Honoring our Veterans
A sweet venue features stories, photos and honor
Veterans Day is Monday.
It was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when the armistice was signed between the Allied forces and Germany, ending World War I, known then as “The Great War.” A federal act in 1938 made Nov. 11 of each year a legal holiday known as Armistice Day.
Armistice Day was set aside to celebrate the end of World War I. But after World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd Congress amended the Act of 1938 by deleting the word “Armistice” and replacing it with the word “Veterans.” So now, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, is a day to honor all American men and women who have served their country in the military.
Many local veterans will gather Monday morning to celebrate the day at a new business in town, Julie’s Sweet Shop, 201 Skyline Drive in the Conway Towne Centre. Although the business is new in town, its owner is not. For several years, Julie Goodnight, a former co-owner of Ed’s Bakery who worked there for 27 years, organized a Veterans Day celebration at the bakery, serving free coffee to all veterans. She will do so again this year, only at her new business. All veterans are
welcome to attend.
Since 2007, Goodnight has compiled a booklet titled “Veterans Day (year): Honoring Our Veterans.” The 8 1/2- by 11-inch softbound spiral notebook contains names of veterans, photographs of them in uniform (when possible), and brief synopses of their military service. Conway Copies prints the booklets free of charge and donates one to each veteran in attendance on Veterans Day. Veterans are encouraged to go by Conway Copies one month before the celebration, get a form and fill it out.
“I used to listen to American Family Radio, and they would have veterans on the air who told their stories,” Goodnight said. “I got to thinking about the guys who would come into the bakery, sharing their stories with each other, and I thought how nice it would be to have their stories written down. They have so much to tell us, so much to say. We don’t have any idea of what they’ve been through.”
The booklet includes an index in the front, listing each veteran and the page number where his or her story can be found. World War II veterans are listed first.
“That’s not because they are more important than any other veteran but because we are losing more and more of them every day,” Goodnight said. Deceased veterans are marked with an asterisk.
“[Veterans] love the celebration and look forward to it all year long,” she said.
This year’s event will officially start at 9 a.m. Monday.
“But if it’s like it has been in the past, they will be lined up at the front door by 5 or 6, and we’ll be overflowing by 9,” Goodnight said with a laugh. “We had about 100 last year, and it was standing room only.”
As in years past, Army Sgt. Maj. James L. Wofford, who states in the booklet that he has never retired, and Army Sgt. David Hall, who retired in 1998 after a 20-year-career, will serve as masters of ceremonies. Hughie Craig, who served three years in the Army, will play several songs on his trumpet, including taps.
Approximately 20 local businesses, in addition to Conway Copies, support the Veterans Day celebration.
During a recent visit to Julie’s Sweet Shop, visitors found three Korean War veterans — Melvin Bailey, William Harry Midgett and Harold Starr — on hand to talk about their stories. These stories can also be found in today’s
River Valley & Ozark Edition.
For more information about Monday’s Veterans Day celebration at Julie’s Sweet Shop, call (501) 205-4301.