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Archives of Maryland Online, Volume 409, Page 616
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/m...900/sc2908/000001/000409/html/am409--616.html
State Papers and Addresses of Governor Herbert L. O’Conor
MARYLAND MINUTE MEN
RADIO STATION WFBR AND MARYLAND COVERAGE NETWORK
March 10, 1942
Baltimore
THE sincere hope of every person in Maryland is that our State may never
experience invasion or attack. That we should consider such a thing as
possible is in itself a terrible shock to the American state of mind.
Nevertheless, with so much of the world overrun by the enemies of Democracy,
and with the invasion of Java and New Guinea as well as other points in
the Australian Archipelago fresh in our minds, we would be foolish, indeed,
not to be prepared, as completely as possible, for any such happening,
even here in Maryland.
Our people didn't want this war and, prior to the dastardly and cowardly
attack on Pearl Harbor, the thought of sending American troops to fight
in far-away lands was abhorrent to the minds of every American. Recent
developments of the most threatening nature, however, have completely
changed America's attitude toward the present conflict. The unexpected
and continuing success of the Japanese forces, who have swept everything
before them except General MacArthur's heroic band in the Philippines,
have impressed on our minds most forcibly that new tactics are demanded.
That is why, in the recent past, there has become evident a tremendous
demand on the part of Americans everywhere, that our leaders forsake a
defensive policy and pursue this war in typical American fashion by
carrying the offensive to the enemy at every possible point.
But this plan, if adopted, will make necessary additional protective
forces in the states of our Country, particularly those like Maryland,
situated along the coastlines. It is about this matter of necessity that
I desire to speak to the people of Maryland tonight.
Let us review briefly the various steps, and then consider why and to
what extent Maryland is confronted with danger and what we must do at once
to protect our citizens. The Federal Government faces the tremendous task
of training the largest military and naval establishment in our Nation's
history. After the hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of our men
are trained and equipped, they must be transported, far and wide, over
the seven seas to overcome the enemy outside continental United States.
Every available man in the combat forces will be needed in this far-flung
offensive. This means that if any number of soldiers, trained for military
operations, would be retained within the United States for guard duty, or
for any other routine defense purpose, that would entail a loss to our
Country's striking power.
The Federal Government, of course, is the one which assumes the
responsibility for the conduct of war. But the State Government has its
obligation, also, to its citizens. That obligation includes protection
to our people. It was for this reason that more than a year ago I asked
the Maryland General Assembly to authorize the creation of the State
Guard, the primary purpose of which was to have a mobile protective force
ready to move in any direction to maintain the safety and security of our
people and their property. It is with pleasure that I can report to our
people that the State Guard is completely drilling.
The State Guard numbers approximately 2,700 officers and men.
Supplementing it is a Special Military Police Force, the members of which
are on continuous duty and assigned exclusively to the guarding of our
State's bridges, important water supplies, and other vital points,
described by the War Department as having important bearing on the war
effort. The number of this force is approximately 300.
To the credit of the members of our present Guard, it can be said that
they have responded to every requirement since our Nation entered the
war, despite unexpected difficulties under which they have at times been
required to perform their duties. The public will understand that up until
now the State's defensive efforts have consisted mainly in protecting
those installations and locations which the War Department consider as
vitally important.
Now, however, a greater possible danger must be faced by our people.
Situated as we are and exposed as our State is, we must be prepared for
the worst. Since the outbreak of hostilities at Pearl Harbor, I have been
in touch, at regular intervals, with United States officials who have
imparted information revealing the danger that besets us. I owe it to the
people of the State to report that we are in jeopardy, and that we must
be prepared for trouble both from without and from within our State.
Only today, for instance, have I been advised by the Commanding General
of the First Army, in New York, that the presence and increasing activity
of enemy submarines off the Maryland Coast require additional drastic
measures.
With the prospect that the regular Army units will be engaged in more
important operations elsewhere, and with our State Guard and Military
Police assigned to particular functions, it is felt absolutely necessary
to have an additional protective force — as a home guard — for the
protection of our various communities. Competent military officers, one
of whom, our capable and experienced Major General Milton A. Reckord,
will speak to you in a few minutes, advise that there is need of this
further, wide-spread, alert defense organization to cope with and to be
available instantly for any sudden attack by parachute troops, by forces
landed from the sea by enemy sympathizers within our State.
I propose to meet this need by the organization in every part of the
State of a Reserve Militia. The completed plan has just been approved
by General Reckord, as Commander of the Third Army Corps. It offers the
opportunity for every able-bodied man to assist in protecting his home
and his community against enemy activities. The militia will be organized
under our State Law, and the men who enlist at this time of our grave
emergency will be known as the "Maryland Minute Men."
