Kansas State Guard

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Kansas State Guard
Kansas State Guard insignia.jpg
Kansas State Guard insignia.
Active1941–1948
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
AllegianceFlag of Kansas.svg  Kansas
Branch Army
Type SDFBranchInsigniaColor.jpg   State defense force
Role Military reserve force
Size1,300 (approximately)
Garrison/HQTopeka, KS
Commanders
State Military Leadership Brigadier General Milton R. McLean
Adjutant General of Kansas during World War II Colonel Charles H. Browne Sr.
Commander of the Kansas State Guard during World War II

The Kansas State Guard was the official state defense force of the state of Kansas during each of the world wars. The unit was first created during World War I, and was later reactivated during World War II. When the Kansas National Guard was federalized and deployed during each of the world wars, the state of Kansas was forced to raise and maintain its own military force in order to protect against saboteurs, quell riots, and perform other duties which would normally fall to the National Guard. Unlike the National Guard, which could be federalized and deployed abroad, the State Guard was funded and equipped solely by the state and as such was immune to deployment. The Kansas State Guard is authorized under Kansas law. [1] In 2007, the Kansas Legislature considered a bill which would create a modern Kansas State Defense Force. [2] The bill did not pass.

Contents

Predecessor organizations

Prior to the Militia Act of 1903, which reorganized state militias into the National Guard of the United States, each state maintained its own militia, which could be used to supplement the full-time military in times of war.

Kansas Territorial Militia

After Kansas was opened for settlement in 1854, conflict broke out between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. The first official militia of Kansas was created to pursue a band of men, who had broken an anti-slavery suspect out of a pro-slavery sheriff's custody into the town of Lawrence, Kansas. The sheriff informed the governor that the town of Lawrence, by refusing to turn over the suspects, was in a state of insurrection. The militia, however, was largely composed of men from Missouri from the pro-slavery faction. Anti-slavery activists, fearing the Missourians would use this government order as an excuse to destroy the largely anti-slavery town, formed their own militias and fortified the town. What would become known as the Wakarusa War, the bloodless siege ended when the governor arrived and a treaty between the factions was negotiated, and the Missouri militia was disbanded and returned home. [3]

In the following year, based on unfounded rumors that an anti-slavery militia was being led into Kansas from Nebraska, the acting governor of Kansas summoned the Kansas Territorial Militia into service, and once again the ranks were filled with pro-slavery Missourians who had crossed the border to take part in the conflict. When new territorial governor, John Geary, arrived, he ordered all militias on both sides disbanded. For the duration of the period before the Civil War, official Kansas militia units were balanced between pro-slavery and anti-slavery units. [4]

Spanish–American War

During the Spanish–American War, four regiments of Kansas volunteers were organized. The 23rd Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment was deployed to Cuba, while the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment was deployed to the Philippines, and would later take part in counterinsurgency efforts against the local populace. The 21st and 22nd Kansas Infantry regiments remained stateside for the duration of the war. [5]

Home Guard

During World War I, after it became clear that the National Guard would be deployed and as such would be unavailable to provide security for the state, individual cities, counties, and municipalities organized their own home guard units. However, these units were not officially recognized by the state, although they were legally permitted. Furthermore, they were not required to deploy outside the county or city in which they were based, limiting their usefulness. The civilian-organized Home Guard was disbanded and the Kansas State Guard was simultaneously created by executive order on February 15, 1918. [6]

World War I

As the Home Guard was dissolved, the Kansas State Guard was officially created by executive order on February 15, 1918. [6] The Guard performed weekly drills, and provided security for key businesses and infrastructure for the duration of the war.

Membership

Although initially the State Guard was intended to have fitness requirements and was to be modeled after the National Guard, the authorization that was passed did not put a limit on the number of units created, and required only that members be United States citizens and over the age of eighteen. [7]

Weapons

The United States government made available for the individual states a number of Mosin–Nagant rifles which were ordered by the Russian Empire but never delivered due to the Russian Revolution. These surplus rifles were made available to the states for use by their state guards. Kansas requested and received, 1,273 of these surplus rifles and a large quantity of ammunition from the federal government. On April 30, 1919, the rifles and ammunition were returned to a federal arsenal. [7]

Deactivation

After the armistice was signed, National Guard units began returning to the United States. The Kansas State Guard was demobilized on October 15, 1919. [7]

World War II

The Kansas National Guard was federalized on 23 December 1940. In response, the Kansas Legislature passed the State Guard Act on 15 April 1941 which authorized the Kansas State Guard to be reactivated, and recruit one regiment of infantry composed of no more than thirty-three companies. [8]

