A Brief
History of State Defense Forces of California
Compiled by Colonel Richard Grossman
California State Military Reserve
The
California Home Guard in World War I
The"California
State Defense Guard" authorized by Legislature in 1917.
Although officially known as the California State Defense Guard
in the legislation, it was universally know as the the California
Home Guard. The federal Home Guard Act authorized states to use
weapons. California Legislature authorized none to be used as
armed support, however it is noted that 5,000 were listed as
unauthorized armed support in 1917. California had 100 companies
listed as existing in the annual report to the Secretary of War
for 1918-1919. A February 5, 1918 Military Bureau report lists
California as needing 3,600 arms . The offical War Department
records state, "The Governor and Adjutant General headed
a State Defense Guard of men 30-50 years of age. Originally ten
companies were authorized. Later there were about 100. They had
duties of a constabulary and such other duties as the governor
might direct, but could not be used in industrial disputes. They
were self-armed or armed by local authorities". An article
in the San Francisco Chronicle (14 March 1920) stated
the Governor ordered its discontinuance, and discharge papers
were given.
State
Guard Units in the United States during World War II
When it became evident that the National
Guard units which were allocated to the different States and
Territories would have to be called up for Federal service (Federalized),
Congress approved an Act on October 21 St, 1940, which allowed
the various States to raise troops under the provisions of Article
I of the United States Constitution. The same actions were taken
by Congress in the early stages of World War I, 44 of the 48
States organized militia forces, as did the Territories of Alaska
and Hawaii. The States of Arizona, Montana, Nevada, and Oklahoma
elected not to form local units as there was no Federal requirements
to do so nor was there any Federal restriction placed on the
size of State units.
The October 21st, 1940, legislation did
prescribe that State forces would be under the War Department
"for discipline in training," and under this authority
the Secretary of War placed limitations "not upon the actual
size of any State Guard" but "upon the number of arms"
that would be issued by the Federal Government. Initially, the
War Department placed this figure at "numbers equal to half
of the National Guard strength as of June 30th, 1940," but
this allowance was doubled at the end of 1941.
In April of 1942, the War Department announced
that all rifles loaned to the States must be returned as the
need for these weapons elsewhere had become "very great."
The reaction to this announcement throughout the different States
was "astounding" as these was an "almost universal
protest at this disarmament of the State Guard." It later
became apparent that there was a "need for these weapons
(within the States) and the recall was substantially modified.
When the United States entered World War
II on December 7th, 1941, 34 States had already organized and
equipped State Forces totaling nearly 90,000 personnel. By the
end of 1941 States had activated all or part of their State Forces
to protect key installations and facilities and to guard hundreds
of miles of otherwise unprotected shoreline. The employment of
State troops for these purposes was entirely Voluntary as the
1940 Act specifically prohibited State Guard units from being
called, drafted, or ordered into Federal service nor could these
troops be ordered to serve outside the boundaries of their own
states.
Since there was no provision in the Act
for Federal pay, State Guardsmen were paid by their home States
when activated (usually at the same rate as Army personnel of
the same rank) but for the most part received no pay at all for
their services. The organization of the State Guards and the
British Home Guards was similar in many respects with the major
difference being that British units were seldom of a fixed size
and were more "closely controlled by the general Government
and more precisely integrated with other defense forces.
In spite of the fact that American Guardsmen
were not required to fight against an armed enemy, history reveals
that they played a valuable part in the national war effort.
By guarding installations in the early years of the war, Federal
Forces were freed to train replacements and to form cadres for
combat units for immediate overseas service. Additionally, many
thousands of young men received their first military training
as Guard members and were better prepared when they entered the
Armed Forces. Finally, the Guardsmen aided the individual States
by providing a well-organized force to keep internal order and
to aid civilian authorities in emergencies and disasters.
On December 17th, 1941, the War Department
"directed" that State Guardsmen were "authorized"
to wear "distinctive, round shoulder patches, 2½"
in diameter, bearing the designation of the State Guard concerned."
