Honor, A Salute To Our Veterans

Profiles of Veterans

Tributes Honoring Veterans

We thank you for your service to our country

Staff:

Publisher – Linus Williams Jr.

Publisher/Advertising Manager – Summer Long

In-house Design – LaGayla Wolfe and Karen Holt

Editorial – Anita Reding and John Block

Support Staff – Stephanie Riddle

Veterans profiles and photos

Information and photos about banner program

Names of area veterans

History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I.

Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars.

The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The ceremony honors and thanks all who served in the U.S. armed forces.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Names of area veterans provided by family members. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

ABailes, Kenneth G.

Bailes, Kenny

Bailey, Aaron G.

Bisby, James

Bisby, Vernon

Bisby, William “Bill”

Broughton, Bobby F.

Brouhard, Thomas O.

Brown, Charles T.

Ables, Kenneth

Adams, Billy G.

Adams, John T.

Adams, Shirley Ray

Adcock, James Nolan

Ainsworth, Leo

Ainsworth, Raymond L.

Aldridge, James A.

Aldridge, John Jay

Allen, Rickey

Alvarez, Manuel A. Jr.

Amos, Sherry

Amos, William O. Jr.

Anderson, David E.

Anderson, Jimmy R.

Anderson, John D.

Anderson, Kevin L.

Anderson, Kim

Andrews, Hervy O.

Apple, David

Apple, Michael

Apple, Kristy M. Smith

Apple, Vanessa Renee

Ardis, Clinton F.

Ardis, Jefferson

Ardis, Thomas Othell

Ardis, Truman Howard

Ardis, William Gordon

Ary, Charlie

Ary, Clifford

Ary, Elmer

Ary, Howard Lee

Ary, J.C.

Ary, J.D.

Ary, Ray Lee

Ary, William L.

Atkinson, Buhel T. Jr.

Auberson, Doy

Ayers, Derrick

Baker, Charles

Baker, Doyle A.

Baker, Edsel R.

Baker, John R.

Baker, Roger Guy

Baker, Ronald

Baldree, Danny

Ballard, Houston

Ballard, Manuel D.

Ballard, Ray

Balunas, Edward L.

Bankhead, Gary M.

Bankhead, Merle Monroe

Bankhead, Monte

Barbee, Melvin

Barnard, Teddy Mike

Barnes, Boyd T.

Barnes, Grady Dale

Barnett, Billy Gene

Barnett, Jones C.

Baskerville, Bruce Alan

“Lucky”

Baugus, Ralph W.

Baxter, Brett A.

Bean, Ronald L.

Beardsley, Keith A.

Beck, Robert

Bender, James Melvin

Bender, William Clay

Benham, Jack D.

Bennett, Harold L.

Benson, Don

Benware, Gary

Benton, Walter

Bettencourt, Michael

Bibee, Bobby D.

Bibee, Hubert

Bibee, Jack Walter

Bibee, Joe

Biggs, Ivan Eugene

BBilley, Rayson J

Billey, Rocky Ray

Billingsley, Ros

Birckel, Clarence E.

Bishop, William Jeremy

Blanchett, Jerri Dayle

Bland, Norman

Blankenship, Dwight W.

Blaylock, Jacob

Blevins, Norman L.

Boggs, Jay

Boggs, Ted R.

Boggs, Walter E.

“Dommie”

Boggs, William Thomas

Bollinger, Billy D.

Bolt, Lee Allen

Bond, Haskell

Bond, Jennings “Gene”

Bond, Woodrow

Boprie, Ronald J.

Boren, Cecil

Boren, Gene L.

Boren, James L.

Boston, Billy G. Sr.

Bowden, George E.

Bowen, Billy Leon

Bowen, Danny J.

Box, Samuel G.

Boyd, Gary

Boyles, Donald Ray

Boyles, Leonard O.

Boyles, Robert L.

Boyles, Steven R.

Branam, Eugene

Brant, Godfrey Ray

Brasher, Walter Howard

Bratton, Cecil T.

Bray, Gary W.

Brazeal, Bernard Olen

“B.O.”

Brazil, Leon

Brewer, J.C.

Brigance, Daniel K.

Brigance, Louis R.

Brigance, Loyd L.

Brizendine, Donna

Brizendine, Thomas

Brown, Clem

Brown, Earnest

Brown, Hersel O.

Brown, Jack A.

Brown, James Luther

Brown, Jerald

Brown, Jerry

Brown, Jerry E. “Mickey”

Brown, Jessica

Brown, Kenneth

Brown, Ray Lee

Brown, Robert D.

Brown, Willard J.

Bryan, Jim

Bryce, R.L.

Bryce, Ricky

Buday, Carol Ann

Buday, Gary E.

Buday, Joseph E.

Bull, Jeff

Bullard, Jerry

Bullard, Joe

Bumpers, Burl Dean

Buntin, Michael L.

Burge, Ken D.

Burris, Allen D.

Burson, James A.

Burson, James M.

Burton, James

Busby, Dennis W.

Bush, Charles James

Bush, Gene

Bush, Herman

Bush, Jesse H.

Bush, Kevin E.

Bush, Michael W.

Bush, Phillip K.

Butler, Jewell Dean III

Butler, William E.

Buttram, Jeffery J.

Byars, Bill

Byars, Coy V.

Byrd, James L.

Byrum, Vernon Dale

Bacon, Raymond Orville

Bailes, Jerry Ray

Bird, Dewey Gordon Sr.

Bisby, Charles

Brooks, Edgar Tearl

Brooks, Gene

Military songs inspire troops, preserve tradition

Each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces maintains its own military marching band to inspire troops and preserve tradition. Though they now serve ceremonial functions, these bands were once an integral element on the battlefield. To increase the morale and courage of the men, bands would march in front of formations as they entered battle. Yet, as the number of musicians dwindled, commanders delegated marching bands to the rear of the formation, behind the combat-ready troops. Today, bands are no longer involved in armed conflict, but continue to inspire troops through song or hymn that represent the individual histories and traditions of America’s Armed Forces.

Before “The Caisson Song” was adopted as the official tune of the U.S. Army, it was the proud anthem of the U.S. Field Artillery Corps. During a long march in the Philippines, Lieutenant Edmund L. “Snitz” Gruber overheard an officer roar “Come on! Keep ‘em Rolling!” Gruber, whose relative, Franz, composed the Christmas Song “Silent Night,” was suddenly inspired and that night wrote the now-famous melody. Fellow soldiers helped with the lyrics and in almost no time, all six regiments of the U.S. Field Artillery had adopted “The Caisson Song” as a popular marching tune.

