Calhoun County MI Archives History .....Mexican Border Duty June 18, 1916
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Robin Ellis -- July 17, 2007, 12:40 pm

Just 15 days after the passage of the National Defense Act, June 18,1916, 
Michigan National Guard units were called into federal service for duty on the 
Mexican border. The units mobilized at their home stations on the following 
day. The organization of the Michigan National Guard at that time included:

Company A, Signal Corps
Company A, Engineers
First Michigan Field Hospital
First and Second Michigan Ambulance Companies
Troops A and B, First Michigan Cavalry
Batteries A and B, First Michigan Field Artillery
First Michigan Infantry Brigade, composed of the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd Michigan 
Infantry Regiments.

 From their home stations, the units were sent to Camp Grayling, then to El 
Paso, Texas, for patrol duty on the Mexican border. The 31st Infantry, the 
first organization to leave, departed in June, with the 32nd following in July. 
The balance of the troops were sent at various times during succeeding months, 
with the last embarking during the latter part of October.

Service on the border was uneventful, consisting mainly of guard duty, drill 
instructions, marches, etc. The troops started to return home in November, 
leaving the border in the same order in which they had been sent, with the 31 
st Infantry the first to return. 

 The last unit to be ordered home was the 33rd Infantry, but the War 
Department, realizing that war with Germany was very likely, changed the order. 
Rather than returning home the 33rd was sent to guard vulnerable spots in 
Michigan, and to Camp Custer near Battle Creek, which was then being built.

Regimental duties included garrison duty at Camp Custer, Fort Wayne, and Fort 
Brady; guard duty at the railroad tunnels under the Detroit and St. Clair 
Rivers; and guarding the ore docks at Marquette and Escanaba. When war was 
finally declared on Germany, the 33rd Infantry was still in federal service.

Additional Comments:
Information from the State of Michigan Website:
http://www.michigan.gov/dmva/1,1607,7-126-2360_3003_3009-17060--,00.html

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/calhoun/history/other/mexicanb8ms.txt

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