National Guard to celebrate birthday

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The Nebraska National Guard was founded on Dec. 23, 1854, with a proclamation from Territorial Gov. Thomas Cuming.

The organization was formed to protect settlers with units north and south of the Platte River. The

Nebraska National Guard has involved 109 communities that have hosted units since its founding in 1854.

Currently, the Nebraska National Guard has members from all 93 counties in the Air and Army National Guard.

The Nebraska National Guard will celebrate its birthday on Thursday, Dec.

20, at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward. The event is open to the public, with social hour starting at 6 p.m. and the program starting at 7 p.m.

The social hour will feature drinks from Bottle Rocket Brewery at the cash bar and food from Pac ‘N’ Save, including a traditional birthday cake.

The program will include the dedication of a new exhibit at the Museum called the Modern Nebraska

National Guard and will feature the fathers of the guard:

• Butler Miltonberger, leader of the 134th Infantry Regiment in World War II and first chief of the National Guard

Bureau;

• Guy Henninger, the longest-serving adjutant general and father of the

Modern NENG;

• Francis Greenlief, a WWII hero and former chief of the National Guard Bureau;

• Warren Wood, a World War II hero and division commander;

• John Campbell, the founder of the Nebraska Air National Guard; and

• Fred Bailey, a Nebraska Air National Guard founding member.

Part of the display is a monitor showing the guard’s adjutant generals from 1864 to today.

The display was created by Hartman Historical

Services in Omaha. Doug Hartman is a veteran and former NENG historian.

The program will also highlight the future exhibits and rooms to be completed in 2019. The biggest project to date is the World War II exhibit Cornrow to

Hedgerow 4D Experience, which is expected to be completed by July on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of St. Lo, France, by members of the Nebraska National Guard’s 134th Infantry Regiment.

The cornerstone interactive exhibit is expected to draw record crowds next year.

The museum just set record attendance for the year at 17,795 in November.

The Nebraska National Guard birthday celebration is free and open to the public.