During the last days of World War I, senior artillery leaders wanted to make “The Caisson Song” official, and mistaking the piece as composed during the Civil War, allowed bandmaster John Phillip Sousa to incorporate most of the song into his own composition “The U.S. Field Artillery March.” The song became a chart-topper during World War I, selling 750,000 copies. Discovering Gruber actually wrote the melody, an embarrassed but innocent Sousa made certain Gruber received his royalties. In 1948, the Army held a nationwide contest to find an official song. After four years of unsuccessful results and nearly 800 submitted scores, the Adjunct General’s office decided to recycle “The Caisson Song.” H.W. Arberg arranged the U.S. Army song, naming it “The Army Goes Rolling Along.” The Army copyrighted the song in 1956.

An unlikely venue hosted the debut of a tune many now associate with the Marines’ Hymn. In the city of Paris, France, Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) wrote and conducted opera and opera-bouffe (comic and farcical opera). Most believe the melody of the Marines’ Hymn was, in fact, taken from an aria in “Genevieve de Brabant” composed by Offenbach. This tune was morphed to fit the now famous lines “From the Halls of Montezuma, To the Shores of Tripoli.”

According to tradition, an officer wrote the first verse of the Hymn on duty in the Mexican War (1846-1848). Meant to highlight the various campaigns of the Marines, the unknown author edited the words from the Marines’ colors and added them to Offenbach’s melody. Continuing the custom, every campaign the Marines participate in gives birth to a new, unofficial verse. Copyright ownership of the Marines’ Hymn was vested to the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991, although its first use as the Marines’ official anthem was in 1929.

• Continued on pages 9, 23, 29

U.S. ARMY - “THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG”

U.S. MARINES - THE “MARINES’ HYMN”

Cagle, Eugene

Campbell, Jennie Lou (Skrimager)

Campbell, Roy N.

Campbell, Thurbert A.

“Andy”

Cantrell, David Wayne

Cantrell, Derryl H.

Capehart, Terry

Caraway, Oscar

Carey, David A.

Carlton, Roy Lee

Carman, Robert

Carolan, Jerry

Carpenter, Clyde

Carroll, John

Carry, Boyd I. Jr.

Carry, Josh

Carry, Joshua

Carter, Charles Eugene

Carter, Claudy Virgil

Cartright, Galen D.

Case, Kerrilee

Cash, Bruce N.

Casinger, Trent

Cawyer, Toby

Cesar, Frederick Wayne

Chambless, Charley

Evert

Chambless, William Audy

Chapman, Larry

Cheska, Dennis J.

Cheska, Robert E.

Cheskey, George

Childers, Larry

Christy, David G. Jr.

Christy, Gilmore Wilson

Clamo, Stanley R.

Clark, JW “Bill”

Clark, Spencer V.

Clark-Davis, Christine M.

CClarkson, Omer Jr.

Clay, James Allen “Tony”

Clayton, Dylan B.

Clement, Bill

Clement, Joe P.

Clement, Joe Paul

Clement, Thomas Patrick

“Pat”

Cloud, L.B.

Cloud, Ray

Clyma, Larry

Coble, Lenard Leo

Coble, Leonard

Coffey, Floyd R. Jr.

Cole, David Neil

Cole, Francis Dawayne

Cole, Gene Stanley

Cole, Loren L.

Cole, Neil

Collier, DeVale J.

Collins, James

Colwell, Darryl

Colwell, Jacob

Cook, Calvin C.

Cooper, LeRoy

Cooper, Paul Eugene

Copeland, Charles

“Caleb”

Copeland, Charles

“Chuck” Sidney

Copeland, Larry “Wayne”

Copeman, Charles

Coplen, C.B. Jr.

Coplen, G.C.

Coplen, O.W.

Coplen, T.J.

Corder, Gary

Corp, William

Couch, Danny

Coughran, Bill

Coughran, Bob

Coughran, Jack

Coughran, Lonzo

Courts, Dorothea A.

Cox, A. Carl

Cox, Arthur

Cox, Austin H.

Cox, Billy Joe

Cox, Fred J.

Cox, Robert Eugene

Cox, Thomas Joe

Cox, William E. Jr.

Coy, Hugh T.

Craig, Dennis L.

Craig, Harvey L.

Craig, N.L.

Craig, Nathan

Crammer, Kevin D.

Cravens, Albert

Crawford, William B.

Croslin, Lawrence

Culp, Robert D.

Cummings, Billy H.

Cummings, Robert L. “Jack”

Curtsinger, Curt

Donathan, Curtis Ray

Dority, Thomas F.

Doss, H.L. (Herman Lee)

Jr.

Doss, James E.

Doss, Jimmy Don

Dover, Colby

Driscoll, Herman

Driscoll, William F.

Drummond, O.G.

Drummond, Oliver

Drummonds, Dan

Drummonds, Levi

Duke, Bobby G.

Duke, Otis

Dunkin, Darrell P.

Dunkin, Gary William

Dunkin, Glen T.

Dunlap, Alvin

Dunlap, Jackie E.

Dunlap, William C.

Durfey, Beau

Daniels, Lewis Ray

Danley, James

Danley, James R.

Davidson, L.J.

Davis, Argie Kenneth

Davis, Leonard Earl

Davis, Morris Wayne

Davis, Omer Otis

Deahl, Charles J. Jr.

Decker, Alvin S.

Dennis, Wendell

Dickson, John H. Jr.

Dill, Bill

Dill, Calvin E.

Dixon, Ben W.

Dixon, Fred Coleman

Dixon, Ramond E.

Doby, William L.

EDEacret, Arthur Burl

Eacret, Bennie Clifford Jr.

Eacret, Hershel Cleston

Eacret, Jonathan Eugene

Eades, James

Eakle, Delmon C.

Eakle, Jimmy

Eakle, Michael

Eaton, Donald

Eaton, Edmond T.

Eaton, Howard

Eaton, Marine

Echols, Mike

Edwards, Ronnie W.

Ellis, Paul Erasmas

Evett, James W.

Names provided by family members. Thank you veterans for your service.

Honoring our Veterans WitH respect & gratitude.

