The Guard Century Series: 1900-1920

The history of the National Guard in the 20th Century is a story of profound change and transformation.

In 1900, the National Guard was a force of just over 100,000 ill-trained, poorly equipped soldiers. In the intervening 99 years, the National Guard has become a powerful land and air force of nearly half-a-million men and women.

Throughout this period of great change, the Guard has retained its unique role as both a state and a federal force. In addition to performing state duty during natural disasters and civil disturbances, the National Guard has responded to eight national emergencies during the 20th Century.

At the dawn of the New Millennium, the National Guard can rightly proclaim itself the most ready and capable reserve force in the world.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the United States was flush with success from victory in the Spanish-American War. In control of overseas possessions stretching from the Caribbean to the Philippines, America sought parity with the European powers and began an expansion of its armed forces.

A more modern Navy came into existence, and various plans circulated for the expansion of the small, Regular Army that numbered only 66,000 soldiers.

Advocates of land power argued for a larger, standing Army that could guard America's new possessions and compete with European armies.

In 1900, the National Guard consisted of 116,542 officers and enlisted men. New York was the largest Guard state with 13,869 soldiers; Nevada was the smallest with two infantry companies. All Guardsmen served voluntarily without compensation. In many cases, soldiers paid unit dues and provided their own uniforms.

Responding to calls for increases in the size of the Regular Army, Guard advocates argued that a large standing army was inconsistent with traditional American political beliefs. Guardsmen believed that a properly trained, equipped and manned National Guard could provide the country with an organized reserve to augment the Regular Army during national emergencies.

The Dick Act of 1903 temporarily settled the issue by transforming all state militia units into the organized regiments and companies of the National Guard. In simplest terms, Guard units received increased funding and equipment, and in return, they were to conform to federal standards for training and organization.

The law recognized two classes of militia: the Organized Militia (National Guard) under federal-state control and the Unorganized Militia, the pool of 18-to-45-year-old males available for conscription. The Dick Act required Guardsmen to attend 24 drill periods per year and 5 days of summer camp. For the first time, Guardsmen received pay for summer camp but not for drill periods.

The law also called for Guard units to conduct maneuvers with the active Army and to receive training assistance from Regular officers. The Guard became subject to federal call-ups for nine months, though its service was restricted to within U.S. borders. In short, the Dick Act initiated many of the key aspects of Guard service that remain today.

The Dick Act had a widespread and immediate impact on the National Guard. Soldiers gladly accepted federal aid while assuming responsibility for improvements in training and organization. The first, federally funded maneuvers by Guardsmen and Regulars occurred in 1904. The War Department (which would eventually become the Department of Defense) issued nearly 90,000 magazine rifles to Guardsmen and new field pieces went to Guard artillery batteries.

By 1911, National Guard organizations had reformed into standard units of infantry, field artillery, coast artillery, cavalry, engineers and signal.

The flood of new weapons and equipment, and the need for property accountability and maintenance, resulted in calls for more adequate armories. No federal monies were allotted for armories, so states, counties and towns had to pool their financial resources. A rash of armory expansions and new construction took place across the country. Heartened by its new status, the Guard's strength grew to 132,194 soldiers by the end of 1916.

Important amendments to the Dick Act came in 1908. Time and geographic limits for Guard service disappeared, and the law specified Guardsmen would go to war as units and not as individual replacements.

A Division of Militia Affairs (which would become the National Guard Bureau) was established within the War Department. The staff division was filled with Regular officers who had overall responsibility for the administration of the Guard. By 1911, the Division of Militia Affairs came under the direct control of the Army chief of staff, and Congress elevated the division head position to general officer rank.

Another important development occurred in 1915 with the activation of the Guard's first flying unit. New York's 1st Signal Company had experimented with balloons since 1908, and it was natural for the Empire State to take the lead in heavier-than-air flight. The first Guard aviator went aloft in 1911, when Beckwith Havens of New York took to the skies in an early Curtis aircraft. The New York Guard activated the 1st Aero Company in 1915, and the following year, a second aviation company was formed in Buffalo. At the same time, Guard aviators in California, Ohio and Michigan made progress in organizing flying units and obtaining pilot ratings. On May 22, 1912, Lt. Col. Charles B. Winder of Ohio became the first Guard officer to obtain a Reserve Military Aviator rating.

In August 1914, Americans watched anxiously as Europe plunged into the throes of World War I. Within a year, the fighting had degenerated into a bloody stalemate. Fearing involvement in the war, a preparedness movement swept the county that emphasized physical fitness and marksmanship.

In Washington, the War Department advocated a "Continental Army" drawn from national reservists as the best means for building an army suitable for European warfare. A sharp debate ensued over the best means for providing a large army, and in the end, arguments favoring the National Guard carried the day.

The National Defense Act of 1916 was an important watershed in National Guard history. The act specifically designated the National Guard as the Army's primary reserve while authorizing an expanded Regular Army and Army Reserve. There would no longer be state militias; henceforth, all state units would be designated as National Guard.

In addition, the president received authority to mobilize the National Guard for the entire duration of national emergencies. The number of annual drill periods increased from 24 to 48 with pay provided for all drills. Summer camp was extended from five to 15 days. Guard units would receive formal, federal recognition after achieving specified manning and equipping levels.

