{"id":34453,"date":"2023-11-06T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=34453"},"modified":"2023-11-08T17:07:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T17:07:31","slug":"national-guards-heritage-honored-at-storied-army-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=34453","title":{"rendered":"National Guard\u2019s Heritage Honored at Storied Army Base"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, left, chief of the National Guard Bureau, chats with Air Force Maj. Gen. John P. Hronek, the adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, during the opening ceremony at The 1636 Room at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall\u2019s Patton Hall in Arlington, Virginia, Nov. 1, 2023. Named in recognition of the first organized militia in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 \u2013 the predecessor of today\u2019s National Guard \u2013 the exhibit space runs the gamut of strategically placed artifacts, framed flags, panel displays, photographs, visual arts and replicated items.
\n (Photo Credit: Air Force Master Sgt. Erich B. Smith, National Guard Bureau)<\/span>
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ARLINGTON, Va. \u2013 In a hallowed corner of Patton Hall at Northern Virginia\u2019s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, a journey through the annals of American military history awaits. An officer\u2019s saber from the late 19th century, a World War I-era combat helmet, and a flag that bore witness to the attack on Pearl Harbor stand as sentinels to a remarkable legacy.<\/p>\n

Welcome to The 1636 Room, a treasure trove of nearly 200 unique artifacts curated by the National Guard\u2019s 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia. It\u2019s a living tribute to the nation\u2019s oldest military organization.<\/p>\n

For Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, the room honors the Guard\u2019s heritage and its legacy of \u201ccourage, duty, honor and service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 1636 Room is a tribute to that tradition, a commemoration of a force unlike any other \u2014 one that continues to have an impact as 20% of the Joint Force and continues to shape the course of history,\u201d Hokanson said during the ceremony unveiling the exhibit Nov. 1.<\/p>\n

The idea for The 1636 Room originated late last year when Hokanson asked the National Guard Bureau History Office to develop a plan for a heritage space where Guard members could gather for events and social occasions and for others to learn more about the force.<\/p>\n

By spring, he signed off on the history office\u2019s recommendation that Patton Hall would be the ideal spot, said Richard Clark, NGB chief historian.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is centrally located, and it has a rich history of its own,\u201d he added, noting the 3rd U.S. Regiment, as \u201cthe oldest regiment in the Army, has a room at Patton Hall, and it seemed appropriate for the oldest U.S. military organization to have a place there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honoring the roots of today\u2019s National Guard, the exhibit space is named in tribute to the 1636 Massachusetts Bay Colony militia and boasts an extensive array of strategically positioned artifacts that include framed flags, panel displays, photographs, visual artworks, and replicas. Clark explained each item encapsulates the essence of unique events, remarkable achievements, unit emblems, and historic missions undertaken by different Guard elements.<\/p>\n

Army Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, adjutant general of Virginia, said the series of framed pictures showcasing Soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division from its beginnings in World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom was a fitting contribution to the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us on the Virginia side, we carry heavy within the 29th,\u201d said Ring, who attended the ceremony along with nearly 150 senior Guard leaders.<\/p>\n

While the photographs are significant for Virginia Guard members, Ring said the room\u2019s spirit can resonate with all Soldiers and Airmen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a chance for all of us to have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Citizen-Soldier and Airman tradition of those that came before us,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous honor to be here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Clark emphasized the room\u2019s purpose extends beyond showcasing history.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistory tells us what happened, but heritage is the value we ascribe to that history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Clark highlighted a canteen, cup and mess kit engraved by Soldiers from New Mexico National Guard\u2019s 200th Coast Artillery during World War II. These very Soldiers later endured the harrowing Bataan Death March, followed by internment in POW camps.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are the facts \u2014 the history. The heritage is the pride, the trauma and the \u2018debt of honor\u2019 New Mexicans feel they owe the men of that unit,\u201d said Clark.<\/p>\n

The artifacts, he added, represent unmatched valor and immense suffering. Only about half of the roughly 1,800 Soldiers from New Mexico who fought in the Pacific Theater returned at the war\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Mexico National Guard sent a piece of itself to put in this room,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The history office will continue to update the room as it receives more items that represent different aspects of Guard heritage.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the National Guard evolves, the room will evolve with it,\u201d said Clark, adding the room \u201cis not a static display. It\u2019s a dynamic space that evolves as states swap out artifacts, and as additional states and territories and District of Columbia identify their contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his closing remarks, Hokanson said the room \u2014 with the intent and purpose of honoring Guard heritage with unique items from the past \u2014 is only the beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese items are not only part of our history \u2014 they are part of our ongoing story,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For more National Guard news<\/a><\/p>\n

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National Guard Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, left, chief of the National Guard Bureau, chats with Air Force Maj. Gen. John P. Hronek, the adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, during the opening ceremony at The 1636 Room at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall\u2019s Patton Hall in Arlington, Virginia, Nov. 1, 2023. Named in recognition of the first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34455,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34453"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34456,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34453\/revisions\/34456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}