Banners in downtown Stigler honor veterans

By Anita Reding Editor

Stigler’s Veterans Banner Program is providing the community with the opportunity “to honor our hometown heroes both past and present by recognizing their service with a custom-made banner,” according to Shane Timmons, organizer of the program.

The banner program began last year. The banners were placed in downtown Stigler a few months ago and will remain in place through Veterans Day.

The program is a joint venture.

For each veteran’s banner, a family member made the purchase and provided a photo, name and military rank. Timmons worked with each family in gathering the information.

Stigler Printing produced the banners. The banners were placed in the downtown area by employees with the City of Stigler.

“I am extremely thankful to have helped coordinate the veterans’ banner project here in town. It was a privilege to partner with Stigler Printing, the Stigler-Haskell County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Stigler to honor our veterans,” said Shane Timmons, Workforce and Economic De-

velopment Coordinator at Kiamichi Tech-Stigler.

“After arriving on campus in July 2021 I came up with the idea after discussing ideas for a potential community project with several co-workers. The project took off like lightening and the support from the citizens of Stigler was overwhelmingly positive. I hear compliments all the time from visitors about how nice the banners look lining the streets of our beautiful town. I feel blessed to have had a small hand in it all.”

Stigler City Manager Bobby Mouser said the city is “extremely pleased to acknowledge the service of the veterans,” and added that the idea for banners was “entirely Shane’s idea.”

Mouser also expressed his gratitude to Linus Williams Jr., and employees with Stigler Printing who made the banners. Mouser said he knew it was a challenge to take old photographs and produce new photos with “wonderful clarity” for the banners.

Going forward, the banners will be displayed in the downtown area during multiple holidays throughout the year.

Photos of the veterans banners that were available at press-time are included in this publication.

In an attempt to write a catchy tune to rally the Naval Academy’s football team, “Anchors Aweigh” was born. Lieutenant Charles A. Zimmerman, the U.S. Navy bandmaster from 1887 to 1916, started the practice of composing a march for each graduating class. However, none of these tunes really caught on. In 1906, Zimmerman was approached by Midshipman Alfred Hart Miles to write a “piece of music that would be inspiring, one with swing to it so it could be used as a football marching song, and one that would live forever.”

Together, Zimmerman and Hart composed the tune and lyrics that became “Anchors Aweigh,” dedicated to the class of 1907. The new fight song indeed propelled Navy to a win that year over Army. The march was subsequently adopted as the official Navy song and continues to inspire classes of Naval Academy Midshipmen.

U.S. NAVY - “ANCHORS AWEIGH”

“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran does not have that problem.”

Ronald Reagan

HEAD’S PHARMACY

Honoring Our Military

As we celebrate Veterans Day, we would like to take a moment to express our deepest thanks to the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in our military. We recognize their courage, hard work and dedication to our nation.

BRIAN HENDERSON Associate District Judge

Falconer, Perry B.

Fann, Adam

Fann, Miranda

Faulkner, David

Faulkner, David E.

Faulkner, Earl T.

Faulkner, Tommy

Faulkner, Tommy G.

Ferguson, Dennis Duane

Few, Burton

Finney, John Floyd Jr.

Fioretti, Fay B.

Fioretti, Louis Jr.

Fioretti, Michael Ray

Fioretti, Ray Eugene

Fioretti, Tristan

Fisher, John Henry

Fisk, Derrell Gene

Fitzer, Joe L.

Fitzer, Larry

Fitzer, Larry D.

Fitzer, William E.

Flanagan, Robert A.

Flud, James M.

Fobber, Jessie

Fobber, Joseph

Fobber, Tex

Fobber, Tony

Foitek, Eugene “Pat”

Foitek, Lewis P.

Foitek, Nicholas

Followill, Dallas

Followill, Dallas A.

Ford, Charles A.

Ford, Charles Eugene

Ford, Herman Lee

Ford, Hollie C.

Ford, James Anderson

Ford, Raymond

Ford, Raymond Jr.

Foster, Denver W.

Foster, J.C.

Fountain, Aaron

Fowler, Johnnie Floyd

Fowler, Marion

Fowler, Ray

Fowler, Ted

Fowler, Wesley

Franklin, Albert W.

FFranklin, Dan

Franklin, Eddie

Franklin, Eddie W.

Franklin, Harry B.

Franklin, John

Franklin, John L.

Franklin, Johnny Lynn

Franklin, Orville Lester

Franks, Billy Wayne

Franks, Don Garrett

Franks, Jimmy Ray

Frazier, Wayne

Freeberg, Earl

Freeman, Gene Autrey

Fry, Jeffery Scott

Galvin, Melvin “Cotton”

Garland, Jack R.

Garland, Jerry W.

Garst, Perry

Geer, Delber

Gemmill, Lonnie R.

Gibson, Austin

Gilstrap, Dale

Glanz, Stanley D.

Goff, Douglas

Goodmiller, Richard

Goodwin, Charles Earl

Goodwin, William Thomas

Gorman, Kevin

Gorman, Linton

Gossett, Billy

Gossett, Melvin

Green, Austin

Green, Billie Sr.

Green, Billy

Green, Carl J.

Green, Claud H.

Green, Curtis E.

Green, David

Green, Fred Davis

Green, George

Green, Harry B.

Green, Harry Eugene

Green, James W.

Green, Jerry

Green, Jimmy

Green, Kenneth

Green, Paul D.

Green, Perry

Green, Ted E.

Green, Thomas

Green, Thomas Hicks

Green, Warren

Greenmyer, Roger

Griffin, Jerry

Griffin, William T. “Ted”

Griffith, Julius R.

Grigsby, Harold K.

Grisham, Richard Douglas

Gross, Allen

Gulley, Everett E.

Guthrie, Dennis

GHadley, Bill G.

Hadley, Melissa J.

Hadley, Tobey C.

Hale, Clarence Dallas

Hale, Claud Jackson

Hale, Joshua Adam

Hall, Horace Mann

Hall, Paul F.

Hall, S.A. Buddy

Hallman, Donald W.

Hamilton, Warren D.

Hamlin, Barry Dale

Hamlin, John Every

Hamlin, Larry E.

Hamm, Doyle

Hamm, Hubert

Hamm, Leonard

Hanke, David

Harbel, Raybon

Hargis, William David Jr.

Harp, Arl C.

Harp, Rufus J.

Harper, Richard F.

Harrell, George

Harrell, Joe

Harrell, Joe Wesley

Harrell, John

Harrell, John W.

