 Dr. Bill Schell Editor's Update: Bill Mulligan announced that January 13th will be First Lieutenant Nathaniel G. Hale/Calloway National Guard Day in recognition both of Lt. Hale who died January 13, 1917 while on the Mexican Expedition and all citizens of Calloway County who have served in the National Guard. Calloway County and the City of Murray are joining in this recognition.
The formal signing of the proclamation will be on Friday January 13 at 9:30 in the City Council Room in Murray City Hall.
The Jackson Purchase Historical Society is holding a special commemoration of Lt. Nathaniel G. Hale, a member of the Calloway County National Guard, who died in combat when his unit fought in the Mexican Expedition of 1916. Dr. Bill Schell will provide an overview of the military action, and local historian Greg Miller will describe the role of the local National Guard unit. The quarterly meeting of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society begins at 10:30 AM Saturday, January 14th, at the National Guard Armory, 1501 Hwy 121 West, in Murray, Kentucky. The meeting is open to the public and free of charge.
"When Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa began his campaign of terrorism in New Mexico in 1916, it was the first invasion of the United States in more than 100 years," Schell said. "The government responded by sending troops led by General John Pershing across the border into Mexico to capture Villa. The Calloway County National Guard participated in this military action."
Dr. Bill Schell is a retired Professor of History at Murray State University who specializes in Mexican and Latin American history. Greg Miller holds a Master's degree in History from Murray State University and has been actively pursuing the commemoration of Lt. Hale and the local unit in the Mexican Expedition with the National Guard and state and local government.
The Jackson Purchase Historical Society was founded in 1958 to promote interest, study, and preservation of the regional history of the territory encompassed in the Chickasaw Purchase of 1818. It publishes the award-winning Jackson Purchase Historical Society Journal annually. The Society is especially interested in the history of all Kentucky counties west of the Tennessee River as well as Lake, Obion, Weakley, and Henry counties in Tennessee. Meetings are held four times per year at locations throughout the region. Membership is open to the public. Information about the Society, future events, and membership is available at the meetings, on Facebook at Jackson Purchase Historical Society, or online at http://jacksonpurchasehistory.org/.
Contact Bob Lochte at rlochte@murraystate.edu |
