Harrodsburg has a long and important history in the National Guard of Kentucky. A unit was first stationed in Harrodsburg in the early twentieth century. The 38th Tank Company was the successor of a Kentucky State Guard unit that was stationed in Harrodsburg during World War I. The unit was officially recognized as the 38th Tank Company in March of 1921. During World War II, Company D, 192nd Tank Battalion saw active service in the eastern Pacific Theater theater of the Phillippines. The men were called into active service on November 25, 1940. They were trained at Fort Knox and Camp Polk in Louisiana..
"It is interesting to note, that at the conclusion of these maneuvers, the 192nd was chosen for its outstanding ability and performance, by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr.,to be transferred overseas, for duty in the Philippine Islands. Thus, on the 19th of October, 1941, the 192nd transferred from Camp Polk to the Port of Embarkation, San Francisco, California."
The unit shipped out from San Francisco and made two stops on its way to the Phillippines - one in the Hawaiian Islands, and the other at Guam. The unit ended up at Clark Air Field , where they assumed their battle positions against an airborne Japanese attack. Following Clark Field, the Tank Group moved on to Luzon and then into the Bataan Peninsula where they were attacked, and subsequently captured by the Japanese. The men made a gallant attempt to defend the area, but the Japanese simply overcame their defenses, and the men surrendered. The men were forced to go on a sixty-five mile "Death March", aptly named, as many of the men did not survive. The men were stripped of their possessions and forced to march under the hot sun. The men were deprived of food and water, and were beaten by their Japanese captors. Some of the men managed to escape to Corregidor, but they later surrendered there and were imprisoned. The Death March ended at Camp O'Donnell, where many of the men were held until the end of the war and then released..
A monument was erected in Harrodsburg in 1961 to honor the men who fought and died for their country during World War II. The unit at Harrodsburg is one of the most celebrated and well-known National Guard units in the state of Kentucky, and a room at the current Harrodsburg armory has been set up as a museum and filled with memorabilia from the men in the 192nd Battalion that fought in World War II. Only nine of the World War II survivors from Harrodsburg are still living.
The 413th Maintenance Company was established in Harrodsburg in 1977. Two years later the company was reorganized as Company D of the 103rd Forward Support Battalion. Since that time, the company has gone through several title changes, but has basically remained the same. In September 1995, the unit was named Company B and Headquarters/ Headquarters detachment of the 103rd Forward Support Battalion. In addition, Detachment 1, Battery C of the 2/138th Field Artillery is stationed in Harrodsburg. Since World War II, no other Harrodsburg units have fought overseas, with the exception of a few men from the unit that volunteered and served in Desert Storm.
Guard units at Harrodsburg have participated in several state active duty missions, including fighting forest fires in 1987-88 in Eastern Kentucky, providing security during the 1979 truckers strike in Louisville, and participating in flood and tornado clean-ups. The unit hauled water to Falmouth during the flood of 1997. They have also provided transportation to medical personnel during snowstorms.
The National Guard has participated in local parades and provided traffic control during parades. Little League basketball takes place in the drill hall, and the recruiter sets up a "Reality Store" in the drill hall for high school students. In addition, Guardsmen drive students to Boone Center and Fort Knox for drill and other military activities. The Guard also works quite a bit with the vocational school in Harrodsburg.
The current one-story brick National Guard armory is the second to be constructed in Harrodsburg. This armory was built to replace the first building which was located at 130 North College Street on the outskirts of downtown Harrodsburg. The old armory was built in 1941 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) with funds from the Armory Corporation of Kentucky. The new armory is used for both military and civilian activities, and is an L-shaped building.
Harrodsburg Works Progress Administration Armory The old WPA armory in Harrodsburg is located at 130 North College Street, a busy intersection on the outskirts of downtown Harrodsburg. The armory is a large, square, two-story poured concrete building now inhabited by the YMCA, a Disaster Emergency Service (DES) office and the water company. The building has been painted an off-white color, and was used by the National Guard until 1977, when it was deeded to the City of Harrodsburg. The Harrodsburg Armory was completed in 1941, and was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Today the armory maintains many of its original features.
Photos and information courtesy Kentucky Heritage Council -- Report No. 25" Inventory and Evaluation of National Guard Armories in the State of Kentucky" - 1999 by Kate Carothers.