VetChat hosted Rear Admiral James Bynum, Executive Director of ODVA, at Cornerstone Church in Midwest City on April 12, where he addressed 110 veterans and discussed the agency’s current and future roles. Bynum, a retired Navy fighter pilot with a 36-year career, emphasized his commitment to enhancing veteran services by improving mentorship programs, increasing the quality of Veterans Service Officers, and leveraging technology for secure, convenient access to benefits. He detailed plans to bolster communication through quarterly advisory forums, regular newsletters, and an expanded media presence, as well as partnerships with private organizations to aid with job placements. During the Q&A session, veterans raised concerns ranging from lost medical records to reduced benefits. Bynum said ODVA is exploring CMS certification for veteran care facilities and will open a new Veterans Home in Sallisaw in 2025.
VetChat, a non-profit organization that promotes veteran fellowship, hosted Rear Admiral James Bynum, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) at the Cornerstone Church in Midwest City, April 12th. Bynum discussed current and future roles of the agency and answered questions from the 110 veterans in attendance.
Bynum built a 36-year career in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot (primarily F-18s), retiring in 2021. His last military assignment was as Deputy and Director, Warfare Development, on the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations staff. He also commanded “the Royal Maces of Strike Fighter Squadron 27…and Carrier Air Wing 3 as part of the Harry S. Truman Strike Group…” according to ODVA’s website. Bynum started his talk by saying he was glad to have been asked to lead ODVA. “I needed a mission, be part of a team and have some outcome,” he said. The director talked directly and honestly with veterans.
He emphasized how ODVA will get better to serve veterans and their families with the services and benefits they offer. “We can’t be professional if we don’t know how we need to improve or if we don’t know where we’re falling short, if we’re aiming totally at the wrong target. So, we have to have that input…Whether that’s veteran services, whether that’s help with finding a job, whether that’s help with finding other services…But our job is to be that connective tissue…That’s finding some discreet things to get accomplished, put ‘em on a calendar, make a plan, assign roles and responsibilities and drive to them. And then come check our homework. See how we did.”
Ways for the ODVA to provide information include scheduling quarterly Veterans Advisory Forums, advertising on television and radio (started in May) and publishing a regular newsletter. Areas to improve service include providing mentorship and more qualified Veterans Service Officers (VSOs). “We all want the best that someone has to offer,” Bynum said. “I owe every veteran that…You’re not going to get an apprentice VSO, you’re going to get journeyman or above with access to masters (highly qualified ability) if you need it.”
Bynum wants ODVA to utilize technology better by having personal identifiable information available in a veteran’s registry securely held behind electronic firewalls. He stated, “We can do that business with you online at your convenience, on your time…I got to meet you where you are.” The Director acknowledged ODVA doesn’t have the people to meet with every veteran individually or in groups. No mention was made whether the drive towards technology-powered tools would result in fewer ODVA employees, face-to-face or telephone service.
Partnering with private and public organizations, such as Major Talent for job finding can help veterans (https://majortalent.com/). Bynum said, “They have a nationwide architecture to acquaint your resume with the folks that fund them, free to the veteran. They’ll write your resume, they’ll give you the lesson, they’ll give you mock interviews, computer-based training on how to do an interview.”
Currently, Veterans Homes must be certified by the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Bynum said ODVA is exploring “other ways to provide care and operate Veteran Affairs homes, perhaps through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certification. So, with Medicare Advantage waivers, veterans can now get in-home care, and…because we have…full suite of skilled nursing available, and that’s speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy…if we get that CMS certification to do rehabilitation work for short stays…,” veterans will benefit. ODVA is asking three facilities to look into getting CMS certification.
A new Veterans Home in Sallisaw, Sequoyah County, will open in 2025. It is built and staff are being hired. Senator Kelly Hines (R) and Representative Nicole Miller (R) submitted State Bill 520 to create a State of Oklahoma Veterans Foundation allowing it to receive donations to promote veteran activities. It was signed into law by Governor Stitt on April 23, 2025.
Ten veterans asked questions ranging from what to do about the VA losing medical records to what the OVDA could do to help small businesses to reductions in benefits (tinnitus, sleep apnea).
According to Bynum, Oklahoma has about 300,000 veterans. More information about the ODVA is at https://oklahoma.gov/veterans.html.
Other attendees included the following from ODVA: Dr. Sidney Ellington, Vice Chairman of the Veterans Commission, Lisa Acevedo, Director of Veteran Services & Legislative Liaison, Pitta Zulker, Women Veterans Program Coordinator, and Al Garza, Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Administrator, and State Senator Brenda Stanley (R), Midwest City Mayor Matt Dukes and Vietnam War Ace Colonel Charles Bellevue.
story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr.

