A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

Forever Changed: The Mark of VietnamSide by Side Through the 20th Century: The Old Amish in Oklahoma

A Year in the Life of OklahomaHall of Fame Spotlight: Clara Luper

Norman Naval BaseOHA’s Story Through Its People

Magazine of the Oklahoma Heritage AssociationMagazine of the Oklahoma Heritage Association

You know Love’s from our stores, but do you know Love’s as a company? Tom and Judy Love founded what is now Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores in 1964. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, today Love’s is still 100 percent family owned and operated. With a national footprint of more than 265 locations in over 35 states, Love’s current growth rate is approximately 15 stores per year. We are currently ranked No. 18 on the Forbes annual list of America’s largest private companies. But, we’re not a stereotypical nameless, faceless corporation. The Love family and the company is very active in the Oklahoma City community, donating momore than 2 percent of the company’s net proots each year to non-proots here in our home city and across the nation where we operate stores. And, Love family members personally visit each and every store across the country several times a year. From the orst olling station in Watonga, Okla., the Love’s committment has remained the same: “Clean Places, Friendly Faces.” So next time you stop at Love’s, you’ll know more about the Love’s difference.

www.loves.com 1-800-OKLOVES facebook.com/lovestravelstops twitter.com/lovestravelstop

From the President Shannon L. Rich

2 From the Chairman Calvin Anthony

3 Forever Changed: The Mark of Vietnam Erin Page

13 Side by Side Through the 20th Century: The Old Amish in Oklahoma Marjorie Barton

21 A Year in the Life of Oklahoma Bob Burke

33 Hall of Fame Spotlight: Clara Luper Gini Moore Campbell

38 Norman Naval Base Bill Moore

44 OHA’s Story Through Its People

46 Book Review

LIBrArY DISTrIBuTION MADe POSSIBLe THrOuGH THe GeNerOSITY OF

MAGAZINe SPONSOrS STATeWIDe.

AUGUST 2011VOLUME 16 • NUMBER 2

Magazine of the Oklahoma Heritage Association

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Subscription ............................ $35Individualism .......................... $50 Perseverance ........................ $100Pioneer Spirit ......................... $250Optimism ................................ $500Generosity ........................... $1,000Legacy Circle ...................... $2,000Honor Circle ....................... $2,500 Executive Circle ................. $3,500President’s Circle ............... $5,000Chairman’s Circle ............. $10,000

For additional information contact the Oklahoma Heritage Association

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Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by return postage.

PRESIDENT Shannon L. Rich

DIRECTOR, PUBLICATIONS AND EDUCATION

Gini Moore Campbell

CHAIRMAN, PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Bob Burke

DESIGN Kris Vculek

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Magazine of the Oklahoma Heritage Association

CHAIRMAN

Calvin Anthony Stillwater

CHAIRMAN ELECT

Kathy Taylor Tulsa

CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

Tom J. McDaniel Oklahoma City

PRESIDENT

Shannon L. Rich Oklahoma City

VICE CHAIRMEN

Bill Anoatubby Ada

Bill Burgess Lawton

Ike Glass Newkirk

Jane Jayroe Gamble Oklahoma City

Fred Harlan Okmulgee

David Kyle Tulsa

John Massey Durant

Stan Clark Stillwater

AT LARgE ExECUTIVE CoMMITTEE MEMbERS

Clayton I. Bennett Oklahoma City

Bond Payne Oklahoma City

Glen D. Johnson Oklahoma City

CoRPoRATE SECRETARY

Mark A. Stansberry Edmond

TREASURER

Nevyle Cable Okmulgee

CHAIRMEN’S CIRCLE

Pat Henry Lawton

Roxana Lorton Tulsa

J.W. McLean Dallas, TX

Lee Allan Smith Oklahoma City

G. Lee Stidham Checotah

DIRECToRS

Alison Anthony Tulsa

Howard Barnett Tulsa

Barbara Braught Duncan

Joe Cappy Tulsa

Michael A. Cawley Ardmore

Paul Cornell Bristow

Carol Crawford Frederick

Rebecca Dixon Tulsa

Ford Drummond Bartlesville

Patti Evans Ponca City

Christy Everest Oklahoma City

Vaughndean Fuller Tulsa

Gilbert “Gib” Gibson Lawton

Dan Gilliam Bartlesville

Jim Halsey Tulsa

Jean Harbison Lawton

V. Burns Hargis Stillwater

George Henderson Norman

Robert Henry Oklahoma City

Duke R. Ligon Oklahoma City

Vicki Miles-LaGrange Oklahoma City

Joe Moran Tulsa

Melvin Moran Seminole

Fred Morgan Oklahoma City

C.D. Northcutt Ponca City

Gary D. Parker Muskogee

Gregory E. Pyle Durant

Carl Renfro Ponca City

Frank C. Robson Claremore

Richard N. Ryerson Alva

Sharon Shoulders Henryetta

Stan Stamper Hugo

Clayton Taylor Oklahoma City

Steve Taylor McAlester

Chuck Thompson Norman

Steve Turnbo Tulsa

Ty Tyler Oklahoma City

Hardy Watkins Oklahoma City

Ron White Oklahoma City

The expansion of programming and offerings by the Oklahoma Heritage As-sociation and Gaylord-Pickens Museum since relocating to our new home is more than we could have hoped for. Over the past four years we have developed one of the strongest teen boards in the state; with partners in education we are now offering more than $650,000 annually in scholarships to high school students; and members of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame now have more opportunities than ever to reunite and stay involved. Our Tulsa World Gallery has allowed us to share the talents of Oklahoma’s well known and not-so-well-known artists. On June 23 the Oklahoma Society of Impres-sionists’ Pure Color exhibit opened in the changing gallery. The exhibit was kicked off with an Artist’s Talk by artist and Oklahoma Hall of Famer Jay O’Meilia and will run through October 1. On October 13 the Vietnam Graffiti Project’s national touring exhibit, Mark-ing Time: Voyage to Vietnam, will open in the gallery. The exhibit, which will run through January 6, 2012, will feature ar-tifacts from the troopship General Nelson M. Walker and we are looking for stories and artifacts from Vietnam veterans to be included.

Next month, on September 6, we will launch the new Versus Series at the Museum. The series will feature a notable Oklahoman from the past and a modern-day counterpart. Bob Burke will represent the late Will Rogers and as the modern-day orator, Mike Turpen. A monthly event, future series will highlight Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, Woody Guthrie, and Kate Barnard, among others. When students return to school in the coming weeks they will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Oklahoma Heritage Week competitions to celebrate Statehood; have access to the latest publication of the Association, Gentleman Jurist: The Life of Ralph G. Thompson which is being sent to all senior high school libraries; and seniors will be applying for the 2011 Oklahoma Hall of Fame Scholarship. I want to thank you, our members, and encourage you to help our membership grow. In this magazine is an application. Please consider giving the gift of mem-bership to someone you believe would enjoy the affiliation. As always, we look forward to seeing you around the state at our various events.

With fall upon us, work on the 2011 Oklahoma Hall of Fame is in high gear. Mark your calendars now for November 17 to be part of the more than 1,500 who will gather in the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City to honor seven outstanding Oklahomans with induction. Our state’s highest honor will be bestowed on General Tommy Franks, Harold Hamm, Marques Haynes, Cathy Keating, Steve Malcolm, Elizabeth War-ren and the late Roger Miller. Presenting the Honorees for induc-tion will be Clayton I. Bennett, David L. Boren, Bobby Knight, Sam Donaldson, Alison Anthony, and T. Boone Pickens respectively. A video tribute will present Miller’s life and accomplishments. I am reminded daily of the ac-complishments and contributions of our native sons and daughters—regardless of age. Hall of Famers give of their time both around the state and in the Museum; the leadership of our Board of Directors ensures the strength of the Association while charting our future; the Second Century Board works hard to increase awareness and membership among Okla-homa’s talented young professionals; and the Teen Board continues to raise funds to support educational programming in

the Museum and provide scholarships. Our constantly growing membership proves we are making a positive difference telling Oklahoma’s story through its people. We are building lifelong relationships. We have members who were first introduced to us more than 20 years ago as a fourth grader competing in our Heritage Week Poster Competition. We have seen students touring the museum with their class become members of the Teen Board and volunteer in the Museum. Over the summer we had a former member of the Teen Board who, while pursuing his college degree, interned with our director of communications. In May we celebrated our fourth an-niversary in the Edward L. Gaylord-T. Boone Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum. It seems like just last week exhibits were being installed, yet thousands, age 1 to 100, have spent time here learning about the contribu-tions of Oklahomans from every corner of the state. Teachers are bringing students to meet the individuals they are studying in Oklahoma History class and seeing a new appreciation and desire to learn more by the students as a result. Thank you for your support of the As-sociation and Museum through membership. Your continued support is vital to making everything we do possible.

Shannon L. Rich, President

2

Calvin Anthony, Chairman

www.oklahomaheritage.com

FROM THE CHAIRMAN...

BOA

RD

OF

DIR

ECTO

RS

FROM THE PRESIDENT...

Shannon L. Rich, President

3

Michael Smith remembers leaving behind a

wife and one-year-old daughter. He lived for letters

and audio cassettes from home, especially to hear

how his baby girl was growing and learning. He

eagerly ate his mom’s and wife’s homemade good-

ies, which were reduced to crumbs by the time the

boxes finally made it to him.

Jack Werner remembers no communication at

all with his family. He received a “Dear John” letter

from his fiancé quickly after he arrived.

Pat Collins Miller, 11 at the time, recalls her

dad, Joe, only being able to tell her family that he

was leaving on a ship, which he later described as

hot and crowded. She vividly remembers taking

turns with her siblings choosing a Kool-aid flavor

packet to mail to him so that he could stand to drink

the water.

Joe Nelson remembers getting tired of being

asked if he was a Sooner fan, so he drew an orange

and black Pistol Pete on the canvas next to his quar-

ters. When he left, he cut Pete down and brought

him home, saying they were both survivors.

By Erin PagE

Wes Kasbaum remembers leaving behind a

friendly, welcoming Oklahoma. it wasn’t quite the

same when he returned.

Bill Burgess, who was attending elementary

school in Fort Sill at the time, remembers sitting

on a curb with tears streaming down his face after

hearing that his good friend’s dad had been killed

… while at the same time praying his own dad

would return home safely.

Jane Jayroe remembers being forever changed

by seeing firsthand the sacrifice the men and

women she met were making.

Tom Willis finds himself measuring all his life

experiences against his time in Vietnam, finding

hope that most things in life are not as bad as they

may seem to be in the moment.

“i was in several bad combat situations

in Vietnam,” said Jim Fugate, who

enlisted in the military at age 18, serving

two, one-year tours in Vietnam. “These are

things i try not to think about, much less

share with anyone.”

Memories of the Vietnam

War, many of them dark and

painful, have lived mostly in

the minds of these Oklahoma

veterans and the family and

friends they left behind. The

stigma of the war and the inex-

plicable hardships and horrors

the soldiers experienced often

keep them from being willing

or able to share much about

their service in Vietnam.

Photo of a village outside of Dong Ha.

4

But among the memories too difficult to share

are stories of hope, compassion, and a fierce love of

country.

“almost all of us went because we believed in our

country,” said Jack Werner. “K Co 75th airborne ranger

Company was 100 percent volunteer. Many probably

changed our minds along the way about the value

of us even being in Vietnam, but everyone would go

again because this was our family.”

Like soldiers all over the country, some Oklaho-

mans were drafted and some chose to leave the dusty

fields or growing, bustling cities to serve in a faraway

land. Some had never been out of the state.

Werner left college and tried to join the military

in Oklahoma City as soon as he turned 18, but he was

classified 4F because he had bleeding ulcers, which

was revealed to the recruiters by his mother. He left

home and worked the Union Pacific railroad for a

year before he joined in Denver, Colorado, where his

medical record, and mother, did not follow.

Jefferson Keel entered the military at age

16; he also left college to prepare for and fight in

Vietnam. He completed his airborne training at Fort

Benning, georgia in 1966 and departed for his tour in

Vietnam, returning to the United States in Febru-

ary 1968. after learning that his brother had been

drafted, Keel volunteered to go back to Vietnam in

1970 alongside him.

