Freedom’s Voice The Monthly Newsletter of the

Military History Center 112 N. Main ST

Broken Arrow, OK 74012 http://www.okmhc.org/

“Promoting Patriotism through the Preservation of Military History”

Volume 6, Number 10 October 2018

United States Armed Services Day of Observance

United States Navy Birthday – October 13

Important Dates

November 4 – Salute to Veterans

The MHC will present its annual Salute to Veterans concert at Broken Arrow’s Kirkland Theater located at 808 E. Col-lege ST at 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 4. The event will pay special tribute to the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. Bro-ken Arrow High School JROTC will provide the color guard. Maggie Bond, Miss Broken Arrow, will sing several patriotic songs, and Tulsa Community Band will play patriotic music to honor members of the armed services, past and present. Mr. Henry Primeaux, who served on the USS Batfish during the Cold War, will be the featured speaker. Admission is free, but the MHC will be appreciative of donations to help defray the cost of the event.

November 12 – Tulsa Veterans Day Parade

The Tulsa Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 12. The MHC will have a presence in the Parade again this year. Please try to make it to the Parade and honor our veterans.

Military History Through the Ages

On Saturday, October 13, the MHC presented a living histo-ry program featuring veterans of World War II to the present (many in uniform), re-enactors, numerous military exhibits and weapons from the Revolutionary War to the present. Several patriotic organizations also contributed with their own displays. Although the weather refused to cooperate, there were at least one hundred, maybe more, guests at the event. The MHC is truly grateful for all those who contributed to the event and for all those who braved the weather to attend.

Maggie Bond, Miss Broken Arrow, who sang at the event, with MHC docent and Civil War re-enactor, Dennis Hoch (Editor photo)

Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution (L-R) Dr. Stuart Denslow, Dr. Orienne First Denslow,

Mr. John Thompson

Vietnam combat Navy corpsman and re-enactor, Johnny Manley, portraying a Civil War Union Army field surgeon

Civil War re-enactors, portraying the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry, a Civil War regiment, firing a rifle salute

Mike Buckendorf portraying a World War I doughboy The bag around his neck contains his gas mask.

Vietnam Era Air Force veteran, Bill Goswick, at the World War I exhibit – demonstrating telegraphic communications (Editor photo)

World War II veteran, Frank Riesinger, with Jake Penn, who is portraying a World War II 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper

Jamie Gragg of Oklahoma Patriotic Pin-ups with World War II veteran, Oscar “Junior” Nipps, next to Mrs. Pearl, a 1941 Chevrolet honoring

those who died on the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941.

Museum Hours and Admission Fee

Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 – 4:00; Saturday: 10:00 – 2:00 Closed Sunday and Monday and major Federal holidays

Adults – $5.00 Members and Children under 18 – Free

For more information, call (918) 794-2712

www.okmhc.org

Greg Baile (Vietnam Era), Peter Plank (Oklahoma State Guard), Mike Buckendorf (WWI re-enactor) and Clarence Oliver (Korean War)

Vietnam Era veterans: Willard Parrish (Silver Star), Gary Johnston, Greg Baile and Mitch Reed (Purple Heart)

Pat Morris (Quilts of Valor), Patsy Adams (Blue Star Mothers) Mitch Reed (Military Order of the Purple Heart) and Janet Viel

(Blue Star Mothers) at the Blue Star Mothers table

(Except as noted, all event photos are courtesy of MHC volunteer, Lindsey Donaldson.)

LT Neil Stanley Bynum ca. 1969 – MIA

Neil Stanley Bynum was born on June 29, 1943, at Vian (Se-quoyah County), Oklahoma. He was a 1966 graduate of Okla-homa State University, where he was a member of the ROTC program. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force and received his wings in 1968 at Vance Air Force Base at Enid, Oklahoma. He was then sent to McDill AFB at Tampa, Florida, where he learned to fly F-4 Phantoms.

After flight training at McDill, Bynum was posted to the 497th Tactical Fighter “Night Owl” Squadron, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seventh Air Force at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. 1LT Bynum was the Weapons System Operator – the backseat man – on a F-4D Phantom.

On October 26, 1969, he and his pilot, CPT Gary Warren were flying over Ban Karai Pass, on the border between Laos and North Vietnam, an area heavily infested with North Viet-namese and communist Pathet Lao fighters. They spotted an abandoned bulldozer, which CPT Warren decided to strafe. He flew in at a shallow angle and plowed into the hillside. No one knows what actually happened – enemy fire, although none had been seen by his wingman, mechanical failure or pilot er-ror. Within hours, low-level flyovers located the crash site with the Phantom torn to pieces and no sign of life. In 1976, by then a Captain, Bynum was declared presumed dead. He has a me-morial in Garden of Memories Cemetery at Vian.

