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This Day in Arkansas History

December 7, 1941

Orders for Little Rock (Pulaski County) native Rear Admiral Corydon McAlmont Wassell to leave San Francisco for a new post in the Philippines were changed because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The ship was rerouted to Java in the Netherlands East India (now Indonesia). In Java, while treating wounded servicemen from battleships badly damaged by Japanese forces, Wassell elected to remain there with non-ambulatory patients who were denied transport on evacuation ships. His courage and leadership led to his decoration with the Navy Cross and recognition by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in one of his fireside chats. His leadership there made him one of the first national heroes of World War II.

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Pine Bluff Arsenal Assembly Line

A small number of the 10,000 civilians employed by the Chemical Warfare Arsenal established near Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) in 1941 worked on one of the many devices produced at the arsenal. The over 14,000-acre facility, which was renamed the Pine Bluff Arsenal in 1942, produced millions of incendiary munitions and chemical compounds during World War II. After the war and into the 1960s, the arsenal produced biological compounds. It later began producing smoke, incendiary, and pyrotechnic devices.

 

A small number of the 10,000 civilians employed by the Chemical Warfare Arsenal established near Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) in 1941 worked on one of the many devices produced at the arsenal. The over 14,000-acre facility, which was renamed the Pine Bluff Arsenal in 1942, produced millions of incendiary munitions and chemical compounds during World War II. After the war and into the 1960s, the arsenal produced biological compounds. It later began producing smoke, incendiary, and pyrotechnic devices.

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"In memory of those killed December 1987 Pope County Arkansas" flat engraved marker on grass Ronald Gene Simmons Criminal Activities White man and woman folk costumes on stage with barn backdrop presenting violin making parts Violet Brumley Hensley Folk, Woodwork Portrait white man in suit military medal long wavy hair thick beard smoking large pipe Albert Pike Individuals, Lawyers, Poetry, State Figures busy city intersection with cars and people, view of state capitol in background Little Rock Pulaski White man with stubbled beard sitting in backwards cap and jacket with his hands clasped under his chin Billy Bob Thornton Actors and Filmmakers Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War jockey sitting astride horse draped with flowers while woman the lead, with logo in top-right corner reading, "Hot Springs National Park Arkansas," and text at bottom reading, Smarty Jones, Oaklawn" Arkansas Derby Festivals and Events, Horseracing Two white men with beards and mustaches with their arms around each other Billy Don Burns Country "Negroes leave town of Bonanza" newspaper clipping Sundown Towns Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background Manila Mississippi Steam powered ironclad boats attacking a fort Weather in the Civil War Climatology Green "Village Academy Beavers" shirt with beaver in football uniform holding a stick and helmet Village Academy Beavers Football "Arkansas Childrens Hospital" sign on side of multistory building with one-story wings and large lawn winter trees by roadside Health and Medicine Topical Tiny crustaceans found in caves Endemic Isopods Zoology Large white family sleeping in the same bedroom with the words "Hillbilly Togetherness" in the background Hillbillies Folk Image and Customs Multistory red brick church building with steeple Seventh-Day Adventists Faiths and Denominations
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African-American woman smiling in purple dress with earrings Colette Dodson Honorable Older African-American woman smiling in hat and suit Vertie Lee Glasgow Carter Educators and Administrators African-American man with glasses smiling in suit with bow tie Rickey Lane Jasper Religious Figures Green and yellow logo with black and green text Regina Kaplan Practitioners "Negro lynched by Hot Springs mob" newspaper clipping Gilbert Harris Criminal Activities, Early Twentieth Century Arkansas Model United Nations Educational Organizations and Programs White man in suit and tie with slicked back dark hair posing with his fist under his chin James Calvin Minor Country African-American woman smiling in sleeveless top and multicolored shawl Kathryn Hall-Trujillo Practitioners Older African-American man with glasses smiling in tuxedo Glenn T. Johnson Judges African-American woman smiling in dress and shell necklace Patricia Washington McGraw Educators and Administrators, Poetry Young smiling African-American woman in flowered top with necklaces Deborah Myers Mathis Journalists, Nonfiction Black United Youth Council for the Liberation of Blacks African-American woman with short hair in dress Arkansas Association of Colored Women Women Charlotte Moorman Classical and Opera, Performers Domed building seen through bare trees beyond a barbed wire fence with sign Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor Projects

About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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