A century ago, Missouri joined the nation in a holiday combining military testing with civic recognition: National Defense Test Day. Poplar Bluff closed its businesses for a downtown parade and patriotic speaker this morning. The first Defense Day also commemorated Missouri-born Gen. John J. Pershing and the Allied victory at St. Mihiel during WWI.
__Sept. 12, 1924__
• Poplar Bluff closed businesses and opened the streets to soldiers and civilians today. This was the first National Defense Test Day, ordered by President Calvin Coolidge to test how quickly states could assemble military manpower. It also marked the anniversary of America’s first victory in World War I.
The holiday began with a parade of policemen, veterans, musicians, students and vehicles moving through the downtown. Attendees then huddled under umbrellas on the courthouse lawn to hear speaker Robert L. Ward as a drizzle moved in.
Ward, a Caruthersville lawyer, explained the holiday allowed the Defense Department to investigate America’s industrial resources and manpower “so that under the (National Defense) Act the War Department would become possessed of organized reserves among the civilians together with the national guard and the regular army to constitute the American army in case of an emergence of needed defense.”
The National Defense Act was passed in 1916 but never carried out, since America entered WWI the next year.
Today’s date was also the anniversary of the 1918 Battle of St. Mihiel, the first U.S.-led offensive of WWI. Missouri native Gen. John J. Pershing was credited with guiding American and French forces to victory.
__Sept. 12, 1949__
• Missouri Pacific Railroad leaders and strikers will assemble today in St. Louis, where an independent committee will oversee the first negotiations in end a three-day, multi-state strike. In total, 5,000 workers are striking, 20,000 non-striking employees are out of work and businesses served by Missouri Pacific are struggling.
Southeast Missouri is one of many regions impacted. It relies on the Missouri Pacific railway for industrial freight, passenger travel, mail deliveries and more.
__Sept. 12, 1974__
• A doctor faces extradition to Dunklin County after allegedly murdering his ex-wife.
Dr. Norman Garrison, Jr. was arrested by federal agents for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, and faces first-degree murder charges in Missouri for the death of Lee Ann Garrison. He is currently free on a $10,000 bond.
Lee Ann Garrison was found shot and beaten to death in her Kennett home on Sept. 7. Authorities said the Garrisons divorced this summer but disputes over alimony and child custody continued.
Extradition papers were submitted to Gov. Chris Bond’s office today. The defense claimed to have two dozen witnesses ready to testify Norman Garrison was near his home in Corinth, Mississippi on the day of the murder.