While drilling reservists enjoyed fun and food at Tinker AFB, veteran friendly businesses explained their services to customers in Piedmont on May 3rd.

Reservists and family of the 507th Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command, unit equipped KC-135 unit, enjoyed their annual Family Day in Hanger 1030. They ate hamburgers, played on air-inflated slides and bounce houses, looked at classic cars and of course, showed off their refueling tankers. Other static display aircraft on hand: a C-5 and C-17 cargo airplane and a T-1, T-6 and T-38 trainer.
What is Family Day? Event planner 1Lt Kennedy Humprey, 465th Aircraft Refueling Squadron, shared that it is “To show our families what we do as military members.” 1Lt Nick Pratt, also with the 465th, added, “Show appreciation to the families because it’s all for them.” Humprey said he expected 1,000 people to attend.
Reservists like what they do. “I like working on the planes that refuel our fighter and other combat mission aircraft, plus I enjoy exploring the world,” said MSgt Trevor Hardesty, a member of the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. MSgt Lindsey Newton, the Engineering Squadron’s First Sergeant, said she likes serving in the 507th “because the people (reservists) are like family.”

Twenty-nine organizations manned tables offering services and products, such as 72d Air Base Wing’s Military Family Readiness Center and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, DoD’s Integrated Prevention & Resilience Office, VFW Post 8706 (Moore), and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. “I come because I want to help families with resources,” said Crystal Garcia with the Employee Assistance Program at Tinker AFB.
Gerardo Guzman, a 30-year retired Army Sergeant First Class, came because his son is a member of the wing. “My wife and I were proud for my son…” joining the Air Force Reserves.
According to the 507 ARW website (https://www.507arw.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/), “The wing operates and maintains eight KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft providing world-wide aerial refueling to U.S. and NATO aircraft in times of peace, war and national emergency” and “…consists of three subordinate groups and 11 squadrons while employing more than 1,200 men and women.”
Meanwhile, in Piedmont, the 4th Annual VetsFest 2025 was in full swing (with guitars, drums and keyboards) at the Piedmont Veterans Event Center. The Piedmont Area Veterans Association (PAVA)

( https://pavavets.org ), hosted the event. The Caroline Grace and J. Rod Wald bands played country music while Atlantis Aquarius entertained with psychedelic 60s style rock and roll for 300 people that attended. Grace joined the Atlantis Aquarius’ six band members to provide more vocals.
Twenty-five veteran-owned and veteran-connected businesses (colleges with veteran student services, etc.) came from throughout Oklahoma. Patriot Automotive of Piedmont is owned and operated by Jeremy Hays and John Leahr. Hays was a five-year U.S. Navy medical corpsman and Leahr is a 15-year drilling reservist with the 160th Oklahoma National Guard (U.S. Army). Hays said they wanted a booth to “let people know we are here to serve our community. You bring it in and we’ll fix it,” meaning vehicles of all makes, models and ages.
Ella Jefferson-Speed, founder and CEO of Soul Survivor Supportive Living Foundation, came to bring awareness to the organization. She is a 10-year U.S. Army veteran. She uses her experience to help “women with societal barriers like disability, homelessness, justice involved (jailed) and sobriety services.” The Soul Survivor handout says it’s a “501©3 that is dedicated to providing a safe, secure, and loving drug-free temporary home-solution for Veteran Women…” She estimated serving 25 women in 4 years.
Josh Cain was the lead event planner and is a PAVA board member. He said, “PAVA has done a lot of traditional things, for instance, (having) veterans affairs representatives, but beyond that, we are dynamically active in unique ways.” Holding VetsFest is one unique way. It allows them “to support veteran owned businesses and to celebrate veterans.” He said the event was a success because the overwhelming number of vendors were happy with the number of customers who engaged with them. Referring to event sponsors Ascent Midstream Partners, F&M Bank, Edward Jones and Express Employment International, Cain said, “I can’t say enough good things about how these guys care.” story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr., Lt. Col, USAF Retired

