Blackwell-Frazier American Legion Post #142 Hominy, Oklahoma

“News from the Hut”
for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
by Gary Lanham

Today in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call. He found a way of converting words into electrical current and back again and sent his first message using his new variable-liquid resistance transmitter. Bell’s telephone caused the current to vary smoothly in proportion to the pressure created on a microphone by human speech and got a patent. His assistant, in an adjoining room in Boston, heard Bell say over the experimental device: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” On a page from his notebook, dated March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell described the first successful experiment with the telephone. Bell wrote: “I then shouted into M (the mouthpiece) the following sentence: ‘Mr. Watson—come here—I want to see you.’ To my delight he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said.” (This Day in Military History)

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“News from the Hut”
for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
by Gary Lanham

I look forward to getting updates and seeing pictures from Commander O’Leary’s annual travel to the 71^st Anniversary Iwo Jima-Ira Hayes Memorial this past week. Each year he and Nancy return with beautiful pictures showing the celebrations and parades marking the remarkable person and events with full military regalia as only the USMC and Tribal members can produce. They certainly did not miss much here as our last meeting had to be cancelled due to the high winds and fire dangers in the area!  Continue reading →

“News from the Hut”
for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
by Gary Lanham

Occasionally I am asked why I harken back to historical military oriented events in my articles. Some of you may not know I am the Historian of Post 142. I try to keep folks up on the current events around the “Hut” as well as historical facts about our member’s service and events that occurred during this week in history.

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“News from the Hut”
for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
by Gary Lanham

I had passed along to me an interesting story of faith in the face grim circumstances. It concerned a military story I had not heard of that occurred February 3^rd 1943 during WWII. The civilian cruise ship converted to troop carrier Dorchester had made five successful crossings from New York City to Greenland when she set out for what would become her last voyage on January 22, 1943, with 902 officers, servicemen, and civilians aboard. The ship’s master for this fateful voyage was Captain Hans J. Danielsen, and her commanding officer was Captain Preston S. Krecker. On this voyage, the Dorchester was one of three ships being escorted by the Coast Guard cutters Comanche, Escanaba, and Tampa; the other two ships in the convoy were merchant vessels. Knowing that the convoy could at any time be attacked by a German U-boat, the men aboard the Dorchester were ordered to keep their life vests on at all times. That order was routinely disobeyed at night because the men found it difficult to sleep with a vest on.

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“News from the Hut”
for American Legion Post #142; Hominy, Oklahoma.
by Gary Lanham

We are still in the midst of the ups and downs of winter. One day we have the cold weather knocking on our door just to turn around and break out the t-shirts! Well that’s Oklahoma for you! I am looking forward to this evening. Thursday night is our 1^st meeting of February and having missed the last due to the weather call, overdue. I checked in with the Chef and it appears beans and cornbread are on the menu tonight. Outstanding! After another great Monday breakfast this week I feel like things are getting back to normal.  Continue reading →