Colonel Pylant was an exemplary Arkansan and military hero. He was born and raised in Arkansas, attended Arkansas State University, and served honorably for 34 ½ years with the Arkansas National Guard and various other units, advancing from enlisted member to officer.

Colonel Pylant's military record is outstanding. He enlisted as a private in 1960 with the 875th Engineer Battalion in Jonesboro and soon became an officer. His active duty included a tour in Vietnam where he served as an engineer advisor, platoon leader, and company commander. He earned a Master's Degree from Webster University and completed several military schools, including Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff College. He served three tours at the Pentagon, culminating as the National Guard Bureau's director of quality management, overseeing training for over 400,000 soldiers. Colonel Pylant retired in 1994 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

In addition to his distinguished military service, Colonel Pylant served his community commendably. He was an active member of numerous organizations such as the American Legion (TAL), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). He also held the position of former president of the Jonesboro Jaycees and was a member of the University Heights Lions Club.

In 2006, upon my arrival in Jonesboro as an AFJROTC instructor, I met Colonel Pylant through my superintendent at a Craighead County Veterans Monument Foundation (CCVMF) luncheon. Colonel Pylant founded and was the first president of this organization, which established a collaborative relationship between local veterans' groups to "preserve the memories and honor the military service" of Craighead County residents. His leadership effectively connected the veterans with the citizens they served, a legacy that continues through the CCVMF since his passing in 2008.