Harrell, Sam

Harrell, Samuel

Harrell, Samuel Thomas

Harris, Delmar L.

Harris, Marlys Ann

Harris, Phillip

Harris, William C.

Haughey, Lonnie Gene Sr.

Hayes, Lloyd Raymond

Hayse, Solan

Healy, Danny L.

Healy, Kathy

Hearton, Thomas J. Jr.

Heaton, Alvin Wayne

Hedrick, George M.

Heflin, Conrad Wayne

Henry, Philip J.

Hensley, Kenneth

Hess, Earl

Hiat, Travis W.

Hickman, Edward

HHicks, Alan M.

Hicks, Crawford C.

Higgins, William J.

Hill, Gary

Hill, Roland Reed

Hill, Taylor J. William

Hillhouse, Kenneth

Hilyard, Byron McKay

Hilyard, Thomas Gerald

Hinton, David

Hinz, Henry Carl, Jr.

Hinz, Henry Carl, Sr.

Hinz, Joseph Ralph

Hodges, Floyd W.

Holdridge, Arval M.

Hollingshead, Billy J.

Holmes, Meryl D.

Honeycutt, Don Earl

Honeycutt, Harlen E.

Horne, Jim E.

Howard, Herman

Howard, Leon

Howard, Ronnie Joe

Howerton, William T.

Hoyt, Danny

Hubbard, Andy

Hudgens, Jess Monroe

Hudson, John F.

Huggins, Bobby C.

Huggins, Charles

Huggins, Jon R.

Huggins, Robert Carroll

Hulsey, Barto Jefferson

Hume, R.E.

Hunter, Brittney

Hunter, Doyle G.

Hunter, James Kyle

Hurst, Conard

Hurst, Darren

Hurst, Wanda F.

Names provided by family members. Thank you veterans for your service.

Banners line streets

• Thirty of the 45 presidents served in the Army, 24 during time of war, two earned the rank of fivestar general (Washington -- who was promoted posthumously to a six-star general in 1976 -- and Eisenhower) and one earned the Medal of Honor (Theodore Roosevelt).

• Less than 28% of Americans between the ages of 17-23 are qualified for military service, that’s only about 1-in-4.

• The U.S. Air Force was part of the Army until 1946. It was called the Army Air Corps. • President James Buchanan served as an enlisted man in the military

and did not go on to become an officer.

• The Defense Department employs about 1.8 million people on active duty. It is the largest employer in the United States, with more employees than Exxon, Mobil, Ford, General Motors and GE combined.

Idleman, Jerry

Iness, Arley

Irvin, Bryan Elwood

IJordan, James Knox

Jordan, Joseph B.

Jordan, Martin O.

Jordan, Ray

Jordan, Terry

Jordan, William D. “Bill”

Kirk, Doc

Kirk, Eugene

Kirk, J.W.

Kirk, Joe Bob

Knell, Paul

Lewis, Dillon K.

Lewis, Melton

Lewis, Neal

Lietch, Randy J. Jr.

Lively, Claude

LLivesay, George L.

Livesay, Jerald Boyd

Lloyd, James H. “Red”

JJackson, Ken

Jacobson, John E.

Jacobson, John

“Jake”

James, William

Jenkins, Charley

Jennings, H. B. “Red”

Jetton, Wayne E.

Johnson, Alex

Johnson, Billy W.

Johnson, Don B.

Johnson, Herman

Johnson, Jerry

Johnson, Jerry John

Johnson, John Rueben

Johnson, Larry

Johnson, Larry Carl

Johnson, Raphael “Ray”

Johnson, Ray

Johnson, Reuben

Johnson, William “Bill”

Jones, Alfred Lee

Jones, Billy

Jones, Carissa S.

Jones, Eddie Glen

Jones, Edgar Eddie

Jones, Justin J.

Jones, Kensey M.F.

Jones, W. R.

Jordan, Albert R.

Jordan, Chester O.

Jordan, Clarence C. Sr.

Jordan, Dempsey

Jordan, Jack H.

KKasiner, Bartie Glenn

Kasiner, Charles Edward

Kasiner, Louis Clifton

Kasiner, William Roy

Kates, Marion Dean

Keip, Thomas M.

Keith, Joe

Kelley, Kenneth K. “Chick”

Kelly, Ralph

Kelton, C.J. “Jack”

Kemp, Reuben

Kennedy, Raymond

Kennedy, Rex Doyle

Kennedy, Roger B.

Kennedy, Roland “Buck”

Kenney, John

Kennon, Sam N.

Keylon, Arvel E.

Keylon, Eddie Franklin

Killian, Raymond E.

Kindrick, Jerrett

King, Boyd

King, Howard

King, Jess

King, Vanis James

Kinman, Mark

Kinser, John R.

Kinsey, David Joe

Kinsey, Donald Ray

Kinsey, Elzie “Rass”

Kinsey, Grady “Mack”

Kinsey, Lonnie

Kinsey, Randy

Kinsey, Raymond

Labor, John Floyd

Ladd, Erica

Lamb, George K.

Lamb, Keith

Lane, Bill

Lane, Dylan L.

Lane, Pershing “Perk”

Lane, Richard L.

Langdon, Joseph

Lankford, Harold M.

Lankford, William E.

Lashley, Bo

Lashley, Brett

Lawson, Lonzo Jr.

Lee, Jerry

Leedom, A.W.

LeFlore, Meb Jack

Lemler, Russell George

Lemons, Marshall

Lockwood, Connie Joe “C.J.”

Lockwood, Lonnie

Lockwood, Wanda L.

Long, Cecil E.

Lopez, Jeremy

Loveless, Garland

Loveless, Glyn

Lovell, Burel W.

Lovell, Burnard

Lovell, Connar

Lovell, Jerry Lee Sr.

Lovell, Melissa

Lowe, Luther

Lowe, Robert “Pug”

Luce, Calvin Clifton

Lumpkin, Austin

Luttrell, Nicholas G.

Lynch, Wayne

Lytle, Enoch

A special thank you for your military service to our country.

Names provided by family members.

Army Veteran: Billy McCarter

By John Block Staff reporter

Billy is married to Leyla McCarter and they have three children; Kaiden, Jackson and Taytum who are enrolled at Stigler Public Schools. Billy and his wife took over ownership of Miss M’s Tea Room in August.

Q: What branch of service did you serve in?

A: United States Army

Q: When and where did you serve in the military?