Joe nelson enlisted in the military at age 19,

spending a year on Midway island and several months

in training before going to Vietnam in the fall of 1968.

His company returned to the United States in april of

1968 and then redeployed in September 1969 for a

10-month tour.

Like Pat Collins Miller’s dad, Captain

Joseph E. Collins, many of these servicemen

boarded hot, crowded ships to make the long journey

to Vietnam. For somewhere between 18 and 23 days

as they made their way 5,000 miles across the rolling

ocean, they would play cards, try to sleep amidst the

conditions, and reflect on their hopes, dreams, and

fears. On troopship General Nelson M. Walker, which was similar to 20 other ships moving soldiers to

Southeast asia at the time, as many as 5,000 men, most in their late teens, were transported at one

time.

These voyages caused homesickness, seasickness, anxiety, and boredom. Time passed slowly.

Men played cards, read, or got to know the others they were traveling with. Occasionally, classes on

tactics were offered, and some men attempted physical training, though the ship’s constant rolling

and tipping in heavy seas prevented much of that. Musical instruments could be checked out from

the ship’s special services’ officer, and jam sessions took place on the main deck or in recreation

rooms. Other soldiers simply stood at the railing around the ship and stared at the ocean, lost in

thoughts of family, civilian life, and what was to come.

Military personnel getting ready to board the General Nelson M. Walker in Oakland, California for transport to Vietnam.

Line of Huey helicopters at a base in Dong Ha.

5

Sunrise at Red Beach in DaNang.

The crowded conditions aboard ships like the Walker created

delays that lasted for hours. For those who were not too seasick

to stand, long lines formed for meals and the ship’s store, where

candy, cigarettes, and other personal items could be purchased.

The closer the men got to Vietnam, the hotter it became

aboard the ship, especially in the lower-level berthing compart-

ments where there was little air circulation and the men’s canvas

sleeping bunks were located. Some men opted to sleep outside on

the main deck, where brilliant stars could be seen in all directions,

and some even hid themselves in lifeboats, which was against

regulations.

Chaplains assigned to the Walker or military units were avail-

able to counsel troops whenever necessary. as the ship got closer

to Vietnam, they became busier. as the heat climbed, so did the

anxiety of many of the soldiers, who had lots of time to contem-

plate their short lives and whether they would return home.

Though forbidden on the troopships, soldiers would often grab

any writing utensil they could find and record their feelings, names,

or stories on their canvas bunks, trying to make sense of what they

would find when they disembarked and hoping to leave some

reminder that they had been there.

Al Sebaka, a helicopter pilot and passenger aboard the

Walker, said “Our scribbles and doodles were left certainly to mark

our passing, our existence, and with the knowledge that when [the

ship] turned around and headed home, that even if we never made

the return trip, our mark would.”

When the Walker reached Okinawa for refueling and resupply,

just a few days before it would come to its final destination in

Vietnam, the troops usually were allowed a short “liberty.” They

could visit a military-sanctioned recreation facility or go to naha,

enticed by bars, loud music, and women. as the Walker neared the

Vietnam coast, men aboard the ship often listened to chilling radio

commentary about the war and occasionally could even hear explo-

sions along the coastline. The Walker landed at Danang Harbor,

disembarking troops there before moving to other Vietnamese

ports to discharge the remaining men.

Once the men disembarked from ships like the Walker, they

were thrown into another world. “in country” now, soldiers would

typically spend 10 to 12 months on Vietnam soil. They were face to

face with many of the fears they had thought about, and scribbled

on their canvas bunks, as they traveled to the war.

Pistol Pete drawn by Vietnam Veteran Joe Nelson on a piece of canvas. Nelson says both are survivors of the war.

3rd Naval Construction Brigade, Red Beach, DaNang.

6

“i think the most important memories i have of

my time in Vietnam would be how very hard combat

service actually is in the field,” said Joe nelson.

Many soldiers, like Jefferson Keel, found the

experience to be both exciting and traumatic as

they dealt with being in a strange place, losing

comrades and a nation that seemed to desert them,

even as they were risking their lives for its citizens.

amidst the horrors of war, the soldiers themselves

and families, friends, and outsiders tried to create a

semblance of home.

Mike Smith remembers listening to the 1971

OU vs. nebraska game, “the game of the century,”

via armed Forces radio on a transistor radio at 2:00

in the morning. He also remembers the joy and nor-

malcy he and his comrades experienced when Bob

Hope’s Christmas USO Tour came to their location.

“There was not a dry eye among the thousands of

‘tough guys’ when the show concluded with the

singing of ‘Silent night,’” said Smith.

Like so many of his friends, Tom Willis looked

forward to receiving lovingly-made care packages

with memories of home from his wife. “My wife,

Debbie, was so good at putting care packages

together,” Willis remembers. “She would send our

hometown newspapers, homemade cookies, cas-

sette tapes, and even a six-pack of Coors.”

Though much of the country began to oppose

the war and the soldiers fighting it, there were

citizens who remained supportive of the troops

and their sacrifices. Jane Jayroe, Miss america

1967 and the first Miss america to visit a combat

zone, remembers the privilege she felt at serving

her country by giving soldiers the gift of home.

nineteen at the time, she and five state queens

were sent to Vietnam by the Miss america Pageant

for two weeks to meet and entertain the troops.

“We represented their girlfriends, their sisters,

co-eds from their colleges back home,” said Jayroe.

Jayroe’s father’s service in the navy, coupled with

View from a Huey helicopter on a trip between DaNang and Chu Lai.

Miss America 1967, Laverne’s Jane

Jayroe, on her tour to South Vietnam.

Miss America Jane Jayroe and her court entertain 4,500 soldiers at the 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Bowl in Cu Chi. The show, “What’s Happening Back Home,” features, left to right, 1964 Miss Maine Ellen Warren, 1966 Miss South Carolina Barbara Harris, 1967 Miss America Jane Jayroe, 1966 Miss Alabama Angeline Grooms, 1966 Miss Con-necticut Carol Gelish, and 1965 Miss Wisconsin Mary Singstock.

A Haskell, Oklahoma soldier leaving his mark with a notation of his high school senior class.

7

Pictures of the camp at Dong Ha.

Joe Nelson getting his hair cut in a nearby village.

her strong sense of patriotism, had her dreaming about serving in a USO performance

group. She was crowned Miss america at the height of the Vietnam War and recalls

being constantly asked in press conferences whether she intended to go to Vietnam,

perhaps traveling with Bob Hope’s USO Tour. Though the Miss america Pageant

previously had been reluctant to do so, with much persistence from the press and

involvement from actress Joan Crawford, the pageant put together its own show to

send to Vietnam. Jayroe was thrilled that her dream would be realized, but she and

her counterparts gained a glimpse at the cost of their freedom.

“We were forever changed by that experience,” said Jayroe. “it changed how

we viewed our freedom in our own country – to worship as we pleased, to raise our

children, to walk down the street without seeing machine guns. We gained an under-

standing, first hand, of the sacrifice these men and women were making by serving

our country.”

While in Vietnam, Jayroe had the unlikely opportunity to meet up with her

cousin, Mike, who was serving in the war. Her joy at seeing him alive and being able

to report that he looked well to their family was a high point of her experience.

Though Jayroe remembers feeling very secure and well-cared for during her

visit, she was not immune to what was going on around her. She and the state

queens toured a navy ship, where she was awed by the sight of the pilots launching

their planes off the vessel, over the sparkling blue water.

8

“We got a dose of reality when they didn’t come

back that night,” said Jayroe. “We got another

lesson in what war is all about … and the very

high cost.”

Close to nine million american soldiers served

in the Vietnam War, and more than 58,000 ameri-

can men and women lost their lives.

Though many of the soldiers recall being very

aware of their own mortality, the fear this conjured

was not always for themselves, but often for the

safety of their friends or how their loved ones

would cope if they did not return home.

“[My dad] told me he was never scared for

himself … that’s what he did … he was a warrior

… but he was scared for my mom and our family,”

said Bill Burgess.

This attitude was shared by many of Bill’s fa-

thers’ comrades, who saw their service in the war as

a job they had signed up for. They believed in their

duty to help the United States government prevent

the communist takeover of South Vietnam. The

most difficult part of that job was leaving behind

their loved ones.

For the soldiers who were able to return home

to friends and family, the relief and elation at an

impending end-of-tour date sometimes felt too

good to be true. They could not allow themselves to

feel the full mix of emotions until they were truly

out of harm’s way.

“The last night of my tour, our departure base

was hit with rocket attacks,” said Mike Smith. “We

spent the night under our beds with our mat-

tresses on top of us. When the airplane lifted off the

runway from the Denang airbase and we knew that

we had survived our tour and were heading home,

the cheers were deafening.”

Like Jayroe, when soldiers left Vietnam, they

were forever changed by all they had seen and

experienced. Some were thrilled to be returning

home, others felt guilt at leaving comrades behind

to fight. none would ever be the same. Many

were overcome by the losses they experienced in

Vietnam, of friends, limbs, or their sense of self.

Though they tried to return to “normal” lives, their

focus was shifted, and it was hard to explain that to

those who had not been through what they had.

“Things that i thought were important before

i left no longer held the same level of importance,”

said Jefferson Keel.

Family members often had a difficult time

knowing how to help their loved ones cope when

they returned. a child at the time, Bill Burgess

remembers his dad having nightmares, and Pat

Collins Miller remembers her father being unwill-

ing, or unable, to speak about his experiences. On

top of the emotions they were dealing with, many

received no support, or even were shamed for their

service.

“The american public deserted us,” said Jack

Werner. “That was the only shame in Vietnam.”

Pat Collins Miller recalls that both her father and

husband received little support or thanks from

anyone other than their families.

“My dad always said that Korea was his war,”

said Miller. “When he returned on the plane from

Vietnam, there was no thanks, no champagne, like

when he returned from Korea.” Her husband, though Left to right, Joe Nelson, a captured Viet Cong, and his fellow Marine with the Oklahoma flag at their camp.

“I think every day of my 58,000+ brothers in arms who gave their all to serve their country,” said Tom Willis.

9

he was not called names or spat on like many

veterans, was not welcome to attend local VFW

meetings. “But my dad and husband were proud of

their service, and i am proud of them,” said Miller.

Though some Oklahomans remember feeling

slighted upon returning home, others have positive

memories of receiving support and thanks, espe-

cially those who were fortunate enough to return to

military communities. Those who were not thrilled

with living in Oklahoma before they left for the war

had a newfound appreciation upon returning.

“i was raised in western Oklahoma, which was

very boring to a 17-year-old young man,” said Tom

Willis. “But when i came back, Oklahoma was a very

special place – safe and secure and a place

i wanted to spend my life and raise my

family. Much of the state was just as i had

left it, full of the greatest people on earth.”

Despite the reception back home, positive

memories also remained for many of the soldiers

of their service and the families they created in

Vietnam.

“My family became the ranger team that i

served with in Vietnam,” said Jack Werner. “i love

my work now, but i have never felt more significant

or closer to people than when i served those two

tours.”

But at the end of the day, what remains

the most poignant memory for veterans is their

fallen comrades and an ongoing need to honor

their memories.

“i think every day of my 58,000+ brothers in

arms who gave their all to serve their country,” said

Tom Willis.

Hai-Van Pass from Red Beach, DaNang.

Scraps of the General Nelson M. Walker.

Canvas writings from an Oklahoma soldier, unknown.

Jack Werner attended a ranger reunion

in new Orleans in 2010 and recalls it taking 10

minutes to read the names of the rangers killed

in Vietnam. “We are sad for lost comrades and

severely damaged ones – one is blind, several more

are missing limbs – but we will never forget how

we stood together. There is nothing i can ever be

prouder of than to have had the chance to serve in

Vietnam with K Co 75th airborne rangers.”

More than 250,000 soldiers received a Purple

Heart and 240 received the Congressional Medal

of Honor, the highest military award one could

receive. according to many veterans, particularly

those whose stories were shared here, a simple

“thank you” was the best award ever received.

