Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Wayne White, now deceased, Lieutenant Colonel White was born in Prescott and raised in Jonesboro. He graduated from Prescott High School in 1964, the University of Arkansas Fayetteville with a BS in 1969, the University of Arkansas Fayetteville with an MA in 1974, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a PhD in 1990.

He served with the US Army in Vietnam. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Reserve Component Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster. Dennis accepted an ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the US Army Armor Branch and was assigned to active duty on May 31, 1969. He served in Vietnam from January to July 1972 with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 14th Infantry. During his tour in Vietnam, he conducted combat patrols with First Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Squadron, 11th ACR, and Echo Company, 14th Infantry Brigade.

He served in the Active Reserve from 1976 to 1997, commanding the 318th Military Intelligence Detachment and the 343rd Public Affairs Detachment. He also served on the general staff of the 122nd Army Reserve Command and the 90th Readiness Reserve Command. Lieutenant Colonel White was discharged in April 1997. Dr. White worked as an associate professor and department chair in the Department of Communication at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, retiring in June 2007. He retired with a Doctor of Philosophy in Speech Communication and was recognized as an Arkansas State University President's Fellow.

Lieutenant Colonel White was one of the five founding members and the deputy director of the Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame. He served faithfully with this organization until his death in 2017. Colonel White was a member of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 26, Jonesboro, the Army Reserve Ambassadors, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Officers Association of America, and he was involved in initiating the Salute Program for dying veterans.