sending thousands of men and women into 'harms way' over the last 150 years.
This Page is Dedicated to them.
During the American Revolution, 1776, Michigan was merely a wilderness and even during the Black Hawk War of 1832 and the Toledo War of 1835, what became Shiawassee County, was fairly unorganized.
It is interesting to note that the 1840 Census of Pensioners lists only Ebenezer Brown, age 50, of Vernon, Michigan as receiving veterans benefits.
Military Activity really started with the Mexican War of 1846. Circumstances were different on May 18th, 1846, when President Tyler called upon the States for troops to serve in the war with Mexico. The population of the county at that time had increased to nearly 5000 people. Among these, were about 700 able for military duty, but not many were prepared to leave their families, homes and farms to become soldiers. Only about 18 men volunteered for duty from Shiawassee County.
This group became Company C of the First Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment which organized following President Tylers requisition and placed under the command of Colonel T.B.W. Stockton. It was mustered at the Detroit Barracks on December 22, 1846.
This regiment arrived at Vera Cruz in January of 1847. For three weeks the soldiers encamped outside the walls of Vera Cruz, then moved to Cordova, in the interior of Mexico.
The First Michigan Volunteers saw occasional skirmishes with the guerrillas while guarding supply trains, but did not take part in any major conflict. It was struck a severe blow, however, by sickness among the men.
In May 1848 the regiment was ordered home. On July 18th, the soldiers were mustered out.
By the time the Civil War came along in 1861, Shiawassee County had grown considerably and the following account tells of victory for the North, but tragedy as well, for many families.....when 'Johnny did not come marching home'.
More about the Civil War Veterans group called
The Grand
Army of the Republic
The State militia was reorganized in the mid 1870's, into the Michigan National Guard during the administration of Governor John Bagley who lived in Owosso as a teenager.
The forming of a National Guard Unit at Owosso in the 1890's was big news. There was great pride in becoming one of the smallest cities in the country to have its own Unit.
The Spanish-American War of 1898, was only short-lived, but because of disease, Shiawassee County lost nearly a dozen men and Ellen May Tower.
Below....3 Unit Officers of Company G 33rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry of at Owosso. CAPT. Van Epps, center officer, was transferred before the unit departed for Cuba. The other two officers were rejected for service, before the unit left Owosso.
On April 26, 1898, Company G, 33rd Michigan Volunteers headed for Island Lake, near Detroit. Early in the afternoon, the company had marched to the Owosso First Baptist Church, where it had received a blessing of the Rev. Carey V. Northrup.
Owosso's First Armory
This building stood at 120 E. Mason St.
It was later torn down and a funeral home stands on that location now.
Unknown Owosso soldier
The only casualty was the officer who fell off his horse during the celebration the night before. His pride was hurt more than anything else.
On the day the 33rd Infantry returned in September 1898, they marched down Main St. from the Michigan Central depot in West Owosso to the Old Armory. Earlier, that same day, a disastrous fire swept through the Woodard Furniture Factory, the site of today's Owosso City Hall. The fire continued across Main St., to the north, and burned Mueller Brothers Brewery and then east to Payne's Implement Store.
Most men from this county served in the 33rd Michigan Infantry, however, others like William Cornford of Corunna, served in the Phillipines. It was later told that Mr. Cornford was so seriously wounded that his life was considered hopeless and tagged as such. But, a friend of his from Corunna, in the same hospital, switched tags from a vacant bed and Mr. Cornford was shipped home for further treatment. He recovered and lived many years and faithfully attended every Memorial Day service. He received many decorations including the Purple Heart.
In 1914 the 33rd Michigan Infantry was sent to the Mexican border and by March 24, 1917 the local paper stated, "The 33rd Infantry, the last of the Michigan organizations to leave the Mexican border, is now on its way North and expected to reach Fort Wayne Tuesday morning." However, on March 26th, the news came that Owosso men were to help guard property in the United States.
Company 'G' became Company 'H' and they spent several weeks guarding the tunnel from Detroit to Windsor. In May, Captain John Steck was sent home from Fort Wayne to recruit thirty more men for the company.
After several weeks, the men were sent to Camp Custer in Battle Creek.
On April 6, 1917 the United States declared war on Germany. Owosso's pride in being the smallest city to have its own National Guard Unit backfired, and Owosso had the honor of having more casualties in World War I than any other city of comparable size.
Approximately 83 Shiawassee County residents lost their lives in WWI.
Owosso Armory built in 1915.
In Memory of Shiawassee County WWI Dead
Many other people on the Home Front volunteered at the American Red Cross, which was very active over the years, bought war bonds, grew and preserved food, accepted rationing, including food, tires, gas and other items. Also many local factories contributed in the War Effort by producing war material for the Defense Dept.