CPT Bynum’s memorial in Garden of Memories Cemetery Vian, Oklahoma

LCDR Stanley Edward Olmstead – MIA

Stanley Edward Olmstead was born at Marshall (Logan County) Oklahoma on November 12, 1933. He was a graduate of Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University). He joined the Navy on June 24, 1954.

On October 17, 1965, he was the pilot of a F-4B Phantom fighter/bomber in the 84th Fighter Squadron, the “Jolly Rogers”, aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Independence. On that day he and his Radar Interceptor Officer (RIO), LTJG Porter A. Halybur-ton, were part of a four-plane flight whose mission was the Thai Nguyen bridge located northeast of Hanoi.

LCDR Olmstead's aircraft was hit by ground fire and crashed. No transmissions were heard, nor was there any sign of ejection by either crewmember. Other U.S. aircraft passed over the crash site and determined that there was no possibil-ity of survival. However, it was later learned that Halyburton had survived and was captured. Being the RIO, Halyburton would have ejected first. It was believed that Olmstead had probably died in the crash of the aircraft, but there was no def-inite proof. He was declared missing and remained in that sta-tus until 1973, when he was declared killed in action. Olmstead was promoted to Commander during the period he was classi-fied as MIA.

CDR Olmstead has a memorial in South IOOF Cemetery at Marshall.

CDR Olmstead’s Memorial, South IOOF Cemetery Marshall, Oklahoma

This Month’s Featured Exhibit

The MHC’s newest exhibit, Native Americans in the Military, recognizes Oklahoma Native Americans who have served, and are serving, in the United States armed services. Tully Choate, Korean War Navy veteran and former member of the Broken Arrow Na-tive American Honor Guard, donated his personal artifacts to get the exhibit under way. The exhibit depicts American Indian in-volvement in the military, from the Revolutionary War to the present, first as contract scouts, then enlisted scouts, to World War I and the Choctaw code talkers, World War II, Korea and Vietnam to today’s American Indian men and women who serve with honor in all branches of the U.S. armed services.

Tully Choate (Choctaw) standing next to a mannequin dressed in his Honor Guard regalia. The hat on the mannequin is a 7th Cavalry hat.

Photographic collection of members of the prominent northeast Okla-homa Adair family (Cherokee) who have served in the armed services

from the Civil War to the present

Depiction of a World War I Choctaw code talker of the 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division at his station in the basement of a

house in the Champagne region of France

The arrowhead and spear point collections were donated to the MHC by Earl Laney. The war hatchet and war club

were donated by Susan LeBlanc.

Family of Creek Warriors

Uniforms of CPL Phillip Coon, 31st Infantry Regiment, World War II Bataan Death March and POW survivor – Michael Dennis Coon (son) 18th Airborne Corps – SSGT Michael Keith Coon (grandson), 1st Infantry Division, Iraq and Afghanistan – The uniforms were donated to the MHC by Michael Dennis Coon.

MAJ Vicki Glass – MAJ Glass was the first Native American (Quapaw) female to graduate from the U.S. Army Helicopter School at Fort Ruck-er, Alabama, and the first Native American female helicopter pilot in the nation. She was the first female helicopter pilot in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and the first female graduate of the Army Na-tional Guard Air Assault School. She was the model for Enoch Kelly Haney’s painting, Heritage of Valor. The mannequin’s head was creat-ed from a picture of her. MAJ Glass donated her uniform and other artifacts.

Oklahoma’s Native American Medal of Honor recipients – from the top, left to right – Amos Chandler (specific heritage uncertain) Red River War; Ernest Childers (Creek), Jack Montgomery, Roy Harmon, Ernest Evans and John Reese (Cherokee) World War II; Tony Burris (Choctaw) Korean War. Harmon, Evans, Reese and Burris were award-ed their medals posthumously.

Appreciation lunch at the MHC courtesy of Vietnam War Army veter-an, Larrie Thesenvitz, in appreciation for the assistance given to him by Disabled American Veterans at their location in the MHC. The food was donated by Olive Garden Italian Restaurant in Broken Arrow.

Choctaw Code Talkers – 142nd Infantry

Members of the Choctaw Telephone Squad (left to right): Solomon Lou-is, Mitchell Bobb, James Edwards, Calvin Wilson and Joseph Davenport.

Captain E. H. Horner is at the far right.

After the United States entered World War I, Oklahoma’s only national guard infantry regiment, the 1st Infantry Regi-ment, was sent to Camp Bowie near Fort Worth, Texas, where it was combined with the Texas National Guard’s 7th Infantry Regiment to form the 142nd Infantry Regiment. Along with the Texas 141st Infantry Regiment, they formed the 71st Infantry Brigade, 36th Infantry Division (Texas National Guard).