According to many veterans, particularly those whose stories were shared here, a simple “thank you” was the best award ever received.

10

Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam

October 13, 2011-January 6, 2012

Visitors to the gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Mu-

seum will have the opportunity to experience the stories of

these Oklahomans and others from around the country who

served in the Vietnam War. Marking Time: Voyage to Viet-

nam, a national traveling exhibit created by the Vietnam

graffiti Project, will make its debut in the Museum’s Tulsa

World gallery on October 13. The exhibit will remain at the

Museum through January 6, 2012 and will give visitors an

inside look at the thoughts and feelings of soldiers as they

Bunks soldiers slept in during transport on the General Nelson M. Walker.

traveled on troopships like the General Nelson M. Walker on their

way to fight in the war.

in 2005, nearly half a century after completion, the Walker

was scrapped in Brownsville, Texas. Before Vietnam, the Walker,

commissioned in 1944, served in the latter part of World War ii

and continued postwar service from West Coast ports to Okinawa,

earning the nickname the “Okinawa Express.” During the Korean

War, she transported soldiers and Marines, and she brought home

the first shipload of former american POWs in 1953. after Viet-

nam, the Walker joined the Maritime administration’s James river,

Virginia reserve fleet, and in 1994, the navy passed full ownership

of the ship to the Maritime administration. She was put on

indefinite hold for potential use in civil emergencies. Despite her

rusted exterior, the ship’s lower levels contained thousands of

historical artifacts from the 1960s, including the graffiti-inscribed

canvas bunks. The ship was, in essence, a time capsule of the

hopes, dreams, and fears the soldiers had shared with few others

since returning home from the Vietnam War. Project volunteers

recovered hundreds of the canvas bunks and other artifacts for the

Vietnam graffiti Projects’ Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam exhibit.

The central pieces of the exhibit are the canvas bunks on

which the soldiers slept and recorded their names, doodles,

and thoughts about serving their country. The gaylord-Pickens

Museum will showcase canvases carrying the names and stories

of men from Oklahoma and the region. Other artifacts from the

Walker to be displayed include personal items left behind by

soldiers on their way to Vietnam, ship safety objects, original bed-

ding, and life vests.

an Oklahoma section of the exhibit will include a video about

Oklahoma veterans, in which they describe their experiences in

Vietnam and what it was like to return to the state after their

tours. Family members and friends also share recollections of

waiting at home for loved ones. also on display will be artifacts

from Oklahoma veterans and Miss america 1967 Jane Jayroe and

the experiences of the thousands Vietnamese, who immigrated

to Oklahoma City after the war, helping shape the city’s culture

forever.

B E ST W I S H E Sf o r a s u c c e s s f u l 2 0 1 1

from Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC

12

In 1896, Moses Yoder built his home near Thomas, Oklahoma; making him the first Amish homesteader to the area.

13

It was 1893 near Frazier, Missouri, on a rented farm when Laura Jones was peacefully working on quilt blocks. Her husband of eight years spoke excitedly about his newest idea—go to the recently opened Cherokee Strip in Indian Territory, “old Oklahoma” as they called it. His brother, Samuel Jones, and a brother-in-law, William Frans, already had gone to file claims. And so it was that Robert Emmette Jones decided to make his first trip to old Oklahoma to see if he could find a claim near Samuel and Frans. Robert and Frans recently had sold their store and decided to “return to the land.” Both had grown up learning to farm. The Jones families filed claims about 18 miles southwest of Kingfisher, Oklahoma. The effort to prove the claim, as it was called, was told in detail by Robert Jones in 1945. For three years the families attempted to conquer the land and the elements. After many weather-related calamities they returned to Mis-souri. They were reluctant to use all of the profits from the former business in the effort to prove the claims.

BY MARJORIE BARTON

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In the 1890s, some Amish families in Kansas decided to go to the newly-opened lands in what would become Oklahoma. The Amish also were quilt-makers and conversations about the move were likely similar to the “English”. The Amish still refer to all non-Amish as “English.” Moses Yoder, Rudy Yoder, and B. B. Miller, each with their families, staked claims southeast of what would become Thomas, Oklahoma. El Reno would be their nearest trade center. A close look at the Oklahoma map suggests that the Yoders and the Jones families were not very many miles apart. The Amish deliberately plan to be quiet, kind, and are extremely family oriented. The English counterparts who farmed were generally also “God-ly” people, who had goals very similar to the Amish of 100 years ago. The Amish are highly sociable among their own; they have a great sense of humor; and display little discrimination. They are opposed to “bearing arms,” and have well-defined guidelines for be-havior. They spend much of their lives helping others. They leave judging to a higher power. In western Oklahoma, some of the Amish families managed to hang on te-naciously to the soil they farmed. Other Amish who came to the Thomas area prior to the 20th century included the Joseph C. Bontrager, William Lantz, Jacob E. Miller, and John J. E. Miller families. David Nissley and his family came with his father, Daniel, about 1898. Of course, others came, stayed a while, then sold their claim or went to farm in other locations. That any Amish managed to stay in the Thomas area from the 1890s is a tribute to their unique ability to per-severe in the face of unbelievable odds

Through the years, the Moses Yoder homestead expanded to include additions to the original home and a barn.

and hardships. The unforgiving western Oklahoma wind and dust at a time of no irrigation systems, inadequate water supplies, and surprisingly brutal winters never increased chances of survival. Only a few Old Order Amish returned to other locations after the church officially disbanded in 1958. Those who remained had united with the Beachy Amish, frequently known as Amish-Mennonites. They embraced the use of electricity and autos, but maintain most of the basic Amish teachings. Most of the original claims have remained with Amish-Mennonite families.

Concerning the Jones’ family settlers—Robert’s sister Geneva Jones married Robert Barton, and several Barton family members moved to eastern Oklahoma roughly ten years after Robert returned to Missouri, but not as homesteaders. This relocation brought about the Barton-Jones connection to Amish interests. The Amish who came to northeast Oklahoma came at almost the exact time and pur-chased land. Today Laura and Truman Schrock live in the house near Thomas built by the earliest Amish homesteader–Moses Yoder. They ranch and farm a large acreage, and both were born into Amish families. It is with their help that the Amish his-tory in Oklahoma is written. So it began that the “Old Order Amish” first came to the area which was to become Oklahoma. The Yoders and the Jones families never met in the 1890s, but 100 years later their descendants met and the story is now being told. Robert Jones’ detailed account of his life in “west Oklahoma” helps clarify the hardships and trials which beset the pioneers in western Oklahoma, proving the Amish and English had very similar experiences. First, those who staked claims and expected to survive even one year had to make their way to one of the two trading centers that existed. Homesteaders in the

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By the 1960s, the Moses Yoder farm had expanded significantly.

Born into Amish families and dedicated to preserving the history of the Amish and Mennonite communities, Laura and Truman Schrock are the current owners of the original Moses Yoder home and farm.

Thomas/Weatherford vicinity had to go to El Reno. Those 25 miles east of them were expected to go to Kingfisher. Both groups had to cross a river. Both related instances of waiting for the “river” to go down before they could return home and “quicksand” which could mean the loss of supplies if encountered. Both mentioned the type of soil, the windy climate, and the erection of sod buildings. Both mentioned trails which were used as “roads.” Surely the Yoders and Millers experienced the same problems planting wheat or corn that the Jones brothers did. One year when the wheat was planted, Robert Jones de-scribed how it came up, was green, looked fine, but the wind began to blow. Jones said that the wind blew for days until there was no soil left around the wheat. At last it withered and died. Amish writings in journals 100 years ago and later ef-forts of recollection are helpful. A descendant of Moses Yod-er told that he had first built a dugout in which to live. Most of the homesteaders in western Oklahoma did that. Robert

Jones and his family managed to stay in a tiny box house his brother Samuel already had built while building another small house. Jones explained that the two families, totaling ten adults and children, stayed in the eight-by-ten-foot house for the winter until another house could be built. The Jones families and some neighbors soon built a sod school house, which they also used as a Sunday school. It has been stated that the “Old Order Amish” are a group of Christians who gained that “nickname” because of their ancestor Jakob Ammann. It is historically true that the people known as Mennonites existed for 150 years before a disagreement. Those who followed Ammann were even-tually called Amish. Simons Menno had disagreed with the Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed Churches, in that he believed these three things:• Membership should be voluntary.• Church should not be run by the state.• Church members should practice their beliefs in a disci- plined community.

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The Noah Yoder farm sits across the road from the Amish school near Mazie, Oklahoma.

The movement concerning no infant baptism began even a century earlier with the Swiss Brethren, who are referred to as Anabaptists. Both the Mennonites and Amish stayed in Europe and underwent a tremendous amount of persecution before fleeing to America, where religious freedom was said to exist. The term Amish was used in Europe by the 1690s. Amish and Mennonites were both interested in farming and maintaining what they called a “simple and consecrat-ed” life. The Amish began to build small rural school-houses in America only after rules were made concerning age requirements of school attendance until 16. The Amish were willing to be jailed for their beliefs of limited formal education. The matter was settled by the United States Supreme Court in 1972 by allowing the Amish children to attend school only through the eighth grade. Today, in eastern Oklahoma, the children have a choice of public or Amish school. Many attend the 8-grade school at Mazie. In Coal County, the Amish children only attend their privately operated school. The Amish and the Mennonites were no different from other settlers in that they continually moved west in search of lands on which to farm and raise their families in their particular traditions. The issue concerning use of automobiles and electricity did not exist until the 20th century and the new inventions were discussed thor-oughly by the church leaders. Most Amish groups chose to do without automobiles, electricity, and telephones. Gradually, many Amish used petroleum type refrigeration, lighting, and some farm equipment. The approval varies by locality. Church groups always met in homes until numbers required a larger building. The Amish and Baptists, like

most Christian groups, did prefer to have a resident minister. Travelling ministers always were welcome, but great joy was felt when a resident minister was acquired. The Amish in western Oklahoma did not have a resident minister until about 1898, when a church was then organized. They do not build church buildings, but to this day have much fellowship with the Amish-Mennonites who do con-struct church buildings. If there be a need, the Mennonites appear generous in “sharing” their buildings. About 20 years after the Amish arrived in western Oklahoma, several moved into what became northeast Oklahoma’s Mayes County. Yoders and Masts, Bontragers and Millers, and other frequently seen Amish surnames were representative of the families who came to farm. Today, as then, most of the families are in the Mazie, Choteau, and Inola area. In 1989 the Yoder family in Mayes County printed a booklet which describes events of the 20th century and pro-vides a rare genealogy source. Noah D. Yoder describes the land as the Amish people first found it in eastern Oklahoma. Noah explains that there were practically no trees on this land when the Amish began farming there. Although much of eastern Oklahoma has a lot of trees, a vast area north of Wagoner County apparently did not fit that description. Recollections from the family record of Noah D. Yoder states “there were no trees, no buildings, and no wells for water.” The prairie farm land in eastern Oklahoma was surprisingly similar to that in western Oklahoma. Noah’s father paid $75 an acre for the land in the 1910s, which only brought $10 or $15 an acre during the 1930s. Today in Mayes County, the Yoders, Millers, Masts, and other familiar Amish surnamed families operate several businesses, in addition to farming. Some of the Millers

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The Little Country Store at Clarita is run by the Hershberger Family.

Coal County is home to many signs warning drivers to be aware of local horse-drawn vehicles.

