There’s a lot to like at the 155-acre Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Ala.: USS Alabama, a WWII South Dakota Class battleship; USS Drum, a WWII submarine; Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion; 29 aircraft from WWII to the Cold War Era on the grounds; and four memorials to veterans. Whew! You’ll spend about four hours taking it all in.

USS Alabama

Since 1965, about 3.5 million people a year go on one to three self-guided tours (red, yellow, green) through four decks (floors, for landlubbers) of the ship from bow to stern (front to rear) to learn the story how her brave and dedicated crew helped win the war. Each tour takes about 45 minutes.

Peer into the rooms of bakeries, workshops, brig, intercom (communications), gunnery-aviation, and plotting (firing guns) and walk along seamen’s bunks (or “racks”) and the mess hall.

These areas have displays. There are original sailor uniforms in the quartermaster (supply) room; dishes, pots and pans in the galley (kitchen); and papers, family photos, uniforms and radios left behind in multiple offices; and medicine in the dispensary.

While touring the ship, Mike Thomas of Ft. Worth said he got a “better feel of what crewmen felt and how they existed. It’s like a mini-city.” True. The Alabama sailed with 2,500 sailors and Marines. For Larry Genson of Michigan and Dwanda Schwaz of Mobile, the informative displays and placards were useful. “I like to see how they lived; their food and quarters” Larry explained.

Special exhibits tell visitors about the USS Mobile, Iwo Jima 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy, 20mm Oerlikons and 40mm Bofors (cannons), Navy divers and more. Jeff and Karen Banks visited from Johnson City, Tenn. They said, “I love the history (of the ship). Many exhibits opened up to see how the ship worked, taking us back into time.” Alabama veterans recounted their sea tours on video in a couple of places.

Genevese Harris, Director of Marketing, said visitors visit about two-thirds of the ship, which is 680 feet long and 108 feet abeam (wide). Be sure to lift your legs and lower your head in doorways. The tour is not suitable for people using walkers and wheelchairs. Most of the ship is air conditioned.

History and warfare

The keel of the USS ALABAMA (BB-60) was laid at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on February 1, 1940, became operational on March 20, 1943, was decommissioned on January 9, 1947 and became a tourist attraction in 1965.

The Alabama’s advanced design enabled it to steam at 28 knots, almost 32 miles per hour.

The crew of the Alabama earned nine battle stars, engaged in 10 bombardments, and shot down 22 aircraft in her 51-month sailing history in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Placards stated while the original role of battleships was to “engage surface ships, their role shifted to include playing shepherd to the carriers, protecting them from both aircraft and enemy ships” and “gunfire support for allied troops on the ground.”

Asked why preserving and displaying warships like the USS Alabama is important, Harris said, “It’s a part of our history. It’s good for the younger generation to see what was done in the past.” For more information, go to the USS Alabama Memorial Park website or watch a 29:30-minute video titled, “Legacy of a Titan,” on YouTube.

USS Drum

See how the 72-member “Silent Service” crew worked and lived before you leave. According to park’s website, “Of the DRUM’s 13 war patrols, all save the second, ninth, and last two, were designated “successful.” She received a total of 12 battle stars for World War II service. She is credited with sinking 15 ships, a total of 80,580 tons of enemy shipping, the eighth highest of all U.S. submarines in total Japanese tonnage sunk.”

Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion

The hanger holds aircraft from WWII to the Cold War. The collection includes a Red Ball Express display, honoring those men who ran supplies during WWII; a Red-Tail P-51 airplane; and a VH1-N/ Bell 212 helicopter used by several presidents. A highlight is walking around a once super-secret A-12 Black Bird spy plane.

Memorials

The Korean War, Vietnam War, Fallen Guardian and Fallen Hero 9/11 Memorials pay tribute to the men and woman who served during those periods.

Park information

The park is open 8-5 daily. Prices range from free (children up to 5, active duty military), $6 (ages 6-11), $18.00 (ages 12-55), and $15 (veterans, ages 55+). Stevie’s Kitchen grills burgers and hotdogs and serves salads, pizza and drinks. • story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

At the age of 89, Woodie Brod Sylvester of Weatherford, Oklahoma, was asked to write about his experiences during WWII. The result was a five-page military autobiography. It’s too long to print verbatim, but a summary of locations and activities are listed with several copied passages. Since the events took place 60 years ago, he didn’t remember all the details.

