At its July 6th meeting, the Oklahoma Veterans Council (OVC), representing 23 veterans service organizations across the state, discussed the proposed Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (H.R. 9237) and its potential impact on Oklahoma’s veterans.
The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is a comprehensive 554-page legislative package that combines more than 60 individual bills aimed at reforming and modernizing the delivery of health care and disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
While the legislation has been endorsed by a coalition of more than 20 national veterans organizations because it advances numerous long-standing initiatives in a single bill, it has also generated significant concern within the veterans community.
A primary concern is the legislation’s funding mechanism. Much of the projected cost savings comes from updating
the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities, including proposed changes to future disability ratings for conditions such as sleep apnea and tinnitus. Veterans who are currently receiving disability compensation for these conditions would generally not have their existing benefits reduced solely because of these rating changes. However, veterans whose disabilities are reevaluated under applicable VA rules could be affected depending on the outcome of those reviews.
Major veterans service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), oppose the legislation because they believe it finances new veterans’ programs by reducing future disability compensation for other disabled veterans. According to a VA analysis, the proposed changes could reduce future disability compensation by an estimated $57 billion over the next 10 years, affecting as many as 1.5 million veterans.
Although the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act includes many positive provisions that would benefit veterans, the Oklahoma Veterans Council believes those improvements should not come at the expense of reducing future disability compensation for disabled veterans.
After discussion, the Oklahoma Veterans Council voted unanimously to oppose the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (H.R. 9237) in its current form because of its potential impact on Oklahoma veterans. The Council respectfully urges Oklahoma’s congressional delegation to oppose any legislation that funds new veterans’ benefits by reducing disability compensation for other disabled veterans.

Blake Kemp, a Veterans Service Officer, has been with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs for nearly four years. In Oklahoma and other states, a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) is a state-appointed or state-affiliated professional who helps veterans and their families navigate the various federal, state, and local benefits, services, and advocacy processes available to them.
The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) has exceeded its outreach targets for untethered veterans, as reported by James Bynum, the Executive
Director of ODVA, to the Oklahoma Veterans Commission at its July meeting. In the first
half of 2026, ODVA staff registered 938 previously unregistered veterans-surpassing the
original goal of 840-and in FY26, secured $1.2 billion in federal benefits for Oklahoma
veterans through ODVA claims.
Untethered veterans are those who have no direct connection to state or federal veterans
affairs agencies. By identifying and reaching out to these individuals, ODVA ensures they gain access to essential benefits and resources. Tethering veterans to ODVA provides:
• Access to Federal and State Benefits: Registration enables veterans to claim financial, healthcare, and housing benefits.
• Personalized Case Management: Veterans receive guidance from nearly 50 Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) across the state, who help navigate the claims process and coordinate services.
• Comprehensive Support:
ODVA offers prevention
programs, long-term care
housing, and benefit
management tailored to
individual needs.
• Trust and Engagement: VSOs focus on compassionate outreach, building trust and following through on commitments to veterans.
ODVA’s efforts are especially focused on aging veterans, including those from the Korean
and Vietnam wars, ensuring they are made aware of benefits and can access state veterans’ homes. Many veterans may not realize they qualify for these services, and ODVA is working
to change that through targeted outreach and partnerships with recognized Veterans Service Organizations.
“Our mission is simple: Veterans First,” said Paul Young, Chief of Staff. “We are proud of our achievements and remain committed to connecting every Oklahoma veteran with the benefits and support they deserve.”
To schedule a veteran intake appointment, visit the Claims & Benefits information page.

