Courtesy Photo | Officers of the 2nd Battalion, 372nd Infantry in France: 2nd Lt. Tom Walker (from...... read more read more
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On April 6, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany, ending the 2 1/2-year effort by President Woodrow Wilson to keep the U.S. neutral. Today, 100 years later, the Ohio National Guard commemorates the contributions and sacrifices our predecessors made to help make the world safe for democracy during World War I.
Most of the Ohio National Guard had just returned from a successful nine-month deployment to Texas for Mexican Border service when war was declared. However, some regiments remained in federal service guarding key infrastructure across the state. On July 15, the remaining units of the Ohio National Guard were called into federal service and began recruiting to wartime strength. Ohio also began organizing the necessary units to complete the formation of an all Ohio division, which eventually became the 37th Division.
On Aug. 5, the entire National Guard was drafted into the Army. This permitted the federal government to deploy Guard members outside of the U.S., an act that was meant to circumvent the militia clause of the Constitution. The clause stated that Guard members could only be used to “execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrection and repel invasions” and not be deployed overseas. To sidestep this restriction, the Army’s Judge Advocate General determined that it would be necessary to draft each Guard member into federal service, thus severing his ties to the state militia and freeing him for service overseas. Ohio would send 25,187 officers and men into the Army with a stroke of a pen.
The majority of the Ohio National Guard was sent to Camp Sheridan, Alabama in September for training and was reorganized shortly after as the 37th Division. Known as the “Buckeye Division,” they reached France in June 1918 and received credit for participation in the Lorraine, Meuse-Argonne and Ypres-Lys campaigns. The 37th would be rated one of the top five American divisions by the German general staff and had the honor of escorting the King of Belgium back into his country after years of German control.
Additionally, 2nd Lt. Albert Baesel, a native of Berea and a member of Company B, 148th Infantry, would earn the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life trying to carry a wounded Soldier back to friendly lines near Ivory, France in September 1918.
The 4th Infantry Regiment, made up of units from central and south-central Ohio, was picked to join the 42nd Division and was soon renamed the 166th Infantry. The 42nd was made up of National Guard units from 26 states and earned the nickname “Rainbow Division” based on a comment attributed to Douglas MacArthur, who said that such an organization would “stretch over the whole country like a rainbow.” The 166th Infantry reached France in November 1917 and participated in the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine and Champagne campaigns.
Finally, the 9th Infantry Battalion, which was organized across Ohio as a segregated unit, was consolidated with other black organizations from the National Guard to form the 372nd Infantry, an element of the 93rd Division. Serving with the French 157th Division, the regiment earned the French Croix de Guerre with Palm during the Meuse-Argonne campaign for attacking an enemy position under a “violent machine-gun and artillery fire” and “capturing numerous prisoners, cannons, machine guns and important materiel.”
Today, there are 44 Ohio Army National Guard units that perpetuate the lineage of World War I ancestors. Units proudly display credits with streamers, in the colors of the World War I victory medal and inscribed with the name of the campaign, on their flags, organizational colors or guidons, depending on the size of the organization. Their service is attested on lineage and honors certificates, issued by the U.S. Army Center of Military History.
This summer also marks the centennial anniversary of three major subordinate commands of the Ohio Army National Guard: the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 16th Engineer Brigade and 371st Sustainment Brigade. In addition to their World War I service, all three organizations fought in the Pacific during World War II and have deployed multiple time during the War on Terrorism. Over the past 100 years, these organizations have also mobilized countless times in response to the needs of Ohioans for state active duty. The 37th IBCT continues the nickname “Buckeye” and proudly wears the shoulder sleeve insignia of its parent unit that was adopted at the end of World War I — a red and white circle, taken from the flag of Ohio.
Adding to their units’ historic lineage, the 37th IBCT is currently deployed in support of Operation Joint Guard-Kosovo Force (KFOR), tasked with maintaining a safe and secure environment for people living along Kosovo’s southeastern border, and will return home later this year; the Soldiers of the 371st Sustainment Brigade are currently preparing for a mission to the Middle East later this spring.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The list of current Ohio Army National Guard units that perpetuate lineage of World War units comprises current unit designation, current station of the unit, the cited unit it perpetuates as well as the 1917 station of that unit if different from today, and the campaigns and unit awards credited to that organization.
Current Ohio Army National Guard units with World War I lineage
The list of current Ohio Army National Guard units that perpetuate lineage of World War I units comprises current unit designation, current station of the unit, the cited unit it perpetuates as well as the 1917 station of that unit if different from today, and the campaigns and unit awards credited to that organization.
