WHEREAS, on June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established a Continental Army to secure the common defense of the original thirteen colonies during the War for Independence; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Council of Safety deployed Patriot troops to intercept and defeat Loyalist forces at Moore Creek's Bridge in February of 1776; and
WHEREAS, during World War I, the United States Regular Army was restructured to include 286,000 regular servicemembers, 450,000 National Guard service members, and a 500,000-person National Army; and
WHEREAS, during that restructuring, the military installation now known as Fort Liberty, formerly known as Ft. Bragg, was established in 1918 as a 300-square-mile training center for 16,000 soldiers; by World War II, it was the largest post in the Army, housing approximately 60,000 soldiers; and
WHEREAS, today, Fort Liberty, encompassing more than 172,000 acres and two airfields, remains the largest United States Army installation in population and is home to the Airborne, Special Operations Forces, and more than 260,000 active-duty soldiers, reserve components, temporary students, civilian employees and contractors, active-duty family, and retired Army veterans and their families; and
WHEREAS, the impact of the Army across North Carolina extends beyond Fort Liberty through the Army Research Office in Durham, the National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, and the Army Reserve 108th Training Command in Charlotte; and
WHEREAS, these men and women who serve proudly as soldiers of the United States Army, and the families who support them, make great sacrifices to defend our freedoms; and
WHEREAS, our state has a proud tradition of supporting all Armed Forces in their mission to defend our principles of liberty and freedom, and is honored to be considered the most military-friendly and veteran-friendly state in the nation;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2023, as “BIRTHDAY OF THE US ARMY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.