The mission of the Maryland Minute Men is to furnish immediately, local
protection against parachute troops, saboteurs, or organized raiding
parties. It is planned that the units be confined to their own
communities so that there will be assurance at all times that every
residential section of Maryland will have protection.
No prescribed complete uniform will be required. Distinctive arm bands
and caps or other items may be furnished by the State, the County, or
by the men themselves. For the present the hard-pressed Ordinance
Department of the United States Army cannot be expected to furnish
sufficient arms, ammunition, or equipment. Hence, the volunteers, for
the most part, will be expected to furnish their own weapons. For this
reason, gunners (of whom there are 60,000 licensed in Maryland), members
of Rod and Gun Clubs, of Trap Shooting and similar organizations, will
be expected to constitute a part of this new military organization.
Officers will be drawn from the immediate area in which they are to
serve. As Army officers have pointed out to me, the familiarity of the
members with their particular locality, with the terrain and road not
in the respective communities, will be of great value in resisting any
hostile efforts against residential areas and important public
necessities. No intensive training program will be adopted. While
sufficient preparatory work must be undertaken by the Minute Men, care
will be taken to avoid unnecessary demands upon their time. No guard
duty is to be included as a regular part of the program for the new
force.
Retired officers of the regular Army, Marine Corps or State Guard will
be sought to supervise the training. The program will embrace basic
field training and basic small arms instruction. The field training
will include the study of terrain from the military viewpoint,
establishment and maintenance of communications, practice assemblies
in daylight and in dark, and other courses. Arms instructions will
cover teaching how to load and unload weapons, examination of weapons
as to working order; effective firing positions, special instructions
in sighting and aiming, rapid firing technique, and other duties.
Military officials, in emphasizing the value of such an organization
point out that the familiarity which the members will enjoy with the
faces, customs and habits of their neighbors in the community, makes
them most valuable in combating sabotage efforts. They will detect,
even more quickly than a secret service man from the outside, any
strange faces in the community, or any unusual activities on the part
of local inhabitants.
The Maryland Minute Men, armed with weapons with which they are
thoroughly familiar from long use, operating in a community in which
they are accustomed to every road and trail and stream, and aroused
to fighting pitch by the knowledge that they are serving to protect
their own homes, their family and all that they hold dear in life,
will prove a staunch defense against any enemy activity.
Through conferences among the Military, Naval, State Guard and Minute
Men officials, operation plans for each area will be carefully
prepared, I am assured by the Third Corps Headquarters. Surveys will
be made to determine the importance of facilities and installations
which might be subjected to sabotage and raids; the availability of
Military and Naval police and State Guard forces; and the quality
and type of communications which are available for notification for
additional protective forces when necessary.
Based on these surveys, definite missions will be assigned each of
the organizations concerned; and the proper liaison will be arranged.
All available firearms will be reported and those individuals to be
armed with rifles will be assigned to tasks where the long-range and
accurate fire of rifles will be necessarily employed. Those to be
armed with shotguns will be assigned tasks where the short range,
spreading fire of shotguns will be most effective.
As I attempted to outline before, no unnecessary discipline and
training will be required. However, as this is serious business
there will be exacted from all members obedience to orders, sobriety,
and self-sacrifice. Military advisors suggest that time need not be
spent on close-order or other military drill. It is not intended that
this be a parade organization. But officers and men must be willing
to cooperate and to devote time and work to meet any local situation.
I should also point out another cardinal rule of the new organization.
We all know that an enemy raiding party does not stop to give
considerations to a victim's social background, or to his political
affiliation, or to class distinction. Therefore, I give assurance that
such considerations will be completely absent from the organization,
training and discipline of the Maryland Minute Men from top to bottom.
I now issue a call for volunteers to serve as Maryland Minute Men.
Arrangements have been made to accept enlistments at once. State
headquarters for the new organization will be the Office of the
Adjutant General of Maryland, Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore.
However, persons can make known their readiness to serve at any of
the State Armories, one of which is located in all the counties of
Maryland except five. In these five counties; where no armories
exists, namely, Garrett, Howard, St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles
Counties, other headquarters will be established, the location of
which will be made known through the local press.
Already arrangements are made to receive group enlistments from the
membership rolls of Rifle Clubs, Trap Shooting Associations, Skeet
Clubs and sportsmen's groups of every type. The number of units to
be formed in different sections of the State will depend upon the
size and population of the area and also upon the important public
facilities and military objectives, which are designated by the War
Department in different sections of our State.
