William Garrison

William Carl Garrison was a native of Alfalfa County and entered military service in the Oklahoma Army National Guard while a student at the University of Oklahoma. On active duty in World War II, he became an instructor of tactics in the Field Artillery School and afterwards activated and trained the Army's first 8-inch howitzer battalion in Fort Ord, California.

He moved the battalion to Europe in early 1944, where he became a XII Corps artillery officer. His postwar service included an assignment as the military assistant to the Undersecretary of the Army. He later served a year in Korea, with most of his Korean War service being an adviser to the Commanding General of the Fifth Corps of the Republic of Korea. Following the Korean war, he became Chief of Staff of the Second Army Missile Command at Fort Hood, Texas, and later at Fort Carson, Colorado, before assuming command of the Second Missile Command.

In 1961, he was named Commanding General of the 24th Division Artillery in Munich, Germany. Returning to the United States in 1962, he served as a corps commander, then moved to the Pentagon as Inspector General of the Army. Gen. Garrison was an active member and leader in the Oklahoma Chapters of the Military Order of the World Wars, the Sons of the American Revolution, and served at ROTC chairman for both of these organizations.