Only 15 days after passage of the National Defense Act of 1916, the National Guard responded to its first call to active, federal service in the 20th Century. Tensions between the United States and Mexico had increased in previous years. In early 1916, a civil war raged in Mexico. Hoping to solidify his position as a dominant Mexican warlord, "Pancho" Villa conducted a cross-border raid against Columbus, New Mexico, on the night of March 9, 1916, killing 17 Americans. In response, Pres. Woodrow Wilson ordered a large punitive expedition into northern Mexico to track down the bandits. He asked the governors of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to provide additional Guardsmen for border protection. By May 11, 5,260 Guardsmen were headed for the border.

The Army's punitive raid, consisting of 10,000 Regulars under the command of Brig. Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, made slow progress. On June 16, the Mexican government warned Pershing to advance no further. Fearing a growing crisis with Mexico, Wilson ordered a partial call-up of the National Guard on June 18. In all, 158,664 Guard soldiers reported for duty, including New York's 1st Aero Company, the first Guard flying unit to be called to active duty. Critical shortages in equipment and transportation initially impeded the mobilization, but problems abated over time. Within six weeks, 112,000 Guardsmen from across the nation were along the Mexican border.

Though they saw no combat, the mobilization proved valuable. The states became familiar with the complexities of moving great numbers of troops, and commanders received experience in handling large troop formations.

Individual Guardsmen benefited from better training and physical conditioning. By the early spring of 1917 the crisis had passed, and most Guardsmen headed home only to face an even greater emergency.

By early 1917, tensions between the United States and Germany had erupted into open hostilities. On April 6, 1917, America declared war on Germany. In Europe, the exhausted Allied armies on the Western Front welcomed the news of large reinforcements from America.

Much of America's initial combat power came from the National Guard. In April 1917, 66,594 Guardsmen were still serving along the Mexican border.

Over a period of weeks, Guard units came on active duty and recruiting efforts intensified. By Aug. 5, all 379,701 Guardsmen in 16 divisions were on active duty at mobilization camps across the nation, training and organizing for combat.

A rush developed to get American combat troops to France. The Army's 1st Division and the National Guard's 26th "Yankee" Division, composed of troops from New England, arrived in France almost simultaneously. The third division to arrive was the Guard's famous 42d "Rainbow" Division, so named because its units were drawn from 26 states and the District of Columbia.

Despite the eagerness to get American troops into the fray, Pershing, now commander of the American Expeditionary Force, or AEF, insisted his troops receive thorough training before entering the trenches.

However, a huge German offensive in March 1918 prompted the early commitment of American troops. The 26th and 42nd Divisions went into battle soon followed by the Pennsylvanians of the 28th "Keystone" Division.

During weeks of severe fighting in the St. Mihiel Salient, the Ramieres Wood and along the Marne River, Guardsmen showed their fighting ability. In September, Pershing committed the AEF to the clearing of the St. Mihiel Salient.

Afterwards, the Americans successfully attacked the heavily defended German sector in the Argonne Forest. Black Guardsmen distinguished themselves on the Western Front. The famous 369th Infantry fought under French command where it earned the nickname "Hell Fighters From Harlem," was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and suffered more losses than any other American black regiment.

At the beginning of World War I, approximately 100 qualified Guard pilots were available for service. Though no National Guard aviation unit went to war, Guard flyers made important contributions. For example, Col. Raynal C. Bolling, the original commander of New York's 1st Aero Company, helped to establish training centers in Europe for American fliers.

Other Guard officers filled important aviation staff positions. Four Guardsmen became aces during aerial combat. Second Lt. Erwin B. Bleckley, a Kansas artilleryman who volunteered for duty as an aerial observer, became the first Guard aviator to receive the Medal of Honor when German ground fire downed his aircraft during a desperate mission over the Argonne Forest.

By the end of the war in November 1918, the AEF had grown to 2.1 million Americans. Overall, 433,478 Guardsmen served in World War I. Of the 43 American divisions sent to France, 18 of them -- about 40 percent of the entire AEF -- were National Guard. Guard divisions suffered a total of 103,721 killed and wounded, approximately 43 percent of American casualties.

Guardsmen from North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee who made up the 30th Division received 12 Medals of Honor, more than any other AEF division.

Perhaps the best tribute to Guardsmen came from their enemies. The German High Command considered eight American divisions especially effective; six of those were National Guard.

Unfortunately, Guardsmen returned home triumphant in 1919 only to face a serious challenge to their continued existence.

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Charles William Frederick Dick enjoyed a long life of public service dedicated to the National Guard and the nation. He was born in Akron, Ohio, in November 1858 where he attended public schools and studied law. In 1894, Dick opened his own law practice and became active in politics.

Charles Dick's military career began in 1885 when he volunteered in B Company, Eighth Regiment, Ohio Infantry. One year later, he became B Company commander. Over the next 14 years, Dick rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and in 1898, he served with the Eighth Ohio in Cuba.

After the Spanish-American War, Dick was elected to the House of Representatives in November 1898. In March 1904, he was elected to the Senate and served there until losing a reelection bid in 1911. It was during his years as a member of Congress that Dick championed the 1903 Dick Act and its 1908 amendments. During Dick's service in Congress, his military career flourished.

In 1900, he became the commander of the Ohio Division, National Guard, with the rank of major general. In 1902, he was elected president of the NGAUS and held that position for seven years.

After leaving the Senate in 1911, Dick resumed his law practice. He ran for the Senate again in 1922 but lost the election. Dick lived long enough to see his labors bear great fruit during the massive National Guard mobilizations for World Wars I and II. He died in Akron on March 13, 1945, at age 86 and is buried in Glendale Cemetery.