I wish to repeat that in every move, with respect to this
organization, the advice and direction of Army officials will be
sought, as has been the practice in connection with the organization
and functioning of the Maryland State Guard.
And so, my fellow-Marylanders, I ask your support and assistance
in this new undertaking which will be maintained at a minimum of
expense. It will however, represent a maximum of protection by
civilian soldiers, whose first duty it will be to stand in defense
of their home, in protection of plants and facilities which are
essential to life.
To these men, many of whom will be veterans of the last war, who
incidentally may have "chafed at the bit" when they have observed
their sons and younger men marching away recently to the Country's
defense, let me say that here is an opportunity that will make them
truly an important part of the public defense forces. Here is a
function of military organizations to which they can address
themselves with enthusiasm, because it will be of utmost importance
and will thereby release a number of regular Army forces for combat
service abroad.
Inconvenient, yes; overtime work, yes. But let us remember that
hardships and privations are now being suffered for us by General
MacArthur and his valiant men in Bataan. Those who do not leave
United States as a part of the armed forces to avenge the wrong
done to Americans and to the United States flag abroad, will be
untrue to these American boys if we do not protect their homes
and their communities while they are away fighting for us. Let us
preserve the communities and their firesides, so that there will
be a familiar place to which they will be welcomed on their return
after victory has been won.
The flower of America's young manhood now being sent to distant
parts of the world will face the period of hardship and
discouragement. But like the Crusaders of old, they are privileged
to fare forth to free a land of civilization from the Barbarians.
America's Crusade today is to wipe the scourge of slavery from a
world of Hitler and the Japanese war lords, and to establish once
and for all time the freedom of man and his dignity as an
individual, and this should awaken a responsive chord in every
heart.
No, we didn't want this war. We went to all lengths to avoid it.
And in so doing we laid ourselves open to just the very reverses
that lack of preparedness has occasioned. Now that we are in this
war, however, now that we know how necessary it is to fight as we
have never fought before, not only to defend our Democracy, our
own freedom, but to bring back freedom to all the enslaved people
of the earth, we know America shall not fail. Maryland today, as
in every other crisis in our Nation's; history, pledges itself to
stop short of nothing to preserve American ideals and American
privileges for generations to come.
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/m...900/sc2908/000001/000409/html/am409--616.html
State Papers and Addresses of Governor Herbert L. O’Conor
MARYLAND MINUTE MEN
RADIO STATION WFBR AND MARYLAND COVERAGE NETWORK
March 10, 1942
Baltimore
THE sincere hope of every person in Maryland is that our State may never
experience invasion or attack. That we should consider such a thing as
possible is in itself a terrible shock to the American state of mind.
Nevertheless, with so much of the world overrun by the enemies of Democracy,
and with the invasion of Java and New Guinea as well as other points in
the Australian Archipelago fresh in our minds, we would be foolish, indeed,
not to be prepared, as completely as possible, for any such happening,
even here in Maryland.
Our people didn't want this war and, prior to the dastardly and cowardly
attack on Pearl Harbor, the thought of sending American troops to fight
in far-away lands was abhorrent to the minds of every American. Recent
developments of the most threatening nature, however, have completely
changed America's attitude toward the present conflict. The unexpected
and continuing success of the Japanese forces, who have swept everything
before them except General MacArthur's heroic band in the Philippines,
have impressed on our minds most forcibly that new tactics are demanded.
That is why, in the recent past, there has become evident a tremendous
demand on the part of Americans everywhere, that our leaders forsake a
defensive policy and pursue this war in typical American fashion by
carrying the offensive to the enemy at every possible point.
But this plan, if adopted, will make necessary additional protective
forces in the states of our Country, particularly those like Maryland,
situated along the coastlines. It is about this matter of necessity that
I desire to speak to the people of Maryland tonight.
Let us review briefly the various steps, and then consider why and to
what extent Maryland is confronted with danger and what we must do at once
to protect our citizens. The Federal Government faces the tremendous task
of training the largest military and naval establishment in our Nation's
history. After the hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of our men
are trained and equipped, they must be transported, far and wide, over
the seven seas to overcome the enemy outside continental United States.
Every available man in the combat forces will be needed in this far-flung
offensive. This means that if any number of soldiers, trained for military
operations, would be retained within the United States for guard duty, or
for any other routine defense purpose, that would entail a loss to our
Country's striking power.
