242d Birthday of the US Army
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 5, 2014) — When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, the original 13 colonies did not have a shared army, but instead, a collection of independent colonial militias.
The first battles of that war were fought April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Mass., by patriots of the Massachusetts militia. They were the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first hostilities between the colonies and Great Britain.
Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and as British troops moved back across Massachusetts toward Boston, colonial militia from around New England began massing around that city. Within days, thousands of militia members under the leadership of Artemas Ward of Massachusetts had Boston under siege.
By May 10, just weeks after hostilities began in Massachusetts, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. On the agenda: creating a common army to defend the colonies.
A month later, on June 14, the Congress approved the creation of that army, the Continental Army. The new force was made of those militiamen already gathered outside Boston, some 22,000 of them, plus those in New York, about 5,000.
The following day, the 15th, the Congress named Virginian George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and named Ward his second in command the following day.
The Congress also resolved to form a committee “to bring in a draft of rules and regulations for the government of the Army,” and voted $2 million to support the forces around Boston, and those in New York City.
Congress authorized the formation of 10 companies of expert riflemen from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, which were directed to march to Boston to support the New England militia. These were the first troops Congress agreed to pay from its own funds, and the units later became the 1st Continental Regiment.
(John R. Maass of the U.S. Army Center for Military History contributed to this article.)
Category: Army News
Happy Birthday to all my Army Brethren!
Happy birthday, Army!
Proud to be a soldier.
Happy Birthday to all my Brother’s in Arms!
Ice cream and cake for all my brothers and sisters.
Happy Birthday Army!
This from a Sailor for my Army Friends and acquaintances:
Happy Birthday to youse,
Happy Birthday to youse,
Happy Birthday dear Army types,
Happy Birthday to youse.
Sung to the tune of ‘Happy Birthday to Youse’
BWHAAAAAAAA
That’s 242 continuous yrs of existence 🎂. The only branch w/ no breaks in service & the air force doesn’t count. 😀
They’ve only been around a paltry 68 years or so… hardly enough time to have meaningful traditions. Hell, they can’t even get the number of stripes right.
It should also be mentioned that it is Flag Day. Don’t care what service you’re in, nothing brings a tear to the eye like Old Glory and the (properly done) Star Spangled Banner.
Poser claiming 200+ years continuous service in 3 – 2 – 1 – BOOM!
“There I was, deep in the shit with General Washington, surrounded entirely by British soldiers, when …”
Hey,
Now I was at Valley Forge dag nabbit. Sure, I was just a tourist but I was there. I was awarded the prestigious NDM to prove on my DD-1, Yeah, mines the first version of discharge papers, signed by good ole George W. Himself. Happy birthday US Army.
Big deal, I was first mate on Noah’s barge!! 😉
The AF is marking their 70th anny of their escape from big army in September.
I stand corrected, thought it was ’48…. knew it was sometime since which we had not won a major war.
Happy birthday to all of you Army types! Can I claim I was in the Army? I went to 91-V school at Fort Sam in the mid-80’s (8 months long)? Even got a certificate for it!
Well, you “damp service” types have to get proper training somewhere . . . . (smile)
We had nautically challenged, err, Army types, in attendance at the SERE class I was in, so it goes both ways.
And Happy Birthday!
Is that sub still stuck in the mud down by the Riverwalk?
But we were the ones with the better GPA and “hands on skills”….
😉
I have had the great honor of serving with some of the best of America.
Happy Army Birthday to all of us!
My e-mail message that I sent to everybody:
____________________________
Comrades in Arms:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our UNITED STATES ARMY, authorized by the Continental Congress on 14 June 1775 ! ! !
And therefore, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all of us survivors!
I have two ancestors, John Mallernee, of Baltimore, Maryland in my father’s lineage, and Uriah Hawkins, of Rhode Island, in my mother’s lineage, who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War of Independence.
During the War Between the States, some of my ancestors served in the United States Army, while others of my ancestors served in the Confederate Army.
As you should be aware, by act of Congress, those who served in the Confederate Army are now considered to be United States veterans, with the Department of Veterans Affairs now required to maintain their graves.
My father, now deceased, was a career non-commissioned officer in the regular United States Army, and served during the Second World War and the Korean Conflict.
My stepmother, now deceased, served in the United States Army during the Second World War, being the 104th female to enlist in the newly created Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps.
Several of my uncles served in the United States Army during the Second World War.
My brother, some cousins, and I, served in the United States Army during the Cold War.
