Horse Guard Hosts Bicentennial Battalion Review And Military Ball

The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard (2GHG) celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the signing of its Charter with a Battalion Review on the New Haven Green and a Military Ball at the Omni Hotel in New Haven this past Saturday.

Brigadier General Steven Scorzato, Assistant Adjutant General of the Connecticut Army National Guard, along with 2GHG Major Gordon Johnson and Commandants from the three other State Militia Units, New Haven Mayor John Destefano, Jr., and State Representative DebraLee Hovey led the review. The Battalion consisted of 2GHG mounted Troops, along with Troopers from the First Company Governor’s Horse Guard and the First and second Company Governor’s Foot Guards and the Second Continental Light Dragoons from Colchester.

The ceremony and review took place in the morning in front of the World War I monument on the New Haven Green, which is dedicated to all of the soldiers from New Haven who died during World War I. During that war, 2GHG was re-designated as Company’s A and D, 101st Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Division, and suffered 11 casualties.

In the evening, a Military Ball was held in the Grand Ballroom at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale. Presiding at the Table of Honor were Brigadier General Scorzato, 2GHG Commandant Major Gordon Johnson and the other three Commandants of the Connecticut State Militia Units, First Co. Governor’s Horse Guard Major Andrew Arsenault, First Co. Governor’s Foot Guard Captain Robert Lehman and Second Co. Governor’s Foot Guard Commandant Major Peter Laffin, along with Dr. Linda Schwartz, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veteran’s Affairs. There were 190 attendees in all, and several awards were presented: 2GHG Major Charles Zarbo (retired) accepted a plaque thanking him for serving 58 years. Corporal Lauren Chirgwin received the Paton Award, in honor of Captain John Allan Paton of Company D, who was killed during World War I. Sergeant Jose Rosa received the Captain’s Award, and the 2GHG Troop presented a plaque to Major Gordon Johnson, commending his service as 2GHG Commandant. A 22-piece band from the Second Co. Governor’s Foot Guard performed and the evening ended with several dance numbers.

For 200 years, 2GHG has been serving the citizenry of Connecticut and is one of the oldest Cavalry Units in continuous service in the United States. 2GHG Troopers participate in ceremonial events including parades, funeral honor squads, gubernatorial inaugurals, presidential inaugural parades and other events at the order of either the Governor or the Adjutant General. Members are dedicated to preserving the history of the cavalry in the State of Connecticut.