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Dozens of veterans, elected officials and community members gathered at First Security Bank Veterans Plaza 2000 yesterday to honor military service members and mark the 25th anniversary of the downtown memorial.
The ceremony, hosted by Fleet Reserve Association Branch 251, began with a presentation of colors by multiple veterans organizations including the Mountain Home Naval Sea Cadet Corps, American Legion Post 52, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 30, VFW Post 3246, United States Submarine Veterans Twin Lakes Base, and Knights of Columbus.
After Kattie Laney performed the national anthem and Deacon Jeff Speight of St. Peter’s Catholic Church delivered the invocation, master of ceremonies David E. Butts asked veterans from each military branch to stand for recognition. Representatives from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard received applause from the crowd, though no Space Force veterans were present.
Mayor Hillrey Adams then took the podium to share the history of the plaza, tracing its origins to 1999 when seven deteriorating buildings on the block were condemned and removed. The site, which once housed businesses ranging from the Mountain Home Bank to general merchandise stores in the early 1900s, was transformed into a veterans memorial dedicated in May 2000.
“Had it not been for Mary James pushing so much for this right here, it may not have ever happened,” Adams said, crediting the late local advocate who championed the plaza’s creation.
The mayor unveiled the plaza’s newest addition: insignias of all military service branches mounted on three columns, funded entirely by Lt. Col. Mary Walker (Ret.). Adams said Walker approached him after last year’s Veterans Day ceremony, pointing out the absence of military branch symbols at the memorial.
“If you will make that happen, I will pay the bill,” Adams recalled Walker saying. The insignias, created by Cheney Monument Company of Gainesville, Missouri, were unveiled with assistance from the Mountain Home Fire Department.
Clint Walker, market president of First Security Bank, then addressed the crowd about his institution’s commitment to the plaza through a five-year sponsorship agreement. The bank funded recent repointing and maintenance of the memorial wall that displays veterans’ names.
“The monuments and the names that are on those walls serve as a reminder of our shared story,” Walker said. “A story filled with opportunity, stability and freedom. A story made possible through the sacrifices of our veterans.”
Walker emphasized the plaza’s dual role as both a memorial and community gathering space where “families and friends can gather to enjoy time together in the heart of downtown Mountain Home.”
“First Security is deeply grateful to our Mountain Home community for trusting us as stewards of the plaza,” Walker said. “We’re going to continue to decorate it, maintain it, and restore it so it can be enjoyed for decades to come.”
The ceremony concluded with a benediction by Deacon Speight and a 21-gun salute by the American Legion Post 52 Honor Guard. Butts invited attendees to VFW Post 3246 for coffee and cookies following the ceremony.
Elected officials attending included Mayor Adams, State Sen. Scott Flippo, State Representative Jason Nazarenko, County Judge Kevin Litty, Sheriff John Montgomery, Fire Chief Chris Quick, Police Chief Eddie Griffin, and former County Judge Mickey Pendergrass.
Butts noted early in the ceremony that the plaza’s official name changed from Veterans Plaza 2000 to First Security Bank Veterans Plaza 2000 as part of the sponsorship agreement.
“We are lucky enough to have First Security Bank adopt the plaza for us to take care of it,” Butts said.
Adams noted that maintenance of the plaza has evolved from volunteer efforts and sporadic donations to a more sustainable model. An Eagle Scout project by Ryan Butts previously re-lettered every brick on the memorial wall, and the city rebuilt the sprinkler system in 2019.
“We needed to come up with a way to maintain and keep this place looking like it should,” Adams said.
The mayor explained that earlier this year, First Security Bank approached the city about helping maintain the memorial. The bank has decorated the plaza for Christmas for the past six years.
The plaza continues to serve as the site for Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies, as well as the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting and parade festivities.
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