The Minnesota State Guard, previously known as the Minnesota Defense Force, is the currently inactive

state defense force 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. ...

of the state of

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 ...

. The State Guard was organized with the purpose of replacing the

Minnesota National Guard The Minnesota National Guard is a state-based military force of more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen, serving in 61 communities across the state. Operated in the U.S. state of Minnesota, it is reserve component of the National Guard. The Cons ...

in protecting the state of Minnesota, while the National Guard was federalized and deployed during

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 opposing ...

. The State Guard is authorized under Minnesota law and is recognized as a component of the organized militia of Minnesota, along with the

History

World War I

The state of Minnesota authorized and created state defense forces during each of the

world war A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

s. As a response to the United States' entrance into

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

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

passed the Home Guard Act of 1917, which allowed the states to create

home guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

s, which could receive surplus weaponry from the federal government. Minnesota's first State Guard, known officially as the Minnesota Home Guard, was created on April 28, 1917, and served for the duration of

. Over the course of the war, the Home Guard eventually consisted of 23 battalions with more than 7,000 men. The Home Guard included the Sixteenth Battalion, which was the first Minnesota-recruited African American military unit in the state's history. The Home Guard handled a number of domestic emergencies. In late 1917, the Home Guard was deployed to restore order following riots in

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

. On July 1, 1918, a tornado struck the town of

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

, and the relief effort was carried out by members of the Home Guard and

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 ...

. In October 1918, the Home Guard assumed management of the aftermath of the Cloquet fire. The remaining elements of the Home Guard were dissolved in December 1920.

World War II

In 1940, prior to the United States' entry into

, Section 61 of the

National Defense Act of 1916 The National Defense Act of 1916, , was a United States federal law that updated the Militia Act of 1903, which related to the organization of the military, particularly the National Guard. The principal change of the act was to supersede prov ...

was modified to allow the establishment of

s. The Minnesota State Guard was created in 1941. By 1942, the State Guard had reached a strength of approximately 6,100 members. By 1942, the First Separate Infantry Battalion of the Minnesota State Guard was placed on active duty, requiring prospective members to enlist for the duration of the war plus an additional six months. The battalion was responsible for providing full-time security for

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

, Two Harbors, and the

Thomson Dam The Thomson Dam is a major Clay core and rockfill embankment dam with a Uncontrolled, Ogee-shaped overflow weir and chute spillway across the Thomson River, located about east of Melbourne in the West Gippsland region of the Australian stat ...

in Jay Cooke State Park. In at least one event, members of the Minnesota State Guard competed in a rifle competition against students from the Shattuck Military School. In 1948, two battalions of Minnesota State Guard, equipped with one dozen

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...

tanks, were deployed to quell a violent strike by the meat packer's union in the

and Newport areas. After the violence was quelled, the troops withdrew from most of their deployed zones but continued to patrol the Wilson plant in

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

Legal status

State defense forces are authorized by the federal government under Title 32, Section 109 of the United States Code. Minnesota law also allows the creation of a state defense force.

References

{{Authority control State defense forces of the United States Military in Minnesota

History

World War I

World War II

Legal status

See also

References