A common sight in Coal County is horse-drawn vehicles. When the author captured this photograph, the driver was a young Amish girl on her way home from a neighbor’s house.

have been involved in barn building for many years. Another family of Millers has prepared a section of their farm with a large dining room and will serve a group of almost any size with a reservation. Long ago the Amish people installed “pay phone” type booths outside their homes to receive and make calls. The phone is used solely for business, not for idle visiting. With existing technology, the Amish are able to arrange for receiv-ing a “voice mail” so they can return calls, take reservations for meals, or take orders for baked goods, if that is the business. Some bakery products are available by order only. Several members of the Mast fam-ily in the Mazie-Chouteau area operate Creekside Sales, a variety and small gro-cery store visible from Highway 69 near Mazie. They do not promote the term “Amish” by having a buggy in view. The community knows it is run by the Amish, but others will discover by word of mouth. They stock the yard goods necessary for Amish women to stitch their clothing, which remains in its traditional form. Creekside Sales also has several unique “home décor” items, such as very unusual clocks. An extremely tasty lunch sandwich is available, but Health Depart-ment guidelines prohibit the sale of some food items. Cheese, butter, and other items made by the Amish in other states are regularly brought to stores in Okla-homa for resale. In Oklahoma the Amish have received the approval of elders and Bishops of the church to use tractors in their farm work. It was long ago determined the land qual-ity was so different that an Amish farmer would never be able to farm the amount of acres required to sustain a family. How-ever, the Amish in east and south central Oklahoma do use the traditional horse and buggy for church, school, and many activities.

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The number of Amish in the Mayes County area is sufficient to have four church districts, as they do continue the tradition of meeting in the homes. Another tradition carried on is to meet every other Sunday usually with a pot luck meal, visiting, and activities. The Mayes County group operates one school, Countryside. Emma Mast, the primary opera-tor of the Creekside Sales store was a teacher at the “parochial” school for several years. She and other family members are joint owners of the store. The Amish in Custer County never operated a parochial school, as they are called. The Custer County Amish had only one church district. A few of the Amish moved away when some decided to join the “Beachy Amish,” who now call themselves Amish/Men-nonite. They operate the Zion Menno-nite School near their church and use a former WPA school building. In 1978 yet another group decided to attempt farming in Oklahoma and located in Coal County. The com-munity consists of one church district and operates a parochial school called Clarita Amish School. The Amish in Coal County may have had a more difficult challenge in farming, but they have been innovative in other means of earning money. A recent interview with Melvin Hershberger, owner of the store in Clarita, revealed a great joy from having moved to Oklahoma, where he says there is still a lot of land available. The community in Coal County called Clarita is very small, but has become well known by many as the site of the “Amish Auction” every Septem-ber. The auction is the first Saturday after Labor Day and has occurred for 24 years. It is officially the Clarita School Auction and has separate areas

ABOVE: One of the most-anticipated events during the Annual Clarita School Consignment Auction is the auctioning of handmade quilts.

Held in September, the Annual Clarita School Consignment Auction is held on a local farm in Clarita, Oklahoma. Thousands of visitors spend the day pur- chasing food and wares produced by the com- munity.

A local vendor sells brooms made by his family at the annual auction in Clarita,

Oklahoma.

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for the auction of farm equipment, livestock, antiques, bug-gies, and wagons. To many, the most exciting section is the “Quilt Auction” which is in the afternoon. The quilts are beautifully displayed for viewing all morning, numbered, and described in a booklet available to the bidders. Vendors are welcome at the auction, and lunch, break-fast, and home-baked goods are available until gone! The “Amish Auction” is on the Ben Troyer Farm. Clarita can be reached from Ada, Durant, Tupelo, and Coalgate. It is an event worth attending, if you want to observe outstanding

quilts and sample traditional Amish food. Other Mennonite and Amish products are available through vendors present at the event. Vendors are not limited to Amish and Mennonite. Yes, the “Old Order Amish” do continue to use the “low German dialect” when speaking to each other and in singing their hymns. The song books are still produced in that lan-guage. They do not wear “watches” but have clocks in their homes. They always have referred to other people as “Eng-lish”, simply meaning “not” Amish. In some areas, they allow their children to attend public schools, which some do by choice in Mayes County. Their traditions pertaining to cloth-ing are maintained. They do not drive cars, but drive tractors (in Oklahoma) and will ride in autos driven by other people. Yet one smaller group of Amish settlers came to Oklahoma and remained for 12 years in Nowata County in far northeast Oklahoma. The community of Watova faced not only trials of farming, but the Great Depression. They voted and decided to move away simultaneously when their founder and Bishop Eli Nisly, spelled this way in published material, died. They said they felt like a flock of sheep with no leader. There appears to be no remnant of their existence in the vicinity, unless it is the old barn located in the im-mediate Watova community. A small cemetery is said to be maintained by Kansas Amish. The Amish population in Oklahoma has not diminished; the philosophy is not dying; and those who have crossed their paths will probably describe them only with compli-mentary and positive remarks. It is difficult to find anything to criticize. The “buggy riding Amish” may be one of Okla-homa’s best kept secrets. Space here only allows a tiny introduction to the stories which could be told. The Amish are like part of the kaleidoscope which creates Oklahoma, as much as the colorful quilts they make.

Handmade quilts are hung prior to the quilt auction to allow spectators to view the wide range of colors and styles.

ABOVE: A member of the community makes homemade ice cream during the Annual Clarita School Consignment Auction.

BELOW: Amish constructed furniture is sold both locally and in furniture stores nationwide.

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BY BOB BURKE

klahoma’s incredible story is the most color-ful and intriguing of any of the histories of the states of Union. From unique land runs, the Trail of Tears, and the discovery of oil to amazing inventions, incredible athletic performances, and the development of leaders in commerce and gov-ernment, Oklahomans have excelled in whatever feat they have attempted. A Year in the Life of Oklahoma is the story of Oklahoma told in a unique way—by remember-ing one significant event that occurred on each day of the year, from January 1 to December 31. In the pages that follow you will see the events that occurred during the months of September and October. The story of Oklahoma is not about places and events—it is about our people, strong, coura-geous, and innovative men and women who have made the world about them a better and safer place to live.

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A Year in the Life of Oklahoma is available at www.oklahomaheritage.com, in the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum Store, Amazon.com, and bookstores statewide.

A Year in the Life of Oklahoma

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1 Television’s “Dr. Phil,” PHILLIP McGRAW, was born on this day in 1950 in Vinita. He played line-backer at the University of Tulsa on a football scholarship in 1968 before earning his Ph.D. in psy-chology at the University of North Texas. Appearances on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” made Dr. Phil one of the most famous psychologists in the nation and resulted in his own television show.

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ABE LEMONS died in Oklahoma City on this day in 2002. Raised in Walters, Lemons was a highly suc-cessful basketball coach at Oklaho-ma City University, Pan American University, and the University of Texas. Lemons was well known for his tart and funny comments about basketball and life.

3Oklahoma’s first Republican gov-ernor, HENRY BELLMON, was born on a farm near Tonkawa on this day in 1921. He became state Republican chairman in 1960 when Democrats outnumbered Republi-cans five to one in Oklahoma. Two years later, he was elected governor. Bellmon served two terms in the U.S. Senate and was elected gover-nor again in 1986.

4 PAUL HARVEY was born Paul Harvey Aurandt in Tulsa on this day in 1918. He began in radio for KVOO at the age of 14. He ultimately became America’s most popular radio news commentator with an estimated audience of 24- million listeners each week. His broadcasts were heard on 1,200 radio stations. He has been quoted in the Congressional Record more than any other newsman in history.

On this day in 1821, classes opened at Union Mission near Chouteau. It was the FIRST SCHOOL in what would become Oklahoma. On the grounds of the mission is believed to be the state’s oldest marked grave, that of Reverend Epaphras Chapman, a vic-tim of typhus in 1825. The FIRST PRINTING PRESS in present-day Oklahoma was located at Union Mission.

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Civil rights activist JIMMY STEwART was born on this day in 1912. His friendship with an official of Okla-homa Natural gas Company earned him a job as the first black office manager for the company. He eventually rose to the position of vice president of the company and campaigned tirelessly for civil rights in Oklahoma and as a national board member of the NAACP. A golf course in Oklahoma City is named for him.

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Golfer BOB TWAY won the Bell Canadian Open on this day in 2003. Born in Oklahoma City in 1959, he was a three-time first team All-American at Oklahoma State University. He won the PGA Cham-pionship in 1986 and was the PGA Player of the year. He joined the PGA Champions Tour in 2009.

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CLAUDE “FIDDLER” WILLIAMS made his first recording on this day in 1928. Born in Muskogee, Wil-liams became one of the best jazz fiddlers in history. He played with Count Basie and appeared at Carn-egie Hall and other major music venues. He also performed at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Williams was among the first inductees into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

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On this day in 1871, STAND WATIE died. He was principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and led the Chero-kee Mounted Rifles, a Confederate Army Unit. He was the last Confed-erate general to lay down his arms in the Civil War.

Dennis Parker’s painting of General Stand Watie surrendering near Fort Towson.

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JOHN SMITH was announced as a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on this day in 1997. Smith was a champion wrestler at Del City High School before beginning a stunning collegiate career at OSU where he won 154 bouts with only seven losses, the best won-loss record of any Cowboy wrestler. He won two Olympic gold medals and is considered by many as the greatest American wrestler ever. Since 1993, as wrestling coach at OSU, Smith has won five national championships and is the win-ningest OSU wrestling coach ever.

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ROBERT S. KERR, the first governor of Oklahoma to be born in the future state, came into the world in a log cabin near Ada in Indian Territory on this day in 1896. A graduate of East Central State Normal School and the Univer-sity of Oklahoma College of Law, he practiced law until he enjoyed great success in the oil business. He joined geologist Dean McGee and formed Kerr-McGee Corpora-tion. He was elected governor in 1942 and U.S. Senator in 1948. He became one of the nation’s most powerful political figures and was called the “uncrowned King of the U.S. Senate.” Part of his legacy is the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.

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The first convention advocating the combining of Okla- homa and Indian territories into a single state be-gan on this day in Purcell in 1893. Delegates to the convention sent a resolution to Congress, but no ac-tion was taken.

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12In 1980 on this day, SUSAN POWELL, born and raised in Elk City, was named Miss America 1981. After graduating from Oklahoma City University, she hosted the television show “Home Matters” on the Discovery Channel for nine seasons. She ap-peared as a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra.

On this day in 1958, astronaut JOHN HERRINGTON was born in Wetumka. An enrolled Chickasaw, he was chosen by NASA as an astronaut in 1996, the first Native American selected in the space program. In 2003, he flew aboard STS-113 on a visit to the International Space Station and carried with him a Chickasaw flag.

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On this day in 1995, SHAWNTEL SMITH of Muld-row placed high in preliminary competition on her way to being crowned the following day as Miss America 1996. The 75th Miss America, Smith earned degrees from Oklahoma City University, Northeastern Oklahoma State University, and Oral Roberts University.

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On this day in 1893, the fourth and largest land run occurred in the CHEROKEE OUTLET, a vast section of land in present northern Oklahoma. Because of poor planning and the lack of federal troops to monitor the tens of thousands of people who gathered at the Outlet’s borders, there was much chaos, suffering, and death resulting from the opening.

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17Astronaut THOMAS STAFFORD was born in Weatherford on this day in 1930. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, he became a test pilot for the Air Force. In 1962, he was chosen in the second group of American astronauts. He commanded the Apollo 10 mission which paved the way for the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The Guinness Book of World Records lists Stafford as the fastest human ever. He attained the speed of 28,547 statute miles per hour during the reentry of Apollo 10.

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In 1978 on this day, “LITTLE JOE” WASHINGTON of the Baltimore Colts had perhaps the most excep-tional individual performance in the history of Monday Night Foot-ball. In the fourth quarter, he was responsible for three touchdowns against the New England Patriots—he threw a touchdown pass, caught a pass for a score, and returned a kick-off for a touchdown. At the University of Oklahoma, he was an All-American in 1974 and 1975 and finished near the top in Heisman Trophy balloting both seasons. He played ten seasons in the NFL and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

BOB KURLAND, the first big man in college basketball, was inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame on this day in 1961. Kurland played for Coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A & M and was part of back-to-back national titles in 1945 and 1946. Kurland, at seven feet, was the first college basketball player to regularly dunk the ball during games.

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BULLET JOE ROGAN played his last game for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues on this day in 1938. Born in 1893 in Oklahoma City, Rogan, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was an outstanding performer in the Negro Leagues when African Americans were prohibited from playing in the major leagues. Casey Stengel once said Rogan was one of the best, if not the best, pitcher in the history of baseball.

