"Founding of the U.S. National Guard (1636)" Topic

"On this day, the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized three militia regiments for defense, an event recognized as the birth of the United States National Guard, one of the oldest military branches in the nation".

Not sure how this is assumed since the USA didn't exist before 17 whatever. It's a bit like a British regiment claiming ancestry from a Roman Legion or auxiliary cohort. Since it's only one of the oldest presumably another organisation claims to be older…

I don't really think it is what it says. Founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony militia is the best I could consider it being. Historic, but not in the same way. IMHO, of course.

Except that three units in the current MAARNG trace a direct lineage from the original militia organizations.

That's how. As the political entities changed the units themselves continued under the new system.

It's really not that hard to understand.

Eric

epturner has it as it was explained to me in my Guard years--though I remember some fuss over the Puerto Rico Guard, which is also very old.

"I think "one of the oldest" was just someone hedging a bet. Army, Navy and Marines date to the AWI, and only a couple of regular Army units claim continuity with AWI units. Reserves are much later.

An excellent point by epturner – the French 12th Cuirassiers (2e Régiment de Cuirassiers, 12e RC) is the amoured regiment in 2nd Armoured Brgade and traces it's orgins to the Dauphin's Regiment of Cavalry (Régiment du Dauphin Cavalerie) which was created in 1688 – so went thru two monarchies, two empires and as I recall five republics

And the Coldstream Guards was formed in 1650 so older yet – and still serving!

actually there is Picardie 1er RI who remounts its history to the Bands of Picardy in 1479, one of Francis I's Provincial Légions raised in 1534 was also the Légion de Picardie, then a Regiment raised in 1569 taking the name of the province in 1585
in the Reserve it existed the Sedentary Gunners Battalion of Lille raised in 1483 who had celebrated its 500 years
the British Honourable Artillery Company 1537
the Regimiento de Infantería Soria n.º 9 to a Tercio raised in 1509
something usual in old countries, not young republics born 250 years ago for historical obvious reasons

the question would be funny if the United States "National Guard" (copied from a French organisation born in 1790 from urban bourgeoise and royal provincial militias) claims also the traditions and lineage of colonial militias other than British :
Spanish in Puerto Rico as it seems the case (?) and Southwestern States,
French in the States from today Louisiana to Great Lakes,
Danish in Virgin Islands,
Dutch, Swedish…who knows
there were not Russian militias in Alaska

the case of Puerto Rico

Due to this, the PRNG claims to be the only member of the National Guard of the United States to be a product of two distinct lineages

The entity claims a unique tradition that unlike the rest of the state national guards, also includes the early American period that preceded the creation of the Thirteen Colonies. This claim is reflected in its first coat of arms which depicts the defeat of the British in the second Battle of San Juan and the patch worn by the 295th Regiment, designed by John Roqueña in 1953, which features a man wearing a morion. The first coat of arms of the PRNG featured a lion guarding a tower on top of an isle located in the middle of a blue field representing the ocean, the beast representing the militia guarding San Juan, three sailboats that represent the defeated British float in 1798, and a sheep next to a red book representing Puerto Rico as seen in the coat of arms.

Let's not leave the Bercheny Hussars or the Royal Scots out of the discussion. The Bercheny are another Sun King regiment, flying helicopters now the last I heard. The Royal Scots are now held to date to 1633. They used to claim the 13th Century, and I believe are still sometimes referred to as "Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard."

The Hoch und Deutschmeister only entered Imperial service in 1696, but I've seen claims of continuity back to the 16th Century.