Clay National Guard Center, Sept. 15. 2010 – Few organizations in Georgia can readily boast of over three centuries of continuous service to the state.  The Georgia National Guard traces its earliest beginnings as a militia force protecting America’s 13th colony more than 380 ago. Once simply a militia force, the Georgia National Guard is the now the fifth largest National Guard organization in the country with over 14,000 Soldiers and Airmen.

Recently the Georgia National Guard has embarked upon an ambitious effort to move beyond the mere collection of artifacts and memorabilia, and on to the building of a National Guard museum for Georgians to explore the military history of their state.

The new focus on the history of Georgia’s National Guard builds upon the years of extensive collection and organizing of thousands of documents, reports, pictures, and artifacts now safely warehoused in restrictive Guard archives.  An actual museum will showcase some of the unique military artifacts of National Guard history, and establish a comprehensive research library for the National Guard in Georgia and the military history in Georgia.

Retired Colonel Dennis Brown of the Georgia Army Guard is spearheading the effort for a Georgia National Guard museum.

“With literally thousands of items and materials already collected and organized, along with new items coming to us as the Guard deploys around the world, we will have the makings of a superb collection that tell the story of the Georgia National Guard from its earliest beginnings through today,” said Brown.

Maj. Gen. Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General, provides crucial command support for the development of a museum.

“The history of the Georgia Guard is a story many Georgians may not immediately realize extends over three centuries, and a museum is the obvious way to make Georgians familiar with the long and proud heritage of our Citizen-Soldiers,” says Nesbitt.

To assist in the effort, Brown established a history committee from representatives of the Georgia Army and Air Guard and Georgia State Defense Force as well as operational and logistical talents within the Guard.  Brown also has also reached out to past Georgia Guard historians, Dr. Beryl Diamond, Major Rich Elwell (command historian for the Georgia State Defense Force), and Gail Parnell (a former Army historian for the Georgia Army National Guard).

“Georgia’s Citizen-Soldiers have participated in all the nation’s wars, from conflicts of Georgia’s earliest settlers against Spanish-controlled Florida in 1733 to today’s battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said historian Dr. Beryl Diamond.

“We anticipate the museum being the location for scholarly research and study,” Brown says. “So, in addition to displays of vintage military hardware, uniforms, and military memorabilia, the museum will also have a comprehensive library for historical research.”

“This significant undertaking is long overdue.  It will help both to show the importance of the military history of Georgia, which is certainly one of the longest and richest in our country,” says Major Rich Elwell, Command Historian for the Georgia State Defense Force, and one of the early organizers of the Georgia National Guard Historical Society.

Brown encourages Georgia citizens interested in the military history of Georgia and the Georgia National Guard to become involved on the ground floor in this exciting opportunity by joining the Georgia National Guard Historical Society.  Information on the Historical Society can be found online at www.hsgng.org and at www.gadod.net  under the history tab.  Also the group’s Facebook fan page can be accessed at www.facebook.com/GaGuardHistory.

“The state of Georgia and the Georgia Guard has too rich a military history not to showcase it with a museum,” said Brown.  “I’m convinced that the interest in the Georgia Guard will ultimately result in a military museum and historical program rivaling those  of neighboring states, and I don’t think that time is too far away.”