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21On this day in 1982, voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed PARI-MUTUEL BETTING on horse racing on a county-by-county option. Oklahoma was the 32nd state to allow gambling on horse races.

22ERLE HALLIBURTON was born on this day in 1892. A pioneer in the oil business in Oklahoma and Texas, he pawned his wife’s wed-ding ring to finance development of his invention to cement oil wells. He established the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company in Wil-son, Oklahoma, in 1920. It was the forerunner of Halliburton Company, one of the world’s largest corpora-tions.

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The RIVERSIDE INDIAN SCHOOL near Anadarko was established on this day in 1871. It became a highly suc-cessful boarding school for Washita and Caddo children and is one of the oldest Indian schools in continu-ous operation in the nation.

On this day in 1954, ALLIE REYNOLDS made his last pitching appearance for the New York Yankees. Born in Bethany, Reynolds attended Okla-homa A & M on a track scholarship until he was discovered as a base-ball player by Henry Iba. Known as “Superchief” because of his Creek heritage, Reynolds was one of the “big game” pitchers of the 1950s. He was the most effective pitcher for the Yankees during their string of five consecutive World Series victories.

“I Adore Mi Amor” was No. 1 on the American R & B music chart on this day in 1991. The song was recorded by COLOR ME BADD, formed by four students at Oklahoma City’s Northwest Clas-sen High School, which became one of the most successful recording groups of the 1990s. The band’s final release featured a song about the Oklahoma City Murrah Build-ing bombing and was a fundraiser for victims of the tragedy.

The Okla- homa out-law BELLE STARR was popular-ized in the movie “Belle Starr,” starring Gene Tierney and Randolph Scott, released nationally on this day in 1941. Known as the “Bandit Queen,” Starr was a stagecoach robber before she married Chero-kee Sam Starr and moved to Indian Territory in 1880. She took up a life of crime, including horse thievery, cattle rustling, and bootlegging. In February, 1889, two days before her 41st birthday, she was shot in the back while riding home from a neighbor’s house near Eufaula.

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On this day in 1830, negotiators for the federal government and the Choctaws signed the TREATY OF DANCING RABBIT CREEK. It was the first treaty signed to expe-dite the removal of the Five Civi-lized Tribes from the southeastern U.S. The Choctaws gave up 11- million acres in Mississippi for 15- million acres in Indian Territory. The negotiator for the Choctaws was Greenwood LeFlore, for whom LeFlore County was named at state-hood.

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STEVE LARGENT was born in Tulsa on this day in 1954. He was an All-American wide receiver at the University of Tulsa. He played 13 seasons with the Seattle Sea- hawks of the National Football League. When he retired, he held every receiving record in profes-sional football. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Largent was elected to Congress from Okla-homa’s 1st District in 1994.

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Actor JAMES MARSDEN played the role of Cyclops in “X-Men” that began shooting on this day in 1999. Born in Stillwater, Marsden gradu-ated from Putnam City North High School and studied broadcast jour-nalism at Oklahoma State Univer-sity before heading to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. He earned roles on “The Nanny,” “Saved by the Bell,” and “Ally McBeal” on television. In addition to the X-Men films, Marsden has appeared in other movies such as “Hairspray” and “Death at a Funeral.”

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The Oklahoma City Blue Devils began a vaudeville tour on this day in 1923. After 1925, WALTER PAGE, the leader, managed the jazz band from a club in Deep Deuce in Oklahoma City. Count Basie played piano for the group before he began his own band. Jimmy Rushing was an early vocalist for the Blue Devils. For decades, he was the vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra.30

FORT COBB in Caddo County was established on this day in 1859 as one of a string of Army forts on the Western frontier. The fort was manned by federal troops to allay fears of raids by Plains Indians. After the Battle of Washita in 1866, the fort was occupied by General Philip H. Sheridan and Colonel George Armstrong Custer. The fort was abandoned in 1869.

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BROOKS AND DUNN’S last studio album, “Cowboy Town,” was released on this day in 2007. Ronnie Dunn, one half of the country music duo, developed his musical roots in Tulsa at local honky tonks such as Tulsa City Limits. Dunn has twice won the country music Songwriter of the Year Award. Brooks and Dunn have won more awards from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association than any other country act in history.

On this day in 1926, MARQUES HAYNES was born in Sand Springs. He was a magician with a basketball while playing for Langs-ton University. He became a nation-al star in the late 1940s as a member of the touring Harlem Globetrotters. He later left the tour and established his own touring team, the Harlem Magicians. After 46 years of play, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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The cornerstone for Oklahoma’s first SCOTTISH RITE MASONIC TEMPLE was laid on this day in 1899 at Broad Street and Harrison Avenue in Guthrie. The building served Masons until a new edifice was constructed in 1920.

BARRY SWITZER was born on this day in 1937. He is one of only two football coaches to win a national college champi-onship and a Super Bowl cham-pionship. The other is his former college teammate at the University of Arkansas, Jimmy Johnson. Switzer won three national cham-pionships at the University of Oklahoma and won Super Bowl XXX as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

6On this day in 1934, in Game Four of the World Series, legendary pitcher DIZZY DEAN was knocked unconscious by a line drive. Dean grew up on a farm in Hughes County in eastern Oklahoma. When he made the leap from sandlots to the major leagues, he became a folk hero in the Great Depression as the leader of the “Gashouse Gang” of the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in a season and was elect-ed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. He later broadcast baseball games in the early days of television.

7 TOM COLBERT was appointed on this day in 2004 as the first African American justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He was born in Oklahoma City and graduated from Sapulpa High School. Earlier, Colbert was the first African Ameri- can to serve on the Okla-homa Court of Civil Appeals.

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS alternative rock band was formed in Stillwater in 1999. They released their first album, which went platinum, in 2003. The band has had substantial recording success in the U.S. and internation-ally. Their 2006 hit, “Move Along,” won the Best Group Video Award at the MTV Music Awards.

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One of the most mysterious figures and influential singers of early American jazz, LEE WILEY, was born in Fort Gibson on this day in 1910. She left for New York City at age 17 and became one of the most popular white jazz singers. She also was an accomplished jazz songwriter. Wiley was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2003.

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WILLIE STARGELL hit a home run in Game One of the World Se-ries on this day in 1979. Born in Earlsboro in 1940, Stargell went on to be named the Most Valuable Player of the 1979 World Series as his Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Bal-timore Orioles. Stargell played his entire 21-year major league career in Pittsburgh and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.

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On this day in 1930, CAESAR “ZIP” GAYLES became the athletic director and head basketball, football, and base-ball coach at Langston University. For 36 years he produced winning teams. His basketball teams won 51 games in a row in the 1940s and won the National Negro cham-pionship twice. In 1946, Langston’s basketball team became the only college team to ever beat the Har-lem Globetrotters. Gayles’ Langs-ton football teams won numerous conference championships and two National Negro crowns.

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On this day in 1950, lawyers for Oklahoma City oil and gas entre-preneur JOHN NICHOLS complet-ed legal work on a plan for financ-ing oil and gas exploration. The plan was the first to be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission and changed the way petroleum exploration was financed around the world. Nichols and his son, Larry, later founded Devon Energy, the state’s largest company.

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DOUGLAS JOHNSTON was governor of the Chickasaws for 37 years, the longest-serving head of an American Indian tribe. He was born near Skullyville on this day in 1856. He was educated at the Bloomfield Academy. His mansion near Emet became known as the “Chickasaw White House,” a center for Chickasaw tribal business and social gatherings.

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HARRY “THE CAT” BRECHEEN was born in Broken Bow on this day in 1914. He was nicknamed for his fielding ability as a major league pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1946, he became the only left- handed pitcher to ever win three World Series games for a National League team.

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On this day in 1966, FORT GIBSON was added to the National Register of Historic Plac-es. When it was erected in 1824, Fort Gibson was the westernmost fort built by the military to guard the Western frontier. In the 26 years before the Civil War, more than 100 West Point graduates served at the fort, including future President Zachary Taylor and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Sam Houston, the future President of the Republic of Texas, frequented the fort from his nearby trading post.

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Oklahoma actor and martial arts star CHUCK NORRIS appeared in the movie, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” on CBS on this day in 2005. Born in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris starred in 203 episodes of the television show of the same name for eight seasons. Norris performed the open-ing song to the show, “Eyes of a Ranger.”

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Born in Oklahoma City in 1947, JOHNNY BENCH grew up in Binger and became perhaps the greatest catcher in major league baseball history. On this day in 1970, he was the youngest player ever named Most Valuable Player in the National League. In 1989, the first year he was eligible, Bench was named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Admiral WILLIAM CROWE, JR., died on this day in 2007. He left Oklahoma City in 1947 for the U.S. Naval Academy. In a distinguished career, he served as the nation’s top military officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and as American Ambassador to Great Britain for President Bill Clinton. At his death, he was chair of the Board of Visitors for the International Programs Center at the University of Oklahoma.

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Born in Coweta on this day in 1921, BILL BRIGHT became a world-renowned evangelist and authored more than 100 books and booklets. He founded Campus Crusade for Christ, a world-wide movement that operates in nearly 200 countries.

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MICKEY MANTLE was born in Spavinaw on this day in 1931. One of the most famous major league baseball stars in history, “The Mick” played his entire 18-year career for the New York Yankees. He still holds several World Series records and is considered the great-est switch hitter of all time. He also was called “The Commerce Comet,” reflecting his childhood and high school years in Commerce.

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21 Union forces captured FORT WAYNE near Watts in Adair County on this day in 1862. Colonel Stand Watie and his Confederate Army Cherokee Mounted Rifles had occupied the abandoned fort for several months.

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One of the founders of radio astron-omy, KARL JANSKY, was born in Norman on this day in 1905. Jan-sky’s father was dean of the college of engineering at the University of Oklahoma. The younger Jansky’s place in scientific history came in August, 1931, when he discovered radio waves emanating from the Milky Way. The unit of strength in radio waves is called the “jansky” and a crater on the moon is named for him.

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On this day in 1993, JOE CARTER hit a walk-off home run to win the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays, only the second player in major league his- tory to win the World Series with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the deciding game. Carter was born in 1960 in Oklahoma City and graduated from Millwood High School. He was a five-time major league All-Star.23

On this day in 1541, the Spanish explorer, Francisco Vásquez de CORONADO, reported to the King of Spain about his visit through the Panhandle of Oklahoma. For days he saw huge herds of buffalo, that he called “hump-backed cows.” As Oklahoma’s first tourist, Coronado interacted with Wichita Indians who lived in the Panhandle.

2425

A brilliant poet and university professor, JOHN BERRYMAN was born in McAlester on this day in 1914. He is considered one of the major influences in American poetry in the 20th century. He re-ceived the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 1964.

26Mystery writer TONY HILLERMAN died on this day in 2008. He was born in 1925 near Sacred Heart and graduated from Konawa High School and the journalism school at the University of Oklahoma. In 1970, be began writing a successful string of mys-teries based on the American West. His books have been translated into 13 languages.

Charles Banks Wilson’s depiction of Coronado’s visit.

October

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ALFRED P. MURRAH was born on this day in 1904 near Earl in Indian Territory. In 1937, at the age of 32, Murrah became the youngest federal judge ever appointed at that time. He eventually became one of the nation’s most respected judges as Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and Director of the Federal Judicial Center. The Alfred P. Murrah Fed-eral Building, opened in 1975 and destroyed by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, was named in his honor.

On this day in 1998, Where the Heart Is, a novel by Oklahoman BILLIE LETTS, was chosen as a featured selection of Oprah’s Book Club on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Letts was born in Tulsa and was a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant before turning her attention to full-time writing. Where the Heart Is was Letts’ first novel and was made into a 2000 movie starring Natalie Portman, Stockard Channing, and Ashley Judd.

Hymn writer ALBERT E. BRUM-LEY was born on this day in 1905 in Spiro. He wrote more than 800 religious hymns, many among the most popular in the land in the middle of the 20th century. His songs included “I’ll Fly Away,” “Turn Your Radio On,” “I’ll Meet You in the Morning,” and “He Set Me Free.”

