Hall of Heroes to Welcome Four Distinguished Inductees
JONESBORO – Four ROTC alumni will join the distinguished list of members in the Hall of Heroes in a special induction ceremony Saturday, Nov. 17, prior to Arkansas State University’s football game with Louisiana-Monroe. The inductees include Col. Robert English III, Lt. Col. Presley O’Neal Orsburn, Lt. Col. Malcholm Reese and Rev. Ken Stallings.
The induction is in the Cooper Alumni Center, 2600 Alumni Blvd., where the official ceremony begins at 10 a.m. Following the induction ceremony is the Military Science tailgate party in the Pines at Centennial Stadium from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Col. English graduated from Arkansas State in 1977 with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry as a distinguished military graduate and commissioned an ordnance officer. Throughout his 30-year military career, he served in key command and staff positions including director positions at U.S. Army, Europe, the Pentagon and in Africa. Before retiring, he served as the chief of staff, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. Col. English is the recipient of several awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
Lt. Col. Orsburngraduated from then-Arkansas State College in 1953 and commissioned as a field artillery Officer. Throughout his distinguished military career, he also became qualified to fly both fixed and rotary-winged aircraft, flying observation flights over the DMZ in Korea and along the Czechoslovakian border. He earned a Bronze Star. He served as an assault helicopter pilot in Vietnam and on occasion was President Lyndon Johnson’s pilot. Lt. Col. Orsburn returned to Arkansas State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. He retired in 1973 as a master aviator logging 6,520 flight hours with 317 hours of combat flight time.
A Bronze Star recipient,Lt. Col. Reeseearned his degree from Arkansas State in 1976 and commissioned as an infantry officer. During his 23-year military career, he served in the 101stAirborne Division, 3rdArmored Division and held key positions such as division chief of the Operational Test and Evaluation Command and branch chief of the National Guard Logistics Division. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel, Reese continues to serve the nation as a GS-15, joint program manager for the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense program. He received a master’s degree from A-State in 2000.
A 1974 graduate of Arkansas State with a business degree and as a distinguished military graduate, Rev. Stallingsearned an educational delay to pursue a master’s degree from the Nazarene Theological Seminary in order to commission as an Army chaplain in the reserves. Capt. Stallings is the first Arkansas State ROTC graduate to be commissioned into the Chaplain Corps. A native of Jonesboro, he has been serving as pastor of Forest Home Church of the Nazarene in Jonesboro for 31 years.
The Hall of Heroes provides an opportunity for Arkansas State University to pay tribute to ROTC alumni who have distinguished themselves through heroic service, government service and outstanding representation of the university. The list is in the Military Science section of AState.edu.
