Elements of the Arkansas National Guard were called out by Governor Orval Faubus on September 4th, 1957, to prevent the Little Rock Nine black students from enrolling at the all-white Little Rock Central High School in accordance with a federal court order. They kept day and night watch at the school until September 20th; at that point, city police took over the responsibility, but guardsmen remained on notice to deploy in the event of any disturbances.

On September 24th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the entire Arkansas National Guard, and deployed elements of the 101^st Airborne Division to Little Rock to enforce the federal courts' orders and escort the black students into the school. The same elements of the Arkansas National Guard who had been preventing the Little Rock Nine from enrolling on the 19th were tasked with assisting the 101^st in escorting them into the school on the 25th; by the 30th, the National Guard had assumed full responsibility for that mission.

What was the guardsmen's reaction to this dramatic shift in their duties? Was there confusion among the troops, or was it a smooth transition? My understanding is that most of the enlisted and junior officers would likely have supported segregation - was there any notion of mutiny among the ranks? Was there concern that the Arkansas National Guard may have mutinied, and did that influence Eisenhower's decision to send the 101^st to ensure compliance?