Detroit Light Guard

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Detroit Light Guard
Active1830–present
CountryUnited States
AllegianceMichigan
BranchMichigan Army National Guard
Garrison/HQDetroit
Nickname(s)Tigers
Motto(s)Let the Drum Beat
ColorsBlue and Gold
U.S. Infantry Regiments
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The Detroit Light Guard is a military formation in the United States Army, Michigan Army National Guard that has served in many functions since its creation in 1830, including state duties, and even overseas combat. It is survived today in the US Army's 1225th Corps Support Battalion. The Light Guard's nickname, the "Tigers," is the origin of the name of the Detroit Tigers baseball team.[1]

Founding and early action

The Detroit Light Guard was first organized in 1830–31 in the

Fox Indians in the Black Hawk War in Wisconsin, effectively ending Native American resistance in the Great Lakes region. The troops never saw combat, however. Exposure and the hardship of the march to the Mississippi River, coupled with an outbreak of cholera, took a heavy toll. Sickness and some deaths were reported.[2] The militia unit was reorganized on 13 April 1836 as the Brady Guards under the command of CPT Rowland, and was recalled for federal service on 6 December 1838 to help state and federal authorities maintain order in the aftermath of conflict along the Canada–United States border in the Patriot War. They were mustered out on 22 February 1839, only to be reactivated on 1 March. They were soon mustered out on 31 May 1839.[3]

The Brady Guards were reactivated for federal service during the Mexican–American War on 4 December 1847, where they joined with other militia companies to form the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The men were sent to garrison the various forts in the area to enable Regular Army units to move to the fight in Mexico.[4] On 29 July 1848, the regiment was demobilized in Detroit. On 16 November 1855, the Brady Guards regained the name of the Detroit Light Guard and continued to serve state duty.[4]

American Civil War

At the outbreak of the

Peninsular Campaign, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the Battle of Gettysburg. After all this fighting, the men of the 1st Michigan were battle-hardened, and the regiment was officially reorganized on 1 March 1864 as the 1st Michigan Veteran Volunteer Infantry. These veterans would go on to engage the Confederates in the Battle of the Wilderness, the Battle of Cold Harbor, the Siege of Petersburg, and the Battle of Five Forks. The regiment suffered 15 officers and 172 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 149 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 337 fatalities.[5] The men were finally able to return home when they were mustered out in Jeffersonville, Indiana on 9 July 1865.[3]

Post-Civil War

After the Civil War, the Michigan State Troops was reorganized numerous times; on 6 July 1874, the Detroit Light Guards formed A and C Companies of the 1st Infantry Regiment (Michigan).[3] On 19 May 1876, they were reassigned to be A and B Companies of the 3rd Infantry Regiment (Michigan). On 1 May 1882, the Detroit Light Guards were organized as the 1st Separate Battalion of Infantry (Michigan), and then, on 3 July 1884, they were expanded and reorganized as the 4th Infantry Regiment (Michigan). On 31 December 1894, the Michigan State Troops were redesignated the Michigan National Guard. The regiment was broken up in 1898 and reorganized and redesignated as the 1st and 2nd Independent Battalions of Infantry (Michigan). They were redesignated again in April 1898 as the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment (Michigan), and the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment (Michigan), respectively.[3]

Spanish–American War

When the

typhoid. It remained there until it shipped out to Cuba on 25 January 1899. The 31st landed at Cienfuegos and was then parceled out to the towns of Santa Clara Province to preserve order and protect property.[6] The regiment performed guard duty until it returned to the United States on 25 April 1899. It was disbanded at Savannah, Georgia
on 17 May 1899. While in federal service, 20 men died from sickness in southern camps and hospitals.

The 32nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry was one of the earliest regiments moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida, where it remained in camp for a while. It was among those assigned to service in Cuba but never left the United States. While en route to the island, its transport ship collided with another ship. The regiment was unloaded; it never left the port.[6] After remaining in Florida for some time, the volunteers were transferred to Fort McPherson, GA, where they remained until September. The 32nd then returned to Michigan and was disbanded between 25 October 25 and 9 November 1898.[6] While in service, 20 men from this regiment also died of disease. The men of the Detroit Light Guards never fired a shot against the Spanish, but they lost men to the war just the same.

World War I

After several reorganizations after the Spanish–American War, on 30 September 1917, the men of the Detroit Light Guard were reorganized into the 1st Battalion,

Camp Custer, Michigan. For their courageous service in World War I, the current Detroit Light Guard unit (the 1225th Corps Support Battalion), still wears the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.[3]

World War II and Cold War

The 1-125 was reactivated on 15 October 1940 to serve once again with the 32nd Infantry Division, but was released from division command on 8 December 1941 after the

Camp Rucker, Alabama on 20 September 1945.[3]

After

Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battle Group, an element of the 46th Infantry Division.[3] The 225th attempted to keep the peace during the 1967 Detroit riot, but the riots did much damage to the city, and the 46th Division was disbanded. The Detroit Light Guards, now simply the 1st Battalion, were transferred to the 38th Infantry Division on 1 February 1968.[3]

Post Cold War to present

The descendants of the Detroit Light Guards were withdrawn from the

Operation Enduring Freedom.[3] For this deployment, they went under the name "Task Force Light Guard."[7]

References

  1. ^ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. pp. 46–49.
  2. ^ "DMVA - The War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War". michigan.gov.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT 1225th SUPPORT BATTALION - Lineage and Honors Information - U.S. Army Center of Military History". army.mil. Archived from the original on 2016-12-17. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  4. ^ a b "DMVA - War with Mexico". michigan.gov.
  5. ^ "History - Michigan Infantry (Part 1)". civilwararchive.com.
  6. ^ a b c d "DMVA - The Spanish–American War". michigan.gov.
  7. ^ "TF-Lightguard transfers authority to TF-Raven".
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