities, protected our Commonwealth, and defended our country. I invite you to join me as a co-sponsor of this resolution to celebrate the National Guard on its 388th birthday and to recognize its vital role in keeping us safe domestically and internationally.
 
The National Guard has a long and storied history. It was originally organized as a militia in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 13, 1636. Pennsylvania's National Guard was established over a century later when Ben Franklin formed the Associators in Philadelphia in 1747. Notably, in 1863, the National Guard created one of the first exclusively Black units in U.S. military history: the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment. In 1900, Army Sgt. William Harvey Carney of the 54th became the first Black person to receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the charge on Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina.
 
The National Guard eventually expanded to every state in the nation. Today, it consists of “citizen soldiers”—both soldiers and airmen—and ranks second only to the U.S. Army in number of service members. The Guard has a dual duty to both state and nation, focusing on protecting life and property, maintaining peace and order, and defending our interests at home and abroad.
 
Let’s officially celebrate and recognize the 388th birthday of the National Guard.