On Feb. 17 each year, the West Virginia Army National Guard (WVARNG) observe the anniversary of the establishment of the first militia company in what is now West Virginia.
On Feb. 17, 1735, Morgan Morgan was commissioned to the rank of caption to lead a new company of riflemen, known as the First Virginia Regiment, in what is now present day Berkeley County. This company is better known today as the 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery Regiment.
The 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery Regiment, whose lineage led to the founding of the present day West Virginia Army National Guard, is recognized as the oldest active National Guard unit and the longest continuously serving unit in all of the U.S. Army.
In 1775, then Gen. George Washington issued a call for "Virginia Volunteer Riflemen" by stating, "Let me plant my banner in West Augusta (West Virginia) and I will surround it with fighting men who will drive the invaders from our land."
Washington was gathering Continental troops for the Revolutionary War and in response to his request, multiple companies of volunteer Soldiers made the 600-mile trek to Boston, better known as the "Bee Line March to Cambridge," and reported to Washington, forming the First Virginia Regiment, American Continental Troop. On June 14, 1775, the American Continental Army was formed, and from all the companies that formed, only the 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery Regiment, WVARNG remain active.
In 1889, the unit became part of the new, officially formed West Virginia National Guard's First Infantry, which represented the northern part of the state.
This regiment has served in every conflict the United States has been engaged in, including the Spanish-American War, World War I and II, the Korean War and more recently, the Persian Gulf and Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In addition to holding a battle streamer dating back to the American Revolution, the regiment has also supported several state large-scale disaster response missions including the Farmington Mine disaster of 1968, the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster, and the 1977 devastating floods in southern West Virginia.
"Even before these United States were formed, the proud and patriotic militiamen of West Virginia have been committed to serving and protecting our State and Nation," said Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard. "Never has it been more important to understand the historical significance of these brave patriots and what they stood for than right now. Our Nation continues to face adversaries who seek to divide and destroy what we stand for and the West Virginia National Guard will be prepared now, as we were back then, to protect and defend America."
Music: Three Little Drummers from the George Washington Show - The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps
Reenactment Photos: The 1st Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line
Bee Line March painting: Larry Selman
