Frederick Emil Resche

In 1888, Resche joined the Minnesota National Guard as a private in Company K, 2nd Minnesota Infantry Regiment.[9][10] He was a sergeant when received his second lieutenant's commission in 1892,[11] and by 1893 he was a first lieutenant in Company A, 3rd Minnesota Infantry.[12] In March 1894, several National Guard members in Duluth organized a new unit, which was accepted by the state as Company C, 3rd Minnesota Infantry, and Resche was elected commander with the rank of captain.[13]

His unit was mobilized for the Spanish–American War in the summer of 1898, accepted for federal service as the 14th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and completed individual and unit training at Camp George H. Thomas, Georgia.[14] The war ended before Resche's company departed for duty in Cuba, and they returned to Minnesota, where they were mustered out in September.[15] Because his battalion commander was ill, Resche served several times as acting commander of the 14th Minnesota's 3rd Battalion.[15] In October 1898, Resche commanded Company C when it was activated for American Indian Wars service during the Battle of Sugar Point at Leech Lake.[1]

In October 1899, Resche was promoted to major and assigned to command 3rd Battalion, 3rd Minnesota Infantry.[16] The National Guard emphasized small arms marksmanship in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and Resche took part in numerous individual and team contests.[17][18] He was recognized as an expert with both rifle and pistol, and won prizes and medals at numerous competitions.[19][20][21]

Resche was promoted to lieutenant colonel in January 1907 and assigned as second in command of the 3rd Minnesota Infantry.[22] In late 1910, he served with his unit during the National Guard's response to a large forest fire in Lake of the Woods County, and in early 1911 he was appointed executive agent for the American Red Cross relief committee that was formed to manage rebuilding efforts.[23] In January 1914, he was promoted to colonel and assigned to command the 3rd Minnesota Infantry.[24] In 1916, Resche led his regiment during service near Llano Grande, Texas as part of the Pancho Villa Expedition, and in July he was promoted to brigadier general as commander of the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Brigade.[25]

In September 1917, five months after the American entry into World War I, Resche's brigade was federalized for service in the war and redesignated the 68th Brigade, which became a unit of the 34th Division.[1] He led the brigade during organization and training at Camp Cody, New Mexico.[1] Before Resche's command left for combat in France the following year, a controversy arose when his German birth led to accusations that he was not sufficiently pro–American.[26] Resche had proactively attempted to prevent accusations of disloyalty by taking no actions that could be considered anti-American, including forgoing a visit to his aged, ailing father in Germany.[27] An investigation uncovered no wrongdoing, but Resche was still relieved of command in April 1918 for supposed inefficiency[26] and succeeded by John Alexander Johnston.[28] He then retired from the military and returned to Duluth.[29] The members of his brigade demonstrated their support for Resche by cheering him as he left Camp Cody.[29]