Guard recognizes 449 years of civilian service

Guard recognizes 449 years of civilian service

By Michael Isam
Special to Historic City News

At the appointed hour of 3:00 p.m., on Friday, September 12, the order was barked to bring members of the Florida National Guard to attention. Thus began the “Retreat” ceremony. Like a well oiled machine, guard members performed admirably giving credit to the memory of all who proceeded them.

There is not a member of the Armed Forces who does not remember their first formation. Words, coupled with individual and group motions, appearing as one mind. Words and motions cloaked in layer upon layer and sometimes even more layers of tradition.

The Florida Living History joined the Florida National Guard and Florida Department of Military Affairs to commemorate 449 years since the first recorded occurrence of pressing the male civilian population into service to protect the women, children and the elderly. The first muster of militia troops in the continental United States took place on Sept. 16, 1565, in the newly established presidio of San Agustín de la Florida, present day St. Augustine. The order was issued by Pedro Menendez de Aviles who served as both the civil governor and the commander-in-chief of the military establishment

Major General Emmett R. Titshaw, Jr., Adjutant General of Florida began the ceremony 5 years ago to link the Florida National Guard’s heritage to its horizons. The event will culminate in 2015 with the 450th anniversary of both the founding of St. Augustine, and of America’s first militia.

With that knowledge came a shocking announcement by Titshaw that “Unfortunately this is my last muster.” Titshaw is retiring in March, 2015. The Florida Living History soldiers made up for it by inviting him to fire the cannon once the ceremonies ended. With a grin from ear-to-ear, he became a young man with a new toy.

During the ceremony, the Florida Living History members, dressed in period attire came forward and gave two demonstrations of the military might of the era; musket firing and the awesome power of the cannon. In keeping with tradition, all commands were issued in Spanish

In 2013, the parade field was consecrated with soil from each of the 19 sites upon which members of the Florida National Guard have served; from the original site at what is now the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park to Operation Iraqi Freedom protecting personnel as the last of the American military crossed the Iraqi border into Kuwait.

This year, the “Parade Field” was officially renamed to “Patriot’s Field” with a simple statement from Major General Titshaw. As he spoke, a member of the Florida National Guard and Florida Living History placed a canister containing soil from all 19 locations in a specially constructed pillar and covered it with a bronze plaque proclaiming the new name. It is located in the middle of a line of similar pillars, each one supporting a plaque recognizing a location of service.

According to a 2010 article in the Fort Hood Sentinel, “Retreat is a daily ceremony held at all Army installations as the national flag is lowered at the end of the day. It is scheduled at a definite time in late afternoon; the precise time left to the discretion of the installation commander. Retreat has always been at sunset and its purpose was to notify sentries to start challenging until sunrise, and to tell the rank and file to go to their quarters and stay there.”

Dating back to the American Army during the Revolutionary War, it was sounded by drums, the normal musical instrument found in infantry units of that period. Today, the ceremony remains a tradition. The ceremonies of Retreat in the afternoon, coupled with Reveille in the morning, constitute a dignified homage to our national flag from its raising to its lowering.

The bugle call sounded at Retreat dates back to the crusades and was first used by the French Army. When you hear it you are listening to a melody that has come to symbolize the finest qualities of Soldiers for nearly 900 years.

Photo credits: © 2014 Historic City News contributed photographs by Michael Isam