CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The names of six World War II Soldiers have been etched in history, to be remembered forever, on the Arkansas National Guard’s Fallen Soldier Memorial.
The addition to the memorial is the result of a two-year research effort by Col. Matt Anderson, who suspected the three soldiers originally listed on the memorial from World War II were too few, considering the scope of the war and the mobilization of the entire Arkansas National Guard.
The soldiers newly added to the memorial are: Pfc. James Wiles, Pfc. Hoyt Black, Pfc. James Reginato, Pfc. Grover Davis, Tec. 5 Dick Henson and Tec. 4 Frank Bainum.
“For me, never forgetting their service and sacrifice is simply an extension of a promise all Soldiers make to never leave a fallen comrade,” Anderson said. “Discovering these six Soldiers and adding them to the memorial is fulfilling that promise.”
The six men lost their lives in different theaters of the war:
Wiles, from Craighead County, enlisted in January 1941. He was killed in action on June 3, 1942, in the Aleutian Islands of the Alaska Territory.
Black, from Washington County, enlisted June 28, 1940. He was killed in action on July 6, 1944, about a mile southeast of Casole d’Elsa, Italy, in an exchange of artillery fire with the enemy.
Reginato, from Logan County, enlisted Jan. 6, 1941. He was injured by enemy fire in Mignano, Italy, on Dec. 15, 1943, and he died from his injuries two days later on Dec. 17, 1943.
Davis, from Polk County, enlisted on March 9, 1940. He was killed in action during a convoy from Mignano, Italy, to San Vittore. A land mine took the lives of Davis and five others.
Henson, from Washington County, enlisted on Oct. 2, 1940. He was killed in action on Oct. 20, 1944, about a mile north of Borge di Bisano, Italy, after his battery was shelled by enemy artillery throughout the day and night.
Bainum, from Polk County, enlisted on Oct. 19, 1939. He was killed in action on Dec. 24, 1943, near Mignano, Italy, from a land mine explosion that injured one other Soldier.
They join three others from World War II remembered on the memorial: Sgt. Hugh B. Timberlake, Pfc. Allen C. Collier Jr. and Pfc. Claude H. Biggs. All three died during a Japanese aerial attack on Dutch Harbor in what was then the Alaska Territory.
Anderson's suspicions regarding the missing names were confirmed as he conducted research through the National Archives, the National Battle Monuments Commission and historical accounts. Sifting through the records of 3,800 Arkansans who died in the war, Anderson realized that not all were in the Arkansas National Guard. Many had been drafted directly into federal service.
He discovered that enlisted Guardsmen from Arkansas had service numbers starting with the numerals "207" – the "2" indicating they were Guardsmen and the "07" indicating Arkansas fell under the 7th Service Command. By cross-referencing and data-checking online resources, Anderson ultimately linked the six men to the Arkansas National Guard.
“These young men grew up enduring the hard times of the Depression era, yet volunteered to serve their community, state and nation with the recognition that America may well be required to mobilize in order to liberate the oppressed people of Europe and Asia,” Anderson said. “When finally America entered World War II, they left their homes and families they loved and deployed overseas not knowing what fate held for them. They dutifully served and paid the ultimate sacrifice for the liberation of many nations and people. We owe it to them and their families to remember and honor their service. We owe it to the generations of Soldiers to follow to know that if they too should meet their fate that they will also be remembered and honored. It is important as a society to remember the cost of freedom and each do our civic duty to guard those freedoms we enjoy.”
The Fallen Soldier Memorial, dedicated Sept. 10, 2005, sits prominently on the chapel grounds. It’s constructed of concrete and consists of eight panels, representing the eight times the Arkansas National Guard and its militia predecessor were called to federal service when there was danger of combat. The eight times were for the War with Mexico, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Operation Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism. The memorial sits prominently on the chapel grounds.
The Arkansas National Guard honors its fallen annually on the Sunday of its May drill weekend, which is typically the first weekend of the month.