The military history of the United States spans more than two centuries, from the fight for independence against Great Britain from 1775 to 1783, through the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, and after collaboration in triumph during World War II from 1941 to 1945, to its emergence as the world’s sole remaining superpower from the late 20th century to the present. As of 2018, the U.S. Armed Forces consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The modern United States Army traces its roots to the Continental Army, and Congress created the United States Army on June 14, 1784; it serves as the primary land-based branch, with active and reserve components including the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy and maintains a major global presence, while the Navy Reserve, formally founded in 1915, became an integral part of its mission. The Marine Corps traces its roots to the Continental Marines, established by the Second Continental Congress on November 10, 1775, and developed from a seaborne ground force protecting ships and bases into a force in readiness for rapid response. The Air Force began as part of the United States Army on August 1, 1907, became a separate branch on September 18, 1947, and conducts air and space warfare as the youngest branch of the armed forces. The Coast Guard traces its history to the Revenue Cutter Service, founded on August 4, 1790, became the Coast Guard on January 28, 1915, and carries out maritime, military, law enforcement, and regulatory missions. A Battle Cross Monument presented to the City of Van Buren by Chase Haynes honors veterans of the past, present, and future. Its origins may reach back to the Civil War, but it became prominent during World War I and World War II, and its modern form dates from the Gulf War with a rifle, helmet, boots, and dog tags symbolizing loss, mourning, and closure for the living. In this form, a downward-facing rifle signifies a soldier killed in action, a rifle with a bayonet stuck in the ground signifies a soldier who went down fighting, and the boots and dog tags signify a final march to battle and remembrance. The park dedication also included recognition of POW/MIA families, including Major Walter Moon, a United States Army infantry officer serving in an advisory capacity in Laos, who was captured by hostile forces in April 1961, mortally wounded after an escape attempt in July 1961, and whose remains have never been returned to the United States.