“I didn't know about it until I went to [the state DAR] conference, and then I didn't understand exactly what it is that I had won. So I had to go to find out. But it all had to do with this notebook that I sent in.” 

The state DAR judged the submission the best among all those from other Arkansas chapters. 

We have included some pages from the notebook Raff submitted, which features photos and programs from the first ceremonies to 2023, the most recent one before the notebook was sent. Raff said that was too bad, because she believes the one this year was one of the best. 

The awards ceremony was held at the DAR house in Washington DC. Raff’s name was the third to be called because of Arkansas’ place in the alphabetical order of the states. Besides 2023 being the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, other anniversaries recognized during the ceremony included the 50th anniversary of the space shuttle program, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the 100th anniversary of the signing of the bill for Native American citizenship, the 125th anniversary of the DAR hospital corps and the 125th anniversary of the premier of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” 

This was Raff’s second trip to D.C. She had been there two years ago. At first she was not going to go to accept the award, but the state DAR president and the chair of the state committee encouraged her to do so. “So I did. I was very pleased,” she said. 

As for next year’s ceremony, Raff is grateful it will fall on a Saturday. “We've not had any kids at the last two. One was on Wednesday and another was on Friday … But we would love to get the kids in, and they need to know about these things,” Raff said. 

A commemorative coin Raff accepted at the June 28th DAR ceremony.