Once in France, the Division underwent further training. On September 23, the 36th ID was detailed to the French Fourth Army and entered the forward battle area on October 4-5, 1918, in support of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division. The 142nd led the 71st Brigade forward on October 7 crossing the defunct Hindenburg Line, going into positions near Saint Étienne-à-Arnes, which was only 100 yards from German fortifications. The ruined church tower from St. Étienne today serves as an element of the 142nd regimental crest. Advancing through mas-sive shelling, gas attacks and terrible machine gun fire, the 142nd took strongly defended Hill 160 near Saint Étienne-à-Arnes. The regiment took 1,600 casualties in the two-day fight. Oklahomans Harold L. Turner and Samuel M. Sampler, 142nd Infantry Regiment, were awarded Medals of Honor for similar heroic actions on October 8, 1918, during the battle for Hill 160.

On October 12-13, the regiment attacked toward the line of the Aisne River on the right of a four regiment/two brigade attack that advanced the American line and eliminated a Ger-man salient south of the Aisne. It was during this time that Colonel Augustus W. Bloor, commander of the 142nd, noticed that a number of Oklahoma Indian soldiers serving in his regi-ment were speaking with each other in their native language. He could not understand them and realized that neither could the Germans, no matter how good their English skills.

With the cooperation of a select group of his Indian soldiers – eighteen Choctaw and one Chickasaw – Bloor tested and de-ployed a code, using the Choctaw language. The code talkers substituted common Choctaw words for English military terms that had no equivalent in the Choctaw language. For instance, “twice big group” in Choctaw was used for battalion, “eight

group” was a squad, “scalps” were casualties, “fast shooting gun” meant machine gun, “big gun” was artillery and so on.

The first combat test took place on October 26, when COL Bloor ordered a "delicate" withdrawal of two companies of the 2nd Battalion, from Chufilly to Chardeny. The movement was successful. Bloor reported: “the enemy's complete surprise is evidence that he could not decipher the messages".

Code talker Solomon Bond Louis (date and location unknown)

On October 27-29, 1918, the 142nd was engaged in the fighting at Forêt (Forest) Farm, described by 36th Division com-mander, Major General William Smith, as "magnificent”. This was the regiment's last combat assignment of World War I. Seventy percent of the 142nd officers and fifty-seven percent of its enlisted men were killed or wounded during the war.

Code talker Otis Wilson Leader – his Croix de Guerre with bronze star and bronze palm (equivalent to a U.S. Bronze Star) is shown at the

upper left. He is also wearing a Purple Heart on his uniform. Ed. The 142nd regimental combat history, by Lonnie J. White, is ex-cerpted from the Texas Military Forces Museum website.

Oklahoma Soldier Honored in Afghanistan

SGT Buddy James Hughie

On February 15, 2007, SGT Buddy James “Doc” Hughie was serving with Co. C, 1st BN, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard on his second tour in Afghanistan. On that day, SGT Hughie was part of a joint mis-sion with the Afghan National Army and the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. The vehicle in which the men were riding came under fire from small arms and rocket-propelled gre-nades. SGT Hughie and his fellow team members dismounted their vehicle and returned fire. After two Afghan soldiers were wounded, SGT Hughie, a medic, left his covered position to give them medical assistance and was killed by small arms fire. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Buddy James Hughie was born at Carlsbad, New Mexico, on October 23, 1981. He and his sister were adopted by their grandparents and grew-up in Poteau, Oklahoma, where he graduated from high school in 2000. More than 600 people attended his funeral at Poteau High School’s Floyd Sherman Fieldhouse. SGT Hughie was buried in Live Oak Memorial Gar-dens at Charleston, South Carolina, where his wife had moved.

On September 4, 2018, the air terminal at the New Kabul Compound, Kabul, Afghanistan, was renamed Hughie Terminal and dedicated to SGT Hughie’s memory.

Troopers of 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment (formerly 1st BN 180th Infantry Regiment) 45th Infantry BCT at the dedication of

Hughie Terminal

U.S. Navy in World War I

World War I Navy recruiting poster created by Howard Chandler Cristy – 1916

During World War I, the Navy’s primary missions were anti-submarine warfare and convoy escort, operating chiefly in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The Navy was tasked with escorting the American Expeditionary Force and their sup-plies across the Atlantic to France.

Light cruisers and destroyers proved to be the most effec-tive vessels for sinking enemy submarines and protecting con-voys. Several destroyer squadrons were based in the British Isles, including Ireland. The large capital ships – battleships and heavy cruisers – took up positions with the British Navy in the North Sea for blockade duty. It proved to be uneventful, as by 1917, the German Navy refused to challenge the blockaders. The U.S. Navy never engaged a German surface ship during the war. Four Navy ships were lost during World War I – two by German submarines and two by accidents.

The Navy played a critical role during the war. Besides sink-ing several German submarines, it escorted more than two million American soldiers and marines to Europe without the loss of a single troop ship. Compared to naval losses during World War II, the Navy’s World War I losses were miniscule.