A: I served in the military for nine years and was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2006 to August of 2007.

Q: How did you decide to join the military

A: I decided to join the Army because I thought it was a good way to fast track my life. I also decided to join because of 9/11.

Q: Did your military service change you? If so, how?

A: My military service changed me in many

ways. I learned life was short, so you shouldn’t let the small stuff get to you. It changed my view of friendships/brotherhoods. It also made me realize how important my family support is.

Q: Where you a first-generation military member?

A: I am the first person in my family to join the military.

Q: Did you grow up in Haskell County, Quinton or Porum?

A: I did not grow up in Haskell County. I grew up in Stockton, Calif., until I was 13, then I moved to Porum.

Q: Have you remained friends with anyone you served with in the military? What does that friendship mean to you?

A: I have remained friends with some of the people I was deployed with. Having friends like that are rare, most of us have been through a lot together. So they are people you can call and just talk to or get advice from. But most of all they are always there if you need anything.

Q: What career did you choose after your military service? Why did you choose this career path?

A: I choose welding after my military service due to the fact I didn’t have any experience in a craft and I wanted to make good money quickly.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is considering joining the military?

A: If I was giving advice to someone that’s joining the military, I would tell them to be like a sponge and soak everything in. I would also tell them to remember it’s not about them it’s about their battle buddies.

of honor

Veterans Poem:

It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given you freedom of religion.

It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given you freedom of the press.

It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given you freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the protester, who has given you freedom to assemble.

It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given you the right to a fair trial.

It is the veteran, not the politician, who has given you the right to vote.

It is the veteran, who salutes the Flag, who serves under the Flag, whose coffin is draped by the Flag.

Mackey, Earl

Mahan, Robert C.

Malone, M.C.

Marks, Neal

Marlatt, Bill

Martin, Bobby

Martin, Fred Ivey

Martin, Grady M.

Martin, Harold Wayne

Martin, Roy Robert Jr.

Martin, Tommy

Martin, William C.

Matthews, David Walker

Matthews, Edward Wiley

Matthews, Harley G.

Matthews, Joseph

Wheeler “Joe”

Matthews, Rachel Rae

Maxwell, Chip

Maxwell, Devie

Maxwell, Jack

Maxwell, John Jr.

Maxwell, Robert

Maxwell, Trace

Mayberry, Bill

Mayhall, Ernie

Mayhall, Everett

Mayhall, Jr.

Mayhall, Kelly

Mayhall, Loyd Pery

Mayhall, T.J.

McAlvain, Don

McAlvain, Harold Warren

Thank you veterans for your service. Names provided by family members.

MMcCamish, Charles R.

McCasslin, John

McClain, Doug

McClary, Justin Leroy

McCoy, Benny D.

McCullar, Norbid “Pugar”

McCurry, Austin T.

McCurtain, James B.

McDonald, Ronald

McDonald, Ronnie

McDougal, Kenneth P.

McDuffe, Larry S.

McElroy, William Earl

McGuire, Jim

McGuire, George

Wendell

McKay, Carroll

McKibben, Eulis

McKibben, Kendell

McKibben, James C.

McKibben, Wallace

McKinney, John

McMahon, Edward F.

McMahan, Tyler Levi

McMinn, Terry D.

McSperitt, Edward

McWhirter, Larry D.

Mecom, Robert

Medlock, Jimmy L.

Mendenhall, Paul

Mikles, James F.

Miller, Bobby G.

Miller, Donivan M.

Miller, Freeman T.

Miller, Glenda K. (Reading)

Miller, James

Miller, Jim

Miller, Kirk B.

Miller, Monroe Jr.

Miller, Otey C.

Miller, Robert W.

Miller, Roland E.

Miller, Tony R.

Milner, Robert “Bud”

Miron, Jeremiah

Miron, Zach

Mitchell, R.A.

Mitchell, Vaughn Ellis

Mizell, George E.

Mizell, Jimmy E.

Mizell, Marshall

Vinson III

Moncrief, Nancy

Moody, James

Moore, Dan

Moore, Lester

Morris, Charles W.

Morris, Joe

Morris, Julius J.

Morris, Robert

Morrison, Duke

Morrison, Leonard A.

Mouser, Bobby D.

Mouser, Jackie R.

Munn, Joe Garrett

Murry, Murrell G.

Nelson, Jack

Nichols, Justin W.

Nix, John J.

Nixon, Carl D.

Nixon, Lee Roy

Nixon, Loyd E.

Norman, Jessie J.

Norried, Robert Houston

Nunn, Harvey K.

Nunn, Joe

OO’Connor, Danny Franklin Jr.

O’Connor, Robert Edward

Oetting, Charles

Oetting, Dave

Ogle, Jack O.

Ogle, Richard “Whick” E.

Oldham, Max

Oldham, Robert J.

Oliver, David

Oliver, Junior W.

Olzawski, Rick

Orr, Trenton

Orr, Tyler

Orr, Tyler W.

Orr, William G.

Osborn, Ronnie E.

NOverstreet, C.A.

Neldon, John P.

Nelson, Iley Jr.

• The English Bulldog, also known as “Teufel-hunden” or “Devil Dogs,” is the unofficial mascot that symbolizes the ethos of the warrior culture of the U.S. Marines. The Marine Corps earned this unofficial mascot during World War I, when many German reports called the attacking Marines “teufel-hunden,” meaning devil dogs. “Teufel-hunden” were the vicious, wild and ferocious mountain dogs of German Bavarian folklore.

– Charles B. Rangel

Parker, Bill

Parker, James

Parker, Tommy

Parker, Walt

Parsons, Russell

Parsons, William O.

Partain, Gerald Wayne

Partain, William “Dub” Jr.

Partain, Wm. “Arthur” Sr.

Patten, Ashton

Patten, Kinion

Patterson, George W.

Patterson, James

Patterson, Ponder

Patterson, Wayne D.

Patton, Bobby D.

Patton, Henry “Penny”

Patton, James

Patton, Jim B.

Patton, Richard

Patton, Virgil

Paul, Lear

Paul, Richard

Paul, Theodore

Pearson, Arthur D.

Peck, Lawrence E.

Peck, Wayne Austin

Peevyhouse, Huston F.

Peevyhouse, James L.

Peevyhouse, Lonnie

Peevyhouse, Melvin E.

Peevyhouse, Robert A.

Peevyhouse, Willie F.

