Minnesota National Guard celebrates U.S. Army's 250th anniversary
The Minnesota National Guard marked a significant milestone, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army with a ceremony at the headquarters of the 34th Infantry Division in Arden Hills.
"Today is a wonderful day in Army history, we are celebrating the Army's 250th birthday," said Brigadier General Joe Sharkey.
The ceremony included a cake-cutting, reading of a proclamation and a history of the United States' founding Army.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was not in attendance, but did sign a proclamation officially recognizing June 14, 2025, as the United States Army's 250th birthday.
The Minnesota National Guard has played a key role in the state and nation's history, with soldiers serving in nearly every major conflict since the Civil War.
"At home and abroad the Army makes a difference, every day, whether it's responding to natural disasters like the recent wildfires in northern Minnesota to supporting our allies abroad," said Sharkey.
More recently, Guard members have assisted in disaster response and provided support in civil unrest during the George Floyd protests.
"We have a proud history, past and present, and we can never miss an opportunity to celebrate it," said Sharkey.
Among those in attendance was a World War II veteran, who provided a living reminder of the enduring contributions made by soldiers of the past.
"If you see someone in uniform, thank them for their service," said Sharkey. "Whether that was active duty, reserve or National Guard, give them a call or send them a text thanking them for their service."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Protest Is Underrated
The first thing to know is that it was all basically willed into being — not by 'paid protesters' or the Mexican government or socialists or union leaders, but by Stephen Miller, the architect of President Trump's xenophobic immigration plan and his deputy chief of staff. In a May meeting at ICE headquarters, Miller reportedly demanded that field agents forget about targeting only those undocumented immigrants with criminal records and instead stage purposefully cruel, attention-getting sweeps in places like the parking lot of a Home Depot. That is precisely where, last Friday, those raids began. The second thing to know is that the unrest was really quite limited: a roughly five-block stretch downtown, in a city of nearly four million people spread over almost 500 square miles; several driverless Waymo robot taxis, lined up on one street and set ablaze. There was some more serious violence, too: some journalists were shot with rubber bullets and other less-lethal munitions, a few cop cars were pelted with rocks, and at least one was set on fire, but no serious law-enforcement injuries were reported. But this was not 1965, with widespread arson and 34 deaths, or 1992, with disorder spreading through whole neighborhoods and more than 60 people killed. None of that means that what began last Friday in Los Angeles — a series of spectacular ICE raids, a direct-action response to block them, large-scale peaceful protests punctuated in places by bursts of familiar violence — is insignificant. To the contrary: Hundreds of migrants and protesters have been arrested over the last week, with many of the raids conducted by ICE officers in the now-familiar uniform of masked anonymity. The National Guard was mobilized over the objection of California's governor, Gavin Newsom, and without the support of the Los Angeles Police Department's leadership, with hundreds of Marines on active duty mobilized to join them in a rare deployment of military personnel to a site of domestic unrest. On Tuesday, Trump disparaged Los Angeles as a 'trash heap' in an incendiary speech that was met with horrifying applause from assembled loyalists in the Army, and on Thursday, Senator Alex Padilla was hauled out of a local news conference being held by the secretary of homeland security, Kristi Noem. When the senator was wrestled to the floor, the secretary had just declared 'we are not going away,' but would instead stay in L.A. to 'liberate the city' from 'socialists' and its democratically elected local government. The political scientists I spoke to throughout the week used phrases like 'competitive authoritarianism,' 'acute democratic backsliding' and 'autocratic power grab.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
24 minutes ago
- CNN
Minnesota lawmakers targeted in overnight shootings outside Minneapolis, officials say
Crime Gun violence Tim WalzFacebookTweetLink Follow Two Minnesota lawmakers were targeted in overnight shootings in the Minneapolis suburbs of Champlin and Brooklyn Park and the situation is currently under investigation by state and local law enforcement agencies, according to social media posts from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota on Saturday morning. Klobuchar identified the lawmakers as Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and State Representative Melissa Hortman, both members of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. 'This is a stunning act of violence. I'm thankful for all the law enforcement who are responding in real time,' Klobuchar said in her post. 'My prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families. Both legislators are close friends and devoted to their families and public service.' Walz activated the State Emergency Operations Center and is on the scene now, according to the governor's spokesperson Teddy Tschann. The governor will host a news briefing later this morning and a cross-jurisdictional Joint Information Center has been established, Tschann said. 'Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon,' Walz said in a post on X. The Brooklyn Park Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order in a 3-mile radius of Edinburgh Golf Course Saturday morning, according to the City of Brooklyn Park. The governor said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement are on the scene. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Wall Street Journal
33 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
What to Know About the ‘No Kings Day' Movement
The No Kings events are intended to present a peaceful but patriotic 'split screen' to the Trump administration's military parade and reject what they call the president's overreach. Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, Planned Parenthood and Sen. Bernie Sanders's campaign office are coordinating protests. Walmart heiress Christy Walton has also supported the protests. Organizers hope that millions show up to march in what could be the largest demonstration against the administration since President Trump's second term began. More than 3.5 million people turned out for April's 'Hands Off' protests.