The big take away is that Woodie served in the US Army Signal Corps starting on April 10, 1942, for over three years – two-and-a-half of them in continuous combat conditions – without leaving the war front. During WWII, soldiers had to serve for the duration plus six months.

Woodie said, “I started out as a buck private (E-1) and I turned out to be the personnel Sergeant Major (E-6) of a battalion with 500 men,” a testament to his ability to increase responsibility and lead men in war. His life story is one of dedication to God, family and nation.
He was born on August 2, 1917, in Chilton, Texas, to Woodie Alvin and Ida Marie (Brod) Sylvester. On August 9, 1938, Woodie and Mattie Elizabeth Adams eloped and married. They birthed three children: son, Sam and two daughters, Jana and Sue after the war.

Below are short descriptions of his amazing duty.

Location Dates and towns identified

North Africa – Landed in Casablanca, Morocco, on Christmas Eve 1942.
On January 10, 1943, headed east towards Tunis, Tunisia. Woodie stated he was close to a soldier who stepped on a land mine and was killed; luckily, he was not hurt. In February 1943, his unit arrived at the Kasserine Mountains, where the Germans defeated the Americans and English in a major battle. Afterwards, General Patton arrived with the 3rd Army and they pushed the Germans out of North Africa.

Sicily – Sailed to Gela, Sicily. GIs gave food to hungry children. Marched to Palermo and made it there in about 31 days.

Italy – Landed on a beach north of Paestum, south of Pompeii, and fought in a battle. Afterwards, soldiers went up to tour volcano Vesuvius and made ash trays out of molten lava. Progressed north to Naples. Spent his second Christmas (1943) in Caserta. Marched to the monastery, Monte Cassino, in February 1944, and saw Allies bomb it. Proceeded north to Rome where Woodie and his company went to the Vatican and were given an audience with the Pope.
Corsica – Sailed to this island, preparing to invade France.

France – Sailed to St. Tropez, French Riviera. His unit joined other invasion forces, such as the 95th Infantry Division. Marched north, following the Rhone River, then moved between Lyon and Dijon. Reached Epinal. In late December 1944, his unit rested in Strasbourg, but retreated back to Epinal because of fears the Germans might win the Battle of the Bulge.

Germany – In 1945, crossed Rhine River and advanced to Heidelberg, then past Camp Dachau, infamous concentration camp. Woodie said they could smell Dachau for miles before they saw the camp but did not have any idea what the smell was. Arrived Darmstadt, and headquartered in the ruins of a university. Rotated back to Lubbock, Texas, in the summer and separated in October 1945.
Several passages of Woodie’s recollections are provided in this story.

North Africa – “The third echelon (of the signal battalion), which I was assigned to, sailed from Boston in early December, landing in Casablanca, Morocco, on Christmas Eve 1942…At Casablanca, we were housed in a warehouse and this would be the last inside housing for many, many months…We left Casablanca around January 10, 1943. Our company, “A,” laid landlines for communications between frontline troops and HQ. It was very cold and we were sleeping in pup tents on sandy grounds. We would sleep at night and in the morning would wash our clothing in gasoline to kill the (sand) fleas. We started to suffer casualties from mines and other actions. Mine fields were everywhere. Many civilian children and adults suffered from these mines as well as our own troops.

We moved daily…toward Tunis, Tunisia, keeping as much pressure on the German army as possible. As we advanced through the desert, we arrived at the Kasserine Mountains. The German army under the direction of German General Rommell was waiting with the powerful Mark 4 tanks. The allies experienced great losses of men and equipment until the American tanks under the direction on General Patton arrived.
At times, the moves were so fast the line crews could not string wire fast enough to keep up with Patton’s tanks. The wire being laid on the ground would break as fast as the line crews could put new wire in place due to tanks and half-tracks.

Italy – We finally entered Rome…So, some of us headed for the Vatican…We entered and were shown through the buildings and then told to be seated in a certain chapel. There were about 100 men in our group…and the Pope appeared and made a short statement. He spoke English quite well and also gave each man a cross to carry. This was a great honor…

France – The battalion…went into Strasbourg, France…We made our headquarters this time in a small hotel. Christmas of 1944 was only a few days away. We were supplied with all kinds of Christmas food, including fresh turkeys. About this time the Battle of the Bulge started and we were ordered to vacate and retreat at once back to Epinal. We destroyed all of our food supplies that we had received for Christmas.

Germany – On our way to Darmstadt, we passed the Camp Dachau where the Jewish people were confined…we could smell this camp but didn’t know about what was happening on the inside. Other troops came in and liberated these people that were nothing but walking skeletons.

I must comment that the men I served with were the “best”. Nothing could be said about them except “great-wonderful and they were like my brothers.”
Woodie earned a Bronze Star on 19 May, 1945. Other medals received: WWII Victory Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle East Medal, American Campaign Medal.

Texas – I met my wife, Mattie, at Temple, Texas. This ended my 3 1/2 years in the military and I never had a leave to go home prior to this date.

Woodie told his life story to Stephens in July 2022, two months before he died. Woodie strongly believed in marriage. “When we got married, that was a lifetime thing. It’s not anymore.” Woodie and Mattie were married for 72 years.

In 1965, Woodie and Mattie purchased and operated a theater and a drive-In theatre they built in Weatherford. He served as a Weatherford City Commissioner for nine years, bringing the 3M Company to Weatherford and developing Rader Park. He was very active in the Weatherford Rotary Club (a Paul Harris Fellow), Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, First Baptist Church and the American Legion Post 091 (a member for 65 years).

In 1980, Woodie and Mattie retired to enjoy the fruits of their labor. At the age of 105-years, Woodie died on September 11, 2022.

Woodie is survived by his son, Sam Sylvester, and wife, Gwyn of Eufaula; two daughters, Jana Hale and husband, Doug and Sue Nabors and husband, Tommy, all of Weatherford. •
story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret., and CAPT Douglas Hale, USNR, Ret.

Ivan W. Evans Jr, his voice resonating with the echoes of war in October 2023, recounted his 186 days of continuous battle at the end of World War II in France and Germany. His U.S. Army infantry fighting experiences, etched in the annals of history, were as intense as the widely known Battle of the Bulge.
Just out of high school, he joined the famous 100th Infantry Division after 16 weeks of training as a replacement soldier in early November 1944 in the rugged forested terrain of the French Vosges Mountains. The mountains and savage winter weather acted as a nearly impenetrable fortress for German troops determined to defend the final barrier between the Allies and the Rhine River.
Evans explained how his 100th Division, known as the Century Division withstood Hitler’s last major offensive of the war, Operation Nordwind. This operation, launched by the German Army in a desperate attempt to regain the initiative on the Western Front, was every bit as tenacious and massive an onslaught as the failed Battle of the Bulge.
He spoke with awe of how difficult it was to push the Germans out of the concrete Maginot Line fortifications, a series of defensive structures built by France to protect against a German invasion. However, these fortifications were oriented to defend France from Germany to the North, making the fighting a fierce and yet strange experience, as he described to me in the interviews.
The Germans’ Operation Nordwind took place in severe winter weather about 60 days after Evans went into the frontlines as a .30-cal light machine gunner. A four-man crew supported his weapon. Three soldiers helped him to move the weapon, its tripod and its heavy boxes of ammo.
He said he was lucky to have those first two months to orient himself to fighting Germans as part of the Century Division’s effort to drive the Germans out of France.
By then, he knew to dig a deep, defendable foxhole for himself, his ammo helper and his weapon as a gun emplacement.
He also requisitioned an M1 carbine instead of the .45-caliber sidearm machine gunners were issued. He did this once he realized how fierce the fighting was, in that often below-freezing snowy winter.
Both those things saved his life when the Germans halted their tactical retreat and launched their offensive Operation Nordwind at his position.
His training allowed him to capture a German making a nighttime infiltration bayonet charge. The enemy was attempting to surprise the Americans by quietly sneaking up close and appearing out of the fog, making a bayonet charge.
What followed in the interview was a testament to Evans’ strategic thinking. He demonstrated how he outmaneuvered an on-charging German soldier in the dark, a situation that demanded split-second decisions and quick reflexes.
While seated, he showed me how his reaction was to turn his body sideways, reaching back to grab his M1 carbine propped to the back side of the foxhole. He did that because he would have never had time to use his machine gun.
In turning and reaching back, he did not present a fixed target for the German’s bayonet aimed at his chest. The German missed him; the bayonet slid across the front of his uniform and downward because his foxhole was strategically deep.
In missing such an obvious target, the German lost his balance, stumbling forward. Evans was able to grab the German’s rifle that had just luckily gone past him and pull him further downward into the foxhole, where his hand-to-hand combat training took over.
He quickly subdued his enemy and captured him without injury by using the soldier’s rifle as leverage in striking him hard across the face with the butt of the rifle.
Meanwhile, his ammo crew member did the same to another German charging in. Evans said his foxhole mate required more hand-to-hand combat strikes to subdue his German.
Both men were awarded Bronze Stars for their gallantry in capturing Germans that night, as their actions exemplified what was taking place all across the battlefront during Operation Nordwind. The Germans made their last major offensive on the Western Front, but the well-trained and battle-tested Century Division absorbed the blow and repelled their advance.
Soon, the Germans’ offensive fell apart. The 100th Division returned to normal operations, continuing to push the Germans back into Germany and toward the end of the war. Evans mentioned the difference in being a replacement in the Century Division many times during our interviews, only joining them for those last 186 days of almost continuous fighting in sometimes heavily forested, snowy and windswept conditions.
He did this all the while swelling with pride that his leadership in his gun crew and his .30-caliber Browning machine gun made a significant contribution to protecting his fellow soldiers.
Evans, a man of humble courage, acknowledged the role of luck in his survival during the daily battles. His perspective sheds light on the unpredictable nature of war, where a split-second decision or a fortunate circumstance can mean the difference between life and death.
Evans said he was lucky during all that daily battle. Later, when he was shot in the arm near the Maginot Line while retaking Bitche. He said he was lucky it was only his arm that earned him a Purple Heart Medal.
And then real luck kicked in when his wound was sewn up by the only neurosurgeon available in the MASH unit behind the lines because of his fortunate placement in line at triage.
He regained the full use of his arm because that surgeon knew precisely how to treat the nerves carefully during surgery.
After recovery, he rejoined his unit and continued to contribute to the war effort, as his place in his unit was solidly welcomed. No longer just a replacement nobody knew, he was well respected as a key part of the men’s success in battle after battle.
With only 16 weeks of training, Evans made sure that the sentiment of acceptance and its significance to him were emphasized in the interviews.
Evans said one of the most fulfilling aspects of his role as a machine gunner was protecting and directly affecting his fellow soldiers’ ability to carry the fight to the enemy. He did this right on into Germany, only coming out of the frontline in the last two weeks of the war near Stuttgart.
He said he was proud when he could be creative in moving his weapon to a better position to give him a better view of the battlefield for any defensive purposes, while simultaneously supporting his unit’s forward progress. Those battlefield initiatives became more routine as he gained experience, as he was deeply invested in his weapon making a difference.
Sharing these interviews as a brief reflection of the bravery of an Oklahoman is fitting now to honor his generation on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. By only sharing the details of the battles, readers are encouraged to remember the everyday bravery shown by fellow Americans in that war.
Evans was born April 26, 1925, near Bessie, Oklahoma and died on November 25, 2023, in Yukon, only two months after these interviews. He was buried in the Ft. Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, Oklahoma. • Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Harriet (Greenberg) Frank served in the USMC Woman’s Reserve between April 29, 1945 (age 20) – July 17, 1946. Then, having women in the military was an experiment, but initiated so men could go overseas
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Tim Stanley of the Tulsa World newspaper posted an article about Harriet Frank on Facebook in 2015 as part of a “WWII Legacy Keepers” series. The main portion of the article is his; the remainder is from Stephens who visited her in August.