Since its creation on October 13, 1775, the United States Navy has defended the nation on the high seas and inland wa-terways, and since 1911, in the air.

USS Oklahoma City

USS Oklahoma City (CL-91) – 1945

Oklahoma City was a Cleveland class light cruiser built by William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding in Philadelphia. She was launched on February 20, 1944, and commissioned on Decem-ber 22. Oklahoma City was deployed to the Pacific theater, where on June 6, 1945, she rendezvoused with Carrier Task Force 38.1 for operations in support of the Okinawa campaign. For the rest of June, and into July, she screened 3rd Fleet carri-ers during intensified air operations against the Japanese.

On July 18, 1945, she formed a bombardment group with other cruisers and destroyers, then rejoined the carrier task group for continued action against the Japanese home islands. At the end of hostilities, she continued to patrol off the coast of Japan until September 10, when she entered Tokyo Bay. Okla-homa City remained on occupation duty until relieved on Janu-ary 30, 1946. Oklahoma City received two battle stars for her World War II actions.

She steamed to san Francisco, where six months later she entered Mare Island Navy Yard for inactivation. On June 30, 1947, Oklahoma City was placed out of commission in reserve, assigned to the San Francisco Group, U.S. Pacific Reserve Fleet. On March 7, 1957, Oklahoma City entered the Bethlehem Steel Corp.’s Pacific Coast Yard at San Francisco to begin con-version to a Galveston class guided missile light cruiser. The conversion was completed August 31, 1960. In 1965, Oklahoma City was again deployed to the Far East for combat operations. In June, she began gunfire support mis-sions off Vietnam. When the level of hostilities increased, she began to spend more and more time in the South China Sea and eventually participated in operations “Piranha”, “Double Eagle”, “Deckhouse IV” and “Hastings II”. After serving as 7th Fleet flagship for two and a half years, she sailed to San Fran-cisco for another overhaul. By late 1969, Oklahoma City was back in the Vietnam com-bat zone. She arrived at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin in September, where she conducted helicopter operations. After steaming to Okinawa for repairs, she was back at Yankee Sta-tion in 1971, where she fired the first successful combat sur-face-to-surface missile shot in U.S. Navy history, using the new

Talos RIM-8H anti-radiation missile to destroy a North Viet-namese mobile air control radar van. On April 19, 1972, she was attacked by a Vietnam People’s Air Force MiG-17. The pilot overshot the target and dropped his bomb near Oklahoma City causing only light damage.

Oklahoma City providing fire support off Vietnam – early 1970s

In April 1975, Oklahoma City participated in Operation Fre-

quent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon. Following that, she was slated for a massive overhaul, as her flagship facilities, as well as her 6-inch guns made her an attractive asset to retain in ser-vice. Her now obsolete Talos system would be removed and two Sea Sparrow systems, and two Phalanx CIWS mounts would be fitted. Her machinery and hull would also be re-paired and renewed. While funding for this work was appro-priated by Congress, it was diverted to other ships, and minimal repairs were made to keep Oklahoma City operational until 1979.

After forty-five years of service, age and technological ad-vancements had finally caught up with the old warship. Okla-homa City was decommissioned on December 15, 1979. She remained in the Reserve Fleet until January 9, 1999. She was towed to Pearl Harbor, where some usable material was do-nated for use in outfitting the battleship, Missouri, as a muse-um ship. Oklahoma City was then expended as a target during February–March. After being used as a target for air-launched missiles, she was hit during Tandem Thrust '99 exercise south-west of Guam by torpedoes from the South Korean submarine, Lee Chun. She broke in two and sank on March 26, 1999.

USS Oklahoma City – Freemantle, Australia – 1976

“Lest We Forget”

Flanders Field American Cemetery – Waregem, Belgium Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial is a very small – six acres – World War I cemetery on the southeast edge of the town of Waregem, Belgium. It is the only World War I American cemetery in Belgium. The cemetery contains the graves of 368 Americans. The headstones are aligned in four symmetrical areas around the white stone chapel that stands in the center of the cemetery. Inscribed on the chapel walls are the names of forty-three missing. Many of the dead and missing are from the 91st Infantry Division, a draftee division with men from the far west, including Alaska Terri-tory. The 91st and three other U.S. divisions were detailed to the British army in Flanders for the final operation of the war. The dead fell at Spitaals Bosschen, a battle of the Ypres-Lys Campaign, which began in August 1918.

Freedom is not free.

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Freedom’s Voice is the voice of MVA, Inc. dba Military History Center, a 501(C)3 private foundation, as a service to its members and supporters. Contents may be reproduced only when in the best interest of the Military History Center. Please direct comments or suggestions to the Editor at newsletter@okmhc.org. Ken Cook, Editor