Newby-Vance Mobility (NVM), located within the John Vance Group in Guthrie, has been trusted for 30 + years to serve individuals and families with special transportation and driving-related needs.
“We are a mobility vehicle and adaptive equipment dealer. We sell, service, rent and warranty wheelchair accessible vehicles and related adaptive mobility equipment, all at a single location,” Marcus Newby, NVM’s General Manager said.
Based on the unique and individual needs of people, there is a wide continuum of specially adapted vehicles and services.
This can range from a simple steering device to an electric scooter lift installed in a vehicle, to a set of hand controls for someone to drive independently.
They also provide fully adapted wheelchair accessible vehicles that allow people in wheelchairs to independently enter and exit the vehicle; options exist for driving from a wheelchair or riding as a passenger in a wheelchair or by transferring to a seat. An evaluation of people’s needs and wants is critically important to identifying the best solutions for any given person or family.
Newby added that his goal as a mobility specialist is to sit down with customers and learn of their unique situations and challenges. From this a plan emerges that can maximize the customer’s ability to be mobile, independently or with assistance; the plan may include a specialized vehicle or a simple item of adaptive equipment. Suddenly, options open in people’s lives in areas of life such as going to school, job maintenance, getting to-from work, going to church and doctor’s appointments, or simply going shopping.
“The overall goal is to assist people and families in maintaining and improving their quality of life with work, friends and family,” he said.
Newby-Vance Mobility opened for business in January 1996.
Their story begins with two landmark federal laws: the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. As these laws opened school doors
to students with disabilities, one critical barrier remained: transportation.
Newby said his father Dr. Jim Newby witnessed this firsthand as New Mexico’s State Director of Special Education.
“Jim spent his entire career working with children and youth with special needs in the public-school sector,” Newby said.
Newby said this was a time when families were forced to navigate a fragmented transportation service system: buying vehicles from automobile dealers, then seeking modifications elsewhere with no single point of service or accountability when things went wrong. Jim knew there had to be a better way. The integrated public school system was the model.
“The idea emerged…why can’t I go to an automobile dealership and propose the creation of an inclusive business that provides these special vehicles and services at an auto dealership?” Newby said.
Dr. Newby envisioned a fully integrated model, one that unified vehicle sales, accessibility engineering, and service support under one roof.
In 1995, he shared that vision and proposal with the multi-franchise dealer principal, Mr. John Vance, and together they founded Newby-Vance Mobility in early 1996.
Today, Newby-Vance Mobility is Oklahoma’s largest mobility dealer, now with two locations, the original “north store” in Guthrie, at 5632 S. Division Street, and the newest “south store” in Oklahoma City at 7500 South Shields Avenue.
“So, if you come to Newby-Vance Mobility within the family of John Vance Motors, and you have a unique challenge that necessitates the use a wheelchair, or walker, and you need an accessible vehicle, and/or specially adapted driving equipment, you can come here and be met and treated just like anybody else,” Newby said. “We can help you figure out how your needs can be met, whether it’s a special vehicle, or specialized equipment. Before you spend your hard-earned money, we can tell you whether a particular vehicle, or equipment, is compatible with your needs or not. We can help you get an idea of your needs and help you purchase the vehicle and the equipment, everything all at a single location, just like anybody else that has a need to be mobile, to acquire a user-friendly vehicle. That’s our goal.”
Newby said that Newby-Vance Mobility is a certified dealer/vendor that also specializes in transportation-related services for Veterans through the Veterans Administration (VA).
NVM benefits veterans because they can experience that same level of service and sales at one location.
“We have many veterans with disabilities come to us and they are not aware of the VA or other veteran programs designed to help them with their transportation-related mobility needs. NVM is very well-rehearsed in the programs that the VA offers,” Newby said. “If you are an eligible veteran, the VA may very well assist you with adaptive mobility equipment for your vehicle.”
Newby said that NVM works to educate veterans about mobility equipment they might be eligible for through the VA.
“NVM also works with other veteran advocacy organizations such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America to learn how to go to the VA and exactly what the process is that they go through to apply for these benefits,” he said.
Newby remarked that it is an honor to serve veterans.
“Veterans always have a special place in our heart because of what they’ve done for our country,” he said. “We try to go above and beyond to give Veterans the most streamlined experience they can have of figuring out exactly what they need, and what is available related to vehicle adaptations and, how to go through the process of the VA to determine eligibility.”
Newby said Newby-Vance Mobility works with the VA on the commercial side as well.
“We just delivered seven wheelchair accessible vehicles to the Veterans Administration in Oklahoma City. We’ve sold many of these to the VA hospitals around the state,” he said. “We work with the
VA regional hospital and living centers on the commercial side; we service their wheelchair lifts in many of their wheelchair accessible buses – these busses are used to transport many Veterans to-from the area VA living centers. It is an honor, and a good feeling to work with both the VA Hospitals and VA Regional Living Centers on the commercial side, and the Veterans themselves on the personal side.”
Newby said Newby-Vance Mobility treats veterans and all its customers as family.
“We pride ourselves that…after a purchase is made, that’s when our real job starts, and that’s taking care of these folks for as long as they own that special vehicle or equipment, and keeping them on the road,” he said. • Story and photos by Van Mitchell, staff writer
For more information about Newby-Vance Mobility call
(405)-282-3113 or (405)-778-2013 or visit www.newbyvancemobility.com.

