Minuteman Minute | Gen. Milton Reckord and the National Guard

In American history, a few individuals have changed what the National Guard is. Milton Reckord is one of those individuals.

Hi, I’m Will Roulett, director of the National Guard Memorial Museum here in D.C., and this is YOUR Minuteman Minute! Today I’m in the Walsh–Reckord Hall of States at the National Guard Memorial, steps away from the museum. The Hall of States is partly named for Milton Reckord, who joined the Maryland National Guard in February 1901. Over a 65-year career, he served as Maryland’s Adjutant General for 45 years, the National Guard’s longest-serving TAG ever. Reckord was an influential leader and president of the National Guard Association. He helped draft a 1920 amendment to the 1916 National Defense Act, requiring the Guard’s chief to be a Guard officer and that Guardsmen return to the National Guard after federal service, which fixed problems exposed after WWI. He also authored the 1933 amendment, which established the National Guard “of the United States” and “of the several states,” predecessors of the modern Title 10 and Title 32 statuses. Few have impacted the Guard as significantly as Milton Reckord. Come learn about this – and a whole lot more – at the National Guard Memorial Museum. I’m Will Roulett, and that’s been your Minuteman Minute, brought to you by the National Guard Educational Foundation.