By Lt. Col. Noel Collins, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Governor Jeff Landry directs the renaming of Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville to Camp Beauregard, July 14.
On July 18, 1917, Camp Beauregard was originally established as one of 16 National Guard camps by the United States War Department, three months after Congress declared war on Germany. Purchased by Louisiana in 1920, it was federalized in 1940 for the Louisiana Maneuvers.
The return of the name for the LANG’s primary training installation honors Capt. Jacques Toutant Beauregard, a member of the Louisiana Militia who fought in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. The Louisiana Militia is the predecessor of today’s Louisiana Army National Guard. This name change occurs in line with the renaming of several federal military installations.
Governor Landry stated, “By restoring the name Camp Beauregard, we honor a legacy of courage and service that dates back over two centuries. Captain Jacques Toutant Beauregard stood at the front lines in defense of New Orleans during one of our nation’s most defining battles. His patriotism and leadership continue to inspire generations of Louisiana Guardsmen who stand ready to defend our state and nation at a moment’s notice. Let this also be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations.”
Capt. Beauregard was a member of the Third Regiment of the Louisiana Militia. Of significant note, his regiment led the American vanguard on Dec. 23, 1814, the first land engagement in the Battle of New Orleans against General Edward Packenham and the British Army, prior to the main engagement on Jan. 8, 1815.
“We’re naming our premier training installation after an American hero and patriot who fought for the freedom of the city of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and the United States of America against a foreign invader,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana.
LANG Guardsmen continue Beauregard’s legacy of service to country and state through federal deployments and state emergencies including hurricanes, floods, winter weather, and terrorist attacks.