Oklahoma City has been selected to host the week-long 2032 American Legion National Convention, a centennial celebration projected to bring thousands of veterans to
the metro area, generate
more than $12 million in
local economic impact, and fill approximately 17,000 hotel room nights.
The selection follows a highly competitive bidding process led by Visit Oklahoma City OKC), a division of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, with Oklahoma City ultimately chosen over finalist cities Spokane, Washington, and Reno, Nevada.
“This is an extraordinary win for our city,” said Shaun Yates, senior vice president of tourism development for Visit OKC. “What stood out most to the client throughout the site visit was not just our facilities or our proposal, it was our people.”
During a site visit that coincided with a major winter snowstorm, American Legion representatives praised the city’s hospitality, adaptability and tight-knit community collaboration, ultimately solidifying Oklahoma City as the ideal choice for the landmark centennial.
“Serving the State of Oklahoma as the American Legion Commander has had many highlights. One of the biggest being something that will be part of the Oklahoma legacy for generations to come is being the Commander that was able to assist to secure the 2032 National Convention bid,” said Steven Charles Thomas II, department commander for the American Legion Department of Oklahoma.
“I give all the credit to the amazing folks at Visit OKC, the Chamber of Commerce and all the many people within OKC who had a vital role in the site visits and the two amazing representatives Lesley and Mandy who did the in person presentation in Indianapolis to the full selection committee. Their passion for the City, knowledge of its history and strategic planning the City has done to make Oklahoma City a top tier destination is what I believe pushed us to the top. I can’t wait for all my fellow Legionnaires to come here from around the globe and see the beauty and vibrant culture of Oklahoma that we are blessed to call home every day.”
Securing this convention highlights Oklahoma City’s growing reputation as a premier destination for major national events, and the region’s entire business and hospitality community stands ready to welcome these veterans with the world-class service they deserve.

The Oklahoma Veterans Commission has authorized a reduction in the licensed bed capacity at the Ardmore Veterans Home to match its current usable capacity. Additionally, the commissioners approved up to $5 million in funding to develop a comprehensive plan that will assess potential demolition and renovation options for the facility.
The Commission’s action strengthens the Home’s financial position by allowing the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs to better align available funding and operating costs with the facility’s current capacity. The result is additional resources that can be redirected toward improving the portions of the Home where veterans live and staff work every day.
The action maintains ample long-term care capacity for veterans in southern Oklahoma through the combined capabilities of the Ardmore and Sulphur Veterans Homes and does not alter the Department’s long-term commitment to serving veterans in the region.
By aligning licensed capacity with the Home’s usable space, the Department will no longer incur unnecessary costs associated with excess staffing requirements and continued expenditures supporting portions of the facility that have not been successfully restored. Instead, those resources can be invested where they will have the greatest immediate benefit for residents and employees.
No Reduction in Force (RIF) is anticipated. Staffing will continue to be managed through normal workforce planning as resident census aligns with the updated licensed bed capacity.
Residents and staff should see the benefits of this decision in the near term through continued investment in occupied resident areas, employee workspaces, and facility improvements that directly enhance daily operations and quality of life.
This action does not change the Department’s long-term vision for the Ardmore campus. Planning will continue for the eventual replacement or redevelopment of the Home, and today’s action preserves the flexibility to pursue future licensed bed increases should future demand and facility improvements support them.
“This action reflects responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us while reinforcing our commitment to the veterans we serve,” said Executive Director Jay Bynum. “It allows us to direct more of our resources to the veterans living in the Home today while preserving our options for tomorrow.”
The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs continues to operate one of the nation’s largest state veterans home systems, providing more than 1,350 licensed long-term care beds across Oklahoma. This decision strengthens the financial position of the Home, improves the management of public resources, and creates opportunities for immediate enhancements that will benefit both veterans and staff.
SUMMARY:
• Veterans in southern Oklahoma will continue to be served through the Ardmore and Sulphur Veterans Homes.
• Statewide, Oklahoma will continue to operate more than 1,350 licensed long-term care beds.
• The action allows the Department to better align available funding with actual operations.
• It also reduces ongoing costs associated with maintaining licensed capacity that cannot currently be utilized.
• Together, those changes free resources that can be invested where they produce the greatest benefit.
• Staffing will be managed through normal workforce planning asresident census aligns with the updated licensed capacity.
• This action does not alter plans to pursue the long-term replacement or redevelopment of the Ardmore Veterans Home.
• It preserves flexibility to increase licensed capacity in the future if demand and future facilities support it.

Named USA Today Readers’ Choice for Best Road Cycling Event for 2026, the adventure for seniors is even more inclusive and as close as Wichita Falls, Texas, the weekend of August 27-30, with the 45th-anniversary Hotter’N Hell 100 (HHH).
As the largest century bicycle ride in the nation, the HHH fosters a welcoming community and camaraderie, uniting over 13,000 riders who share a love for cycling and support each other through the challenge.
The inclusiveness allows senior cyclists to explore their new electric bicycles’ capacity for extended fun. Wichita Falls event organizers are happy to provide them equal access, only asking them to be careful.
Long-time HHH organizer Chip Filer notes that while e-bikes are not explicitly mentioned in the official documentation, owners are welcome to participate with the understanding that they must exercise caution, especially at the start and rest stops, to prevent control issues and ensure safety.
“With our aging population, we are open here at Hotter’N Hell to accommodating cyclists who are switching over to e-bikes,” Filer said last year. “Again, we just need them to realize those e-bikes can present control problems if the riders are not vigilant.”
Given the recent hotter-than-usual temperatures in July, participants should prepare for possible extreme heat on August 29, with tips on hydration, sun protection, and contingency plans available on the event website to help you stay safe and comfortable.
The event’s safety and support are
a top priority, with over 100 committee members and more than 1,000 volunteers ensuring a secure experience. This includes medical support and Support and Gear (SAG) assistance on every course and every rest stop.
From the large bicycle consumer show, featuring 50 booths showcasing the latest innovations and major manufacturers, to the myriad of other attractions, including a spaghetti dinner and a pre-ride breakfast buffet, there’s something for everyone.
After putting this on for 45 years, there are too many things going on during the four days to detail it all in an article of this nature.
Visit the HHH website at 2026-HHH-Guide-Pages-VG.pdf for the detailed downloadable Ride Guide, registration deadlines, and planning tips to ensure you’re ready for the event.
Don’t be discouraged by the 100-mile name; the HHH offers inclusive routes like the 10K, 25-mile, 50-mile, and 75-mile options designed to welcome riders of all levels and interests.
All this is just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from OKC. The distance from OKC to the Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Events Center is 140 miles using I-44 through Lawton. Do not let that distance throw you off; you drive that far just to Durant here within Oklahoma.
Again, for the e-bike crowd, the event offers the most robust set of offerings in America.
Many senior cyclists have found that the surging-in-demand e-bikes are great for allowing them to ride more and farther than
they usually do. “Bicycling Magazine” rates 16 of them for their performance, value and ride quality in its June 2025 issue. Readers can observe how cyclists are turning to cycling more with the help of a little electricity and a significant amount of money.
While more than 10,000 cyclists descend on Wichita Falls, the event offers tent camping close by, where hundreds of people camp out in RVs and tents the night before. The camping facilities are equipped with shower facilities that open Friday night and are open 24 hours until after the event, so riders can shower near the start/finish area before they begin their trip home. This convenient camping option allows you to immerse yourself in the experience fully.
Bicycle clubs from surrounding states often rent buses and stay as far away as Lawton, Okla. or closer-in cities, filling up those accommodations. They get up early Saturday to take their bus into Wichita Falls to stage for the start.
The start of the ride is staged by those riding the most extended distances at the front. For some people, the start is a party where they meet with friends, beginning at 4 a.m. They are soon joined by 10,000+ other riders who have trained to complete their chosen distances. This early start time allows participants to beat the heat and enjoy the ride at their own pace.
All that pent-up human energy is unleashed at 7:05 a.m.
after the National Anthem, U.S. Air Force Flyover and cannon blast. Many say to experience the excitement of starting a major organized ride, the best place to see it is at the HHH.
No matter how far seniors ride, the HHH is about the camaraderie of riding along with thousands of other bicyclists who enjoy a lifelong sport, providing a tremendous health benefit without the overuse injuries of many other endurance sports. • Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Faith has long played an important role in Crystal McGee DePue’s life in which she lost her father at age 12, and the loss of two husbands.

Born in Tehran, Iran, DePue’s parents, who hailed from Edmond, served as missionaries with the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in that country from the late 1940s until 1954 when they returned to the United States.

The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (PCUSA) was organized in 1837 because of General Assembly (Old School) action. Its creation marked the culmination of a discussion covering a period of years as to whether missionary operations should be carried on by voluntary societies, or by the Church in its organized capacity.

“I had come to know the Lord and I had lost my father as a 12-year-old, and I knew that God had seen me and my brothers and sisters through that,” DePue, a resident of Villagio of Bradford Village Independent Living /Assisted Living, located at 300 Enz Drive in Edmond said. “I (later in life) told my kids, God has promised to be a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow, and we’re just going to trust that that’s what’s going to happen even though it’s hard.”

DePue, 75, said her family moved to upstate New York upon returning home from Iran in what was supposed to be a year-long sabbatical.

“I moved first to New York City and stayed there for six months,” she said. “Then we moved to upstate New York because we were back supposedly on a furlough. It was just supposed to be a year of being back in the States, visiting family, getting refreshed and ready to go back. But my father was found to have serious health problems, and the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions wouldn’t send him back.”

DePue said her father continued doing mission work in upstate New York and at a women’s college in Ohio before moving their family back to Oklahoma where he worked as an accountant.

After graduating high school in Edmond, DePue attended a Presbyterian college in Clarksville, Arkansas before attending the University of Central Oklahoma.

It was at UCO where she met her first husband James “Rudy” McGee through a friend. Within two months of dating they were engaged.

“His name was James Brent, but his college roommate had a poster of Rudolph Valentino and thought he looked like that. So, they called him Rudy,” she said.

DePue said Rudy served in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Her son Jameson, a retired U.S. Marine Lt. Col. also served at the same military base in Okinawa, Japan as his father.

After leaving the Marines Rudy became a teacher and taught at several schools in Kansas before landing at his last school in Goddard, Kansas.

In 1985, Rudy was killed by a student in a school shooting along with several others left injured.

“He was shot and killed right after we found out I was pregnant with our fourth child,” DePue said.

She later moved her family back to Edmond to be closer to family.

“We moved back here. I can tell stories of how God provided a house right behind my sister’s house,” she said. “I got Workman’s comp because he was killed on the job. So, that and Social Security allowed me to stay home and have the baby.”’
DePue later worked as a secretary for an oil and gas company before retiring.
Faith continued to tug at DePue’s heart, and she served a year as a missionary in Lyon, France.

“Faith gives meaning to life,” she said. “I don’t know how people make it in this world, particularly now without faith. God has proven himself faithful. As a single parent I had a choice of whether I can do it with God or without God. And I chose God.”

DePue later remarried to the Rev. Dale DePue, who served as the pastor at First United Presbyterian Church in Guthrie, and later served as a State Representative in the Oklahoma Legislature.

DePue said her husband had developed several health issues and moved to Villagio of Bradford Village Assisted Living.

“They took such wonderful care of him, and since it was COVID, I couldn’t go visit him. But when the weather was nice, they would let him come out and we could walk the community,” she said.

DePue later moved into an Independent Living cottage in Villagio of Bradford Village.

She said she enjoys living there.

“They’re very intentional about keeping us active and keeping our minds engaged and keeping us socially engaged,” she said. “It’s a great place to be. I keep telling people it’s where I need to be.” • by Van Mitchell, staff writer

For more information about Villagio of Bradford Village call (405) 348-6945 or visit www.villagioliving.com.

The Charles Bachlor’s WWII Story

Charles “Ray” Bachlor, born in Tulsa in 1927, spent part of his teenage years in Houma, Louisiana, between 1940 and 1942, attending high school as a sophomore and junior. His family moved frequently. “We followed the oil fields,” he recalled. His father, Roy, managed a supply store for an oil field supply company. Located 57 miles southwest of New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico, Houma was a quiet oil town-until the war arrived.

A ‘secret’ war on the Gulf
During WWII, German U-boats prowled the Gulf of Mexico. “Houma soon found itself in the midst of a ‘secret’ war-one in which one or more oil tankers were being torpedoed each week near Wine Island after being loaded with oil,” wrote Bachlor after the war. “The ‘U-boat’ would fire an explosive torpedo to spread the oil and then an incendiary to light it. Merchant seamen would have to dive into the burning oil. Sometimes the sub would surface and machine gun survivors. Those who managed to survive… were picked up by our shrimp boats and brought to the hospitals in Houma and Morgan City.”

“Ellender Hospital in Houma was overwhelmed, and folding cots covered the grounds outside the hospital. The sweet smell of burning flesh permeated the air long before you reached the hospital. Women of the town-including my mother-volunteered to help the overworked hospital staff.”

Kimberly Guise, a curator at the National WWII Museum, confirmed these accounts. Bachlor recorded a grim tally: between 1942 and 1943, 88 tankers sunk and 1,471 dead-Americans killed just offshore.

Back to Tulsa
Bachlor finished high school in Sand Springs in 1943 and briefly attended Tulsa University. He tried to enlist in the Navy but was drafted into the U.S. Army on March 1, 1945, as a private.

Basic training
He began basic infantry training at Camp Livingston, Louisiana, in March for seven weeks. One day, a paratrooper visited. The man’s appearance and the unique duty of an elite organization intrigued him. “I was afraid of heights so I joined the paratroopers to overcome that fear,” Bachlor admitted.

Paratrooper training
Transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia, he entered paratrooper training. “Our first week was in the sawdust pits where we were doing nothing but PT. Fifty minutes of PT and 10 minutes rest and 50 minutes more… And every day we’d go on long runs.”

The second week brought a new challenge: “We were jumping from a 34-foot tower… the scariest of all, because you dropped 34 feet and then this cable caught you after (falling 19 feet), then you go down a line to a sawdust pit.” All this to overcome a fear of heights!

By the third week, they were packing their own parachutes and, “We’d hang harnesses and learn to guide ourselves, pulling on our shroud lines.” That week, they were also dropped from 250-foot towers.

“Fourth week we jumped every day. And then we made a night jump and then we got our wings…So, we had to make two marches in combat situations and C-47 to came in, picked us up, and we would make a simulated combat jump. And, so then you graduated.”

The war ends
Bachlor trained for a possible airborne assault on Japan. Then, the United States demolished Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, with atomic bombs. National leaders wanted to avoid at least 500,000 American casualties during a land invasion of Japan. “There were a lot of people that were in the military that were happy about dropping the bomb…and I think it was only later that a lot of people had second thoughts about how terrible the bomb was…but in the end run, it saved a lot of lives,” he said. “It shortened the war.”

Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945. Bachlor’s orders to join the 13th Parachute Division at Fort Lewis were canceled. Instead, he remained at Fort Benning as a parachute school instructor, earning the rank of Staff Sergeant.

A Long military career
After leaving the Army in 1948, Bachlor earned an Engineering Physics degree, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1950 and taught infantry basic training at Fort Chaffey, Arkansas, until May 1951. He later worked for the Security Advisory Group-Japan from 1952-1954 and taught at the Command & General Staff College, Ft. McArthur, Calif.

When Colonel Bachlor retired in 1979, he had served 34 years-rising from private to colonel, an achievement few attain. His life story stands as a testament to courage and dedication. He lives in Tulsa. •
story and photos by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

Weatherford’s Stafford Air and Space Museum, located at 3000 Logan Road near historic Route 66, offers visitors an extraordinary journey through aviation and space exploration.