Ronald Reagan, originally an American actor and politician, became the 40th President of the United States serving from 1981 to 1989. His term saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with the goal of achieving “peace through strength” abroad.

At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore “the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.”

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films.

From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952 he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress, and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott.

As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970.

Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the year-long confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter.

On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar.

Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit.

A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. Their victory turned away Democratic challengers Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.

In 1986 Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.

In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve “peace through strength.” During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In dramatic meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Reagan declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub.

By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti-Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa.

Overall, the Reagan years saw a restoration of prosperity, and the goal of peace through strength seemed to be within grasp.

What an honor and a privilege to be part of the inaugural Chaplain’s Corner segment. My name is SFC (Ret.) George Shafer, and I am the Chaplain for The American Legion LeBron Post 58 in Guthrie, OK.
I recently graduated seminary with a capstone thesis about online ministry and American Veterans. During the research phase of development, I felt as though the Lord directed me to Matthew chapter 8 verses 5-18 which states: “When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment.”

Matthew 8:5-13 (ESV)

This passage is fascinating for several reasons. First, the geographical context of Capernaum at this time being “an important fishing village and commercial center…As a major city on the trade route, it had a Roman battalion, and one of the centurions approached Jesus.” Osborne and Arnold also believe that the centurion would have been either Syrian or Roman, and notes that the relationship between Romans/Syrian and the Jews was highly contentious.
Furthermore, this passage is the only one in Matthew’s gospel that “Jesus marvels at anything.” Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion! But this passage gets even better; especially when we view this interaction within the scope of evangelism and missions. Osborne notes that “the miracle happened as much for the centurion as for his slave, and that in this, salvation has come not just to Israel but for the nations, so that the universal mission is found here in embryo.”
Did you catch that? Whereas we understand that the first Gentile conversion occurs in Acts under the command of God to Peter after his vision, here we find the Son of God himself carefully cultivating and preparing the way for Gentile inclusion… through a soldier.
If you are reading this and are struggling with your faith; perhaps the transition from soldier to civilian has been too much. Maybe you’re like me and your time in the military left you with scars, both visible and invisible. But I want you to know that He sees you. He hears you. He knows you and He completely understands you. The Gentile ministry that Jesus began with the Centurion over two thousand years ago in an embryonic state was not still-born but rather is alive and well in the pursuit of YOU.
I pray this message has encouraged you in your faith. If you have not yet considered the path of a faith-driven life, I would encourage you to stop by your local veteran service organization (The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, etc.) and speak to the local chaplain. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you in all you do today!
by Rev. George F. Shafer, SFC (Ret.), M.Div., B.S., Chaplain (TAL Post 58)

Edwards followed his heart to help the others during and after Vietnam War.

Ellis Edwards has been a Veteran Home Care client of SYNERGY HomeCare since May 2019.

He and his wife have been very grateful for the extra help they’ve been able to receive and have grown to view their caregivers as an extension of family.