Pendergrass, William Nelson

Pennington, Walter

Peoples, Charles Dale

Thank you veterans for your service. Names provided by family members.

PPerkins, Steve

Perry, Albert Jr.

Perryman, James

Peters, Ernest

Petty, Ryan K.

Phillips, Hershel O.

Phillips, Jefferson Andrew

Phillips, Vernon D.

Pixler, Newell

Poe, Claud

Pogue, Arden D.

Pogue, Bob

Polley, Cecil W.

Pollock, Robert W.

Porter, Charles Fay

Porter, Larry Ray

Porter, Ray Newman

Possage, Michael A.

Potts, Ginger L.

Potts, Nathan E.

Powell, Carl Ray

Powell, Clark D.

Powell, Darrell Glenn

Powell, Harold Loyd

Prater, Cecil T.

Prentice, Hershel Murray

Preskitt, G.W. “Jack”

Preskitt, Irby Woodrow

Preskitt, James Warren

Price, Aaron Ray

Price, Alfred Earnest

Price, Elzia L.

Price, Garry Don

Price, Michael Vernon

Price, Seth

Priest, Lawrence T.

Prince, Michael

Proffitt, Billy Joe

Pugh, Arthur

Pugh, Darrell

Pugh, J.B.

Pugh, James R.

Pugh, Luthur

Pugh, Robert L. “Joker”

Pulse, Warren G.

Purdom, Jim

Purdom, Royal K.

Riddle, Leon

Riddle, Marion L.

Riddle, Muriel C.

Riddle, Noel D.

Riddle, Ronald

Riddle, Roy

Riddle, Roy W.

RRitch, Earl Delbert

Ritch, Otis

Ritz, Donald Charles

Radebaugh, Doyle Gene

Rainwater, Rickey L.

Rainwater, Royce

Ramsey, Joseph Ralph

Rathbun, Loren

Reading, James D.

Reasnor, Greta

Reavis, Bill

Reavis, Boyd

Reavis, David L.

Reavis, Estel A.

Reavis, Lucas

Reavis, Melvin “Red”

Reavis, Mike

Reavis, Robert L.

Reece, Earl Gene

Reed, Kenneth R.

Reid, Edward Wayne

“Eddie”

Reid, Felix

Reid, Louise

Reid, Marcus B.

Renfrow, Ernest M.

Rennick, Everett

Reynolds, Clinton

Leroy Cooper

Reynolds, Edward

Riddle, Adley P., Jr.

Riddle, Cecil Dale

Riddle, Flaude C.

Riddle, Fred

Roberts, Mickey

Robertson, Charles A.

Robinson, Snoden

Rogers, Billie E.

Rose, C.W. “Dub”

Rosenburgh, Bob

Ross, Bobby R.

Ross, Charles C.

Ross, Everett “Ike”

Ross, Garry L.

Ross, Kenneth R.

Ross, Richard A.

Ross, William “Billy”

Rowe, Howard E.

Rowe, Justin

Rowland, Alford R.

Rowland, Gary H.

Roye, Billy Earl

Roye, Charles “Chuck”

Henry

Roye, Charles D.

Roye, Claud Elva

Roye, Earl William

Roye, Edwin F.

Roye, Ivan Stegall

Roye, William Earl “Billy Earl”

Rush, Van

Russell, Curt Douglas

Rust, Andy

Rutledge, Shedrick Paul

• The U.S. Army was in charge of exploring and mapping America. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was an all-Army affair. Army officers were the first Americans to see such landmarks as Pike’s Peak and the Grand Canyon.

Thank you veterans for your service. Names provided by family members.

SShearer, Walter

Sheetz, Ronald H.

Shelton, Dick

Salyers, A.C.

Sampson, Clinton

Edmond

Sandlin, Floyd Sr.

Sandlin, George E.

Sappington, Billy Wesley

Sappington, Brian

Satterfield, Melvin Doyle

Satterfield, Thomas R.

Satterfield, Zachary K.

Saunders, Fred White

Scantlen, Colton

Scantlen, Jerry R.

Scantlen, Michael W.

Scantlen, Terry R.

Scarberry, Jerry

Scharbor, Coy E.

Schultz, Thomas Ray

Scott, Aaron

Scott, Eddie

Scott, Jeremy

Scroggins, Ronnie

Seabolt, Bill

Seabolt, Rick E.

Sellars, Allen

Shaffer, Jacob L.

Shaffer, Jake

Shaffer, Ronald W.

Sharp, Cecil Oscar

Shaw, Yearl K.

Shelton, Gary D.

Shelton, Gary D. Sr.

Shelton, Richard

Shelton, Richard Valgene

Shelton, Robert Lee

Shelton, Thomas E.

Shepherd, Eddie

Shepherd, Floyd E.

Shepherd, Fremon J.

Shepperd, Vern D.

Sherman, Alvin

Shimp, Houston

Shook, Robert

Shoopman, Bill

Shoopman, Bill R.

Short, Howard L.

Short, Jerrod

Short, Kenneth

Slater, Jack W.

Slater, Raymond P.

Small, Steven Eugene

Smith, Bill

Smith, Cecil

Smith, Chester Haywood

Smith, David

Smith, Dickie Dan

Smith, Doyle

Smith, Fred J. “Jake”

Smith, Homer O.

Smith, James W.

Smith, James William

Smith, James William “Bill”

Smith, Joe Ottice

Smith, Larry Alton

Smith, Leland

Smith, Marvin George “Grit”

Smith, Tommie F.

Smith, William Floyd

Southern, Howard C.

Spears, Burl

Spears, Chester E.

Spears, F.M.

Spears, Joe

Spears, Kenneth R.

Spears, Leamon Troy

“Sonny”

Spears, Utah O.

Speer, Billy R.

Speer, Chester E.

Speer, Fred H.

Speer, Johnny T. “Troy”

Speer, Leo M.

Speer, Osborne W. “Ous”

Spence, Clifford D

Spence, Herbert B.

Spradley, Ernest W.

Spradley, Rick L.

Stamper, Phillip Eugene

Stancell, Clifford

Stancell, J.L.

Stanfield, Silas William

Stauffer, John David Jr.

U.S. AIR FORCE - “THE U.S. AIR FORCE”

In 1938, the Army Air Corps decided they needed an official song. Liberty Magazine sponsored a contest whereby 757 scores were submitted. Of those, one written by Robert Crawford was selected by a committee of Air Corps wives and officially introduced at the Cleveland Air Races in 1939. Crawford himself sang it in its first public performance. When the Army Air Corp became a separate branch of the military in 1947, Crawford’s march changed names from “The Army Air Corps” to the “U.S. Air Force.”