With each one of the small black bags that crossed her desk, Harriet Frank never lost sight of what it represented: another young life cut short by war. “It was work you couldn’t help but get emotionally involved in,” she said of taking inventory of the personal effects of slain Marines, her first job at Marine Corps headquarters in 1945. Among the items collected in those black bags, Frank said, were photos, letters, Bibles and billfolds. One of the items that touched her most, she said, was a baby book…the mother had mailed the book to him. It contained a photo of the baby and a copy of the birth certificate. It was sad, she said, to see things like that and to consider the life that was lost.

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, Frank was 16 years old.

“I knew I was going to do something, I just didn’t know what,” she said. Being Jewish, and knowing what was going on in Europe, was additional motivation, she added. To join one of the recently established women’s military branches, you had to be at least 20.

By the time her 20th birthday rolled around on April 29, 1945, Frank had already completed her paperwork to join the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, or “Lady Marines” as it was often called. “The Marines were the finest branch. They were the bravest, best-looking,” Frank said, laughing. “I wanted to be one of them.” After six weeks of basic training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Frank was assigned to work at Marine Corps headquarters in Arlington.

After (inventorying personal effects)..she was moved to the office that handled discharges.

Someone down the hall yelled, “The war is over!” And we literally ran from Henderson Hall (in Arlington) clear into D.C. There, on the streets of nation’s capital, Frank joined with the throngs of celebrants. “Everybody was kissing everybody. I’ve never kissed so many strangers in my life,” she laughed.

