Harold Eugene Sellers from Jonesboro, AR
Jeremy, Ben, and Beau Wise grew up in El Dorado, AR, and enlisted in the military one after the other. Jeremy retired as a Navy Seal and began working as a defense contractor in Afghanistan in 2009, hoping to spend more time with his family while still serving his country. While the Wise family was celebrating the birth of Ben’s son in Washington, word arrived from the Middle East: Jeremy had beenkilled by a suicide bomber at a CIA base in Afghanistan.
Ben and Beau both went back overseas not long after the funeral. In January, an insurgent shot Ben after he and his comrades rescued women and children in Afghanistan. A medic until his final moments, he attended others’ wounds before he was flown to a hospital in Germany. He died on January 15th, just before his parents arrived to say goodbye.
Fieldon B. Huie Jr. was born in Formosa, AR, and entered the U.S. Army in September 1942. Before his deployment in May 1944, he transferred to the 4th Infantry Division. On June 6, 1944, Mr. Huie led the 4th Infantry Division as the first wave to attack Utah Beach. After landing on D-Day, Mr. Huie continued moving inland with his men, and was killed in action while fighting bravely for his country.
In one of her last letters to her husband, Ruth Huie wrote, “Honey, just come back that’s all I’m asking. Anything else I can take as a soldier’s wife should. I’m depending on you so don’t fail me. I love you so that these next few months will just be wasted months because you are not around. The one consolation is they can be made up. All my love, Ruth.”
Herman Davis was one of Arkansas’s most decorated WWI soldier, and General John Pershing listed him among his “100 Greatest Heroes of the World War.” Although he survived combat, Mr. Davis died shortly after the war ended, due to lingering effects of poisonous gas inhaled on the battlefield. On Memorial Day in 1925, his hometown erected the Herman Davis Memorial in his honor.
This preservation of history is one of the reasons I’m so grateful to be a part of the Veterans History Project, which provides an avenue for veterans to share their stories and remember their fallen comrades. The Library of Congress is recording these personal accounts in an archive. If you or someone you know would like to participate in the Veterans History Project, please call my office at (501) 609-9796. You can learn more about the Veterans History Project here.
Army Chaplain David Witte recording a veteran's account
I’m so grateful for the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and Memorial Day is a time for us to honor their legacies.
As we approach the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6th, I’m reminded of Harold “Gene” Sellers, an Arkansan who was one of the first men to die that day. He parachuted behind enemy lines, and his sacrifice allowed other Americans to storm the beaches of Normandy. Mr. Sellers was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star posthumously.
Mr. Sellers is only one of many brave Arkansans who gave their lives in service to their country. You can read about several other Arkansas heroes below. We owe them and their families a debt of gratitude.
I encourage everyone to take time this Memorial Day to remember our American heroes who gave their lives protecting the freedom we hold so dear. Have a wonderful weekend with friends and family.