Blackwell-Frazier American Legion Post #142 Hominy, Oklahoma

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

This coming week is Memorial Day being celebrated on Monday, May 31, 2021.  In preparation for this momentous celebration, of remembering Veterans and their ultimate sacrifice and honoring the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, a couple of the American Legion members of Post 142 in Hominy, OK, Babo Carter and Jimmy Himes, spent the last week getting A. J. Powell Memorial Cemetery flags replaced, repaired and installed. The usual preparation is to put out flags down Main Street, OK-20, and OK-99, as well as putting out the small flags next to each of the more than 850 Veterans grave markers. Babo Carter, lovingly referred to as Hominy’s Flag Man, has faithfully maintained and insured that all the flags needed for all Hominy events are in good repair and clean. Lately, Babo’s flag work has been assisted by Jimmy Himes and Nancy O’Leary who has been repairing damaged flags. The holiday is now observed on the last Monday of May since 1970, but prior to 1970 Memorial Day was observed on May 30. This year the last Monday in May falls on the 31^st.

Last Thursday, the Post 142 members that meet at Daylight Donuts for the weekly “Shootout” decided to get together one day a month and try a different restaurant each month for lunch. This last Thursday we all went to Clicks in Pawnee. The restaurant has some remarkably interesting architecture on the interior. The menu supports a variety of steaks and other various meat and sea food dishes. A salad bar and buffet are also available alone or with an entrée. Desserts of cherry and peach cobbler are also available as part of the buffet.

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

WILLIAM (Bill) White

Bill White was a “one-of-a-kind”, kind of man. He was gentle, kind, quiet, compassionate, caring, humble, “old-school”, a man’s man. One of the hardest working men around, almost until his last day. He was the family rock, the center of his families world. Bill left his family with many, many treasured memories. Bill was born on November 20, 1925 in Hominy, Oklahoma to Walter and Sarah (Colbaugh) White. He was raised by his beloved Aunt Kate and Uncle Babe Colbaugh. Bill’s entire school attendance was spent in Hominy.

When Bill turned 17, he joined the United States Navy on October 8, 1943. He served his country as a Radioman, 3rd Class, during World War II, serving honorably under Admiral Nimitz. He was stationed at Red Hill, Pearl Harbor, and was present at what is known as the Second Bombing of Pearl Harbor. While working in Radio Control, Bill’s job was to help monitor and correspond the air and sea rescue operations.

In November of 2012 Bill was honored at Hominy High School by being named “Veteran of the Year” and received an honorary Osage Tribal blanket. On December 19, 1959, Bill and Judy Gallagher were united in marriage. This union took place in Judy’s hometown of Lake Odessa, Michigan. Bill and Judy celebrated 53 years together in December 2012. Most of Bill’s working life was spent at Producer’s Oil Company, where he worked both in Hominy and Garber, Oklahoma. Bill loved the oil field work and loved the life-long friends he made along the way. After retiring from Producer’s “Mr. Bill”, as many of Bill’s friends lovingly called him, worked his dream job throughout the United States, alongside his son and family in the Pipeline Industry. After retirement, Bill and Judy enjoyed traveling around the United States and Canada, visiting his years as a “Winter Texan”, spending time in Alamo and Kingsville, Texas. Bill was a lifelong resident of Hominy, where he was a lifetime member of the VFW, a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose in Bartlesville, (where he spent MANY a night dancing the night away), membership in the Blinded Veterans Association, and the American Legion Post 142 in Hominy. Bill was also an “official member” of the “Mainstreet Coffee Club” as well as participating in the monthly Alumni Breakfast group. Bill was a member of Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hominy, where he served as a Reader and Usher for many years.

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

Morris Field

Morris Field was born December 4, 1921 in Lewiston, Montana to Harry Field and Myrtle S. Johnson. Morris spent most of his life in Hominy and served his country with enlistments in the National Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard. He was a lifetime member of the DAV, VFW, and The American Legion for 59 years, and serving as the Post Historian. After his military service in World War II, Morris attended two trade schools in Dallas, TX and Nashville, TN, where he became an accomplished Linotype Operator. He subsequently worked for weekly and daily newspapers including the Tulsa World/Tribune, Dallas Times Herald, Pawhuska Journal-Capital, and The Hominy News. He owned and served as Editor and Publisher of the Cedar Vale, KS Messenger. He concluded his career as a Linotype Operator for the Oil and Gas Journal in Tulsa. Morris is well known for his accomplishments in the martial arts area. At the age of 46, he started learning karate in Oklahoma City. Nineteen years later (1984) he formed the Dragon’s Den School of Martial Arts in Hominy. The club won over 800 trophies in competition.  and Morris taught over 5,000 students and never charged any of them for his services. In addition to teaching skill sets in Martial Arts, he focused his students on learning self-discipline, fitness, and a drug-free lifestyle. On the way to attaining karate’s highest rank (Montei), he won 12 first place trophies in competition after he was 65 years old. His final rank was 5th Degree Black Belt in the style of Shorin-ryu. He wrote hundreds of stories for the Hominy News including a regular column on the activities of the Dragon Den, Letters to the Editor, general interest stories, and numerous stories under the pen name of the Penn Creek Prospector. Capitalizing on his knowledge of letterpress and hot metal printing technology, Morris accumulated the equipment to create the Field Historical Printing Museum in Hominy. Morris passed away on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at the age of 89 at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was interred in A.J. Powell Cemetery in Hominy, Oklahoma. Morris was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Marie Fletcher. Military services were conducted by the American Legion Post 198.

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

Last Saturday, May 1, 2021 the American Legion District 1A-1B held their Spring Conference at Post 182 in Pryor, Oklahoma. The turnout was the biggest in District 1 history since WWII at over 78 members in attendance from multiple posts throughout District 1. Various topics involving American Legion programs were addressed by multiple Department of Oklahoma officers. One of those programs is Boys State that is to take place between May 29 and June 5, 2021and the delegates should arrive no earlier than 3:00 PM on the first day. Each delegate is required to fill out an application online at https://okboysstate.com/enrollment/.

The Hominy High School Counselor, Ms. Parks, presented this offer to six young men that may have been interested and would be required to write an essay. If anyone else could help sponsor a Hominy Junior or Senior for Boys State it would be appreciated. So far only one young man, Britt King, has written an essay and has been accepted by the Legionnaires of Post 142. Britt King must fill out the application online found at website https://okboysstate.com/enrollment/.

NEWS FROM THE HUT by John Hamilton

While visiting with Judy White last week to gather some information about the welcome home celebration Hominy gave to honor both our heroes, Gentner Drummond and Kenneth Taylor shared with me a copy of the speech that Colonel David W. Brown (Retired) delivered at the transfer of the Hominy Armory of the Oklahoma Army National Guard on April 10, 2009. I thought that this information was historically significant enough to share with the Hominy citizens, new, old, and young citizens 12 years later.

Heritage of the Hominy Armory by Colonel David W. Brown (Retired)

Oklahoma, throughout its history, has a tradition of volunteer militia units, composed of the town citizens, who were dedicated to the defense of their community, state, and nation. During the 1920s and 1930s, most Oklahoma Army National Guard units met in public schools and lodge halls. They rented the upper floors of downtown buildings for the storage of their equipment and trained in the open fields outside of the community.

These National Guard units desperately needed a building dedicated to meet their training and equipment storage needs. However, during the Great Depression, local communities and the State of Oklahoma were unable to muster the necessary resources to build any armories.