The Minnesota Naval Militia is the currently inactive

naval militia A naval militia is a reserve military organization administered under the authority of a state government in the United States. It is often composed of reservists of the Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve, retirees an ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. As a naval militia, the Minnesota Naval Militia served as a

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

parallel to the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

, where, like the soldiers of the

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

and the airmen of the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

, sailors and marines could serve in a dual federal and state role as state military forces answerable to the governor, unless federalized and deployed by the federal government. The naval militia served as an active component of the organized militia from 1903 until the end of World War II.

History

Creation

The Minnesota Naval Militia was first authorized by the Minnesota Legislature, when in 1899, they authorized a state naval reserve open to veterans of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

who had completed at least one tour of duty. In 1903, after obtaining permission from the

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

and the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...

, two divisions were organized. In 1905, the legislature officially changed the designation of the naval reserve to the Minnesota Naval Militia, bringing it in line with federal legislation that offered support to state naval militias. In 1906, the Minnesota Naval Militia received the USS ''Gopher'' for training purposes. The same year, a boathouse and pier were built near the yacht basin on the harbor side of Park Point to serve as a meeting place for the naval militia. In 1911, the naval militia used the USS ''Gopher'' to bring firefighters and supplies to fight a forest fire near

Grand Marais, Minnesota Grand Marais () is a city and the county seat of Cook County, Minnesota, United States, of which it is the only municipality. It is on Lake Superior's North Shore. Grand Marais had a population of 1,337 at the 2020 census. Before it was settled ...

. In 1915, a new 65-room National Guard armory was opened in Duluth to be used jointly by the

Minnesota Army National Guard The Minnesota Army National Guard, along with the Minnesota Air National Guard, is an element of the Minnesota National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. I ...

and the Minnesota Naval Militia.

World War I

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, The Minnesota Naval Militia trained men and maintained chapters in

Bemidji Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, Minnesota, Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. According to 2021 census estimates, the city ...

Crosby Crosby may refer to: Places ;Canada *Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario *Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario ;England *Crosby, Cumbria *Crosby, Lincolnshire *Crosby, Merseyside ** Crosby (U ...

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

, and Pine City. The naval militia, under its commander, Captain Guy A. Eaton, traveled to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

where its sailors were integrated into the United States Navy command structure and deployed.

Inter-war period

Following the war, the Minnesota Naval Militia was reorganized with new units being created, with new members being members of the Minnesota Naval Militia as well as the

United States Navy Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...

. In 1921, the USS ''Gopher'' was placed back under United States Navy control and sent to the Atlantic coast. In 1922, the gunboat cruiser U.S.S. ''Paducah'' was assigned to Duluth and used as a training ship, where it remained in service until 1940. In 1927, the U.S.S. ''Essex'' was brought to Duluth and used as a receiving ship until 1930. In 1932, members received updated training and were reorganized under the command of United States Navy officers. Before the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, an aviation unit was added to the naval militia.

World War II

On December 3, 1940, the naval reservists in Duluth were activated. They embarked the from the Port of Duluth and landed in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, where they received new assignments. Most would later serve on board the in World War II. Seaman First Class Alan Sanford, a member of the Minnesota Naval Militia, fired the first American shot of World War II when he fired at a

Japanese midget submarine In late May and early June 1942, during World War II, Imperial Japanese Navy submarines made a series of attacks on the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle. On the night of 31 May – 1 June, three ''Ko-hyoteki''-class midget submarine ...

from the USS ''Ward'' at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

the morning of

December 7, 1941 The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

. Following the end of the war, the Minnesota Naval Militia was not reactivated. *

List of naval ships named for Minnesota There were 59 United States Navy or Coast Guard ships named for Minnesota, Minnesota communities, lakes, rivers and railroads. * USS ''Minnesota'', a steam frigate named for the Minnesota River, commissioned in 1855 and sold in 1901. * USS ''Mi ...

, Minnesota communities or rivers.

Personnel

Naval militias are partially regulated and equipped by the federal government, and membership requirements are set according to federal standards. Under 10 U.S. Code § 7854, in order to be eligible for access to "vessels, material, armament, equipment, and other facilities of the Navy and the Marine Corps available to the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve", at least 95% of members of the naval militia must also be members of the

or the

United States Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned pe ...

Legal status

The naval militia is recognized as a component of the organized militia of the United States under 10 U.S. Code §7851. Article 5, Section 3 of the

Minnesota Constitution The Constitution of the State of Minnesota was initially approved by the residents of Minnesota Territory in a special election held on October 13, 1857, and was ratified by the United States Senate on May 11, 1858, marking the admittance of Minne ...

recognizes the

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

as the commander-in-chief of the naval forces of the state. Responsibility therefore for the reactivation of the naval militia of the state falls on the Governor's office through executive action.

References

{{State Defense Forces State defense forces of the United States Military in Minnesota