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JANE JAYROE, Okla- homa’s second Miss America, was born in Clinton on this day in 1947. Growing up in Laverne, she often sang, ac-companied by piano player Jimmy Webb. In 1967, Jayroe won the Miss America pageant and was the first Miss America to visit a combat zone, entertaining American troops in Vietnam. She was a television news anchor in Oklahoma City and Dallas and Secretary of Tourism in the administration of Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating.

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EDWARD P. McCABE founded a newspaper in Langston on this day in 1890. McCabe advanced the idea of Indian Territory becoming an all-black state. He was assistant auditor of Oklahoma Territory, one of the highest posts in the U.S. held by an African American at the time. He was nearly appointed Governor of Oklahoma Territory, but the color of his skin defeated his dream.

31

October

33

By gini MOOrE CaMPBELL

Clara Luper, known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, was born in Okfuskee County in 1923 and grew up near Hoffman, Oklahoma. With her father a brick layer and mother a domestic worker, she experi-enced hardships and social rejection at an early age. She grew up during an era in Oklahoma when segregation controlled the economic, social, and political life.

aBOVE:Justice Tom Colbert presented Clara Luper for induction into the 2007 Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

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Luper graduated from Grayson High School and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Langston University. She earned her Master’s degree after being the first African American accepted into the University of Oklahoma’s History Department. For more than 40 years she was an award-winning educator, teaching in Taft, Pawnee, Spencer and Oklahoma City public schools. Her students learned history from a teacher who her-self had made history. “She taught us more than we ever could have learned in a book. Our history was standing in front of us, talking to us, and listening to us. She did not bring our history to life, she was our history,” said one former student. Luper became the first African American vice president of the Oklahoma City Social Science Teachers Association and the Oklahoma County Teacher’s Association. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was organizing the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycotts, a young Luper was serving as the advisor to the local Youth Council of the NAACP. The efforts of Rosa Parks and King inspired Luper. The following year she wrote “Brother President,” a play for Negro History Week about King’s successful, non-violent techniques in Montgom-ery. Her students performed the play in New York for the 1957 Salute to Young Freedom Fighters. For many, it was the first time they were allowed to eat in the same restaurants and at the same lunch counters with white customers. Luper went on to direct and produce the movie “Brother President.” She au-thored Behold the Walls, an acclaimed first-hand account of the campaign for

as a young mother, Clara Luper be-lieved she could make a difference in the fight to end segregation.

Luper and the students sat down at the lunch counter

and each ordered a soda. The manager refused to

serve them and soon the police and the press arrived.

While hearing obscenities and racial slurs from other

customers, the group sat peaceful, praying silently

until the store closed.

Bishop’s restaurant and green’s were sites of early sit-ins by

Clara Luper and her students, including her own children.

35

civil rights in Oklahoma City during the 1960s, and wrote the play, “The Dred Scott Story.” On August 19, 1958, Luper led the first publicized “sit-in” in the nation. She led a group of students, ages 6 to 17 to Katz Drug Store in downtown Oklahoma City. The students she led included her own. Katz allowed Afri-can American customers to shop in the drug store, but they were not allowed to eat at the lunch counter. Only white customers were allowed that privilege. Luper and the students sat down at the lunch counter and each ordered a soda. The manager refused to serve them and soon the police and the press arrived. While hearing obscenities and racial slurs from other customers, the group sat peaceful, praying silently until the store closed. Katz eventually desegregated the lunch counters in its 38 stores in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kan-sas, and Iowa. She continued to organize peace-ful, non-violent sit-ins at a number of Oklahoma City establishments. From Green’s and the Anna Maude Cafete- ria to John A. Brown and Bishop’s Restaurant, Luper continued her fight for equality. Ultimately the peaceful sit-ins started by Luper and her students resulted in res- taurants and department stores open-ing their doors to African Americans throughout the country. Luper served on the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Educa-tion’s Advisory Committee on School Desegregation and the Oklahoma City Human Rights Council. She served as a consultant for the Oklahoma City may-or on youth opportunities, the Federal

During more than 40 years as an educator, Clara Luper taught in the Taft, Pawnee, Spencer, and Oklahoma City school districts.

Luper led with courage and per-sistence, believing non-violent activism was the road to freedom. She was arrested 26 times for her belief and efforts in ending segregation.

36

Interagency Board, and the Oklahoma History Television Series. She led the first Freedom March in Tulsa to desegregate public accommodations and participated in the historic march on Washington, D.C. and the Voting Rights March in Selma, Alabama, among countless others. Luper led with courage and persistence, believ-ing non-violent activism was the road to freedom. She was arrested 26 times for her belief and efforts in ending segregation. Black Voices Magazine was founded by Luper, as well as the Black History Monument and Wall, Free-dom Center, Inc., and The Amigos Club. She co-founded the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant and the Soul Ba-zaar. She directed and was the subject of Saturday morning’s “A Visit with Clara Luper” on Oklahoma City’s KTLV Radio. A dynamic speaker, she was frequently addressing groups in churches, on college and university campuses, and even in prisons. She spoke of the challenges, setbacks, and victories of the early activists.

A dynamic speaker, she was frequently addressing

groups in churches, on college and university cam-puses, and even in prisons.

She spoke of the challenges, setbacks, and victories

of the early activists.

Clara Luper was arrested 26 times during her fight for equality.

Clara Luper led with courage and persistence, teaching that non-violent activism was the way to

freedom.

BELOW: When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was organizing the Mont-

gomery, alabama, bus boycotts, a young Luper was serving as the

advisor to the local youth Council of the naaCP.

BELOW: Students ages 6 to 17 participated in the peaceful sit-ins led by Clara Luper in downtown Oklahoma City.

37

An active member of the Fifth Street Baptist Church, she served as head of the In-termediate Department of the Baptist Training Union, chair of the Black History Committee, the Kappa Alpha Psi Ebony Bowl, and the Women’s Day Program, and principal of the Daily Vacation Bible School. Luper was especially proud of her work with the youth of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She served as an advisor to the United States of America’s NAACP Youth Council for nearly 50 years and was actively involved at the local, state, and national levels. She received the Regional Advisory Award and helped found the Miss NAACP USA Membership Pageant. During Luper’s lifetime, she received more than 500 awards and honors, including the Presidential Award from the National As-sociation for Higher Education, the National YWCA Individual Racial Justice Award, and Oklahoma’s highest honor, induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame during Oklahoma’s Centennial. She received an Honorary Doc-torate from Oklahoma City University where students from underrepresented groups receive full scholarships in her name. Clara Luper passed away on June 8, 2011.

The Oklahoma House of repre-sentatives passed Bill 2715 naming the “Clara Luper Corridor” in her honor.

38

hen the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December

7, 1941, the United States already had begun ramping up military

bases and production facilities across the country in anticipation

of war. Oklahoma was no different. The Will Rogers Army Air

Field had begun construction at the Oklahoma City Airport, Spar-

tan Aviation in Tulsa had been training the Royal Air Force pilots

to support Britain, already engaged in World War II, and the

Midwest Air Depot, later Tinker Air Force Base, was in the works

as well as the Douglas Aircraft Plant being built side by side. On

October 9, 1941, the University of Oklahoma purchased land

north of Norman for the purpose of developing a flight training

program in anticipation of the war. One-hundred-sixty acres was

One of the few Naval Base buildings still remaining on the University of Oklahoma

campus today is the Adminis-tration Building, located near

the University Golf Course. This is how it looked during

World War II. (Courtesy Jim Norick) W

39

purchased with donated money from the estate

of a man named Max Westheimer for the pur-

pose of building an airfield. By the summer of

1942, the area was handed over to the United

States Navy for flight training.

The Naval Air Technical Training Center

in Norman, Oklahoma was commissioned on

September 20, 1942. As part of the war effort,

it was built in a short four and a half months.

The first “Skipper” of the base was commanding

officer Lt. Commander Norman S. Gallison. He

arrived in Norman on June 15, 1942 and began

work with a small staff. The first class gradu-

ated on October 24, just four short weeks after

the commissioning of the base.

There were three separate schools under

this single command. The Aviation Machinist’s

Mates school taught the repair of all makes and

types of aircraft engines used by the United

States Navy. The Metalsmith School taught

how to repair, rebuild, or replace damaged

metal parts. The Ordnancemen’s School taught

how to repair and maintain aircraft armament of

all kind.

The Naval Base came equipped with

dispensaries, mess halls, recreation build-

ings, ship’s service facilities, and classroom

buildings. It was a self-contained city including

barber shops, shoe repair, laundry services,

and Ships Service stores. The recreation

buildings provided a variety of sports including

basketball and outdoor activities like badminton.

The large indoor swimming pool opened in May

1943 in area B and two more pools would open

as outdoor pools in areas D and E. Motion

BY BILL MOORE

All areas of the United States Navy were repre-sented at the Nor-man Naval Base; WAVES (Women Accepted for Volun- teer Emergency Ser- vices), sailors and marines. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

The first group of WAVES arrived by train during World War II, numbering over 1,000, to begin training at the Norman Naval Base. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

40

pictures were shown free several times daily in the Station Auditorium which

seated more than 6,000. The base library opened on May 5, 1942 with over

10,000 volumes in Recreation Building 22.

The South Base, located just east of the present-day Lloyd Noble

Center on the University of Oklahoma campus, and the North Base, located

where Max Westheimer Airport resides today, housed all of Norman’s

Naval facilities which also consisted of the Naval Air Station, the U.S. Naval

Hospital with 600 beds, and the U.S. Naval Air Gunnery School. With a

full complement of Naval personnel, including the Women’s Reserve of the

United States Naval Reserve (WAVES) and the Marines, the Norman Naval

base numbered 16,000 people.

James H. Norick, Oklahoma City Mayor from 1959 to 1963 and from

1967 to 1971, was 22 years old when he joined the Navy on September

1, 1942. The Navy was recruiting Oklahomans to help get the new base

at Norman up and running at the start of World War II. The need was so

critical that Norick and those early recruits were sent straight to Norman and

skipped boot camp all together. Norick reported for duty on September 1,

1942 as a 3rd Class Storekeeper working in the Pay Office prior to the com-

missioning of the base.

The 600 bed U.S. Naval Hospital in Norman was well equipped with the latest medical technology and care. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

Aviation training in Norman provided Naval personnel with knowledge to keep airplanes flying in the great effort to win World War II. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

Women in the WAVES were trained to handle aviation repair duties at the Norman Naval Base. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

RIGHT: Metal work was a large part of aviation repair during World War II. These Naval personnel are learning to weld a “bead” on metal. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

41

It was so unsettled at first that Norick did not have

a uniform and living quarters were not available. Each

morning he left his wife Madalynne and one-year old son

Ron at their home dressed in civilian attire and caught the

Interurban Rail from downtown Oklahoma City near today’s

downtown bus station. Norick rode the Interurban to Con-

stitution Avenue in Norman and walked a short distance to

the South Base. Of course, with the commissioning of the

Base on September 20, uniforms and living quarters shortly

became available.

Norick’s duty as Payroll Clerk was to keep everyone

happy by getting the payroll out on time and getting everyone

paid. Every two weeks, he and other staff members would

drive to the Federal Bank at Northwest 3rd Street and

Harvey Avenue in Oklahoma City. Wearing their sidearms,

they received the cash for the payroll.

Sailor Lynel Perry, left, took his little sister, Mary Ellen, right, with older sister Pauline to Christmas dinner at the Norman Naval Base in 1943. She remembered how large the room was and the big metal food trays. (Courtesy Mary Moore)

The first class of WAVE graduates of Aviation Metalsmith School at Norman Naval Base posed in May 1943.

Two WAVES enjoy a moment away from the training for a meal in the Mess Hall at the Norman Naval Base during World War II.

42

Every Friday night the dance floor was full in the big auditorium at

the Norman Naval Base during World War II. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

James Norick, seated fifth from the right,

played sax in the Norman Naval Base

Orchestra. Norick later became mayor of Okla-

homa City. (Courtesy Jim Norick)

Norick’s favorite spot on the Base was Building 92

that housed a large dance floor. Norick was accomplished

on the clarinet and alto saxophone. He and some of

the guys on base organized a dance band. When Tex

Benecke, formerly of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, showed

up at the Base, things really got moving and Jim played

1st Alto Saxophone with Tex.

