Young men from all across New Mexico, from
all walks of life, joined the National Guard
at the end of the Great Depression. The New
Mexico National Guard, the oldest in the
United States, traces its origins to the
Spanish Colonial Period of the 17th Century.
The Regiment was shipped overseas on two ships in late August and early September, 1941. 1st Battalion crossed over on the SS President Pierce, and 2nd Battalion on the SS President Coolidge.
