Georgia National Guard History

Georgia National Guard History This is the official page of the Georgia National Guard History Office. When international conflicts arise, it serves alongside active military.

Description
Since 1732, In times of local natural disasters or civil disturbances, the Georgia Guard has stood ready to help civilian authorities.

Pvt. Fred SmithCompany C, 2nd Georgia Infantry RegimentFred Smith was born October 15, 1896, in Fairburn, Ga. to farmers...
06/22/2026

Pvt. Fred Smith
Company C, 2nd Georgia Infantry Regiment

Fred Smith was born October 15, 1896, in Fairburn, Ga. to farmers Jesse and Sarah Smith. The youngest of five children, Smith grew up helping out on the farm with his three older brothers. On June 20, 1916, the Georgia National Guard was called to active service for the Mexican Border expedition and Smith enlisted in Company C, 2nd Georgia Infantry Regiment commanded by Capt. Eli Peacock. The 2nd Georgia reported to Camp Harris in Macon where it trained until October 22, 1916 before departing by rail for El Paso, Texas. Smith’s company performed outpost and patrol duty out of Camp Cotton in El Paso through March 22 when he returned to Georgia by rail and was presented with a medal for his service by the city of Macon. Days after his return, the United States declared war on Germany and the 2nd Georgia was dispatched to Camp Wheeler near Macon. Smith had been at Camp Wheeler for mere weeks before he fell ill and was hospitalized. He died of blood poisoning while in camp June 22, 1917. He was 20 years old. He rests in Shadnor First Baptist Church Cemetery in Union Hills, Ga.

Happy Father's Day to fathers past and present. This image depicts Georgia National Guard Soldiers, fathers, and sons du...
06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day to fathers past and present. This image depicts Georgia National Guard Soldiers, fathers, and sons during annual training at Fort McClellan, Ala. in August 1955. Georgia National Guard archives.

Pfc. Hansel LewisHeadquarters and Combat Train, 214th Coast Artillery Hansel Eugene Lewis was born August 8, 1920, to Ge...
06/21/2026

Pfc. Hansel Lewis
Headquarters and Combat Train, 214th Coast Artillery

Hansel Eugene Lewis was born August 8, 1920, to George and Thersie Lewis of Lincoln County, Ga. Lewis’s father operated a lumber mill. Lewis enlisted as a private in the Thomson-based Headquarters Battery and Combat Train, 214th Coast Artillery Regiment, Georgia National Guard, June 28, 1940, at the age of 19. In 1942 Lewis transferred to the 104th Coast Artillery Battalion. On June 20, 1943, Lewis drowned while serving in New Guinea. He rests in the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In memory of 1st Sgt. John Blair who was killed in action in Afghanistan on this day in 2009.
06/21/2026

In memory of 1st Sgt. John Blair who was killed in action in Afghanistan on this day in 2009.

June 19, 1916: Georgia National Guard General Order No. 9 ordered units to assemble at home stations no later than June ...
06/20/2026

June 19, 1916:

Georgia National Guard General Order No. 9 ordered units to assemble at home stations no later than June 20, 1916, for Mexican border service. Units from across the state assembled at Camp Harris in Macon, the designated mobilization camp for Georgia. Named for Governor Nathaniel Harris, the camp was located near Crumps Park. From there, Georgia National Guard units would begin the process of training for the border mission which would take them to Texas and New Mexico.

June 19, 1977:OV-1 Mohawks of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 159th Military Intelligence Company become the first Ga....
06/20/2026

June 19, 1977:

OV-1 Mohawks of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 159th Military Intelligence Company become the first Ga. ARNG aircraft to fly outside the continental United States when they departed Dobbins AFB bound for Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico to take part in exercises with the Puerto Rico Army National Guard’s 92nd Infantry Brigade. For five days, the OV-1 crews supported the Puerto Rico National Guard flying surveillance missions as requested by units participating in the exercise.

Happy birthday to the Brunswick-based Battery B, 1st Battalion 118th Field Artillery Regiment, which was federally recog...
06/19/2026

Happy birthday to the Brunswick-based Battery B, 1st Battalion 118th Field Artillery Regiment, which was federally recognized on June 18, 1947.

