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Army celebrates 237 years of history to the nation

  • Published
  • By Pascual Flores
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  June 14 marked both Flag Day and the Army's 237th birthday. Two symbols entwined as our nation's might and its' manifestation.

The U.S. Army has a long history spanning from the nations' earliest battles to its current conflicts abroad.

The safety and security of the original 13 colonies fell upon the independent local militia Prior to the approval for the creation of the Continental Army in 1775. The members of the militia were an assembly of volunteers led, equipped, armed, paid for and supported by the colonies from which they were raised. Though united as a team, the local militias lacked a unified chain of command.

Hostilities between the Massachusetts militia and Great Britain erupted April 19, 1775, as militiamen and British troops engaged in the Battles of Lexington and Concord. This battlefield inspired Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem, Concord Hymn and its famous line ... "the shot heard 'round the world."

The Second Continental Congress convened weeks after the commencement of hostilities in Philadelphia May 10, 1775. On the agenda: creating a standing Army.

Congress approved the creation of the Continental Army June 14, 1775. The force consisted of ten companies of expert riflemen from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, made up of 22,000 militiamen already gathered outside Boston and another 5,000 militiamen in New York who were directed to march in support of the New England militia.

George Washington was appointed as the first commander-in-chief of the newly created continental army June 15, 1775.

Since then, service members of the U.S. Army have fought in wars at home and around the world. In addition, Soldiers have provided humanitarian support and security to people in need and to nations devastated by natural or manmade disasters.

"It is remarkable to see the transformation our U.S. Army has made throughout its 237 years," said Col. Joseph Whitlock, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst deputy commander. "From its humble beginnings defending a newly established country, to its now essential responsibilities to our nation in both peace and wartime, the Army has come a long way. I am proud to be a part of this rich history and proud to serve among the Soldiers who selflessly serve to defend this great nation and maintain this proud legacy."