Steele, Larry C.

Stephens, Joe Bob

Stewart, Roy G.

Stiles, Augest Eugene

Stiles, Kenneth Ray

Stiles, Percy Dean

Stiles, Robert Wayne

Stone, Charles P.

Stone, Herman D.

Stone, Willie Sr.

Storie, Stephen M.

Storment, Alvin

Storment, Barbara E.

Hickman

Storment, Clifford

Storment, Howard

Storment, James L.

Storment, Jerry W.

Storment, Jimmy

Storment, Jimmy L.

Storment, Wm. Howard

Stout, Francis J.

Strain, Robert Leon Jr.

Strauch, Wyatt

Striegel, Louis E.

Stubblefield, Jack

Stubblefield, Jimmy Howard

Stubblefield, Steve

Sturdy, John

Summerville, Ronald L.

Susan, Suzanne

Swope, Lee R.

• Continued from pages 7, 9, continued to page 29

Since that time, the first line of “Nothing’ll Stop the U.S. Air Force” became a motto and tradition. On July 30, 1971, the original first page submitted by Robert Crawford in 1939 was carried into space in the Apollo 15 “Falcon” and broadcast to the world by Major Alfred W. Worden, who had a tape recorder aboard the “Endeavor” command module. The “All-Air Force” crew arranged to take the sheet music with them as a tribute to Crawford and the U.S. Air Force.

By Anita Reding Editor

Larry Marcy II joined the military in order to pay for college. He served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and the Army from 1989 to 2016. He served in numerous locations throughout Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Ky. He deployed to Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Q: Were you a first-generation military member, or have other family members served in the military? If so, who are they and where did they serve?

A: My family has a history of military service that I can trace back to the Civil War. My grandfather and father served in the 45th Infantry Division. I have two brothers that also served in the Army and Army National Guard.

Q: Did your military service change you? If so, how?

A: Twenty-seven years of life experiences tends to influence who you are. I learned to make hard choices that sometimes had unpleasant outcomes, especially while overseas.

Q: Did you grow up in Haskell County? Which town? How did your hometown change after you returned home from your military service?

A: Unfortunately, I did not grow up in Haskell County, I only recently discovered it. I was born and raised in Durant (Bryan County). What I would say about hometowns after military service is that it doesn't matter what your hometown originally was. What matters is how much you appreciate it after seeing how bad the rest of the world can be in comparison.

Q: Have you remained friends with anyone you served with in the military? What does that friendship mean to you?

A:My closest friends are from the

military, I talk to them on a regular basis and we get together often. They understand why you are the way you are, largely in part because they shared the experiences that shaped you. I've met numerous Veterans here in Haskell County that I now consider friends, largely for the same reason.

Q: Do you have any memories from the military that you would like to share with the community?

A: I spent a lot of time with the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. By way of comparison, our way of life is so much better than the best they have. Our freedoms and opportunities should not be taken for granted.

Q: What career did you choose after your military service? Why did you choose this career path?

A: I've worked in law enforcement both full-time and part-time since my retirement. It offers a lot of the same experiences that military service does. I've also done some substitute teaching at Stigler High School, my bachelor’s degree is in Education. I enjoy the perspective that young people offer these days.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering joining the military?

A: Take advantage of everything the military has to offer. There are opportunities to attend college during military service that are paid for. Wherever you're stationed, get out and travel during your free time, don't waste it playing video games in the barracks. Be glad for the friends you make during your time in the military.

Larry Marcy II: Army, Oklahoma Army National Guard

Tanner, George E.

Tanner, Larry

Tatman, Ed Jr.

Tatman, Ed Sr.

Tatum, Joe H.

Tatum, Ralph K.

Terrell, Edmond

Terrell, Eli

Terrell, Frankie Buster

Terrell, Jesse

Terrell, Jim

Terrell, Lawrence

Terrell, O.D.

Terrell, Preston

Thomas, Carl

Thomas, Charles

Thomas, Olen H.

Thompson, Alvin T.

Thompson, Billy R.

Thompson, Calvin Leon

TThompson, Don L.

Thompson, Frank

Thompson, Herman R.

Thompson, James D.

Thompson, James R.

Thompson, Max

Thompson, Micheal

Thompson, Paul S.

Thompson, William

Thompson, William C.

Thornton, Brandon P.

Thornton, Charles

Timmons, Mitchell

Timmons, Ray

Timmons, Willard

Todd, Harold

Totty, Robert Don

Treadway, Gerald Clifford

Treadway, John

Treadway, Thomas

Treadway, Vernon

Trent, Richard E.

Trickett, Arvin Ofay

Trickett, Jimmy Odell

Trickett, Kenneth Odell

Tucker, Charlie Floyd

Tucker, Ernest C.

Tucker, Mac

Tucker, Nolen

Turner, John Frank

Turney, Arthur D.

Turney, Arthur Sewell

Turney, Benjamin Franklin

Turney, Bill Marion

Turney, John Robert

Turney, Johnathan

Turney, Robert Francis

Turrentine, Kenneth C.

Underwood, Jerry

Underwood, Keith

Underwood, Larry A.

Underwood, Phillip B.

Underwood, Philip

Underwood, Rocky S.

Underwood, W.H.

Updyke, Robert

Upton, Danny Joe

Upton, Harold L.

Upton, Leon

Upton, Lindsey Joe

Upton, Sheila Denice

Underwood, Argus Keith

Underwood, David

Underwood, Houston P.

UValouch, Phillip

Vance, Brian

VVaughn, Virgil G.

Vaught, Billy Wayne “Bill”

Vaught, C.B.

Vaught, Charlie Silas

Virden, Emerson

Marine Corps veteran Larry Childers

By John Block Staff reporter

Larry Childers returned to Porum Public Schools this season to coach the Porum Panthers football team. He coached at Porum in the 1980s and has throughly enjoyed being back.

Q: How long were you in the military?

A: Nov. 1974 to Aug. 1976. I received an early release to attend college in 1976 once the Vietnam War ended.

Q: Where were you stationed?

A: I was stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC from 1974-1976. I was also stationed in Okinawa, Japan 1975 in transport to Vietnam.

Q: What was your title in the Marine Corps?