The intent of the letter was to clearly identify State forces
wearing uniforms provided by the Federal Government. Those provisions
were later included in Army Regulations, and many States changed
designs to comply with the Federal requirements while others
did not as they felt this was an "infringement" of
their State rights. With the return of National Guard units at
the end of the war, the legality of maintaining State forces
was once again in question. While most States disbanded their
State troops in 1945 and 1946, others kept their State Guard
units organized but redesignated them and (in some cases) changed
their insignia.
The
California State Guard in World War II
The California State Guard was organized
with Headquarters in Sacramento in January of 1941 by Executive
Order of Governor Culbert L. Olsen when California National Guard
elements of the 40th Infantry Division, 250th and 251st Coast
Artillery Regiments, and other units were Federalized. Although
the authorized strength of the State Guard was originally set
at 10,000, the actual mustered strength reached 21,615 by the
end of 1941.
By February of 1942, a total of 13 Infantry
Regiments (numbers 1 through 13) were activated along with a
Medical Regiment, Marine Company, two Nautical Corps, and a Quartermaster
Regiment. During the first year of the Guard, a number of special
organizations were activated but later were mustered out of service
including the 1st through 10th Observation Squadrons, 1st Engineer
Regiment, 1st Evacuation Corps, Sanitary Corps, Women's Ambulance
and Nursing Corps, 1st and 2nd Ambulance Battalions, and several
provisional companies. The 3rd and 11th Infantry Regiments were
mustered out of service on March 25th, 1942, and elements of
the two units were merged to form a new 311th Regiment. For purposes
of "organization and administration, the State was originally
organized' into six command areas (each with a separate Headquarters
staff), and the areas were further broken down into districts
and subdistricts. On May 27th, 1943, the 12 Regiments of the
State Guard were reorganized and redesignated as 10 regions.
The Battalion was established as the largest
tactical unit of the Regional system, but on November 23rd, 1943,
Regiments were again formed. A history of duties performed by
the California State Guard during World War II filled many pages.
On December 7th, 1941, elements of the 1st Regiment were ordered
to active duty, and by the end of the month almost all of the
9th and 10th Regiments were activated.
Thousands of State Guardsmen were assigned
the mission of guarding lines of communications, key facilities,
and vital installations during the early days of the war. For
example, in February of 1942, 59 men guarded the Golden Gate
Bridge in San Francisco and Marin Counties, 37 Guardsmen from
another unit searched for a downed Navy airplane in the rugged
San Jacinto Mountains, 61 men guarded the water supply for Vallejo,
40 men guarded bridges in Sacramento, 108 Guardsmen protected
the Torrance water supply and oil refineries, and special units
guarded piers and harbors from San Diego to Redding. In January
of 1944, nearly 6,000 officers and men were still on statewide
active duty, often with great personal sacrifice of time, wages,
and careers. By the end of World War II, over 75,000 Californians
had served with State troops.
The
California State Military Reserve
In 1950, one-third of the California National
Guard was Federalized. The California Legislature authorized
63 state active duty positions for the California State Military
Reserve. By 1952, there were 128 positions in the Office of the
Adjutant General (OTAG) and 67 positions in the field organization
of California State Military Reserve.Fifty-eight percent of the
Military Department's appropriation was allocated to CSMR for
administration and recruit training. CSMR reached a strength
of 13,599. There existed two (2) division headquarters, eight
(8) brigades, twenty-four (24) battalions and ninety-six (96)
companies.
In 1976, CSMR was reactivated by the Military
Department.The organization would eventually of two area commands,
Northern Area Command (NACOM) and Southern Area Command (SACOM),
five Brigades and numerous Battalions and special commands such
as a Medical Brigade, Aviation Brigade, Training Command and
Center for Military History.
In 1996 the CSMR once again went through
a reorganization. Area commands, Brigades and Battalions were
deactivated and reformed as Support Brigades and Battalion in
direct support of Army National Guard units. The first of these
new support brigades to be activated was the 49th Military Police
Brigade Support Brigade in direct support of the 49th Military
Police Brigade of the California Army National Guard.
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