He is a White House Honoree, President Jimmy Carter. He is a decorated, honorably discharged, Vietnam War Veteran, Headquarters Recon, 3rd Brigade, 4th and 25th Infantry Divisions, U.S. Army, 1967-1968. Ari revitalized the historical Arkansas State Press Newspaper in 1984, under the ownership of the late Daisy Bates, after its 24-year hiatus. He recently contributed to the most recent book about Daisy Bates entitled, In Her Own Words, RobinsonOmniMedia, 2007. Ari is a Board member of N'COBRA