POYEN, Ark. (KTHV) - Poyen, a small town of 290 people are doing big, big things. What began as a minor project for a group of veterans turned into more than any of them could have ever imagined.
They’re honoring others who have served our country by engraving their names both in stone and in history. You can’t miss The Poyen Veterans Memorial as you drive into town on Highway 270.
With little funds but lots of dedication, a few of our nation's heroes created a memorial dedicated to 148 vets, all buried at the Lindsey Poyen Cemetery. Committee Chairman Clyde Watson said he thought of the idea 13 years ago.
“I was sitting in the break room and there was a man there who was an artist," Watson recalled. "We were talking about his artwork and the possibility of a memorial and he sketched one up on napkin.”
The group started with roughly $100 in funding, but found a way to get the memorial finished. They say work is far from finished.
That conversation that happened in a Walmart break room now stands for eternity in small-town Poyen. The memorial will be dedicated on December 17th at 10:00 a.m.
The group plans to participate in Wreaths Across America by placing wreaths on all the graves. Anyone who would like to participate is invited to attend.