World War I & II and Korean War Memorial

 

By Al Collier

    Published Sunday, May 30, 2004

The War Memorial on the Courthouse Square in Searcy may be expanding.

Dedicated on Memorial Day 1998, it honors those White County servicemen who died while on active duty during wartime. Currently there are 182 names on the polished granite marker.

Researchers have learned there might be as many as 30 others who qualified to have there names included on it, but more information is needed from the community about these servicemen before their names can be added.

Eddie Best explains, "I was president of the White County Historical Society (WCHS) and a member of the Memorial Committee at the time the $13,000, six-ton structure was achieved. It honors those service people who died while on active duty during World War I, World War II and the Korean War."

The WCHS thought the Memorial was a completed project. About the time it was dedicated, a program by the WCHS to record every name on every tombstone in every cemetery in White County was begun. This drive uncovered additional names of war dead.

"With these new cemetery lists, we immediately confirmed nine people who should be added to the Memorial. As a result, their names were engraved into the stone two years ago," said Best.

The following information was obtained by the WCHS. Efforts are being made to obtain additional information on these servicemen. Very little family information is available.

"The federal government apparently does not have a comprehensive list of all who died from White County while on active duty during these periods," said Best.

Best and others hope friends, family, veterans and anyone else with information on any of these people will provide the needed information so that these veterans might be honored as well:

Armstrong, Van C. buried in the Beebe Cemetery.

Barringer, William E. buried in Grissard Cemetery, El Paso.

Cook, Leslie C. buried in the Grissard Cemetery, El Paso.

Crow, Jorome buried in Crow Cemetery in Kensett.

Edwards, A.F. Jr. buried in the Beebe Cemetery.

Evans, Elbert J. Jr. from Albion was killed Dec. 5, 1944, in Germany.

Faulk, Peter buried in the Grissard Cemetery, El Paso.

Fletcher, James H. buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Foreman, Doyle buried in the Grissard Cemetery, El Paso.

Gordon, Duke buried in the Grissard Cemetery.

Greer, Charles Jr. buried in the Shady Grove Cemetery in Bald Knob.

Hawkins, Charles buried in the Crow Cemetery in Kensett.

Johnston, William M. buried in West Point Cemetery.

Jordan, William W. buried in the Pickens Chapel Cemetery.

Gentry, Haskell E. buried in the Kensett Cemetery.

Kulsa, John Frank buried in the Floyd Cemetery.

Laffoon, Bobby Gene buried in the Mt. Bethel Cemetery.

Lee, William buried in Old Kensett Cemetery.

Lundy, James H. buried in West Point Cemetery.

Mitchell, Carl H.E. buried in the Griffithville Cemetery.

Moore, Henry Brown buried in the New Dogwood Cemetery, Griffithville.

Phillips, Kelley F. buried in the Goodwin Cemetery, Ellis Chapel.

Phillips, Otis L. buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Rule, John William buried in the Carter Cemetery, Russell.

Sanchez, Wilford Joe buried in the Heard Cemetery, Bradford.

Shirley, Ross I. buried in the Providence Cemetery.

Smith, Hermon J. buried in the Grissard Cemetery, El Paso.

Taylor, Lewis Amos served in US Navy.

Wells, Roy Von buried in West Point Cemetery.

Wildman, Sgt. Jesse buried in the Martin Cemetery, Rose Bud.

Wood, Atlee Franklin buried in the O'Neal Cemetery, Russell.

Wood, Cecil J. buried in the O'Neal Cemetery, Russell.

If you have pertinent information on any of the following people, contact Eddie Best, P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145, ebest@ipa.net, or 501 279-7896.

The WCHS website is: www.whitecounty.us