Membership

Members were required to be between the ages of twenty-one and fifty, with a higher age limit on certain officer positions. Although men who would be drafted into the federal military were not barred from admission, they were not actively recruited. The bulk of the force was composed of veterans of World War I, former National Guardsmen and other military veterans, and personnel with C.M.T.C. (Campus Military Training Corps) and R.O.T.C. experience. Despite its reliance on individuals with military experience, enlisted members received frequent weapons training during drills, and officers were required to complete an officer's training course taught in Topeka. [8]

Weapons and equipment

The State Military Board was responsible for providing uniforms for the Kansas State Guard. So as not to compete for uniforms with the federal military services, state defense forces were required to choose colors not in use with the federal services. The Kansas State Guard had a khaki summer dress uniform, and a green winter uniform. [8]

As they did in the first World War, the federal government provided surplus rifles to the states for the use of their state defense forces. However, due to a shortage of rifles among allied forces, these rifles were recalled, and the Kansas State Guard was instead issued shotguns. An American Legion post and a Spanish–American War Veterans organization lent the Guard some rifles for the duration of the war, but the average company was still equipped with thirty-eight shotguns and two Thompson submachine guns. [8]

Deployment

Aside from regular patrols and drills, Dodge City, Garden City, and Great Bend Companies were activated to assist in recovery operations following floods along the Arkansas River which displaced hundreds. [8]

Deactivation

The Kansas State Guard was not disbanded immediately after the end of the war. However, the regiment held its last drill on 30 June 1948. [8]

Reactivation effort

Under federal law, any of the states or territories in the United States may maintain a state defense force, and nearly half of them choose to do so. [9] In 2007, a bill seeking to reestablish an active Kansas State Defense Force was submitted into the Kansas Legislature. [10] The bill was not passed into law. In 2018, Kansas state senator Dennis Pyle, who filed the 2007 bill, petitioned the Governor of Kansas to reactivate the Kansas State Guard, in part to offer an additional security resource for schools. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

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State defense force Military units under control of U.S. State governments

In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state.

Virginia Defense Force

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Militia (United States) National military force of citizens used in emergencies

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Kansas National Guard

The Kansas National Guard, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Kansas. It comprises both the Kansas Army National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard. The Governor of Kansas is Commander-in-Chief of the Kansas National Guard when in state use. The State's highest-ranking military commander, the Adjutant General of Kansas, serves as the military head of the Guard and is second only to the Governor.

Wisconsin State Defense Force

The Wisconsin State Defense Force (WSDF) is the currently inactive state defense force of the State of Wisconsin authorized by Wisconsin law. As a state defense force, the Wisconsin State Defense Force, alongside the Wisconsin National Guard, is organized under the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs as a part of the military forces of Wisconsin. However, unlike the National Guard, the State Defense Force is a purely state-controlled organization and cannot be deployed outside the state of Wisconsin. When any part of the Wisconsin National Guard is called into service of the United States, the adjutant general may recruit volunteers to the WSDF to serve within the borders of Wisconsin.

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Massachusetts State Defense Force

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Kansas Air National Guard

The Kansas Air National Guard is the aerial militia of the State of Kansas, United States of America. It is, along with the Kansas Army National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard.

Puerto Rico State Guard State defense force of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico State Guard (PRSG) —Spanish: Guardia Estatal de Puerto Rico— is the state defense force of Puerto Rico that operates under the sole authority of the governor of Puerto Rico who, in turn, delegates such authority to the Puerto Rico Adjutant General. The Guard's secondary purpose is to assume the state mission of the Puerto Rico National Guard in the event that the National Guard is mobilized. The first incarnation of the PRSG was created in 1941 in response to World War II and it disbanded in 1946. The PRSG is one of the few state defense forces of the United States that has an air division.

Arkansas State Guard

The Arkansas State Guard was the official state defense force of the state of Arkansas during World War II. The Arkansas State Guard was created to fulfill the state missions of the Arkansas National Guard while the National Guard was deployed abroad during World War II. As a military unit trained and funded solely by the state, it was immune to federal activation and deployment, unlike the National Guard. As a part of the official militia of the state of Arkansas, it traces its roots back to the militias which fell under state authority prior to the Militia Act of 1903. The Arkansas State Guard is currently inactive following deactivation after the end of World War II; however, the legal framework for a state defense force still exists, making future reactivation of the Arkansas State Guard by the Arkansas General Assembly legally permissible.

Tennessee State Guard

The Tennessee State Guard (TNSG) is the state defense force of the state of Tennessee. The TNSG is organized as an all-volunteer military reserve force whose members drill once per month unless called to active duty. The TNSG is a branch of the Tennessee Military Department, alongside the Tennessee Army National Guard, the Tennessee Air National Guard, and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The State Guard acts as a force multiplier for the state's National Guard. As a state defense force, the Tennessee State Guard cannot be federalized, and is not deployed outside the borders of Tennessee, as it is a purely state-level unit. It answers solely to the Governor of Tennessee, unlike the dual federal and state controlled National Guard. The creation of a state military force is recognized under Tennessee Code Annotated 58-1-401.