Below, factories like Redmond Motors of Owosso, hired many women to replace the men who were drafted into service during WWII. Photo taken in 1942.
At Owosso?
WWII War Memorial at Fayette Square in Owosso.
On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Learn about Shiawassee County Resident
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARGARET A. BREWER,
USMC RETIRED
1950-1957
Several men from Shiawassee County gave their lives in Korea. It is estimated that a total of 5,764,143 Americans were involved in the Korean War.
18 men from Shiawassee County gave their lives in Vietnam. It is estimated that 8,752,000 Americans were involved in the Vietnam War. And approximately 50,000 died as a result.
John Henry Zieglar IV, age 20, Airman First Class who was formerly of Owosso and then living in Las Vegas, Nevada died as a result of an automobile accident. He was Shiawassee County's first casualty of the War on Terrorism as an active serviceman.
The Guard unit, which convoyed to Grayling in more than 50 Hummers, likely will provide security at the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., some Guard members speculated.
Family members were coming to grips with the harsh realities of war as the convoy left Owosso at about 2:30 PM.
The scenario was similar to 11 years ago, when more than 1,000 supporters gathered to send off local Guard members to Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War, Owosso Mayor Jack Davis said.
Davis himself left town more than 34 years ago as a member of the U.S. Army in Vietnam. However, at that time, "there were few supporters coming out to bid farewell to the soldiers or welcome them home."
The crowd Tuesday was estimated at more than 1,000. "It's great to see this kind of support," said Davis, who first learned of the deployment Friday afternoon. "Something like this brings tears in my eyes because I've been there. We'll be ready to celebrate when they get back."
With several missions under his belt, including stints in Haiti and Somalia, squad leader Bill Paine II said he's excited to help.
"This is what we train for," Paine said. "People have been expecting us to leave for the past couple of weeks. And I don't think I have seen anyone who's not motivated to go." Paine, 35, is a Mount Pleasant resident who grew up in Owosso.
One of the unit's youngest members is Ross Robinson, 23, a Burton native and 1997 Bendle High School graduate.
The U.S. Department of Defense activated about 150 National Guard troops from Michigan to spend up to one year on homeland defense at Washington D.C.
In the past, the 144's duties have ranged from basic law enforcement to patrolling supply routes.
The Owosso Guard members were the first state troops to be deployed outside Michigan in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
More than 36,000 Army National Guard and reserve soldiers nationwide are on homeland defense duty in 2002.
Friday, February 28, 2003 A crowd of 1,000 or more gathered at the Owosso armory at 9:50 p.m. to greed the returning soldiers including about 180 members of the 144th Military Police Company.
The unit had been assigned to a year of sentry duty at the Pentagon in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The 144th hadn't been back to Owosso as a unit since March 2002, although many of its members made short visits home individually.
An official reception for the 144th took place on March 1st with legislators, high-ranking Michigan National Guard officials and local officials.
Some Guard members wondered whether war with Iraq would send them back to active military duty. But Brig. Gen. Mitch LeClaire, commander of the Taylor-based 177th Military Police Brigade, said that a returning unit can't be redeployed for at least 60 days.
It was Paul's fourth trip in 12 years to a global hot spot as part of the Army Reserves humanitarian services. He died in Camp Babylon as a result of noncombat injuries, the department said in a statement.
Cassidy's role in Iraq was much like previous duties in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kuwait, where he distributed food and blankets, and helped reconstruct power grids, improve phone lines, re-establish farms, provide water and repair houses. "He was basically in there to help people, doing humanitarian deeds, the nice things," said Meridian Township clerk Mary Helmbrecht, who had worked alongside Cassidy since 1995.
Cassidy was assigned to the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Ashwaubenon, Wis., a suburb of Green Bay. He left Michigan in March and went to Iraq after six weeks in South Carolina.
In 1991, Cassidy spent six months in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, serving with the Wisconsin reserve unit. He went to Bosnia in 1996 for NATO peacekeeping force Operation Joint Endeavor and spent seven months in war-torn Kosovo in 1999.
CORUNNA - 2006
Soldiers in the Michigan Army National Guard's 144th Military Police Company will be moving from their cramped armory in Owosso to a new, 37,350-square foot facility on Corunna Avenue.
The $5.1-million Shiawassee Readiness Center will be a stark upgrade for the guardsmen, who have been conducting drills at an armory built in 1915.
Construction is under way at the new building, which will have locker rooms, showers, a larger administrative area, assembly hall, kitchen and maintenance bay for vehicles.
Government funds are paying for the project with $3.8 million coming from the federal government and $1.3 million from the state.
