MORRILTON: World War I monument dedicated in Conway County

By Sara Greene

LITTLE ROCK — Russell Coffey, 109, one of only three known remaining veterans of World War I, died Dec. 20, which was the same day the World War I memorial was being dedicated on the lawn of the Conway County Courthouse.

Commander Herb Hesselbein of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 13 in Morrilton said the group put a World War II monument on the courthouse grounds in 2003. There were already monuments for the Korean and Vietnam wars, but the group wanted to pay tribute to the generation of American fighters known as "Doughboys."

"We decided to do this about the first of the year, because World War I is a dying history," Hesselbein said.

About 100 people turned out to for the dedication of the 5-foot-square granite slab. Both the World War I and II monuments cost about $4,000 and were created by McGee Monument Company in Morrilton.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 4.7 million American soldiers served in World War I. Of those, 53,000 died in combat and about 204,000 were wounded. To qualify as a World War I veteran, someone must have been on active duty between April 6, 1917, and Nov. 11, 1918. The other known surviving American soldiers are Frank Buckles, 106, of Charles Town, W.Va., and Harry Landis of Sun City Center, Fla., according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

John Baugh, adjutant and treasurer for Disabled American Veterans Chapter 13, said the organization has collected the names about 800 Conway County men who served in World War I.

"The best part of the day for me really was the sentiment that people came out to remember the veterans of World War I," Baugh said.

"People need to be aware of this monument because we havea few that their daddies served," Baugh said.

Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart said the monument is special to a lot of families.His grandfather, who grew up near the Faulkner and Conway county line, served in World War I.

"It was long overdue. This was one of the generations we had not recognized and nearly forgot about. I have to commend the DAV Chapter13 for all their hard work in getting the monument and all the 800 names for the list," Hart said.

The list is kept in the Veterans Affairs Service Office in the courthouse for anyone wishing to review it or to have a name added.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 57, 58 on 01/03/2008