His wife, Thao, said “SYNERGY is doing a great job to accommodate Ellis’ needs. They are a good company, especially to our veterans. Our caregivers are always there to help him, and it’s been such a relief for us.” The entire team is grateful to be able to serve the Edwards family and are honored to recognize his incredible service to our nation.”

Edwards might not see himself as a hero, but there are others that might dis agree with the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantry Badge recipient and a member of the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.

Edwards, 77, has made a difference in peoples’ lives both during and after the Vietnam War.

He rescued 64 American allies when the Republic of Vietnam was falling to the North Vietnamese. In 1970, he was a second lieutenant in the infantry. He volunteered for the Republic of Vietnam for duty in Vietnam. He was promoted to Captain because of that rescue mission.

As an advisor, Edwards was aware of the instability of the South Vietnamese government. He promised his comrades that, in the event a communist takeover was imminent, he would return and help them escape. Edwards took this commitment seriously.

“I knew that I could do something,” Edwards said. “That was my Christian duty.”

Following his return from Vietnam and his release from his active duty, Edwards joined Operational Detachment 212, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Oklahoma City.

While working as a financial bond advisor, completing a master’s degree and serving in the Special Forces Reserve, Edwards closely monitored the Vietnam War, remaining in touch with his friends.

On January 3, 1975, Edwards suffered a serious injury on a night parachute jump with the Special Forces Unit, fracturing vertebrae in his back. The injuries eventually caused his retirement from the Army.

In March of 1975, South Vietnam was quickly collapsing. The North Vietnamese had started their push to destroy the remaining South Vietnamese military, and vast areas were falling into the Communists’ hands. Many soldiers abandoned their posts and fled in panic. The highways were clogged with columns of tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery pieces and trucks loaded with soldiers.
Remembering his promises, Edwards planned an emergency return to the war zone to rescue as many as he could.

At his own expense, Edwards flew first to New Orleans where he obtained an expedited passport, flying on to Washington D.C. where he received a visa from the South Vietnamese embassy, then flying to Saigon.

Edwards returned at the very moment that Communist forces were overrunning the country, exposing him to great personal danger.

The South was within weeks of capture and the whole country was in a state of pandemonium.

Further complicating matters, Edwards was in pain throughout his mission. He said his back injury required him to wear a brace, and he was constantly in need of unavailable physical therapy.

Despite his pain, Edwards diligently set about contacting those in harm’s way. Most of Edwards former counterparts were located on the Cambodian border in a province there, where heavy fighting was taking place.

Edwards found and hired a taxi driver who originally agreed to take him to that area.

As they traveled through the countryside, however, there were Communist roadblocks, which barely managed to evade.

When the driver refused to go any further, Edwards produced his only weapon, a pistol and told the shaken man that he had no choice but to continue.

They reached the area where Edwards found his former unit and the individuals whom he had advised. From both that province and Saigon, Edwards rounded up 64 people seeking to escape.

When it was time for Edwards to return to Saigon, however, the taxi had gone. Having no other transportation, Edwards was left with the unbelievable option of taking a public bus through enemy-held territory.

He said was lucky that the Communists caught a Republic of Vietnam officer who was riding a bus shortly behind him and hanged him.

Back in Saigon, Edwards then had to address the problem of how to get the refugees out of the country.

In a misguided effort to keep South Vietnam from collapsing, the US government initially refused to evacuate Vietnamese nationals, and the American ambassador attempted to prevent Vietnamese citizens from leaving.

Edwards was required to not only deal with the Vietnamese onslaught, but he was also hampered by non-cooperation from the American embassy.
Ever determined, Edwards resorted to unconventional tactics to accomplish his plan. He first found a South Vietnamese air force pilot who accepted $25,000 to fly the refugees to Thailand.

At the last minute, however, the US government changed its policy, and Edwards was able to convince the Air Force to devote an airplane to his refugees. Although he never recovered the $25,000 paid to the pilot, he now believes that expenditure was worth it.