Oregon Civil Defense Force

The Oregon Civil Defense Force (ORCDF), formerly known as the Oregon State Defense Force, is the official state defense force of Oregon and one of the three components of Oregon State's organized militia, with Oregon's Army and Air National Guard (ORNG) making up the other two. It serves as a state-level military and emergency services reserve force.

Missouri State Defense Force Militia branch of the State of Missouri

The Missouri State Defense Force (MSDF), formerly known as the Missouri Reserve Military Force, is the official state defense force of Missouri. As a state defense force, the MSDF is a reserve military force which serves parallel to the Missouri National Guard. As the MSDF falls solely under the command of the state of Missouri, it cannot be federalized or deployed outside the borders of Missouri, unlike the National Guard. Although the MSDF and the Missouri National Guard are separate organizations, the MSDF's primary scope is to work alongside the National Guard during stateside operations, or in lieu of the National Guard when the National Guard is deployed outside of Missouri. Along with the Missouri Army National Guard, the Missouri Air National Guard, and the Missouri Naval Militia, the Missouri State Defense Force is recognized under Missouri law as part of the organized militia of Missouri.

Delaware State Guard

The Delaware State Guard is the currently inactive state defense force of the state of Delaware, which was active during both World War I and World War II. As the official militia of the state, the Delaware State Guard was created with the intent of acting as a stateside replacement for the Delaware National Guard while the National Guard units were deployed abroad.

Pennsylvania State Guard

The Pennsylvania State Guard is the currently inactive official state defense force of the state of Pennsylvania, which was active during World War II and the Korean War. The unit was organized as a home guard composed of volunteers who were trained and organized as parallel to the state’s National Guard. As a part of Pennsylvania's official militia, the Pennsylvania State Guard was trained, organized, and funded by the state of Pennsylvania, answered to the governor, and could not be federalized or deployed abroad.

The Hawaii Territorial Guard was the state defense force of Hawaii during World War II. As a result of the National Guard of Hawaii being federalized for the duration of the war, the Hawaii Territorial Guard was created to serve as the stateside replacement for the National Guard. During the war, it was the sole military force available to the Governor of Hawaii as its captain general to use in defense of the state. Unlike the National Guard, as a state defense force, the Hawaii Territorial Guard was not subject to federalization or deployment outside of the borders of Hawaii, but rather answered only to the governor.

Maine State Guard

The Maine State Guard was the state defense force of the state of Maine during World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. As a state defense force, the State Guard served as a stateside replacement for the Maine National Guard when the National Guard was federalized. Like the National Guard, the State Guard was a reserve military force composed of members who held full-time civilian jobs and periodically met for drills, unless called into active service by the governor. However, unlike the National Guard, as a state defense force, the Maine State Guard was solely a state military force, which was immune from federalization and could not be deployed outside the State of Maine.

New Hampshire State Guard

The New Hampshire State Guard (NHSG) is the currently unorganized state defense force of New Hampshire. The purpose of the State Guard is to augment or replace the New Hampshire National Guard by assuming the National Guard’s stateside duties when any part of the National Guard is federalized. However, unlike the National Guard, the State Guard is a purely state-level military force which cannot be federalized or deployed outside the state of New Hampshire. The NHSG is a component of the organized militia of New Hampshire.

Rhode Island State Guard

The Rhode Island State Guard is the currently inactive state defense force of Rhode Island. As a state defense force, the Rhode Island State Guard served as a state military unit which assumed the stateside duties of the Rhode Island National Guard when the National Guard was in federal service. However, unlike the National Guard, the State Guard, when organized, answers solely to the Governor of Rhode Island and by law cannot be federalized or deployed outside the borders of Rhode Island.

References

  1. ↑ "Lawmakers consider creating State Guard". LJWorld.com. Lawrence Journal-World. September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Wakarusa War - KS-Cyclopedia - 1912". Blue Skyways. Skyways.lib.ks.us. Archived from the original on 2012-05-12. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  3. ↑ "The Kansas Territorial Militia". Museum of the Kansas National Guard. Archived from the original on 9 December 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Spanish–American War". Kansas Historical Society Official Website. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 "The Home Guard". Blue Skyways. Skyways.lib.ks.us. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Kansas State Guard". Blue Skyways. Skyways.lib.ks.us. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Kansas State Guard in World War II". Museum of the Kansas National Guard. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Carafano, James Jay; Brinkerhoff, John R. (October 5, 2005). "Katrina's Forgotten Responders: State Defense Forces Play a Vital Role". www.heritage.org. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "SENATE BILL No. 328" (PDF). The Official Website of Kansas. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Holcomb, Ali (13 March 2018). "Sen. Pyle Proposes Kansas State Guard". The Holton Recorder. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
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