Arlie Metheny
Encyclopedia
Captain Arlie Metheny (January 5, 1918—September 15, 2008) was a United States Army
officer during World War II
and the Cold War
, who served as public information spokesman at Fort Chaffee
, Arkansas
, at the time Elvis Presley
was inducted into the military.
Metheny was the eldest of seven children born to a cotton
farmer in Silverdale in Dunklin County
in the southeastern Bootheel
of Missouri
. In 1938, Metheny hopped a freight train and picked apple
s, strawberries
, and cotton in Michigan
, Texas
, Illinois
, and Arkansas. Thereafter, Metheny began a 20-year military career. He was a personnel sergeant-major of the 27th Infantry Regiment. First, Metheny joined the United States Marine Corps
and fought in the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal, where he was severely injured. In 1947, he transferred to the Army and was commissioned a first lieutenant. After World War II, he served two tours of duty in the occupation of Japan
under General
Douglas MacArthur
. His stateside service brought him to Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith
, Arkansas, where during the end of his military service, he was a public information officer. Metheny was also the Army liaison officer during the 1957 desegregation
of Little Rock Central High School.
In 1958, Metheny was a coordinator, along with John J. Mawn, of the entry of Elvis Presley's induction into the Army. Photographers bombarded Presley during his three days at Fort Chaffee. Metheny recalled one free-lance photographer who snapped shots of Presley in his underwear and during meals whenever the entertainer opened his mouth. "After a few minutes I suggested they let him eat and everyone but the freelancer backed off. I had the [military police] escort him out of the mess hall.". Gary Metheny of Conway, one of his seven sons, recalled that Metheny nearly passed out when he came home from such an exhausting day at the time Presley left the camp. At home, his work continued, as Metheny fielded three hours of telephone
calls from the national media. Metheny suffered severe exhaustion, was hospitalized, and given five days of leave for recuperation. Metheny thereafter retired in 1959 at the rank of captain. Metheny resided in Fort Smith until after his wife died of cancer
in 1986.
Having earned his high school
diploma and bachelor’s degree while in the military, Metheny earned his master’s and Ph.D.
from the University of Arkansas
at Fayetteville
and focused a second career in education as superintendent of schools in three Arkansas communities: Mulberry
in Crawford County and Conway
and Mayflower
, both in Faulkner County. He acquired the reputation of a staunch "disciplinarian" in the field of education.
Metheny resided in Conway, where he died at the age of ninety of complications from a stroke
. In addition to son Gary, he was survived by three sons, Bill Metheny of Bridger
, Montana
, Jim Metheny of Conway, and Bob Metheny of Orlando
, Florida
; two brothers, Chester Metheny of California
and Alfred Metheny of Alabama
; eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. Metheny was preceded in death by his wife, the former Willie Stroble (1920–1986), formerly of California, and three sons, Kenny Metheny (who at the age of twelve in 1958 was hit by a car and killed while delivering newspapers) and twins Ronald and Donald Metheny, three sisters, and a brother. Services were held at the Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway. Interment was at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, who served as public information spokesman at Fort Chaffee
Fort Chaffee
Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Fort Smith, located one mile southeast of Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Arkansas River flows eastward along the northern border of the post. Interstate 40 is five miles to the north on the...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, at the time Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
was inducted into the military.
Metheny was the eldest of seven children born to a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
farmer in Silverdale in Dunklin County
Dunklin County, Missouri
Dunklin County is a county located in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 33,155. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 31,454. The largest city and county seat is Kennett...
in the southeastern Bootheel
Bootheel
The Missouri Bootheel is the southeasternmost part of the state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30’ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the state resembles the heel of a boot. Strictly speaking, it is composed of the counties of Dunklin, New Madrid, and Pemiscot...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. In 1938, Metheny hopped a freight train and picked apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
, and cotton in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Arkansas. Thereafter, Metheny began a 20-year military career. He was a personnel sergeant-major of the 27th Infantry Regiment. First, Metheny joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and fought in the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal, where he was severely injured. In 1947, he transferred to the Army and was commissioned a first lieutenant. After World War II, he served two tours of duty in the occupation of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
under General
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. His stateside service brought him to Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, Arkansas, where during the end of his military service, he was a public information officer. Metheny was also the Army liaison officer during the 1957 desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
of Little Rock Central High School.
In 1958, Metheny was a coordinator, along with John J. Mawn, of the entry of Elvis Presley's induction into the Army. Photographers bombarded Presley during his three days at Fort Chaffee. Metheny recalled one free-lance photographer who snapped shots of Presley in his underwear and during meals whenever the entertainer opened his mouth. "After a few minutes I suggested they let him eat and everyone but the freelancer backed off. I had the [military police] escort him out of the mess hall.". Gary Metheny of Conway, one of his seven sons, recalled that Metheny nearly passed out when he came home from such an exhausting day at the time Presley left the camp. At home, his work continued, as Metheny fielded three hours of telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
calls from the national media. Metheny suffered severe exhaustion, was hospitalized, and given five days of leave for recuperation. Metheny thereafter retired in 1959 at the rank of captain. Metheny resided in Fort Smith until after his wife died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1986.
Having earned his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
diploma and bachelor’s degree while in the military, Metheny earned his master’s and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
and focused a second career in education as superintendent of schools in three Arkansas communities: Mulberry
Mulberry, Arkansas
Mulberry is a city in Crawford County, Arkansas, United States and part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,627 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mulberry is located at ....
in Crawford County and Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
and Mayflower
Mayflower, Arkansas
Mayflower is a city in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,631 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, both in Faulkner County. He acquired the reputation of a staunch "disciplinarian" in the field of education.
Metheny resided in Conway, where he died at the age of ninety of complications from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. In addition to son Gary, he was survived by three sons, Bill Metheny of Bridger
Bridger, Montana
Bridger is a town in Carbon County, Montana, United States. It is part of the Billings, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 745 at the 2000 census.The town of Bridger was named for the scout Jim Bridger...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Jim Metheny of Conway, and Bob Metheny of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; two brothers, Chester Metheny of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Alfred Metheny of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
; eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. Metheny was preceded in death by his wife, the former Willie Stroble (1920–1986), formerly of California, and three sons, Kenny Metheny (who at the age of twelve in 1958 was hit by a car and killed while delivering newspapers) and twins Ronald and Donald Metheny, three sisters, and a brother. Services were held at the Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway. Interment was at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith.