Although far fewer WWII veterans are alive or able to attend ceremonies, eight of our Greatest Generation celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII at the Claremore Veterans Home auditorium on Sept. 2. Scott Hannaford, owner of Buffalo Challenge Coins, planned the successful event around giving a “Ruptured Duck” challenge coin to each veteran.
Hannaford addressed the eight veterans. “This celebration will be but a small gesture of which words can never fully convey our gratitude of their service.” After saying a prayer, presenting the Colors, singing the National Anthem and America the Beautiful (with gusto by Aubrey Bartmann) and paying respects to the POW/MIA Table, distinguished guests were introduced. Oklahoma State Sen. Ally Seifried, District Two-Republican, Admiral Jay Bynum, Executive Director of Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs (ODVA) and Deborah Wimpey, Mayor of Broken Arrow were recognized.
What is a Ruptured Duck?
Hannaford explained, “In World War II, there was a clothing shortage…The United States Armed Forces came up with the Honorable Service Insignia, which depicted an eagle inside of a wreath. It was issued as a cloth patch or a lapel pin…It also allowed this discharged hero to wear their uniform for 30 days in order to have some time to obtain civilian clothing…Although to many, it looked more like a duck than an eagle…there was a common saying when someone was going quickly (leaving the service), they took off like a ruptured duck.” This brought chuckles from the 60 attendees.
Proclamation and Challenge Coins
Seyfried, whose district includes Claremore, read a special proclamation from the Oklahoma Governor. After reading five “Whereas” clauses, she ended with “it is fitting that the state of Oklahoma dedicates this day (Sep 2) as ‘Oklahoma Ruptured Duck Day’ in tribute to the iconic emblem worn by discharged service members and as a lasting acknowledgement of the legacy and heroism of our World War II veterans…”’
Hannaford, Wimpee and Donna Lee, with the VFW Post 577 Auxiliary, met each veteran where they were seated, thanked them for their service and gave them a Ruptured Duck challenge coin and a print of a patriotic eagle made by Air Force veteran Gil Cornett. Recipients Eugene Bargus, John Cockrum, Jerry Crockett, Robert Everitt, Joseph Menninger, William Mauch, Preston Wheaton and Billy Ray Young looked pleased.
Keynote Speaker
Josh Starks retired from the 45th Infantry Division, Oklahoma National Guard, after deploying to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012. He moved the audience with two stories of WWII veterans he knew. Space only allows for one story.
Starks said that when he was a child and visited his grandmother’s house on her farm, there was a smaller farmhouse where her brother, Paul, lived. “She would bring bread, some ham, some cheese, some water, and I never really understood it. I can think in the 15 years of going…out there, that man probably said five words to me that I understood.”
Paul served in WWII. “He was in the invasion, went all the way to Berlin, and when he came back, he was changed forever. When he came back, he couldn’t function, he couldn’t deal with life, he couldn’t deal with people. He had lost too many people along the way and had seen too many things that I found out much later.”
After Starks’ two-year tour in Afghanistan, he visited his grandmother and many family members came. Paul, in his 90s, lived in the main house then. “My uncle Paul… sprung up from his chair like he was 18 years old, ran to me, gave me a hug, and started telling me every story he had. He told me about his friends that he knew…” Starks grandmother, who had never cried before, wept uncontrollably.
Starks finished with the following. “So, when we talk about the cost of war, it runs deep. It’s not just the individuals that served, it’s the families that have taken care of those individuals that have served for their entire lives.”
During the event’s conclusion, each military service’s song was played – WWII veterans standing, Bartmann sang a moving “God Bless America,” and thanks were given to the Claremore Veterans Center, ODVA, Mission Barbecue for lunch, ARC Document Solutions, and to Keith Meyer and Donna Lee.
Note. This writer confirmed this was the only public event in Oklahoma celebrating the 80th anniversary of WWII. The World War II Museum estimates 462 WWII Oklahoma veterans are alive in 2025. Robert Lige Everitt died on September 22, 2025. Bison Challenge Coins, https://bisonchallengecoins.com/#
• Story by Retired Lt. Col. Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFER. See Rich Travel Niche
