Rector Veterans Memorial

Join the Cause

In the News

An American Soldier

Learn More

Our Mission

To honor and memorialize those individuals
who have served the uniform services of the United States
by planning, developing, completing and maintaining
a public park in Rector, Arkansas.

Learn more...

Progress Celebration Sept. 4, 2011

Progress Celebration

A crowd of more than 200 didn't let a light rain dampen their enthusiasm and support for a Sunday afternoon celebration of the progress of the beautiful and dramatic Rector Veterans Memorial Park. Highlights of the ceremony were an address by Gen. George Barker and the raising of the flags in the monument area.

"This wonderful park will serve as the home for our Rector-area veterans," said Barker, a Rector native and retired Maj. Gen. in the U.S. Army. He also serves as co-chairman of the veterans park committee.

Park Centerpiece

The centerpiece of the park is a bronze statue of a World War II soldier standing more than six feet high and weighing 500 pounds. "The big guy will stand watch over our park and our veterans' home for generations to come," Gen. Barker said.

The statue, "At Rest," was sculpted by Gary Alsum of Loveland, Colo. It is dedicated to all the men and women who have served in the armed forces of our country. Gen. Barker praised the abilities and dedication of the young men and women who are serving the nation today in uniform. "This park is dedicated to them, and we also should not forget the sacrifices their families make during their time of service."

American Flag

Wheeler Williams, a decorated Marine hero from Rector who served in the Pacific in World War II, led the crowd from the program area to the central monument. The U.S. flag was raised for the first time at the monument and he led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Three other flags then were raised -- the Arkansas flag, a "We Support Our Troops" flag and a POW/MIA flag.

Then came a moving event in which each of the five Armed Forces flags were raised -- Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard -- as each service song played in the background. Those who served in each branch of service stepped forward to salute the flag as it was raised.

Members of the Arkansas National Guard, led by Staff Sgt. Joel Hayes of Rector, were in charge of the flag ceremony.

Park Committee gathering names for Memorial Wall

The Rector Veterans Memorial Park Committee is beginning a process of identifying names for the Memorial Wall at the park, which is located on Highway 90 near the downtown area.

Work is proceeding rapidly on the project and an initial ceremony is being planned for Labor Day weekend. It is anticipated that most of the central area of the park will be completed by that time. The World War II statue is in place and flags will be erected around the perimeter of the central area.

A major part of the project will be the inscription of names on the Memorial Wall. The committee will review submissions of names for the wall and make a final decision at some point later this year. A deadline for submitting names will be established and publicized. In the meantime, names can be submitted to committee co-chairman Glenn Leach at Rector City Hall. Persons should provide basic information, such as the person's name, branch of service, date of death and general details about the circumstances of the death.

The basic guideline for inclusion on the wall is as follows:

"For a name to be included on the Memorial Wall, the person must have been on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America and have died from other than natural causes during a formally-recognized military conflict. The person also must have at one time been a full-time resident of what is currently the area encompassed by the Rector School District."

The Memorial Wall is separate from the Walk of Honor, which is open for recognition of all veterans. Pavers may be purchased in honor of any veteran. More details on that aspect of the park may be found here.

Bronzed soldier now at home in Rector Verterans Park

Rector Veterans Memorial Park co-chairman Maj. Gen. (ret.) George Barker (left) and Glenn Leach (right) join National Sculptors' Guild national director John Kinkade alongside a bronzed statue of a World War II soldier installed last week as a centerpiece of the park, now under construction on Main Street. (TD photo/Nancy Kemp)

A stunning bronzed statue of a World War II soldier, appropriately titled "Honor," now stands proudly atop a native Arkansas boulder in Rector's Veterans Memorial Park, now under construction on Main Street just south of the city's new Visitors Center.

Sculpted by artist Gary Alsum of Loveland, Colo., the beautiful statue arrived Wednesday, June 15, and was welcomed by excited members of the park committee, including committee co-chairs Maj. Gen. (ret.) George Barker of New York and Rector police chief Glenn Leach, along with Barbara and Sherland Hamilton, who have been very involved in the planning of the park and, with Barker, made a trip to Colorado last year to see the statue before it was bronzed.

Barker, a graduate of Rector High School, has been key in raising funds for the park and has made significant contributions himself. A number of other local residents also stopped by to watch the installation and admire the statue, a source of great pride for the Rector community.

The statue traveled to Rector with John Kinkade of Loveland, Colo., executive director of the National Sculptors' Guild, and was installed by Kinkade with the assistance of artist Kathi Caricof of Colorado, a rock sculptor who has work on display all over the country, including several pieces in Little Rock.

The statue will be the centerpiece of the park, designed by Rector native John Mack, a Rogers architect who is donating is time for the project. Committee member Paul Frets of Radford, Va., a Rector native, also has been heavily involved in the park concept.

The park also will include several other large stones in prominent locations, including one which will be used for the park entrance sign. All of the stones were secured from a quarry near Batesville. Concrete work currently underway will include a Walk of Honor with pavers given in memory or in honor of area veterans.

"As we embark on the task to develop, build and maintain a Veterans Memorial Park in our hometown, I think it is important to reflect on why we have come together to take on this enormous endeavor," Barker said in a statement last year.

"It is our opportunity and obligation to pay tribute to the many individuals that have served our country in the uniformed services of the Armed Forces of the United States of America. They are true patriots who selflessly wore the uniform of their service with pride, dignity, sacrifice and dedication. They never let our country down and it is our responsibility to pay tribute to that service by creating a special place in their honor. The memorial park will bring our military heroes together in a very meaningful way. As a community, let's work together to honor those who have served our country as Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard."

Article courtesy of Clay County Democrat Times. By Nancy Kemp

Veterans Memorial step closer to reality

Development of a magnificent veterans memorial for Rector is a step closer to reality following a special meeting Monday morning of the project's executive committee at city hall.

Committee co-chairman George Barker of New York City was in the area and convened the group for a review of completed tasks and a look to the future.

The dramatic memorial will be located on Main Street in Rector, just south of the old city jail facility, which recently was added to the National Historic Register. The memorial will be coupled with the jail facility (new visitors center) to provide an attractive park-like setting for those entering the central business district.