SEARCY — Robert Scott Bell Jr. and Michael John McCarty sat on a bench outside the White County Courthouse on a crisp, sunny morning and shared stories about their military service.
Both were first lieutenants in the Army — Bell, in Vietnam, and McCarty, in Iraq. Both are decorated soldiers and will be honored for their service to their country on Saturday when they will be inducted into the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame.
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., will present Hall of Fame medallions to Bell of Searcy and McCarty of Bald Knob at the event, set for 6 p.m. at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. The event, which will recognize a total of 15 veterans from across the state, is open to the public. Tickets are $55 per individual or $500 for a table for 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame at (888) 329-3845.
Both men said they are honored to have been named to this hall of fame, but both credit the men they served with in the Army.
“I am happy about this award, but I give all the credit to the little guys serving with me,” Bell said. “We simply were willing to do the work for the ungrateful,” he said, paraphrasing a quote, in part, attributed to Mother Teresa: “We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.”
Bell said he mentions the men he served with every chance he gets.
“They were special,” he said.
McCarty said he also is grateful for the award, but “a lot of acts go unnoticed when it comes time for awards,” he said.
“No battle is won by one man. My unit was in the right place at the right time, doing our job,” he said. “If everybody had not done his job that day, I wouldn’t be here. I hope this award brings the spotlight to those men.”
Following is a brief look at these two White County veterans.
Robert Scott Bell Jr.
Bell, who turns 70 today, was born and raised in Searcy. He served 2 1/2 years in Vietnam and was stationed with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, at Firebase Mary Ann, an outpost near the Laotian border. The outpost was attacked March 28, 1971, resulting in the deaths of 30 American soldiers and the wounding of 82 more.
Bell’s military honors include two Bronze Star Medals, the Army Commendation Medal for valor and the Air Medal for 25 combat assaults.
Bell returned home to Searcy in August 1971. Following his military service, Bell served 28 years as a veterans’ counselor for the Arkansas Employment Security Division and raised funds for the U.S. Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He retired from the state Employment Security Division in 2000.
Health issues have plagued Bell throughout his life.
“I had a heart attack when I was 37 and died,” he said. “I’ve had three open-heart bypass surgeries. I have a pacemaker and a defibrillator. A lot of this relates to Agent Orange.
“I also deal with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” he said. “So I am just taking it easy now.”
Bell and his wife, Rosemary, have been married 44 years. They have one son, Rob (Robert Scott Bell III), who lives in Conway with his wife, Kara, and their daughter, Allie, 11, and son, Connelly, 7.
A 1964 graduate of Searcy High School, Bell Jr. is the son of the late Elwanda and Robert Scott Bell Sr. His father was a decorated World War II veteran who also served in the Korean War and was killed in 1951 in the line of duty during that conflict.
Following high school graduation, Bell attended Arkansas State University, where he completed four years of study, including his Reserve Officers’ Training Corps requirements. With the threat of the Vietnam War and possibly the military draft, he dropped out of college in 1968 and enlisted in the Army.
“I had always promised my mother I would finish my college degree,” Bell said. He tried several times to get back to college after his military service but was not able to until just recently. He graduated in May 2015 from ASU with a Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary studies.
“I am not doing anything with my degree,” he said with a smile, “but I have fulfilled that promise to my mother, although she did not live to see it. She died in 2006.”
Michael John McCarty
McCarty, 36, served one tour of duty in Iraq. He was medically retired from the Army in 2012 after the removal of part of a lung damaged by inhalation from a blast he received during the war. He said he also deals with PTSD issues.
He served with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 39th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, in combat against enemy forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Nov. 20, 2004, his platoon was attacked while on patrol in the Adhamiya district of Baghdad, and he was injured.
He returned to the United States in February 2005 and mobilized to New Orleans with the 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 39th Brigade Combat Team, to aid in Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts.
McCarty’s awards include the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action, the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally meritorious combat achievement and the Purple Heart.
McCarty was born in Searcy, the son of Elizabeth McCarty of Bald Knob and the late James McCarty. He graduated from Bald Knob High School in 1998. He joined the Arkansas Army National Guard when he was 17 and still in high school.
In 2002, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from ASU and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, an infantry officer, in the Army. He also received the 2002 George C. Marshall Award and was named the distinguished military graduate for ROTC at ASU, where he was also inducted into the ASU ROTC Hall of Heroes. McCarty returned to ASU as a temporary instructor for the ROTC program in spring 2003.
McCarty and his wife, Melanie, who is a social worker in Batesville, live in Bald Knob, where he helps operate the family farm and spends time doing volunteer work in the community.
“I work a lot with veterans groups and school groups such as 4-H, shooting sports and hunter education,” he said. “I am also often called to speak at schools or during Veterans Day celebrations.”
McCarty said his family has a military background. His dad was a first sergeant in the Arkansas Army National Guard, and McCarty’s twin brother, Patrick, also served in the Arkansas National Guard and was deployed to Iraq, earning three valor awards for his service. Patrick McCarty now operates a sport shooting center — Veterans Elite Tactical and Sport Shooting Center (VETS Shooting Center) near Bald Knob, which Michael helped set up.