Most Oklahomans will remember the hill of dirt on

the north side of Norman, east of I-35. It remained intact

until recently when it was bulldozed for a strip mall. The

hill was built to test fire guns on the airplanes. They would

taxi the planes to the hill and fire directly into it to make

sure repairs had been completed correctly. It would also

be used for rifle practice by the military personnel on base.

Jim Norick, first mayor of Okla- homa City to be born in Okla- homa City, and his son, Ron, who became mayor of Oklahoma City and started the renaissance of downtown with his MAPS project posed for a war time photo. Jim began at the Nor- man Naval Base in 1942 as Storekeeper 3rd Class and was able to still visit his wife, Madalynne and Ron in Oklahoma City during those early days of the war.

43

The base activities picked up as the military men and women

arrived. The naval air stations of San Diego, Seattle and Alameda

provided the majority of the crew in the beginning. On January 29,

1943, the first detachment of women WAVES arrived with Lt. Myrtle

Poultney as the officer in charge. They came straight from boot camp

to Norman and the first graduating class occurred on July 10, 1943.

Stars made the base a common stop on their trips across

country. On February 18, 1943, Oklahomans Carl Hubbell, New

York Giants pitcher from Oklahoma, Pepper Martin with the St. Louis

Cardinals, and Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner with the Pittsburgh Pirates,

stopped by to visit, along with several other Major League Baseball

stars. The NBC radio quiz show “True or False” broadcast live from

the base on June 10, 1943. The movie stars from the new film, “In

Old Oklahoma” came by to visit in November. They included Martha

Scott, Gabby Hayes, and a young John Wayne. Olivia De Havilland

stopped by at Christmas time to visit the troops.

Lynel Perry from Oklahoma City had joined the Navy following

Pearl Harbor. He was finishing his first semester at the University

of Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked and felt he needed to

go fight. Returning on leave at Christmas in 1943, he took his little

sister, Mary Ellen, to Christmas dinner at the Norman Naval Base.

She was 12 years old and remembers clearly today all the sailors

Headlines of the final edition of the base newspaper came on February 14, 1946 as all operations were be-ing moved to Memphis, Tennessee. (Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society Archives)

This aerial photo appeared in the final edition of the base newspaper The Bull Horn. It shows the South Base at the end of World War II. Note the University of Oklahoma football stadium in the upper left of the photo. (Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society Archives)

and marines eating there that day. She said she really enjoyed the

attention and how the cooks piled the turkey and dressing on those big

metal trays.

After Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day), “The Charlie McCarthy

Show” came to the Naval Base to broadcast a live show on May 20,

1945. Guests on the show included Janet Blair and Don Ameche. It

was a special event, but with the ending of the war, it also would mean

the end for the base.

The base had turned out more than 100,000 graduates during

World War II. But as the base newspaper, The Bull Horn, wrote, “The

School was conceived for a task and the task was accomplished.” The

school was moved by the Navy to Memphis, Tennessee, and by the

summer of 1946, the property was placed on caretaker status by the

Navy. On July 17, 1946, the base was turned over to the University

of Oklahoma for use as a college for veterans. A deed was delivered

on August 4, 1948. The base would be reactivated somewhat for the

Korean War, but ultimately was returned to the University.

As the final issue of The Bull Horn went to press in February of

1946, a reporter wrote the perfect epitaph for the Norman Naval Base:

“It’s ending, but it’s a happy ending. The big job – the winning of the

war – is done and this school had a big hand in it. There can be no

question about that.”

44

DAVID ESQUIBEL David is the newest addition to the Heritage Keeper Volunteer Program. Originally from New Mexico, David is employed with the United States Air Force. As part of his job, he has had the op-portunity to live in a number of places across the United States, including San Antonio, Texas and Gulfport, Mississippi. On volunteering at the Mu-seum, David says he wants to “learn more about this new state I’ll be living in and to make the most of this great opportunity and make a difference where I am.” Prior to volunteering here at the Museum, David vol- unteered at the Humane Society in Gulfport. Since starting his volunteer work at the Museum, David has helped plant our garden and was our ice cream server for visitors at the Museum’s 4th Anniversary Celebration.

aBOVE: Shane Kempton, Kelli Dupuy, and Tre Dupuy at the Second Century Board’s Twister event.

BELOW: Oklahoma Hall of Famer Jay O’Meilia giving an artist talk prior to the opening of Pure Color in the Tulsa World gallery.

Oklahoma Society of impressionists artists, left to right, nick Berry, Carla Perry, Jim Bruce, Claudia Kates Doyle, Joan M. Larue, Jody Ellison, Jay O’Meilia, gil adams, Herb robb, and Christopher Westfall

rigHT: Vaughndean Fuller, Munson Fuller, and Donald resler at

the opening of the Oklahoma Society of impressionists’ Pure Color exhibit in the

Tulsa World gallery.

rigHT: Oklahoma Hall of Famers V. Burns Hargis and Michael C. Turpen served as masters of ceremonies for the Oklahoma

Hall of Fame reunion Luncheon on May 12.

rigHT: Visiting during the release of Gentleman Jurist were Mary

ann West, Lee West, David L. russell, Dana russell, and Tim

Degiusti.

Volunteer!

Through itsPeople

45

Exhibiting in the Pure Color exhibit in the Tulsa World gallery is Oklahoma artist Jim Bruce.

LEFT: Vaughndean Fuller, Jody Ellison, and Corie Baker at the Pure Color opening.

LEFT: native american storyteller robert Lewis entertained crowds celebrating the Museum’s 4th anniversary.

LEFT: OHA Chairman Calvin Anthony, left, and President Shannon L. Rich congratulate Harold Hamm, center, on being selected as a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Class of 2011 at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Reunion Luncheon.

Chickasaw governor Bill

anoatubby and Elder Pauline

Brown provided the invocation

at the 2011 Oklahoma Hall

of Fame re-union Luncheon

on May 12.Celebrating the release of Gentleman Jurist: The Life of Ralph G. Thompson are, left to right, Bob Burke, gini Moore Campbell, Eric Dabney and ralph g. Thompson.

rigHT: Oklahoma Hall of Famer Josephine Freede and Joan gilmore visit during the Oklahoma Hall of

Fame reunion Luncheon at the gaylord-Pickens Museum.

aBOVE: Sam and Jenny Broughton helped with tours during the Museum’s 4th anniversary Celebration.

BELOW: E. Jennings Tyson, Vicki Miles-Lagrange, and Tom McDaniel at the release of Gentleman Jurist: The Life of Ralph G. Thompson.

LEFT: nicole Harvey, Betty Lee, and ronda Huddleston enjoyed Twister in the Bennett-McClendon great Hall of the gaylord-Pickens Museum.

LEFT: ralph g. Thompson’s daughters Maria abbott, Lisa Campbell, and Elaine Degiusti at the June 16 release of Gentleman Jurist.

aBOVE: Enjoying the Second Century Board’s screening of Twister were, left to right, J. W. Peters, Brian Bush, and Stacey Huddleston.

P R O F E S S I O N A L B A S E B A L L I N A R D M O R E 1 9 0 4 - 1 9 2 6

TERRITORIANSTO BOOMERS

by Peter G. PierceFOreWOrD by bUrKe MOrDy

BY DR. SIDNEY CARTER

A Glimpse into the Past from a Black Perspective

by Peter G. Pierce

AND

Professional BaseBall in ardmore 1947-1961

46

BOOKReview

OF THE OKLAHOMA HERITAGE ASSOCIATION

All publications are available at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum Store, bookstores statewide, Amazon.com, and www.oklahomaheritage.com.

NewReleases

Race and the University: A MemoirBy george HendersonUniversity of Oklahoma Press, $24.99

in 2003, george Henderson received Oklahoma’s highest honor—induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. However, in 1967 when Henderson arrived in norman the welcome was not so honorable. He would be the third african american professor hired full time at the University of Oklahoma. The son of alabama share crop farmers, Henderson accepted the position despite warnings from those closest to him. after being denied his first three choices of homes, Henderson realized the obstacles he and his family would be facing in their new hometown. in Race and the University: A Memoir, Henderson shares in great detail the chal-lenges that he and others encountered within the university community, a place of “white privilege, black separat-ism, and campus-wide indifference to bigotry.” as a mentor to young black students, Henderson was at the forefront of improving race relations at the univer-sity and in the community. although Henderson’s role did not end the oppression, it did set in motion institutional changes that today’s students continue to benefit from. Henderson said “we were ordinary people who sometimes did extraordinary things.” Race and the University: A Memoir takes place at the University of Oklahoma and in norman, Oklahoma. However, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was representative of college and university campuses across the na-tion. it represents the challenges faced by families and students and the subsequent change brought about by their perseverance. —Gini Moore Campbell

Gentleman Jurist: The Life of Ralph G. Thompson$26.95

Broken Bow’s Black Communities and Dunbar High School: A Glimpse into the Past from a Black Perspective $19.95

Indians, Cardinals, and Rosebuds: Professional Base-ball in Ardmore 1947-1961$14.95

Territorians to Boomers: Professional Baseball in Ardmore 1904-1926$14.95

47

SUbSCRIPTIoN $35• Subscription to Oklahoma: Magazine of the Oklahoma Heritage Association, Legacy newslet-ter and Heritage Headlines e-update

Standard Membership Benefits• Subscription to Oklahoma: Magazine of the Oklahoma Heritage Association, Legacy newslet-ter and Heritage Headlines e-update• 10% discount at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum Store• Invitations to Association and Museum events• Membership discounts on programs and events

STUDENT $15All Standard benefits plus:• Annual admission pass to the Gaylord-Pickens Museum for student (must present valid student ID; kindergarten through college eligible)

INDIVIDUALISM: $50All Standard benefits plus:• Annual admission pass to the Gaylord-Pickens Museum

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PIoNEER SPIRIT: $250All Perseverance benefits plus:• Four single-use guest passes to the Gaylord-Pickens Museum

oPTIMISM: $500All Pioneer Spirit benefits plus:• 25% discount on one-time rental of the Devon Classroom

gENERoSITY: $1,000All Optimism benefits plus:• One complimentary weekday use of the Edith Kinney Gaylord Garden or Bennett-McClendon Great Hall• Advance opportunity to purchase Oklahoma Hall of Fame tickets• Recognition in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame program

LEgACY CIRCLE: $2,000All Generosity benefits plus: • Customized facility use package*• Recognition in Legacy newsletter

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PRESIdENt’S CIRClE: $5,000All Generosity benefits plus: • Customized facility use package*• Recognition in Legacy newsletter • Recognition in The Oklahoman and Tulsa World Oklahoma Hall of Fame Sunday Supplement

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For more information about any of our member-ship levels or to customize your membership package at the $1,000 level and above, call Alexis Lux at 405/523-3207.

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MAIL APPLICATION TO: OKLAHOMA HERITAGE ASSOCIATION • 1400 CLASSEN DRIVE • OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73106

M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N

Memberships in the Oklahoma Heritage Association make excellent gifts. Please complete the form above and recipient information at right.

GIFT RECIPIENT Mr./Mrs./Dr./Ms.