Before leaving on one of the last military flights out of Vietnam, Edwards helped all those he could.
Among them were six Vietnamese women, each of whom Edwards “married” before the fall of South Vietnam.

Edwards managed to talk his way into the American embassy where, in the chaos, he found the empty office of an American general who had already been evacuated. He used his fortress to gain access to people who can help him get the refugees out. At one point, he even posed as a congressional staffer.

While in Saigon, Edwards was attacked on the street by an unknown assailant. The incident involved gunfire, and Edwards was shot by the assailant.

Once the refugees reached US soil, Edwards did not abandon them.

In fact, he sponsored more than 200 refugees in Oklahoma, finding them places to live, obtaining jobs, enrolling children in school, acquiring household furnishings, obtaining driver training licenses and automobiles.

The refugees who came to Oklahoma have successfully been part of the state. They have businesses and professions.

In 1998, Ellis and his wife Thao Edwards invited a young teenage girl who had been raised under the Communist regime in Vietnam to live in their home and attend Bishop McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City.

The girl’s mother was unable to support her, and she asked Edwards for help. After a successful semester at McGuinness, Edwards managed to get the girl accepted into the Oklahoma School of Science and Math. Upon high school graduation, she received a full scholarship to Mount Holyoke University, which she finished in three and a half years with double majors.

The summer of 2010, Edwards invited a Vietnamese college student to stay at his house, helping him with acquiring tuition for about a year. The young man went on to St. Bernard’s Seminary and School of Theology. He was ordained June 30, 2018.

“I’ve helped a lot of people, and I gave them (help with a new life in the United States),” he said.

Edwards also helped raise funds from private sources to build a much-needed grade school in Vietnam. He personally ramrodded the project to completion only to hear that the Communists demolished it after his departure.

Thao Edwards said her husband of almost 49 years has a heart of gold. “He’s extraordinary. He can do the things that normal people don’t do,” she said. story by Van Mitchell

Jeff Burch is a Morrison resident and disabled veteran who proudly served his country overseas. During his time in the Army, he was specially trained to see things coming that the average civilian might not be prepared to face. But late last year, he had no way of predicting an emergency situation that left him hospitalized.

He woke up in intense pain with no spinal fluid and no memory of the previous hours. Those hours, he says, are unforgettable for his family, as they rushed him to the Stillwater Medical Emergency Room.

“The process of coming into the hospital itself was traumatic for my wife, as well as my son. The staff at the emergency room were comforting. They tried everything at their disposal to figure out what was going on,” Burch said.

With no clear answers, Burch was admitted to the hospital. His insurance is through Veterans Affairs, so his family feared he may be transferred to another facility before they understood the reason for his condition.

Cooperation enabled Burch to stay put.

“The line of communication from Stillwater Medical to the Oklahoma City VA was completely wide open,” Burch said. “They helped my wife and my family get the paperwork all started, which is key.”

Burch had suffered a stroke and needed time to heal. His military training wasn’t entirely useless to him in hospital. He recognized how the structures he was so familiar with in the military seemed present among the staff caring for him. They each had a clear mission, rank and responsibility. Doctors, nurses, medical technicians, staff in the Central Business Office, all came together to provide care in his time of need. Care that he said he considers heroic.

“All the way from the nurse in the ER room to the top floor of your care, it takes a special kind of person to deal with a sick person. Most people that are sick are in a bad mood. But everyone I interacted with showed nothing but pure compassion, pure understanding. It’s almost as if they knew what I needed before I needed it,” Burch said.

Burch is quick to reject the label of hero for his service. To him, he was just doing the job he signed up for with the help of veterans who came before him and the allies who trained beside him. Others might disagree.

Mirriam-Webster defines a hero as a person admired for achievements and noble qualities. Admiration is certainly what Burch expressed for his care team.

“To summarize my experience as far as the care that I received at Stillwater Medical, it was extraordinary, humbling,” Burch said. “They didn’t have to take that above and beyond, but they did, and it shows. It really shows.”