Blackwell-Frazier American Legion Post #142 Hominy, Oklahoma

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

Saturday morning, June 26, 2021, a dedication was held at the Hominy Post 142 for the WWII Soldiers Cross Memorial in honor of Hominy native Bill Starks Sr, US Army Infantryman killed in action in the Philippines in 1945 in WWII courtesy of his son Bill Jr. and grandson Matt. Bill’s widow, Sylvia Rhodes, a lifelong Hominy resident and Gold Star mother touched the lives of many in Hominy during her lifetime. Post Commander Steve Swinford began the dedication with Legion State HQ Senior Vice Commander Charlie O’Leary and Legion Auxiliary Unit 142 President and Past Auxiliary Department President Nancy O’Leary in attendance. Bill Starks was killed during a Japanese mortar attack one day before his unit was withdrawn from the front lines and a short time before the war ended. Special thanks to Post 142 Legionnaire Babo Carter for raising the funds and getting the Soldier’s Cross made and set up at the Hominy cemetery.

Babo Carter has led the charge for the Soldier’s Cross to be installed at the A.J. Powell Memorial Cemetery. Back in June of 2020, Babo wrote an article about the Soldier’s Cross that appeared in the Hominy News-Progress dated June 3, 2020. Babo wrote about a fund raiser in process for the Soldiers Cross to be carved out of a tree stump in the Hominy Cemetery. Unfortunately, the tree stump was removed before the required funds were collected to pay the artist, Clayton Coss, to carve the Cross. Eventually the funds via donations from many Hominy residents were collected to move forward with this project.

NEWS FROM THE HUT  by John Hamilton

Why Are the Flags Out?

There is a new federal holiday signed into law by President Biden celebrating the end of slavery in the USA on June 19^th, and it is called “Juneteenth”. The American Legion, Post 142 will be putting out flags on Main Street every June 19^th in celebration of this very historical day in the life of every Black American. Thank you to Jimmy Himes and Babo Carter for responding to this last-minute requirement.

Origin of the holiday

Black Americans have been celebrating the end of slavery in the United States for generations with a day called Juneteenth. The celebration started with the freed slaves of Galveston, Texas. Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the South in 1863, it could not be enforced in many places until after the end of the Civil War in 1865.

What does “Juneteenth” mean

The term Juneteenth is a combination of the month of June and the day of the month nineteenth. The holiday has also been called Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day. The national reckoning over race helped set the stage for Juneteenth to become the first new federal holiday since 1983, when Martin Luther King Day was created.

The Soldier’s Cross Installation

Babo Carter has led the charge for the Soldier’s Cross to be installed at the A.J. Powell Memorial Cemetery. Back in June of 2020 Babo wrote an article about the Soldier’s Cross that appeared in the Hominy News-Progress dated June 3, 2020. Babo wrote about a fund raiser in process for the Soldiers Cross to be carved out of a tree stump in the Hominy Cemetery. Unfortunately, the tree stump was removed before the required funds were collected to pay the artist, Clayton Coss, to carve the Cross. Eventually the funds via donations from many Hominy residents were collected to move forward with this project. The soldier’s Cross is completed and will be installed and dedicated at the A.J. Powell Memorial Cemetery this coming Saturday, June 26, 2021, at 8:00 AM. If the weather is really bad, we might be holding the dedication inside at the Hut. Pictures were taken of the Legionnaires present along with the carved Soldier’s Cross that will be place at the cemetery near Bill Starks grave site, a WWII Bataan Death March in the Philippines survivor at the A.J. Powell Memorial Cemetery in Hominy.

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

This is going to be a “Flashback” series about veterans who have been part of the history of the HUT, Post 142 in Hominy, Oklahoma, and part of the history of the Hominy community. All veterans are special patriots and deserve to be honored, but the veterans who are no longer with us also deserve to be honored, and that is the purpose of this “Flashback” series for veterans that have passed into the Hominy Post 142 Post Everlasting Memorial in our hearts

Randall Laverne “Vern” Cain

Randall Laverne “Vern” Cain was born in Dover, Oklahoma on November 7, 1930, to Samuel Glen and Nora (O’Hern) Cain and was raised on the farm along with his sister, Kathleen and brothers, Gayle, AB, and Wylie. He graduated from Hennessey High School and continued to Oklahoma A&M. (Now Oklahoma State University) While completing his degree, Vern was a member of ROTC, allowing him to enlist in the US Army as an officer during the Korean War. While serving at Fort Sill, he met and married Doris, the mother of his daughters. He jumped into family life with his new stepchildren, Jane, and Jim Atkins, who adored him. After returning stateside from an exciting tour of duty in Japan, Vern resigned from the Army as a Lieutenant and returned to Oklahoma A&M for his teaching certificate

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

This past weekend, including Monday, May 31, 2021, was our Memorial Day celebration and the honoring of veterans who gave their last full measure. After putting out the flags on Main Street, highway 99 and 20, we were scheduled to pick up the flags on Tuesday, June 1^st, but because of the rain, the flags were too wet. We did pick up the flags on Wednesday, June 2^nd. During the pickup of the special military flags, two flags were missing. The two missing flags are the POW-MIA flag and the US Coast Guard flag. The POW-MIA flag was at the 4-way on the corner right across from the Dollar General in front of the Pioneer Store/Dividing Bread. The US Coast Guard flag was on the opposite side of the street in the next block to the west of the 4-way. The American Legion, Post 142 buys and maintains all of the flags. We try to keep the flags in the best condition we can, but when we cannot repair them or they have been taken, like in the case of the most recent flags taken, then our Hominy Post 142 has to buy new flags. The POW-MIA flag was brand new and had been put out only twice before it disappeared.

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

This past weekend and Monday, May 31, 2021 was our Memorial Day celebrating and honoring veterans who gave their last full measure. After putting out flags at each Veteran’s headstone at the A. J. Powell Memorial Cemetery in remembrance their ultimate sacrifice and honoring the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, On Monday, May 31, 2021 was Memorial Day and the members of Post 142 put a wreath at A. J. Powell Memorial Cemetery honoring those who sacrificed the ultimate price for us and our country.