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Committee hears proposal to designate July 2 as First Minnesota Day and fly replica flag at state capitol
Summary
The committee reviewed House File 2,063, a bill to designate July 2 as First Minnesota Day, encourage related school curriculum, and fly a replica First Minnesota flag over the state capitol on that date.
Representative Dave Schultz introduced House File 2,063 on March 18 to designate July 2 as First Minnesota Day, encourage schools to teach about the regiment’s role at Gettysburg, and require a replica of the First Minnesota Regiment flag be flown on the north flagpole of the Minnesota State Capitol each July 2.
Major Olsen, introduced as a military historian, described the regiment’s charge on July 2 at Gettysburg and the unit’s high casualty rate. “262 men charged into battle, 47 came out unscathed, 83% casualties,” Olsen said, arguing the regiment’s action was pivotal to preventing a Confederate breakthrough at the center of the Union line.
David Kelleher of the Minnesota Historical Society outlined available educational resources, including the Northern Lights Minnesota studies curriculum and online materials such as Minipedia, that could support classroom instruction on the First Minnesota. Kelleher said the society already holds primary‑source material and curriculum tools that teachers could use.
Representative Schultz said the bill would honor service and encourage instruction so “future generations of Minnesotans understand the relevance of the service of the First Minnesota.” The committee laid House File 2,063 over for possible inclusion; no fiscal appropriation or final action was recorded in the hearing transcript.