Frank enjoyed the Marines, she said, and might’ve made a career of military service. But at the time it wasn’t an option; the women’s branches had not yet been made permanent. So, taking her discharge in August 1946 as a corporal, Frank resumed her studies at Oklahoma A&M on the G.I. Bill and completed a degree in sociology. While a student, she met her future husband on a blind date. Ben Frank was a WWII veteran himself, an Army lieutenant who’d served in the China-Burma-India theater. “Two months later we were engaged, and after four months we were married,” Frank said.

The couple settled in Konawa and raised three children together. Frank worked for years in child welfare with the Department of Human Services. When her husband died in his early 50s, she took over the store he ran in Seminole County. Later she moved back to the Tulsa area.

Frank said her military service served her well. “It made me more independent. It gave me more confidence in myself.” Among her fellow veterans, though, she’s still partial to one branch. “The Marines are still the best,” she said, laughing. “And don’t you forget it!”
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“I wanted the Marines” said Frank. “They were the best branch in my mind and we were treated very well.” However, many male Marines didn’t want women in uniform, so they rudely called women “BAMs,” meaning, “Big-Ass Marines.” “We weren’t gonna put up with it,” Frank said with a feisty tone. Smiling, she recalled she would reply they were “HAMs,” for “Half-Ass Marines.”

During basic training at Camp Lejeune, “We were put on guard duty at boot camp… we’d sometimes do it.” But guard duty was not with a M1 rifle. “A wooden one, shaped like a gun. It was kind of embarrassing,” she said, laughing. But that’s what we did…we marched back and forth along the sidewalk with the wooden gun.”

Harriet Frank joined the “centenarian club” in April. Her advice? “Take care of yourself. You’re the only person that can really take care of yourself.” • story by Tim Stanley and Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

On August 14, 1945, the Allied Powers accepted Imperial Japan’s unconditional surrender in World War II, delivering a hard-fought American victory in the Pacific and bringing the deadliest war in human history to a decisive close. Eighty years later, our Nation remembers freedom’s triumph over tyranny—and we proudly honor the truth that victory was made possible only by the unmatched courage, grit, and sacrifice of the fearless patriots of the United States Armed Forces.

After Imperial Japan’s unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor, America responded with overwhelming force, launching a two-front fight against totalitarianism. In the Pacific—across vast oceans and unforgiving terrain—American servicemen undertook one of the most grueling campaigns in military history. From the turning point at Midway to the fierce battles on Biak Island and the sands of Iwo Jima, our troops pushed forward against a ruthless enemy, island by island, driven by duty, honor, and an unrelenting devotion to the cause of freedom.

The path to peace came at a staggering cost. More than 100,000 Americans perished in the Pacific Theater alone. It was only through the commitment and patriotism of the Greatest Generation that the Japanese Empire was defeated, ensuring that the world would be spared from the oppressive clutches of destruction and tyranny—and that America would remain a beacon of liberty and hope for the entire world for future generations. Today, Japan has become our strongest ally in the Pacific, hosting more than 50,000 American troops who stand guard against new totalitarian regimes and their expansive ambitions.

As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of winning World War II, we reflect on the sacrifices and bravery of our Nation’s troops who secured our freedom and victory. We remember with deep reverence the fearless warriors who raised our beautiful Stars and Stripes atop distant islands. Above all, we pay tribute to all those who stormed foreign shores under enemy fire to inflict the full fury of American might to defend our interests, our people, and our beloved homeland against forces of evil.

Their enduring triumph reminds us that peace is never promised, but is earned through sacrifice, defended with strength, and kept alive by those willing to risk their lives for the survival of our freedom and our beloved way of life. Guided by this vision, my Administration remains steadfastly committed to upholding a foreign policy of peace through strength to ensure that our citizens are always put first, our sovereignty is always defended, and our Nation remains the greatest country on earth.

May God bless the memory of those who fell, and may we always remain worthy of the freedom they valiantly secured.

Donald J. Trump, 45th & 47th President of the United States.

Veterans and patriots will soon be treated to a rare insight into the current training provided at Top Gun elite fighter pilot training in a six-part National Geographic docuseries, “Top Guns: The Next Generation.”

Beginning September 16 at 8 p.m., the six-part series follows a group of Navy and Marine Corps pilots as they navigate the rigorous Advanced Flight Training Program. The series captures the high-stakes aerial training, including dogfights, bombing drills, and challenging carrier approaches, highlighting the intense pressure and mental fortitude required to succeed. Their courage and determination will inspire and command respect from viewers.

