Army
Philadelphia honored as US Army’s birthplace with historic marker
Stars and Stripes
June 16, 2026
Staff Sgt. Erick Narvaez and Sgt. Tainna Chagas of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness joined state and city officials, senior military leaders, and civilian partners as the U.S. Army celebrated its 251st birthday June 14 with the unveiling of the service’s birthplace historic marker in Philadelphia. This new marker, located near the intersection of Chestnut and South 6th Streets, recognizes Philadelphia’s legacy as the birthplace of the U.S. Army, which was established on June 14, 1775. (Shawn Morris/U.S. Army)
Politicians, senior military leaders and community members gathered in Philadelphia on Sunday for the unveiling of a new historic marker for the U.S. Army’s 251st anniversary.
The new cast-aluminum marker, located in front of the Public Ledger Building in Center City and across the street from Independence Hall, recognizes Philadelphia’s legacy as the Army’s birthplace.
“On June 14, 1775, delegates of the Second Congressional Congress met (in Independence Hall) and passed a resolution to raise 10 companies of expert riflemen, several of them from right here in Pennsylvania,” said Brig. Gen. Frank J. McGovern IV, Assistant Adjutant General for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. “That momentous decision set in motion an enduring legacy of service that has shaped our Army and the world for over two-and-a-half centuries.”
The Army partnered with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Association of the United States Army’s Penn and Franklin Chapter to establish the historic marker.
“There is truly no better place to mark this incredible milestone than right here in Philadelphia,” McGovern said. “Before there was a Declaration of Independence, before there was a U.S. Constitution, before there was even a country, there was the United States Army.”
“This marker is more than a blue-and-gold signpost — it’s a reminder that every great institution has a beginning, a reminder that freedom requires selfless service, and a reminder that generations of soldiers answering the call to defend our democracy can trace their legacy right here to Philadelphia,” said Lt. Col. Bill Leasure of the U.S. Army Communication and Outreach Office-Northeast.