Keeping the home and farm while her husband was overseas serving in the military, Darcy White didn’t think about receiving an award. She just did what she had to do.

White, wife of U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. First Class Merrill White, was honored with the Keeper of the Flame award by the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Association. According to the criteria for the award, the purpose is to recognize and show appreciation for the invaluable service ordnance spouses provide to the corps.

“When I was in Iraq,” White said, “there were wives divorcing their husbands over broken dishwashers.

She had 50 head of cattle to take care of and the home and our daughter.

I was gone 19 months and she never complained.”

White said he saw lots of his friends frustrated by their wives’ whining, but he said his wife didn’t whine or complain.

He was in Iraq from November 2005 to March 2007; he’s has been in the military for 18 years (six active duty and 12 in National Guard).

Darcy said the award was “basically for supporting my husband being in the military.”

White was awarded the Samuel Sharpe award, the purpose of which is “to recognize those individuals who have served the United States Army Ordnance Corps with demonstrated integrity, moral character and professional competence over a sustained period of time. And whose selfless contributions to the Corps stand out in the eyes of their seniors,peers and subordinates alike.”

Merrill and Darcy White live on a farm just east of Pea Ridge.

Community, Pages 5 on 04/27/2011