Current Unit: Ohio Army National Guard Medical Detachment
Station: Columbus
Cited Unit(s): 112th Sanitary Train
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Station: Columbus
Cited Unit(s): Headquarters, 37th Division
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 148th Infantry Regiment
Station: Northwest Ohio
Cited Unit(s): 147th Infantry
166th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Champaigne 1918
Current Unit: Company B, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment
Station: Bowling Green
Cited Unit(s): Company F, 147th Infantry (Napoleon)
Company F, 146th Infantry (Bowling Green)
Company M, 146th Infantry (Ottawa)
Company G, 147th Infantry (Defiance)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 134th Field Artillery Regiment
Station: Central Ohio
Cited Unit(s): 134th Field Artillery
135th Field Artillery
136th Field Artillery
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment
Station: Delaware
Cited Unit(s): Battery C, 134th Field Artillery (Columbus)
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Battery A, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment
Station: Delaware
Cited Unit(s): Company A, 146th Infantry (Bucyrus)
Company L, 146th Infantry (Galion)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Battery B, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment
Station: Piqua
Cited Unit(s): Company C, 148th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 237th Support Battalion
Station: Statewide
Cited Unit(s): 2nd Battalion, 372nd Infantry
Campaigns: Meuse-Argonne, Alsace 1918, Lorraine 1918
French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I, Streamer embroidered MEUSE-ARGONNE
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 237th Support Battalion
Station: Cleveland
Cited Unit(s): Battery A, 135th Field Artillery
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Company E, 237th Support Battalion
Station: Lima
Cited Unit(s): Company G, 145th Infantry (Findlay)
Company M, 145th Infantry (Lima)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Station: St. Marys
Cited Unit(s): Company L, 146th Infantry (Spencerville)
Company B, 146th Infantry (St. Marys)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Company A, 837th Engineer Battalion
Station: Wooster
Cited Unit(s): Company D, 146th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 107th Cavalry Regiment
Station: Southwest Ohio
Cited Unit(s): 145th Infantry
146th Infantry
135th Field Artillery
136th Field Artillery
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment
Station: Hamilton
Cited Unit(s): Company G, 372nd Infantry (Xenia)
Campaigns: Alsace, Lorraine 1918, Meuse-Argonne
French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I, Streamer embroidered MEUSE-ARGONNE
Current Unit: Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment
Station: Xenia
Cited Unit(s): Company D, 147th Infantry (Hillsboro)
Company L, 147th Infantry (Blanchester)
Company M, 166th Infantry (Washington Court House)
Campaigns: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Champagne 1918, Ypres-Lys
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Engineer Brigade
Station: Columbus
Cited Unit(s): Headquarters, 62nd Field Artillery Brigade
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 112th Engineer Battalion
Station: Brook Park
Cited Unit(s): 112th Engineer Regiment
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 112th Engineer Battalion
Station: Brook Park
Cited Unit(s): Company A, 145th Infantry (Berea)
112th Engineer Train (Cleveland)
Headquarters Company, 145th Infantry (Cleveland)
Machine Gun Company, 145th Infantry (Cleveland)
Company H, 372nd Infantry (Cleveland)
Campaigns: Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Ypres-Lys, Alsace 1918
French Croix de Guerre with palm, World War I, Streamer embroidered MEUSE-ARGONNE
Current Unit: 1192nd Engineer Company
Station: Newton Falls
Cited Unit(s): Company B, 135th Machine Gun Battalion (Youngstown)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 945th Engineer Company
Station: Norwalk
Cited Unit(s): Company G, 145th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 5694th Engineer Detachment
Station: Mansfield
Cited Unit(s): Company H, 146th Infantry (Shreve)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 216th Engineer Battalion
Station: Cincinnati
Cited Unit(s): Company L, 148th Infantry (Manchester)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Support Company, 216th Engineer Battalion
Station: Cincinnati
Cited Unit(s): Battery D, 136th Field Artillery
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 1194th Engineer Company
Station: Chillicothe
Cited Unit(s): Company H, 166th Infantry (Chillicothe)
Company G, 166th Infantry (Greenfield)
Campaigns: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Champagne 1918
Current Unit: 811th Engineer Company
Station: Amanda
Cited Unit(s): Company L, 166th infantry (Lancaster)
Campaigns: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Champagne 1918
Current Unit: 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: Southern Ohio
Cited Unit(s): 147th Infantry
148th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: Cincinnati
Cited Unit(s): Supply Company, 147th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Battery A, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: Cincinnati
Cited Unit(s): Company F, 147th Infantry
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Battery B, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: Cincinnati
Cited Unit(s): Company E, 148th Infantry (Hamilton)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion,
174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: McConnelsville
Cited Unit(s): Company D, 148th Infantry (McConnelsville)
Battery A, 136th Field Artillery (Athens)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: McConnelsville
Cited Unit(s): Company H, 148th Infantry (New Lexington)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
Station: McConnelsville
Cited Unit(s): Company F, 112th Ammunition Train (Marietta)
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 145th Armored Regiment
Station: Northeast Ohio
Cited Unit(s): 145th Infantry
146th Infantry
135th Field Artillery
136th Field Artillery
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company,
1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment
Station: Stow
Cited Unit(s): Battery A, 135th Field Artillery (Cleveland)
Company C, 146th Infantry (Canton)
Company F, 372nd Infantry (Columbus)
Supply Company, 145th Infantry (Cleveland)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Lorraine 1918, Meuse-Argonne, Alsace 1918
French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I,
Streamer embroidered MEUSE-ARGONNE
Current Unit: Company B, 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment
Station: North Canton
Cited Unit(s): Company B, 146th Infantry (Akron)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Special Troops Battalion, 371st Sustainment Brigade
Station: Springfield
Cited Unit(s): Headquarters, 62nd Field Artillery Brigade
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Detachment 1, 1485th Transportation Company
Station: Dover
Cited Unit(s): Machine Gun Company, 146th Infantry (Akron)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 1486th Transportation Company
Station: Mansfield
Cited Unit(s): Company E, 146th Infantry (Ashland)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 1487th Transportation Company
Station: Piqua
Cited Unit(s): Company A, 148th Infantry (Covington)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 437th Military Police Battalion
Station: Columbus
Cited Unit(s): Battery E, 135th Field Artillery (Toledo)
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 323nd Military Police Company
Station: Toledo
Cited Unit(s): Battery E, 135th Field Artillery
Campaigns: Lorraine 1918
Current Unit: 585th Military Police Company
Station: Marysville
Cited Unit(s): Company E, 166th Infantry (Marysville)
Company K, 166th Infantry (Delaware)
Company I, 146th Infantry (Kenton)
Company C, 166th Infantry (London)
Campaigns: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Champagne 1918, Ypres-Lys
Current Unit: 838th Military Police Company
Station: Youngstown
Cited Unit(s): Company D, 145th Infantry (Warren)
Campaigns: Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2017 17:32 |
| Story ID: | 229453 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 852 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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