“As in any docuseries or documentary about the United States Navy and Marine Corps, it will always be the intent to show the American people the professionalism and discipline of the United States Navy/Marine Corps Team,” Del City retired Navy Captain John Keilty said this week. “and in the case of Top Gun to highlight the mission to win in combat by training the best strike fighter aviators who then elevate combat readiness in the Fleet!”

This documentary series provides an inside look at the demanding and highly competitive world of elite fighter pilot training in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Only the very best will make it through the program. The series is not just entertaining, but also educational, offering a unique insight into the training process.

The series goes beyond the aircraft and follows the fighter pilots through a six-month training regimen. Their experiences both in the air and during their off-base lives with family and friends are on display, providing a unique and engaging perspective on the lives of these future “patch-wearing” pilots. (patch refers to completion of Top Gun)

Some of the creative team behind “Top Gun: Maverick” were involved in filming the series. In-cockpit cameras deliver a front-row view of the action, adding to the immersive experience as they offer unprecedented access to one of the Navy’s most elite fighter pilot programs.

While the series shares a similar spirit with the “Top Gun” movies, it’s a documentary series following real pilots in training, not a fictional story.

Two of the most dramatic episodes will be “HEAD-TO-HEAD,” which focuses on pilots under training facing their final dogfighting test against an instructor before graduation and the finale, “LAST CHANCE,” leads up to graduation and the students’ last chance to earn their patch.

Episodes are available to stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Oklahoma boasts a Veteran Naval Aviator who was a Navy Test Pilot and flew with many Top Gun graduates. Retired Captain John Keilty had a long and distinguished flying career in the U.S. Navy spanning 26 years. Last month, he retired after 24 years teaching high school and college math and Science, coaching HS football and baseball and being a senior NJROTC Instructor.

He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) in 1984 and was selected to command USNTPS from 1993 to 1995. It was during his CO tour where he participated in the first U.S. Navy/Russian Test Pilot Technical Exchange Program. He was one of seven American test pilots sent to Zhukovsky Air Base (north of Moscow) and the Gromov Flight Research Institute shortly after the Cold War, meeting with Russian pilots and discussing flight test policy, processes, and procedures.

The program was a multifaceted initiative designed to foster cooperation and understanding between the two superpowers in the post-Cold War era. He flew a MiG-29 Russian fighter trainer, and others in his delegation flew the Sukhoi Su-34 Variant. He noted the Russian test pilots seemed to spend less time preparing for our training exercises, and the pre-flight briefings were less structured and significantly shorter in time than their American counterparts (granted, there was a language barrier, but there was a translator present for all briefings).

It seemed to Keilty that they lagged behind the greater autonomy and situational awareness afforded to US pilots operating within more networked systems and advanced avionics. American jets benefited from integrated systems like AWACS and data networks that enhanced overall situational awareness.

The exchange also involved Russian cosmonauts, such as Igor Volk, Chief of Russian Flight Test, who was on the Shuttle Buran Program. He was also the first test pilot to develop the aerobatic “cobra maneuver”. Igor and six other Russian Test Pilots visited Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland to test-fly American planes. Keilty described the opportunity to be in Russia and observe its “new state of freedom” as a thrill, and particularly enjoyed getting to know the Russian people and pilots involved in the program.

Keilty said he found it a privilege and an awesome opportunity to fly the MiG-29. Still, the experience highlighted the differing design philosophies and technological advancements that separated the two nations’ fighter aircraft during that period. He acknowledged the MiG-29 was a capable aircraft for its time, but less advanced systems limited its overall effectiveness compared to its American counterparts.

While a Flight Deck and War Plans Officer, Keilty served on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Coronado, home of the 3rd Fleet Commander.

Keilty retired in 2001 as Commander of Strategic Communications Wing ONE at Tinker Air Force Base.

He became a high school teacher to continue his community Involvement and patriotism. Keilty recently displayed continued service to America as the head of the Junior NROTC program at Del City High School. There, he was active in honoring veterans in his work memorializing Vietnam Veterans Bob Kalsu and seven men who attended Del City High School and went on to serve and die in combat in Vietnam.

Now known for his boisterous patriotic demeanor, Keilty demonstrates how modeling patriotism in Del City affects his motivation to be a thoughtful and inspiring leader.

