Think Hall of Fames are regulated just to sports? Turns out that’s not true. In fact, there’s a Robot Hall of Fame in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, and a Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, Indiana. Those HOFs sound like fun but are also a little quirky. The Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame used to be a little quirky, too. Until 2017, it existed only online. Now, the Arkansas HOF is safely nestled inside the State Capitol Building in Little Rock.
A New Kind of Military Veterans Hall of Fame
The Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame is unlike most military HOFs around the country. Most only include veterans who have served overseas. But the one in Arkansas is different. ThiS HOF also includes veterans who have served in domestic capacities – so a deployment isn’t necessary to be nominated.
Colonel Conrad Reynolds founded the Arkansas Military Veterans HOF. He served as a military intelligence officer for 30 years and when he retired knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to make a place to honor all veterans, no matter how they served. So far, 10 cohorts have been inducted to the HOF. All of their stories are also told on the Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame website.
All Veterans Calling Arkansas Their Home Can Be Nominated
Every year, the Hall of Fame inducts a maximum of 15 new Arkansas veterans. What’s really exciting is the exhibit at the Capitol building in Little Rock has lots of space. Enough space, in fact, to house another 30 years of veteran inductees! Anyone can be nominated by filling out a form on the Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame’s website. With around 50 nominations annually, a committee then narrows it down to just 15. What a difficult task that must be.
The Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame is a non-profit with one goal: to honor the extraordinary veterans who call Arkansas their home. Eligible nominees include those born in Arkansas, those having lived in Arkansas for at least eight years, or those having entered military service from Arkansas.
Related: Check out this collection of military action shots from 2020.
