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  • From Cold War to Gulf War: The South Dakota National Guard, 1945 to the Millennium
  • Francis M. Coan
From Cold War to Gulf War: The South Dakota National Guard, 1945 to the Millennium. By Stephen J. Bucklin. ISBN 1-57579-276-1. Maps. Photographs. Tables. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. xv, 280. $25.00. To order: Coyote History, tel: 605-675-9005 or e-mail: coyotehistory@earthlink.net.

"The history of the United States National Guard," notes Stephen J. Bucklin in the introduction to this work, "is really a history of its component parts" (p. 1). A collection of state military establishments increasingly brought under federal oversight and control during the twentieth century, the National Guard is, in some respects, most profitably examined on a case-by-case [End Page 1311] basis. In this book, Bucklin offers a narrative history of one of the "component parts," namely the South Dakota National Guard, from 1945 through 2003.

The work is organized chronologically, with several chapters devoted to specific events (e.g., the 1972 South Dakota flood). Drawing on numerous primary sources (official reports, manuscripts, newspaper accounts, interviews, etc.), Bucklin describes the peacetime activities and active service of the South Dakota National Guard during the period. As was true of the Guard establishments of most other states, the South Dakota force was often plagued by inadequate funding, outdated facilities and equipment, and frequent personnel turnover. Despite these handicaps, South Dakota units successfully performed numerous functions and missions during the Cold War and after. South Dakota troops mobilized for federal service several times, including during the Korean War and the ongoing conflict in Iraq, and saw duty on four continents. In addition, they were frequently mobilized by state authorities to provide disaster relief or aid in the maintenance of law and order. Bucklin discusses improvements in the education and training of South Dakota National Guard officers and enlisted personnel during the period. He concludes that while the advent of the all-volunteer force in the late 1970s did not solve all of the Guard's problems, better pay and benefits and increased funding did much to bolster the effectiveness and efficiency of Guard units.

The book is well written and well documented. It contains sixteen tables (most of them organizational), several maps, and a sprinkling of photographs. Bucklin's inclusion of anecdotes gleaned from South Dakota Guard veterans adds interest to the narrative, as do his descriptions of key state military and political leaders. On the other hand, some of the author's biographical sketches and descriptions of weapons are overly long. Conversely, Bucklin might have elaborated on the linkages between the Guard and the state and local institutions (e.g., the South Dakota legislature, rural communities) it coexisted and interacted with. Similarly, he might have included a more detailed demographic breakdown of the South Dakota military. Finally, given the enormous influence the federal government has exerted over the National Guard since World War Two, Bucklin's coverage and analysis of national events is inadequate. Specifically, the author barely mentions the major federal military reform initiatives (e.g., the 1947 National Defense Act, New Look, the McNamara reforms, "round-out," etc.) that have affected the Guard since 1945.

Despite these shortcomings, Bucklin has achieved his major goal of crafting a readable and scholarly narrative of the South Dakota National Guard since World War Two. The book, quite reasonably priced, should attract those interested in South Dakota history or the history of the National Guard.

Francis M. Coan
Tunxis Community College
Farmington, Connecticut
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