As a former Navy pilot, Keilty says his attitude comes with the territory. “Every time I climbed into that jet and buckled in, it was like the feeling I had some 50 years ago in my first flight training, and the feeling that I represented the greatest country in the world was always very humbling and overwhelming to me,” Keilty said in a recent interview. “In the seven years that I was in the NJROTC program at Del City High School, I saw many young kids voluntarily raise their right hand, take an oath to support and defend, and then go out and make significant contributions to America’s defense and readiness – just one of the greatest feelings in my life!” •
Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

https://excellpcs.com/

The Oklahoma Veterans Commission brought its, August 8, 2025, meeting to the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Claremore Veterans Home, where commissioners, agency leaders, and guests gathered to discuss the future of veteran care and services across the state. The meeting began with the formal approval of the previous minutes-a quick procedural step-but the mood in the room carried a sense of purpose. This was not simply about routine governance. It was about action, change, and making visible progress for the more than 260,000 veterans who call Oklahoma home.
A major highlight of the meeting was the update on the newly formed Oklahoma Veterans Foundation. Already recognized as a charitable corporation in the state, the foundation is awaiting federal 501(c)(3) status, which will open the door to donations from individuals, corporations, and community organizations. These funds will be directed toward programs and services that directly benefit veterans, filling gaps where state and federal resources may fall short. Commissioners spoke about the importance of getting the legal and financial framework right from the start to ensure transparency and trust. “I’ve already had people tell me, ‘As soon as you can take a check, I’m writing one,’” Commissioner Martin said. “This is more than paperwork-it’s building the future of veteran support in Oklahoma.”
From there, attention turned to a challenge that touches the lives of veterans and their families every day: admissions to Oklahoma Veterans Homes. In the past, applications could take weeks to process, causing stress for families and delays in care. By replacing the outdated paper-based review process with a streamlined digital system, approval times have been cut to about 24 hours in most cases. This change allows medical staff, administrators, and other decision-makers to review applications simultaneously instead of sequentially. “We went from two or three weeks to about a day. That means a veteran who needs care now isn’t sitting in limbo,” explained Candice McIntire, Homes Outreach Coordinator. Each home now has a weekly admissions goal, and several are already approaching the Commission’s target of 90 percent occupancy. For many in the room, this represented not just operational efficiency, but a moral victory.
Another topic that received considerable discussion was the role of Veteran Service Officers (VSOs). Currently, veterans can receive different guidance depending on where they go for help-a situation ODVA wants to fix. The plan is to align training across all veteran service organizations so that every veteran receives the same high-quality, accurate information. “Whether a veteran walks into a state office or a local service organization, they should hear the same answers,” said Executive Director James “Jay” Bynum. In 2025, ODVA plans to roll out expanded hands-on training, including specialized instruction in disability claims, pensions, and military sexual trauma cases. Veterans in attendance expressed strong support for the move, with one noting, “It’s frustrating when two people give you two different answers. Consistency matters.”
Financial stability was another central theme. Following the pandemic, the cost of contract nursing staff increased dramatically, putting pressure on ODVA’s budget. By raising wages for full-time employees, ODVA has been able to recruit and retain more permanent staff, cutting the number of contract workers and saving millions of dollars annually. “We’ve been able to hire good people, keep them, and still save money,” said Executive Director Bynum. Centralizing purchasing across facilities is another cost-saving measure, bringing consistency to supply orders and reducing waste.
Infrastructure needs were also on the agenda. Many Oklahoma Veterans Homes are decades old, and some have rooms offline due to needed repairs. In Ardmore, for example, more than 20 beds are currently unusable because of water damage. Plans are in place to repair and modernize those spaces, with the goal of restoring them to service. “Every bed we can restore is another veteran we can serve,” Bynum emphasized.
Community outreach remains a major priority. ODVA is building a statewide veteran database to help connect veterans with benefits and services they may not know about. The agency plans to use this database as the backbone of a targeted outreach campaign, meeting veterans where they are-whether that’s at hospitals, community centers, or even sporting events. “It’s not enough to wait for veterans to come to us,” Bynum said. “We have to go to them.”
Training events are also evolving. The agency’s annual service officer training conference has been rebranded and moved to January to allow for more comprehensive, interactive learning. This year’s event will bring together ODVA staff and representatives from other veteran service organizations, reinforcing the idea that serving veterans is a shared mission. “It’s going to be hands-on, not just lectures,” Veterans Services Director, Lisa Acevedo promised.
Throughout the meeting, the human side of this work was never far from the surface. Candice described the joy of calling a family to say their loved one could be admitted the next day. “The relief in their voice-there’s nothing like it,” she said. Candice also told of a veteran who moved in after years of struggling alone. “He told us, ‘I wish I’d done this sooner. I feel like I’m part of a family again.’ That’s why we do this.”
As the meeting concluded, commissioners reflected on the progress made and the work ahead. Challenges remain: filling every available bed, modernizing aging facilities, and securing sustainable funding. But the momentum is real. “We’re on the right track,” Commissioner Martin. “Every improvement means a better life for the people who served our country.”
The next Oklahoma Veterans Commission meeting is scheduled for November 7, 2025, in Lawton. Between now and then, ODVA will continue its push for faster admissions, consistent services, stronger outreach, and more efficient operations-all in the name of honoring veterans through action, not just words. •
By Daron Hoggatt, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, Public Information Officer