GIFT RECIPIENT’S ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

www.oklahomaheritage.com

Check membership desired.o Student ........................... $15o Subscription ................... $35o Individualism ................. $50 o Perseverance ................ $100o Pioneer Spirit ................ $250o Optimism ...................... $500o Generosity .................. $1,000o Legacy Circle ............ $2,000o Honor Circle .............. $2,500 o Executive Circle ........ $3,500o President’s Circle ....... $5,000o Chairman’s Circle .... $10,000

Daytime Telephone ( )

e-mail

Oklahoma Heritage AssociationJoin the

48

MiSSiOn ParTnErSamerican Fidelity Foundation Oklahoma CityChoctaw nation of Oklahoma DurantConoco Phillips Houston, TXDuke r. Ligon Oklahoma CityOklahoma Publishing Company Oklahoma CitySimmons Foundation Oklahoma City

CHairMan’S CirCLE $10,000 + Ms. ann S. alspaugh Oklahoma Cityamerican Fidelity Foundation Oklahoma CityBaseball in the Cross Timbers LLC NormanBill Burgess LawtonMr. and Mrs. Bob Burke Oklahoma CityMr. Sidney Carter Oklahoma CityChesapeake Energy Corporation Oklahoma CityChickasaw nation AdaMs. Kristin Cook WagonerDevon Energy Corporation Oklahoma CityDiva Living Trust Woodland Hills, CAChristy and Jim Everest Oklahoma City

Express Employment Professionals Oklahoma CitySenator and Mrs. Charles r. Ford TulsaMrs. Josephine Freede Oklahoma CityE.L. and Thelma gaylord Foundation Oklahoma CitygHK Exploration LP Oklahoma CityMr. C. Hubert gragg NewcastleHeritage Trust Co. Oklahoma CityFred Jones Family Foundation Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. David L. Kyle TulsaLove’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. aubrey K. McClendon Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Herman Meinders Oklahoma CityMrs. Mary nichols Oklahoma CitySamuel roberts noble Foundation ArdmoreOklahoma City Community Foundation, inc. Oklahoma CityOklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma CityOklahoma gas & Electric Foundation Oklahoma City

Oklahoma State University Foundation StillwaterOnEOK Foundation TulsaT. Boone Pickens Dallas, TXPre-Paid Legal Services, inc. AdaMr. and Mrs. Carl r. renfro Ponca CityMr. Frank C. robson ClaremoreJudge and Mrs. ralph g. Thompson Oklahoma CityLew and Myra Ward EnidDr. and Mrs. nazih Zuhdi Oklahoma City

PrESiDEnT’S CirCLE $5,000-$9,999Bank of Oklahoma TulsaMr. and Mrs. Jeremy Davis Houston, TXJames C. & Teresa K. Day Foundation Sugar Land, TXDell Foundation Oklahoma CityDrew and Linda Edmondson Oklahoma Cityike and MaryBeth glass NewkirkMs. Marilee Hopkins Chicago, ILMr. James F. Howell Midwest CityiBC Bank Oklahoma City

Mr. griff Jones Cypress, TXJPMorgan Chase & Co. TulsaMr. and Mrs. John Massey DurantChancellor and Mrs. Tom J. McDaniel Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Joe Moran iii TulsaMustang Fuel Corporation Oklahoma CityMutual of Omaha Bank Omaha, NEMr. and Mrs. r.Z. naifeh Oklahoma CityOklahoma Blood institute Oklahoma CityWilliam T. Payne Fund Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. William Stuart Price TulsaPuterbaugh Foundation McAlesterMr. H.E. “gene” rainbolt Oklahoma CityraM Energy, inc. Tulsarichard and Johnece ryerson AlvaSmith & Pickel Construction Oklahoma CityCharles and Peggy Stephenson Family Foundation TulsaMrs. Kathy Taylor and Mr. Bill Lobeck TulsaFrosty and gayla Turpen Owasso

University of OK Health Sciences Center Oklahoma CityWalton Family Foundation Bentonville, ARWilliams Foundation Tulsa raymond a. young Trust Dallas, TX

ExECUTiVE CirCLE $3,500-$4,999american Board of Trial advocates Tulsaanthony Flooring Systems, inc. EdmondaT&T Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Howard Barnett TulsaBishop Mcguinness High School Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Paul Brown EdmondMrs. Karen Childs EdmondMr. Matthew C. Coleman Cordova, TNMr. and Mrs. Douglas Cummings Oklahoma CityMrs. Jean Dale-Bauer Centennial, CODowntown OKC, inc. Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Douglas Eagon WoodwardMs. Pat Evans Ponca CityFirst national Bank of Oklahoma Oklahoma CityFrates Family, LLC Oklahoma City

Ms. Laura guererri Dallas, TXDr. arthur Hagan StillwaterHelmerich & Payne inc. TulsaMs. Stephanie Hester Oklahoma CityMs. Karen Hudgens EdmondMr. James Kraham EdmondMs. Calley Mcgehee Oklahoma CityMs. Samonia Meredith Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. gary Parker MuskogeeMr. Lewis rees Seymour, MOriggs, abney, neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Steve Seay CheyenneMrs. Sue Moss Sullivan Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Thane Swisher Oklahoma CityT.D. Williamson, inc. TulsaMs. Kay Thomas EdmondMs. Misun Tisdale WoodwardUniversity of Oklahoma Foundation NormanMr. Quincy Williams Las Vegas, NVZarrow Families Foundation Tulsa

To more accurately thank those who have made contributions to the Association and Museum, this section is comprised of both members and donors at the $2,500 level and above. As we are funded primarily through private donations and memberships, we are extremely grateful for the support of our donors. Listed below are the donors and members at the $2,500 level and above, current as of June 30, 2011.

We want to accurately thank our supporters. If you notice an error, please contact Alexis Lux 405.523.3207 or alux@oklahomaheritage.com

robert D. allen* Oklahoma City

Lona a. Barrick Ada

Sam Barrick Ardmore

Bob Barry, Sr. Norman

Baker group, LLC Edmond

Carlton Bass McAlester

Lee & Sherry Beasley Oklahoma City

William M. Bell Oklahoma City

Barbara Bass Berry* Sapulpa

Howard K. Berry, Jr. Oklahoma City

Bill gumerson & associates Oklahoma City

gary & Pat Bintz Ponca City

Bobby C. Blair Shawnee

Mr. & Mrs. g. T. Blankenship* Oklahoma City

roger H. Box Bartlesville

Sharlene S. Branham* Oklahoma City

Phyllis & russal Brawley Oklahoma City

Mary Sue & gordon Brown Oklahoma City

arthur W. Buswell Kingfisher

Michael a. Cawley Ardmore

Vida S. Chenoweth, Ph.D. Oklahoma City

Bryan B. Close Tulsa

Bill Conger Oklahoma City

Kaye & Edward H. Cook Oklahoma City

Jackie Cooper Oklahoma City

Mr. & Mrs. glenn a. Cox Bartlesville

Betsy amis Daugherty* Oklahoma City

Frederick Drummond* Pawhuska

Mr. & Mrs. arthur B. Eckroat Jones

nancy Payne Ellis Oklahoma City

Ken & Mary ann Fergeson* Altus

gerald & Jane Fiedler Ponca City

Sen. & Mrs. Charles Ford Tulsa

Mrs. Henry Freede Oklahoma City

John & Linda gibbs Holdenville

Curtis S. green Tulsa

Martha griffin* Muskogee

Mrs. James g. grissom Edmond

Herron industries Idabel

Mary Sue Hill Oklahoma City

nadine norton Holloway Oklahoma City

Bill J. Horne, Sr. Ada

Mr. & Mrs. george W. James Oklahoma City

Kent g. “gib” & Jennifer James Oklahoma City

Lou C. Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, inc., Oklahoma City

Juanita Kidd* Edmond

robert J. LaFortune Tulsa

LaSSO Corp. Oklahoma City

Mr. & Mrs. Donald S. Bentley/The Lawton Constitution newspaper Lawton

Elaine & Harrison Levy* Oklahoma City

Hilda L. Lewis Oklahoma City

Marge MacKinnon Okmulgee

Edmund O. Martin Edmond

Janice & Pat Martin Okemah

Paul & Judy Kaye Massad* Norman

Charles H. & Caroline Mayfield Oklahoma City

Donna McSpadden Chelsea

Herman & LaDonna Meinders Oklahoma City

Peter Meinig Tulsa

Mary Frances Michaelis Duncan

Larry & Joan Minks Durant

norick investment Company, Oklahoma City

P. B. Odom, iii Oklahoma City

Louise Painter Oklahoma City

Fieldon Parham Duncan

Mr. & Mrs. richard Parker Oklahoma City

robert L. Parker, Sr. Tulsa

Kent & Mary Patton Oklahoma City

Homer & ramona Paul Edmond

ruby C. Petty Oklahoma City

roma Lee Porter Lawton

Presbyterian Health Foundation Oklahoma City

norris & Betty Price Oklahoma City

Bill & niki Puffinbarger Oklahoma City

The Puterbaugh Foundation McAlester

Mr. & Mrs. Penn V. rabb, Jr. Lawton

gene rainbolt Oklahoma City

Berta Faye rex Oklahoma City

riggs, abney, neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis Oklahoma City

Mrs. Hazel E. roberts Edmond

robert L. rorschach Tulsa

Dr. Marvin & Loree Schlichting Corn

Pete & Theo Silas* Bartlesville

ann S. alspaugh* Oklahoma City

John F. Snodgrass Ardmore

raegan Chewning Edmond

roger & amy Spring Oklahoma City

Standley Systems Chickasha

Dean & Carol Stringer* Oklahoma City

robert E. Thomas* Tulsa

Judge & Mrs. ralph g. Thompson* Oklahoma City

gary & Sheila Tredway Oklahoma City

Forrest J. “Frosty” Troy Midwest City

Frosty & gayla Turpen Owasso

Kris Vculek Waukomis

Walter & associates, inc. Tulsa

Ward Petroleum Corporation* Enid

Mr. & Mrs. W. K. Warren, Jr. Tulsa

Linda C. Weaver Nichols Hills

Ms. Kathryn M. Zynda Oklahoma City

HOnOr CirCLE $2,500-$3,499Mr. and Mrs. Calvin J. anthony StillwaterDr. Don and Tina Bonner Duncannevyle and Carol Cable OkmulgeeMr. and Mrs. Mike D. Case TulsaMr. Jerry Clack TulsaCole & reed Oklahoma CityCordillera Energy Partners iii, LLC Greenwood Village, COFirst United-Durant DurantJudge and Dr. robert Henry Oklahoma CityHeritage Hills associate Board Oklahoma Citygovernor and Mrs. Frank Keating McLean, VAKerr Foundation Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Kurt Leichter Edmondroxana and robert Lorton TulsaMain Street Parking, LLC Oklahoma CityMcafee & Taft Oklahoma CityMekusukey Oil Company, LLC WewokaMr. John W. norman Oklahoma CityC. D. northcutt Ponca City

Stanley & ruth youngheim El Reno

Dr. & Mrs. nazih Zuhdi Nichols Hills

COnnECTiCUT

M. Bruce Shields Hamden

MaryLanD

Mr. & Mrs. W. DeVier Pierson Chevy Chase

MinnESOTa

Dr. & Mrs. ross H. Miller* Rochester

nEW yOrK

alan C. “ace” greenberg New York City

TEnnESSEE

reba McEntire Nashville

TExaS

Mr. & Mrs. Cy Wagner Midland

MAGAZINE DONORS * Denotes Charter Sponsor

MeMbers & Donors

OKC national Memorial Foundation Oklahoma CityOklahoma City University Oklahoma CityOklahoma Council of Public affairs Oklahoma CityOMrF Oklahoma CityOSU-Tulsa TulsaPenn Presentation, LLC New York, NYMr. Michael T. Peyton TulsaMr. and Mrs. W. DeVier Pierson Chevy Chase, MDMr. and Mrs. Ford C. Price Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. John raley Ponca Cityrolling rrr ranch EdmondrSM investments, LLC Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. William F. Shdeed Oklahoma CitySimons Petroleum Oklahoma CityMr. and Mrs. Lee allan Smith Oklahoma CityUnion Pacific Foundation Ft. Worth, TXUniversity Of Tulsa College of Law TulsaDr. and Mrs. ronald H. White Oklahoma CityMr. John D. Williams Sr. Claremore

PICTUREyour next event at the historic

Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum

1400 Classen Drive • Oklahoma City 73106 • 405.235.4458 • www.oklahomaheritage.comPhotos courtesy of Beautiful Day Images, eventures corporate event production and Gordon Dinsmore Photography

now booking 2011 holiday parties

the elegant Bennett-McClendon Great Hallthe breathtaking Edith Kinney Gaylord Garden

the stately front steps

Information or date reservations:special events director Karlee Chill

405.523.3205 • kc@oklahomaheritage.com

$3.95