GRAVETTE -- Gravette World War I Air Ace, Field Kindley, was selected to be included in the Arkansas Military Veterans' Hall of Fame. He was one of 15 veterans selected for the honor.
The Arkansas Military Veterans' Hall of Fame announced, on Sept. 29, the selection of 15 Arkansans to its 2015 class of inductees. An induction reception and banquet will be conducted Saturday evening, Nov. 14, at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock, with U.S. Senator John Boozman presenting medallions. Inductees were selected for exceptional military service and valor.
Sixth on the list of inductees was Captain Field Eugene Kindley, deceased, of Gravette. He earned two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary heroism in 1918 during World War I and ranked third in the number of enemy aircraft downed, with 12 confirmed kills. He was Arkansas's only Air Ace of World War I.
Other inductees included:
1.General James Terry Conway of Walnut Ridge, 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. He retired as a four-star general after 40 years of service, starting in 1972. His many decorations include three awards of the nation's highest military service medal - the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. He commanded the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force during two combat tours in Iraq.
2. Lt. Colonel Farris Dean Fortner, deceased, of Benton. He flew 100 combat missions during the Korean War as a member of the Arkansas Air National Guard's 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron, where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.
3. Staff Sergeant Larry Rea Graves, of Harrisburg, who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and four awards of the Air Medal while serving in the Vietnam war as an Air Force C-123 Loadmaster.
4. Sergeant First Class Mike Wade Gunnels, deceased, of Magnolia, who served more than 39 years in the Army and earned a Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal for combat wounds, and an Air Medal during the Vietnam War.
5. Technical Sergeant Sterling Tatum Hendricks, deceased, of Little Rock, who flew 49 combat missions in Europe and 50 combat missions in the Pacific during World War II as a B-24 gunner and an aerial photographer. His decorations include the Silver Star Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart Medal for combat wounds, and eight awards of the Air Medal.
7. Master Sergeant David Alan Major, of Alma, who earned the Bronze Star Medal for valor during the first Gulf War (Desert Storm) as an Army combat medic. He also recieved four awards of the Meritorious Service Medal during his 20 year career in the Army.
8. First Sergeant Charles Eugene Rogers, of Little Rock, who earned two awards of the Bronze Star Medal for valor during multiple tours in Vietnam, as well as the Purple Heart Medal for combat wounds and the Air Medal. He retired from the Army after 23 years of active service.
9. Lt. Colonel William Jerome Sidebottom, of Hot Springs, who served multiple tours in Vietnam, earning the Silver Star Medal for gallantry, four awards of the Purple Heart Medal for combat wounds, and four awards of the Meritorious Service Medal during his Army career.
10. Colonel Timothy Ray Williams, of Harrisburg, who served over three decades as an Army Special Forces officer, including combat tours in Iraq and Somalia. Decorations include two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, four awards of the Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart Medal for combat wounds.
Inductees selected on the basis of honorable military service and exceptional state and community service include:
11. Staff Sergeant Warren D. Blaylock, of Alma, who earned two Bronze Star Medals during World War II as a combat medic. He is a Charter member of the National World War II Museum, received the Bronze Leader award for service to disabled veterans, the Sertoma Service to Mankind award, and numerous Crawford county Rotary Club service awards.
12. Brigadier General Donald Dalton, deceased, of Mayflower, who served 42years in the Air Force and Arkansas Air National Guard. He was commander of the Arkansas Air National Guard from 1991 to 1999 and earned the Legion of Merit. He was a Command Pilot with more than 2,000 flying hours, served as president of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and as chairman of the Selection Committee for the Arkansas Military Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2011 through 2015.
13. First Lieutenant John Thomas Fincher, deceased, of Waldo, who earned four Air Medals as a B-17 Pilot during World War II. He was instrumental in preserving Arkansas World War II history through his volunteer work with the Arkansas Educational Television Network
14. First Lieutenant Wendell Lee Griffen, of Little Rock, who earned an Army Commendation Medal and Parachutist badge as a field artillery and race relations officer. He is a noted activist for social justice, pastor, and circuit judge of the 5th Division, 6th Judicial District of Arkansas. He was the first person of color to become a partner in a major Arkansas law firm.
15. Lt. Colonel Teddy Wayne Pylant, deceased, of Jonesboro, who earned the Bronze Star Medal for service during the Vietnam War. He served more than 34 years in the Arkansas National Guard and with the National Guard Bureau. He was a lifetime member of American Legion, VFW and Disabled Veterans of America, as well as a noted leader in Craighead County veterans issues.
For additional information or for information regarding tickets to the induction banquet, go to www.amvhof.org or call 1-888-329-3845 and place an order for tickets.
Editorial on 10/07/2015