The U.S. Army has built a strong tradition of excellence since it was established in June 1775, and Michigan has played a key role in the Army’s success, producing some 75% of America’s ground combat systems, being home to more than 6,000 defense contractors and generating some $26 billion in defense contracts in a single decade.
That’s why Michigan also played a key role as the Arsenal of Democracy Chapter of the Association of the United States Army hosted a celebration of the Army’s 250th anniversary at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit.
“The 250th is big because the reality is Michigan, as the arsenal of democracy, continues to play a critical role,” said Lt. Col. Quentin McCart, strategic intelligence commander for the Army’s Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion in Lansing. “The 250th allows us to highlight some of the history of Michigan as we’ve built successful armies over time, specifically looking at World War II, Vietnam, Korea. As we’ve built those armies for those conflicts, Michigan will again be a source for the Army.”
According to the Michigan Military Heritage Museum (mimhm.org), Michigan has a long history of military service:
- Michigan was garrisoned by troops from France, England, and Spain.
- The Michigan National Guard was called upon to serve in the Spanish-American War
- Michigan became the “arsenal of democracy” producing more than a third of all war material in World War II.
- This was followed by Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm and the Cold War.
“Seventy percent of everything a war-fighter touches, uses or wears is either built or researched and developed right here,” said John Lind, director of the Detroit Arsenal of Democracy Museum. “These are the most creative people in the world.”
The birthday bash celebrating that level of accomplishment featured stirring tributes to heroes past and present amid a backdrop of military pageantry. It also included special messages from luminaries like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
The keynote address was delivered by Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Jim “Doc” McCloughan.
The celebration, which organizers say is designed to recognize “the unwavering dedication of the men and women who have served our nation for two and a half centuries,” is part of a multi-year campaign that commemorates the Army’s legacy “forged in the fires of conflict and defined by courage.”
McCart called Michigan “critical” to the Army’s success, pointing out it’s known as the “arsenal of democracy.” The state, he said, was key to the U.S. building the army that helped win World War II, with its mass production lines, the pivot of automakers to building aircraft engines and tanks.
“Those initiatives started right here in Michigan by Michiganders,” McCart said. “I think that’s critical and that’s what we’re really leveraging as we go into this birthday — the idea that it’s Michigan that built the winning armies and we’re going to do it again in the future. That’s not going away.
Similar celebrations happened around the country and all over the world during the birthday period. AUSA has 122 chapters in the U.S., the Pacific region, Europe and Japan, with some 1.6 million members worldwide.
Arsenal Defense of Democracy chapter President Chuck Cogger pointed to the magnitude of the event, with the U.S. Army being actually older than the United States itself.
“A lot of history has obviously gone on,” said Cogger, who served 23 years on active duty and another four in the Guard and Reserve. “It’s hard to even encapsulate or encompass and describe what that means for the Army. Most militaries that you see nowadays don’t last much more. The 250th birthday event honors all the hard work and energy and effort that the soldier has put in over those 250 years through multiple conflicts over time.”