The Federal Government, of course, is the one which assumes the
responsibility for the conduct of war. But the State Government has its
obligation, also, to its citizens. That obligation includes protection
to our people. It was for this reason that more than a year ago I asked
the Maryland General Assembly to authorize the creation of the State
Guard, the primary purpose of which was to have a mobile protective force
ready to move in any direction to maintain the safety and security of our
people and their property. It is with pleasure that I can report to our
people that the State Guard is completely drilling.
The State Guard numbers approximately 2,700 officers and men.
Supplementing it is a Special Military Police Force, the members of which
are on continuous duty and assigned exclusively to the guarding of our
State's bridges, important water supplies, and other vital points,
described by the War Department as having important bearing on the war
effort. The number of this force is approximately 300.
To the credit of the members of our present Guard, it can be said that
they have responded to every requirement since our Nation entered the
war, despite unexpected difficulties under which they have at times been
required to perform their duties. The public will understand that up until
now the State's defensive efforts have consisted mainly in protecting
those installations and locations which the War Department consider as
vitally important.
Now, however, a greater possible danger must be faced by our people.
Situated as we are and exposed as our State is, we must be prepared for
the worst. Since the outbreak of hostilities at Pearl Harbor, I have been
in touch, at regular intervals, with United States officials who have
imparted information revealing the danger that besets us. I owe it to the
people of the State to report that we are in jeopardy, and that we must
be prepared for trouble both from without and from within our State.
Only today, for instance, have I been advised by the Commanding General
of the First Army, in New York, that the presence and increasing activity
of enemy submarines off the Maryland Coast require additional drastic
measures.
With the prospect that the regular Army units will be engaged in more
important operations elsewhere, and with our State Guard and Military
Police assigned to particular functions, it is felt absolutely necessary
to have an additional protective force — as a home guard — for the
protection of our various communities. Competent military officers, one
of whom, our capable and experienced Major General Milton A. Reckord,
will speak to you in a few minutes, advise that there is need of this
further, wide-spread, alert defense organization to cope with and to be
available instantly for any sudden attack by parachute troops, by forces
landed from the sea by enemy sympathizers within our State.
I propose to meet this need by the organization in every part of the
State of a Reserve Militia. The completed plan has just been approved
by General Reckord, as Commander of the Third Army Corps. It offers the
opportunity for every able-bodied man to assist in protecting his home
and his community against enemy activities. The militia will be organized
under our State Law, and the men who enlist at this time of our grave
emergency will be known as the "Maryland Minute Men."
The mission of the Maryland Minute Men is to furnish immediately, local
protection against parachute troops, saboteurs, or organized raiding
parties. It is planned that the units be confined to their own
communities so that there will be assurance at all times that every
residential section of Maryland will have protection.
No prescribed complete uniform will be required. Distinctive arm bands
and caps or other items may be furnished by the State, the County, or
by the men themselves. For the present the hard-pressed Ordinance
Department of the United States Army cannot be expected to furnish
sufficient arms, ammunition, or equipment. Hence, the volunteers, for
the most part, will be expected to furnish their own weapons. For this
reason, gunners (of whom there are 60,000 licensed in Maryland), members
of Rod and Gun Clubs, of Trap Shooting and similar organizations, will
be expected to constitute a part of this new military organization.
Officers will be drawn from the immediate area in which they are to
serve. As Army officers have pointed out to me, the familiarity of the
members with their particular locality, with the terrain and road not
in the respective communities, will be of great value in resisting any
hostile efforts against residential areas and important public
necessities. No intensive training program will be adopted. While
sufficient preparatory work must be undertaken by the Minute Men, care
will be taken to avoid unnecessary demands upon their time. No guard
duty is to be included as a regular part of the program for the new
force.
Retired officers of the regular Army, Marine Corps or State Guard will
be sought to supervise the training. The program will embrace basic
field training and basic small arms instruction. The field training
will include the study of terrain from the military viewpoint,
establishment and maintenance of communications, practice assemblies
in daylight and in dark, and other courses. Arms instructions will
cover teaching how to load and unload weapons, examination of weapons
as to working order; effective firing positions, special instructions
in sighting and aiming, rapid firing technique, and other duties.
Military officials, in emphasizing the value of such an organization
point out that the familiarity which the members will enjoy with the
faces, customs and habits of their neighbors in the community, makes
them most valuable in combating sabotage efforts. They will detect,
even more quickly than a secret service man from the outside, any
strange faces in the community, or any unusual activities on the part
of local inhabitants.