June 18,1898:The Adjutant General of Georgia through the governor's office disseminated the attached recruiting poster f...
06/19/2026

June 18,1898:

The Adjutant General of Georgia through the governor's office disseminated the attached recruiting poster for service in the Spanish American War. Service was to be for two years, but as the poster helpfully observed “as soon as the present trouble with the United States and Spain ends the volunteers will undoubtedly be discharged.”

The poster was developed to recruit a third volunteer infantry regiment from Georgia. Following the United States’ declaration of war with Spain, Governor William Atkinson of Georgia initially called for the Georgia Volunteers (precursor to the Georgia National Guard) to form two regiments of volunteer infantry and two batteries of light artillery for service in Cuba. These all-volunteer units would be comprised largely of Soldiers serving in units of the Georgia Military Department. Per General Orders No. 5, issued April 28, 1898, the infantry regiments were to be composed of 12 companies with a minimum strength of 80 Soldiers while the batteries of artillery would have a strength of 121 each. Rather than mobilizing GV units directly into service, the muster called for individual volunteers. Consequently, while some units enlisted en masse, a great number of the volunteer companies were aggregations of GV Soldiers from multiple units augmented by new enlistees.

The units were mustered into service at Camp Northen in Griffin, Ga. in May and were dispatched to Camp Thomas near Chickamauga for premobilization training. The Macon Volunteers, assigned as Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment, mobilized and trained at Camp Thomas. But like the Artillery, and other companies of the 1st GVI, they would ultimately not serve overseas. Today, the Macon Volunteers serves as Headquarters Company, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The 2nd Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment made it as far as Tampa but could not secure transportation to Cuba before the end of hostilities.

The 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment, organized following the June recruiting poster release, performed occupation duty in Cuba before returning to the United States.

1st Lt. Ronald EvansCompany B, 448th Supply and Transportation Battalion Ronald Izlar Evans was born April 13, 1939, in ...
06/14/2026

1st Lt. Ronald Evans
Company B, 448th Supply and Transportation Battalion

Ronald Izlar Evans was born April 13, 1939, in Augusta, Ga. to Lyle and Carolyn Evans. Evans grew up in Augusta and attended the Academy of Richmond County where he played football, participated in ROTC, and served as class president. He graduated from the Academy of Richmond County in 1957. Joining the Georgia National Guard, Evans was assigned to the Washington-based Company B, 448th Supply and Transportation Battalion, an element of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Armor Division. Evans traveled with the 48th Division to annual training at Fort Stewart June 7, 1964. On June 9, he and Lt. Robert Boyd, also of Company B, 448th, were returning to Fort Stewart from Savannah when their vehicle crashed. Evans was killed and Boyd injured. Evans rests in Westover Memorial Park in Augusta, Ga.

Staff Sgt. Edward Smith Battery C, 230th Field Artillery Edward Marshall Smith was born October 21, 1921, in Savannah, G...
06/13/2026

Staff Sgt. Edward Smith
Battery C, 230th Field Artillery

Edward Marshall Smith was born October 21, 1921, in Savannah, Ga. to Clarence and Mamie Smith. In April 1940, while working as a bookkeeper, Smith enlisted in the Savannah-based Battery D, 1st Battalion 118th Field Artillery Regiment, Georgia National Guard. He entered federal service with Battery D, September 16, 1940, and before the end of the month had mobilized to Fort Jackson, S. C. with the 118th and other Georgia National Guard units of the 30th Infantry Division.

On February 16, 1942, the 230th Field Artillery Battalion was created, and Smith was assigned to Battery C, 230th FA. The 230th arrived on Omaha Beach June 10, 1944, and fired its first rounds from Colleville sur Mer on June 11. The following day, Smith was operating with a party of forward observers in advance of friendly lines. Moving to identify targets, the forward observers were spotted by German forces and engaged. Smith was struck and killed by machine gun fire. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. Smith rests in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.

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Georgia Guard History Office, Bldg 447, Clay Center, 1000 Halsey Avenue
Marietta, GA
30060

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