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Michigan Militia

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This article is about the privately-organized militia group in Michigan. For the state defense force of Michigan, see Michigan Volunteer Defense Force.
Michigan Militia
LeadersNorman Olson 1994-1995[1]

Lynn Van Huizen 1996-1998[1]
Joe Pilchack 1998-1999[2]
Ron Gaydosh 2000[3]
Gordon Dean 2001[4]
Clint Dare 2002-2009[5]
Aubrey Stevens 2009-2010
Greg Sequin 2010-2011

Matt Savino 2011-present[6]
Dates of operation1994 - present
Active regionsMichigan, United States
IdeologySurvivalism
Constitutionalism
Part ofMilitia movement
Constitutional militia movement

The Michigan Militia, Michigan Militia Corps (MMC), or the Michigan Militia Corps, Wolverines (MMCW) [8] is a paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force non-commissioned officer, of Alanson, Michigan, United States.[9] The organization was formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the federal government on the rights of citizens.

Organization

Michigan Militia divisions and brigades.

At its peak the Michigan Militia Corps claimed to have 10,000 members,[9] although its membership now is several hundreds.[7] The Militia's main areas of focus are paramilitary training and emergency response. They are also involved in search and rescue, community preparedness and disaster relief.

Significant events

On June 15, 1995, Norman Olson, along with militia leaders from other states, testified before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism. Olson's opening statement included the following words:

Not only does the Constitution specifically allow the formation of a Federal Army, it also recognizes the inherent right of the people to form militia. Further, it recognizes that the citizen and his personal armaments are the foundation of the militia. [10]

Norman Olson retained the position of Commander of the MMC until after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, when he published a press release blaming the Japanese for the bombing, supposedly in retaliation for a clandestine US-sponsored gas attack in the Tokyo subway system. This press release was an embarrassment to the MMC membership and subsequently Lynn Van Huizen of Nunica, Michigan was elected state commander in 1996.

Van Huizen was considered a more moderate militia leader, according to the FBI's report entitled Project Megiddo: "A number of militia leaders, such as Lynn Van Huizen of the Michigan Militia Corps - Wolverines, have gone to some effort to actively rid their ranks of radical members who are inclined to carry out acts of violence and/or terrorism."[11]

Decline

In the years after the Oklahoma City bombing, the Michigan Militia Corps membership slowly declined and there was infighting among the leadership.[3] The statewide organization was nearly defunct by end of 2000,[8] but several militia groups continued to operate independently. In 2009, with the leadership of Clint Dare and Ron Gaydosh, the Michigan Militia Corps was re-organized and elected a new state commander. It is slowly increasing in numbers again, with around 17 counties claiming to be part of the Michigan Militia Corps.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "BHL: Rick Haynes Michigan Militia collection 1993-1999". umich.edu.
  2. ^ "Change of Command of the Michigan Militia". christian-identity.net.
  3. ^ a b "Militia became one man's life and death". Toledo Blade.
  4. ^ "Topica Email List Directory". topica.com.
  5. ^ "Ludington Daily News - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
  6. ^ "MMCW". mmcw.org.
  7. ^ a b "Militia draws distinction between groups". New York Times. 31 March 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Citing Declining Membership, a Leader Disbands His Militia". outpost-of-freedom.com.
  9. ^ a b Potok, Mark (April 17, 1996). "Militant militia fringe is setting off alarms". USA Today.
  10. ^ United States v. Timothy Emerson, Potowmack Institute, amicus curiae, Appendix B Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine The Potowmack Institute
  11. ^ "Project Megiddo" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation. 1999. Retrieved March 2009. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ "MMCW". mmcw.org.
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