I served on active duty in the regular United States Army from Thursday 07 December 1967 until Friday 03 December 1976, with duty in Germany, Viet Nam, and Korea, followed by service in the Utah National Guard, and then the Utah State Guard (also known as the Utah State Defense Force).
Thank you.
At Your Service,
John Robert Mallernee, Esquire, KB3KWS
Disabled War Veteran, United States Army
Ashley Valley Shadows
Vernal, Utah 84078
John thank you for that and for your service. I served 3 years, November 1967-70 in the U.S. Army, Signal Corps, RVN May ’68-9.
I was much later in the Maryland Defense Force, our version of Utahs.
I was the only one of my family of my generation to serve outside the Reserves, and of my peers that I know of.
Someplace I read that the actual percentage of the population that did serve from the outset of this country to today is kinda small. I take a certain satisfaction in my service, but I don’t go around blowing a tin horn and saying look at me. ‘Nuff said! Happy Birthday, everyone! Hoorah!
Most of my family fought for the south, that being said, I have thought long and hard on this. They were traitors. Even though we reconciled after the war, i feel as though they are not and were not US veterans. They actively and knowingly fought in insurrection against a duly constituted government because they didn’t like the outcome of an election. Kind of sounds familiar now huh. I know many may feel I’m being cruel but then again, it’s just my opinion. I don’t think the VA should have responsibility for insurrectionest graves.
Unlike the Yankees People in the South take care of their own. Confederate cemeteries are well taken care of by the state and local governments.
Also groups in the South take care of Union Soldier’s graves that aren’t part of the national cemeteries.
Happy Birthday to all my Army Brothers. Some of the best men I have ever known, I served with in the Army.
Happy Cake and Candle Day Army Brothers and Sisters. 🙂
Happy Birthday, Big Green Machine! You occasionally drove me nuts, but I am and will forever be proud to have served in ya. Had the best (and worst 🙂 ) time of my life with the best people – I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat! Essayons!
HOOAH! US Army from a proud Army Dad.
Happy Birthday Army! It was my honor and privilege to drop your ragged asses on Sicily DZ over the years.
Now you can get back to your Bragg Blvd strip club or buying a used Camaro at 20% interest 😎
Happy Birthday!
Very happy birthday! You don’t look a day over 200!!!
Happy Birthday fellow Soldiers!
Start knockin’em out, 242 and recover!
Happy Birthday Army!!!!
Dammit Roh-Dog, I will probably finish the 242 in time to start the 243…
And since PFM tossed out the Engineer motto, here’s one for you: Animo et Fide! (The COOLEST DAMN (and most meaningful to me) is the certificate naming me a member of the regiment that motto goes with.)
Best wishes to you ALL! But especially to the scouts, wingnuts and treadheads out there.
Dino, one of the most enjoyable times in my career was when I went to PLDC at Knox and watched the 19D and 19K almost come to blows constantly for a month 🙂 .
“Pro Patria Vigilans” (i.e., “Watchful for the Country”)
Motto of the United States Army Signal Corps
________________________________
“VOX AQUILAE” (i.e., “Voice of the Eagle”)
Motto of the 501st Signal Battalion (Airmobile), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), which I served with in the old Republic of Viet Nam
_________________________________
“Garryowen” (i.e., “Garden of Owen” in County Limerick, Ireland)
Motto of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, my unit at Fort Hood, Texas
Thanks PFM and John. Gotta love it when the Cav guys in their various configurations over the years come out of the woodwork.
PFM When I was at Knox (the first time), I was in A-1-1 up in “Disney-land”. The marine tankers were in the same barracks as we were. There were plywood walls blocking the hallways between us 19E’s and the marines. We used to have some fairly humorous insult sessions going on. Then you would hear total silence on the other side of the wall… I imagine it was when their DI showed up. When our Drill Sergeant showed up we usually ended up brasso-ing everything metal in the building…
🙂
In 89 the NCO Academy and Drill Sergeant Academy were right next to each other – we laughed when we saw Basic trainees on crutches doing rings around the barracks. They made them earn that profile 🙂 .
Even with bad flashbacks of me as a PVT E-2 driving my piece of crap Gamma Goat down a tank trail at Ft. Riley KS, I will still say Happy Birthday ARMY!
Happy B-Day all you Doggies!!
Line Dawgs are forever!
HOOAH!!
Happy Birthday US Army, from the proud brother of a Screaming Eagle who served in Vietnam, Co E 2nd of the 506th.
Hopefully there will not be 242 recycles allowed.
And the Army goes rolling a-long….