A: My military rank was Lance/ Corporal and my MOS was 0844 Fire Direct Control and Office Clerk for General Palmer. If my guys on the front lines came under enemy fire it was my job to be accurate enough to drop an artillery round on top of the enemy without hurting our guys in the front.

Q: Did you receive any medals in your military career?

A: I received my Rifle Sharpshooter medal and Vietnam medal. I also received a Meritorious Medal for excellence with the Marine Corp Artillery Division.

Q: Have you remained friends with anyone you served with in the military? What does that friendship mean to you?

A: Yes, I still remain friends with several of the guys from that era. Randy Means lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and Joe Dockery lives in East Orange, New Jersey. These guys are

like my brothers. We depended on each other during the Vietnam War. We usually get together once a year in Las Vegas for a weekend of old story telling and going down memory lane. The memories of the events seem to change year after year as we get older. My military memories are the friendships you make with the 50 other guys from around the United States you would of never knew if they weren’t in your Fighting Platoon. Bravo Platoon.

Q: Do you have any memories from the military that you would like to share with the community?

A: I have lots of memories during my tenure. Like anything else we had our good and bad days. Walking around in dirty rivers and creeks watching the snakes swimming around you was not a good day. There were plenty of good days. Life as a Marine wears many hats.

Q: What career did you choose after your military service? Why did you choose this path?

A: I chose to become a teacher and a coach after I was discharged. I was able to go to college on the GI Bill and work part time jobs I could get. It’s all about going through the process like so many students do every day. Class, Work, Library. I chose the teacher/coach path because I have always enjoyed competition in sports.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is considering joining the military?

A: Having the ability to serve your country you live in. Use the G.I. Bill to cover the cost of college. Meet lots of new people and make enduring friendships that will last forever. Of course, always protect your home country and its values.

• The Coast Guard is smaller than the New York City Police Department.

• The Marine Corps adopted “Semper Fidelis” as its official motto in 1883. It is Latin for Always Faithful.

Thank you veterans for your service. Names provided by family members.

WWelch, Joe

Welch, Levi

Wendlandt, Dale L.

Williams, Norman R.

Williams, Ralph T.

Williams, Vernon

Workman, Bobby R.

Workman, Jack

Worsham, Leon

Wade, Bill

Wade, John T.

Wade, Johnny

Wade, Norman

Wade, Vernon Dale

Wadley, R.B.

Walker, Chuck

Walker, Jimmy

Walker, Jimmy Eugene

Walker, Matthew

Walker, William L.

Wallace, Eugene O.

Wallace, Junior W.

Wann, Leon A.

Ward, James “Jimmy Dale”

Ward, James “JP”

Ward, Vernon Dale

Warren, Walter E.

Washburn, Johnny

Wattenbarger, Edward “Ed”

Webb, Doyle Dee

Webb, Larry Thomas

Webb, Roy

Webb, Sean

Webster, Don James

Webster, Roger Dean

Weir, John C.

Wendlandt, Gary A.

Wesson, H.K.

West, Wayne

Whaley, Gary J.

Whaley, Wesley J.

Wheat, Justin

Wheat, Orval

White, Douglas F.

White, Edwin W.

White, Ralph

White, William Olzie

Whitley, Johnny Keith

Whitley, Robert E. “Gene”

Whitman, Arthur

Wibben, Charles

Wibben, George

Wickersham, Cary Victor

Wier, John C.

Wiley, Edward Vernon

Williams, Buren B.

Williams, Clarence

Williams, Doyle Clarence

Williams, James I.

Williams, James Otho

Williams, Jerry Allen

Williams, Kenneth H.

Williams, Linus T.

Williams, Nicolas J.

Williams, Willard D.

Williamson, Barney E.

Wilson, Billy R.

Wilson, Elmer Marion

Wilson, Francis M.

Wilson, Harvey J.

Wilson, Jimmy M.

Wilson, Joe A.

Wilson, Leroy

Wilson, Lyndon

Wilson, Mark

Wilson, Robert E.

Wilson, Shearon

Wilson, Stanly Odis

Wilson, Thomas Boyd

Wilson, Thomas Richard

Wilson, Wayne T.

Wilson, William L.

Winderfeldt, Walter W.

Winklepleck, George

Wixom, Carl E.

Wood, Donnie G.

Wood, Donnie E.

Wood, Jeff

Wood, Ted

Woodruff, Norman L.

Woods, Billy D.

Woods, Donnie G.

Work, Wiliam

U.S. COAST GUARD - “SEMPER PARATUS”

• Continued from pages 7, 9, 23

Wren, Lloyd Thomas

Wren, Toby

Wright, Edward Wilson

Wright, Leon

Wright, Ritchey

Wright, Robert Hatten

Wright, William Oren

Wyers, Oteka Johnese

Wyers, Patrick

Wyers, Paul T.

Wyers, Sampson Jr.

Wyers, Scotty

Yost, Larry Ray

Yost, Neil Ray

Young, Burl D.

Young, Jerl

Zachry, Clifton

Zahn, Gary N.

Zaltosky, Eddie

ZYThe Coast Guard’s motto of Semper Paratus or “always ready” was officially recognized in 1910, and thenceforth appeared on the ensign. However, no one really knows how Semper Paratus was chosen as the Coast Guard’s “phrase” and watchword prior to its formal acceptance.

Whatever the case, in 1922, Captain Francis S. Van Boskerck was inspired to write an official U.S. Coast Guard song that would rival “Anchor’s Aweigh” or “The Caisson Song.” While in the cabin of his cutter Yamacraw, which was stationed in Savannah, Ga., Boskerck put pen to paper and the lyrics for “Semper Paratus” were born. Five years later, while stationed in the Aleutian Islands, Boskerck composed the accompanying music on a dilapidated old piano in Unalaska, Alaska. The geographically diverse origins of this piece are fittingly illustrated in the song’s first line “From Aztec shore to Arctic Zone, To Europe and Far East…” Semper Paratus remains the proud standard and song of the United States Coast Guard.

Banners on display downtown Thank you for your service

LEFT: George Wendell McGuire Corporal, Army, Korea

RIGHT: Olen Thomas 1943-1945, World War II, Army with Elzie Dunkin Thomas

LEFT: Private First Class Jewell (L.J.) Butler III, Army 2021-present, Army Combat Medic, currently stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga.

RIGHT: Sharon Clyma 19741976, Air Force and Ethan Hamilton, 2021-present, Army