Gov. Asa Hutchinson has proclaimed May as Arkansas Heritage Month. A point in the proclamation resonated with me: "The heritage heroes from yesterday and today help us remember where we've been and where we're going."
His statement reminds me of something Edmund Burke once said about society: "[It is] a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born."
There is much to take from the past that informs our future.
The focus of this year's Heritage Month, "A State of War: Arkansas Remembers World War I," centers on the centennial remembrance of World War I, the 71,000+ Arkansans who served, and the overall effect on Arkansas.
Last year, Governor Hutchinson created the Arkansas World War I Centennial Commemoration Committee to encourage the development and participation in activities that expand the understanding and appreciation of the significance of our service in the war.
That Great War, the war to end all wars, had significant bearing on our state and has left an indelible mark, a revered legacy. The first Arkansas chapter of the American Red Cross was founded in Garland County in 1917, followed by a chapter in Pulaski County and another in Northeast Arkansas. The Red Cross helped communities in every Arkansas county during the war and was instrumental in helping Arkansans survive the floods and droughts that plagued the state in later years.
Arkansas provided some true American heroes to the war effort. The airport in my hometown of Pine Bluff is named after one of our war heroes, John McGavock Grider, who was one of a small number of U.S. pilots who served with the British Royal Air Force.
Herman Davis of Manila in Mississippi County earned several awards for his actions in France and is memorialized through the Herman Davis State Park. Oscar Franklin Miller of Franklin County, who was included with Davis on Gen. John J. Pershing's list of 100 heroes from World War I, received the Medal of Honor, as did Marcellus Chiles of Eureka Springs and John Pruitt of Newton County.
Field Eugene Kindley, known as "Arkansas' only World War I Flying Ace," received multiple awards for his service and ranked third in the number of aircraft downed for the U.S. Army Air Service. This hero's childhood home in Gravette is open to the public.
These are but a few examples of our state's World War I heritage. Our two-year commemoration of the war and Arkansas Heritage Month provide opportunities to learn about our shared history and the significance of Arkansas' service in the war. I encourage every Arkansan to seek out your personal connection with our state's World War I heritage.
Events, exhibits, workshops, lectures, book-signings, tours, restorations--for students and adults alike, and many of them free--can be found at museums, historic sites, unique places and preserved structures across Arkansas. During May, especially, many WWI-themed activities are scheduled and can be found here: tinyurl.com/ARHeritage.
While we take the time to highlight our Arkansas heritage in May, here at the Department of Arkansas Heritage we celebrate it year-round and encourage you to, too. There is so much to learn and experience about Arkansas right here in Arkansas.
I hope you'll make plans to visit some unique authentic Arkansas place every weekend. Plan your family outings to take advantage of the opportunities Arkansas' one-of-a-kind heritage destinations have to offer.
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Stacy Hurst is director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the state preservation officer. The department and its eight agencies identify Arkansas' heritage and enhance the state's quality of life by the discovery, preservation, and presentation of its cultural, historic and natural resources.
Editorial on 05/18/2017