Military hall now has own location

When the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame inducts 15 new members on Saturday, it will at last have a home.

The Hall of Fame since its inception in 2011 has existed solely on the organization’s website. But on Wednesday, the group’s first display — complete with photos of each of the soon-to-be 105 members — will be unveiled in a public section of the Arkansas treasurer’s office in the state Capitol.

Having a physical exhibit will ensure the Hall of Fame lasts beyond current generations, said Mark Diggs, an inaugural inductee. Diggs, a Vietnam veteran, will emcee Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. in the state Capitol.

“To me personally, it’s very important,” Diggs said. “We never got the respect and appreciation when we came home like the Iraq guys got. So for me personally, it heals some old wounds.”

The L-shaped display will take its place in the northeast corner of state Treasurer Dennis Milligan’s public

office on the second floor of the Capitol.

The exhibit was paid for with donations, Hall of Fame funds and money from state General Improvement Fund grants. Hall of Fame Director Conrad Reynolds said the organization secured the money six years ago, but it hadn’t found the right place for the display until now.

The General Improvement Fund grants were issued before the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled the program unconstitutional earlier this month.

“We always thought it should go in the Capitol,” Reynolds, a veteran, said of the Hall of Fame. “That’s the center of our state.”

The hall inducts no more than 15 new members each year, meaning the current exhibit can last for nearly 30 years before space for new members runs out.

Eventually, the organization hopes it will outgrow the Treasurer’s office and move into one of the Capitol’s larger halls.

“After all, it is a hall of fame,” Reynolds said.

About 20,000 people visit the state treasurer’s office annually, a Milligan spokesman said.

This year’s class of 15 inductees includes a Navy SEAL from Hot Springs killed seven years ago in Afghanistan, a soldier from Conway killed during World War II and the Hall’s first female inductee.

The Hall of Fame’s seventh class includes eight honorees who are now deceased, three of whom were killed in action. Ten of the new members are being inducted for valor and the remaining five for public service, according to a news release.

The diverse group spans four wars and four branches of the armed forces, but one common thread ties them together, Reynolds said.

“The common theme is that they loved their country,” he said. “The common theme is they put their lives on the line.”

An induction ceremony will be held Saturday at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock, where U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Rogers, will present the Hall of Fame medallions.

“Arkansans have always been willing to do their part to serve and protect,” Boozman said in an email statement. “These veterans represent the selfless service and sacrifice of those who are called to stand in defense of their country. I’m honored to recognize these inductees for their military achievements and their contributions to their local communities.”

Tickets to the event can be purchased for $55 individually or for a table of 10 for $500. Reservations can by made by calling (888) 329-3845.

The Hall of Fame receives about 50 nominations each year, which are narrowed to 15 by a committee. Anyone can nominate a veteran by visiting the group’s website, amvhof.org, and downloading the nomination packet, which requires the submission of some military documents.

Roger Hollinger, 42, of Little Rock nominated his father, Roger K. Hollinger Sr., this year. The elder Hollinger, an Army veteran, died in 2010 due congestive heart failure related to Agent Orange exposure.

Hollinger Sr., whose awards include the Silver Star and Bronze Star among others, wasn’t the type to flaunt his military service.

“He didn’t consider himself a hero,” the younger Hollinger said. “Real heroes, they don’t talk about it.”

The Army’s Silver Star recommendations describe two instances in which Hollinger Sr., a tank gunner, exposed himself to enemy fire to rescue wounded soldiers.

The younger Hollinger said about 25 relatives and friends of his father’s plan to attend Saturday’s banquet.

“It means the world to me,” he said. “It’s nice to see the guys that have stepped up be recognized.”

Also in attendance will be Price and Julia Thrall of Price, Utah. Price Thrall’s brother Hershel Thrall Hardin was killed in action in France during World War II.

Hardin, who was nominated by Diggs, the Vietnam veteran, was awarded the Silver Star after he exposed himself to enemy machine gun fire three separate times to personally remove three wounded soldiers from the line of fire.

Hardin’s exploits weren’t known by his family until 2012, when U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R- Utah, helped get Hardin’s military records reconstructed. The valor didn’t surprise Thrall.

“He was such a loving, caring, giving person,” Thrall said.

The Thralls plan to travel to Arkansas for next weekend’s ceremony, which will be bittersweet. In a phone interview, Thrall struggled to describe what the moment will mean to him, so his wife stepped in.

“He’s so proud of the things his brother accomplished in World War II,” she said of her husband, who also fought in the war. “They were just miles apart.”

“The common theme is that they loved their country. The common theme is they put their lives on the line.” — Conrad Reynolds, Hall of Fame director