Three Rivers communities commemorate Veterans Day

By ER

LITTLE ROCK — At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, fighting

stopped in World War I.

It was a symbolic day, the 11th hour of the

11th day of the 11th month, the day an ar

mistice was signed to end the Great War, the

War to End All Wars.

The following year, President Woodrow

Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 Armistice Day

with the words: "To us in America, the reflec

tions of Armistice Day will be filled with sol

emn pride in the heroism of those who died

in the county's service and with gratitude for

the victory, both because of the thing from

which it has freed us and because of the op

portunity it has given America to show her

sympathy with peace and justice." But history did not allow World War I its

intended place as America's last war, and on

June 1, 1954, Armistice Day became Veterans

Day, a day to honor American veterans of

all wars.

Today, as The Great War's last surviving

veteran and an ever-decreasing group of

World War II veterans still walk among us,

they are joined by veterans from the Korea

War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm and our sol

diers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They

join a select group of those who fought for

America, veterans of the American Revolu

tion, War of 1812, Mexican-American War,

Civil War and Spanish-American War.

Several Three Rivers towns are honoring these service men and women with memorial services and events Tuesday.

Ash Flat◊There will be a memorial service at noon at the American Veterans Memorial. Barbecue sandwiches and sides will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Army Special Forces veteran Joe Walls will be the speaker, and there will be patriotic music by Jeff and Dianne Tharp of Evening Shade. The event is free and open to the public.

Augusta◊Groups from the American Legion and Boy Scouts will hold a flag-retirement ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday on the river side of the Legion Hut. The event is free and open to the public.

Cabot◊There will be a ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Cabot Veterans Memorial across from Cabot High School. There will be a guest speaker and a reading of all the names of Lonoke County residents who have died in service from WWI to present.

Heber Springs◊The First United Methodist Church will host a Veterans Day program at 7 p.m. Monday in the church's sanctuary. It will feature several veterans from the community who will share their stories, and there will be music.

The event will honor those who have served the nation both in times of peace and war. The event is free and open to the public. The church is at 1099 W. Pine St. More information is available at (501) 362-2696.

Highland

◊Highland High School will hold a memorial service at 10 a.m. in the school's gymnasium. Army Special Forces veteran Joe Walls will be the speaker. The event is free and open to the public.

Jacksonville

◊The Jacksonville Museum of Military History and Daughters of the American Revolution will host a ceremony at 11 a.m. at the museum. The tower bells will be rung to honor veterans, and there will be a short reception with refreshments in the museum hangar afterward. The museum will be open for viewing at no admission charge during the reception. Veterans and their families may view the exhibits all day at no charge. The event is open to the public. More information is available at (501) 241-1943.

◊The Arkansas Fallen Heroes Memorial will be on display on the lawn at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History through Friday, Nov. 14. The memorial is free and open to the public day and night.

◊The next installment in the Museum of Military History's War Stories Lecture Series is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, when Col. Charles Hyde will talk about his experiences as commander of the 320th Expeditionary Operations Group during Operation Enduring Freedom and his experiences as vice commander of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Admission is $2.

◊The Little Rock Air Force Base will host several events, but none are open to the public.

Melbourne

◊Melbourne High School will hold a program at 10 a.m. in the school's gymnasium to honor local veterans, who are encouraged to attend and invite their families. There will be guest speakers, and the school band will play. The event is open to the public. More information is available at (870) 368-4345.

Pocahontas

◊There will be a color presentation at 9 a.m. in the Pocahontas Middle School gymnasium.

◊There will be a ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Randolph County Courthouse Veterans Memorial. There will be a short speech, flag ceremony, 21-gun salute and taps. The event is free and open to the public.

Searcy

◊There will be a ceremony at 11 a.m. at the White County Courthouse. A West Point graduate and Army veteran who has served two tours in Iraq will speak. The event is free and open to the public. More information is available from the White County Veterans Affairs Office at (501) 279-6210.

More information about Veterans Day is available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, www.va.gov.

- awidner@ arkansasonline.com

Three Rivers, Pages 117, 123 on 11/09/2008