PILOT STORIES: Garrison, Lawrence H.

Lawrence H. Garrison began flying mail for the postal service in the summer of 1920. On August 26, just a month after he began flying the mail, Garrison was reprimanded by his supervisor for overshooting the Chicago airfield at Maywood. His airplane nosed over when Garrison tried to make a ground loop and return. The very next day, his supervisor forwarded separation papers to Second Assistant Postmaster General Praeger, as had been requested.

Fortunately for Garrison, the supervisor argued that he believed separation was unwarranted in this case. Supervisor Majors' memo to Praeger noted, "The wreck was without question the fault of the Pilot, but it might be said in his favor that there has been so much talk regarding the safety of the twins that pilots were perhaps a bit nervous and not at their best."

Not immediately mollified, Praeger sent a telegram the very next day to Majors telling him to "mail separation papers [to] Garrison immediately." Available documentation does not record the final arguments that changed Praeger's mind, but Garrison was able to keep his job.

On January 8, 1925, three miles south of Carlisle, Iowa, Garrison made a forced landing when air in the oil pump caused engine trouble. The ground was frozen and rough. When he landed, the landing tail skid gave way while rolling over a small raise in the ground. Garrison drained the air from the oil pump and flew into Iowa City, Iowa, where he found a piece of rubber in the oil line.