The Maryland Minute Men, armed with weapons with which they are
thoroughly familiar from long use, operating in a community in which
they are accustomed to every road and trail and stream, and aroused
to fighting pitch by the knowledge that they are serving to protect
their own homes, their family and all that they hold dear in life,
will prove a staunch defense against any enemy activity.
Through conferences among the Military, Naval, State Guard and Minute
Men officials, operation plans for each area will be carefully
prepared, I am assured by the Third Corps Headquarters. Surveys will
be made to determine the importance of facilities and installations
which might be subjected to sabotage and raids; the availability of
Military and Naval police and State Guard forces; and the quality
and type of communications which are available for notification for
additional protective forces when necessary.
Based on these surveys, definite missions will be assigned each of
the organizations concerned; and the proper liaison will be arranged.
All available firearms will be reported and those individuals to be
armed with rifles will be assigned to tasks where the long-range and
accurate fire of rifles will be necessarily employed. Those to be
armed with shotguns will be assigned tasks where the short range,
spreading fire of shotguns will be most effective.
As I attempted to outline before, no unnecessary discipline and
training will be required. However, as this is serious business
there will be exacted from all members obedience to orders, sobriety,
and self-sacrifice. Military advisors suggest that time need not be
spent on close-order or other military drill. It is not intended that
this be a parade organization. But officers and men must be willing
to cooperate and to devote time and work to meet any local situation.
I should also point out another cardinal rule of the new organization.
We all know that an enemy raiding party does not stop to give
considerations to a victim's social background, or to his political
affiliation, or to class distinction. Therefore, I give assurance that
such considerations will be completely absent from the organization,
training and discipline of the Maryland Minute Men from top to bottom.
I now issue a call for volunteers to serve as Maryland Minute Men.
Arrangements have been made to accept enlistments at once. State
headquarters for the new organization will be the Office of the
Adjutant General of Maryland, Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore.
However, persons can make known their readiness to serve at any of
the State Armories, one of which is located in all the counties of
Maryland except five. In these five counties; where no armories
exists, namely, Garrett, Howard, St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles
Counties, other headquarters will be established, the location of
which will be made known through the local press.
Already arrangements are made to receive group enlistments from the
membership rolls of Rifle Clubs, Trap Shooting Associations, Skeet
Clubs and sportsmen's groups of every type. The number of units to
be formed in different sections of the State will depend upon the
size and population of the area and also upon the important public
facilities and military objectives, which are designated by the War
Department in different sections of our State.
I wish to repeat that in every move, with respect to this
organization, the advice and direction of Army officials will be
sought, as has been the practice in connection with the organization
and functioning of the Maryland State Guard.
And so, my fellow-Marylanders, I ask your support and assistance
in this new undertaking which will be maintained at a minimum of
expense. It will however, represent a maximum of protection by
civilian soldiers, whose first duty it will be to stand in defense
of their home, in protection of plants and facilities which are
essential to life.
To these men, many of whom will be veterans of the last war, who
incidentally may have "chafed at the bit" when they have observed
their sons and younger men marching away recently to the Country's
defense, let me say that here is an opportunity that will make them
truly an important part of the public defense forces. Here is a
function of military organizations to which they can address
themselves with enthusiasm, because it will be of utmost importance
and will thereby release a number of regular Army forces for combat
service abroad.
Inconvenient, yes; overtime work, yes. But let us remember that
hardships and privations are now being suffered for us by General
MacArthur and his valiant men in Bataan. Those who do not leave
United States as a part of the armed forces to avenge the wrong
done to Americans and to the United States flag abroad, will be
untrue to these American boys if we do not protect their homes
and their communities while they are away fighting for us. Let us
preserve the communities and their firesides, so that there will
be a familiar place to which they will be welcomed on their return
after victory has been won.
The flower of America's young manhood now being sent to distant
parts of the world will face the period of hardship and
discouragement. But like the Crusaders of old, they are privileged
to fare forth to free a land of civilization from the Barbarians.
America's Crusade today is to wipe the scourge of slavery from a
world of Hitler and the Japanese war lords, and to establish once
and for all time the freedom of man and his dignity as an
individual, and this should awaken a responsive chord in every
heart.
No, we didn't want this war. We went to all lengths to avoid it.
And in so doing we laid ourselves open to just the very reverses
that lack of preparedness has occasioned. Now that we are in this
war, however, now that we know how necessary it is to fight as we
have never fought before, not only to defend our Democracy, our
own freedom, but to bring back freedom to all the enslaved people
of the earth, we know America shall not fail. Maryland today, as
in every other crisis in our Nation's; history, pledges itself to
stop short of nothing to preserve American ideals and American
privileges for generations to come.