From airplanes to space craft
Weatherford’s Stafford Air and Space Museum, located at 3000 Logan Road near historic Route 66, offers visitors an extraordinary journey through aviation and space exploration. Its packed galleries showcase rockets, aircraft, space suits, engines, and other artifacts – many connected to Oklahoma’s celebrated astronaut, Lieutenant General Thomas Stafford. The museum traces the story of flight from the Wright Brothers to the moon landings, with more than 50 American and Soviet technological achievements arranged in rough chronological order. Plan at least two hours to take it all in. Let’s blast off.

The world of controlled, heavier-than-air powered flights started on December 17, 1903, when the Wright Brothers flew the Wright Flyer. A full-scale replica can be seen as well as other early aircraft like an actual Sopwith Pup and replicas of a Bleriot XI, Curtiss Pusher, and Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. Visitors can use a “Star Tour Guide” handout to learn about each exhibit. Reflecting on the rapid pace of progress, Doug Schones of Canute remarked, “From 1903 to 1969, such a short time (one life time), so much technology.”
Rockets and Engines Take Center Stage
The heart of the museum lies in its space exhibits. Among them is an actual German WWII V-2 rocket, as well as F-1, J-2, and Soviet NK-33 engines. The mighty Saturn V moon rocket required five F-1 Rocketdyne engines, producing 7.6 million pounds of thrust, to send astronauts to the moon. A Titan II rocket, the same type Stafford rode into orbit during his Gemini 6 and 9 missions in 1965 and 1966, respectfully, is also displayed. Interactive exhibits let visitors hear-and almost feel – the immense power of rockets.

Houston’s Johnson Space Center contributed an authentic Mission Control Console used from the Gemini program through the Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and the early Shuttle eras. Another highlight is the actual Gemini 6A spacecraft that Stafford and Wally Schirra flew during the first-ever rendezvous in space with Gemini 7 on December 15, 1965.

A towering, full-scale replica of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” is displayed. In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. piloted a LM like this to become the first humans to walk on the moon. Nearby, Stafford’s Apollo 10 spacesuit – composed of 18,000 parts – offers a tangible link to his historic mission in May 1969.

International Space Station
Space Station fans will enjoy seeing a 1/24th scale model that illustrates the complexity of the orbiting laboratory. Interactive displays explain its components and the multinational crews who have lived and worked aboard. Viewing the model, Angela Correll of Ponca City observed, “This (ISS) is what keeps us connected” because astronauts from many nations share the station. Visitors are encouraged to download the “Spot the Station” smartphone app to track its path overhead.

Cold War and Modern Aircraft
The museum has an impressive collection of fighter airplanes. Outside are four and inside, visitors encounter an F-86 “Sabre,” Soviet MIG-21R “Fishbed,” T-38 “Talon,” F-16 “Fighting Falcon” and 2024’s addition, a F-117A “Nighthawk” stealth fighter. The MIG-21R served as the Soviet Bloc’s front-line fighter during the Cold War. The F-117A, a stealth fighter which Stafford helped develop, flew combat sorties during Operation Desert Storm, Allied Force and Iraqi Freedom, according to the Star Tour Guide.

Honoring Thomas Stafford
General Stafford was born and raised in Weatherford. The museum’s website notes, “His mother came to Oklahoma in a covered wagon and lived to see her only child fly to the moon. His father was a dentist who taught his son to appreciate what he had by working hard for it.” With a lot of hard work and natural abilities, Stafford graduated at the top 10% of his class at the U.S. Naval Academy and later became “Chief of Astronauts at NASA, was appointed Head of Research and Development at the Pentagon, chaired the team that developed the Hubble instrument COSTAR (Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement), worked at Area 51, and (was) responsible for Stealth Technology as we know it today.” His career included four historic space missions: Gemini 6A, Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo-Soyuz, where he commanded Apollo’s final flight. Lieutenant General Stafford lived from September 17, 1930 – March 18, 2024, reaching the age of 93.

Completing the Visit
Open seven days a week, the Stafford Air and Space Museum, blends history, technology, and human achievement into an unforgettable experience. Note. Museum personnel did not respond to requests for an interview. •
story and photos by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.