How do you tell the story of World War II – through airplanes, tanks, uniforms, and the voices of those who lived it? At the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, the answer is yes. Exhibitions with 300,000 artifacts and over 12,000 personal narratives fill three floors of six buildings across seven acres.
Told from the American perspective, the museum tells the tragic story of the deadliest war in human history. Give yourself four to six hours to experience it fully.
Don’t Miss These Galleries: D-Day, Europe, and the Pacific
You’ll walk through a timeline of battles, such as North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Normandy, surrounded by maps, videos, audio broadcasts, photographs, written and oral histories, weapons, and personal items. Both Allied and Axis artifacts are on display.
The galleries use simulated environments to make visitors feel like they are there. For example, in the Rising Sun exhibit, first, you’re on a ship with lifeboats and sleeping hammocks and later, you’re walking in a dark island jungle amid sand, palm trees and a simulated pill box. Add shouted commands, gunfire, sounds of airplanes – even a P-51 fighter hanging overhead – and you feel you’re in the fight.
One visitor, John Powell of Rochester, Illinois, said he liked “the level of immersion and audio-visual to support the artifacts and personal stories. It’s better than what I expected.”
Real People. Real Stories
The museum tells stories of the 16 million Americans who served. One heartbreaking moment is reading the telegram notifying the family of Private First Class James W. Oglesby that he was killed in action at Bougainville on March 25, 1944. Alongside it is a letter from his chaplain and a photo of Oglesby and his girlfriend – whom he secretly married just before departing.
Corporal Kenneth Kassels, who landed on D-Day, survived a gunshot wound to the head. His helmet, still bearing a bullet hole, is on display.
I met three members of the 150th Engineering Battalion, a Mississippi-based Army Guard unit visiting in uniform after field training and asked for their thoughts.
“You get the experience of what the soldiers went through at the time…” said Sergeant Major Micquel Miller. Captain Joel Baldwin said the WWII generation was “born into a time when the common man was needed to do extraordinary things.” And Lieutenant Colonel Seth Davidson said “leadership hadn’t changed much in 80 years, it (the museum) is helping us understand what past veterans went through and helps us as leaders today.”
Beyond the Battlefield
The Arsenal of Democracy exhibit explores America’s internal debate – isolationism vs. interventionism – from 1939 to 1941 before Pearl Harbor and how the nation mobilized its economy for war.
The Liberation Pavilion focuses on the aftermath: the Holocaust, the Monuments Men who searched for stolen art, war crime trials, and civil rights and other changes to inequality. The role of non-white men and women were also explored – 1.2 million African-Americans served; 350,000 women joined the military and 19 million worked; and Japanese-Americans were incarcerated.
In the Freedom Pavilion, enormous aircraft hang above you, including a B-17E Flying Fortress and a B-25J bomber, and vehicles of war are displayed.
I spoke with Chesley Hines, an 85-year-old Vietnam veteran and museum volunteer. “I grew up knowing about the war. I relate to these guys and girls (that served). It’s so important to the city (New Orleans)…I enjoy meeting people.
Other exhibits
The museum includes more than 15 smaller exhibits and interactive features: Higgins Landing Boat, Voices From the Front (interactive conversations with members of the WWII generation), U.S. Merchant Marines: We Deliver the Goods, U.S.S. Tang Submarine Experience – an interactive mission, Freedom Theater on the war’s global stakes and the 4D film “Beyond All Boundaries”, narrated by Tom Hanks (temporarily unavailable). Whew!
A take-away is learning that WWII killed about 76,598 million people and reshaped many nations and formed new ones. Through it all, one truth resonates: freedom is never free.
Plan Your Visit
The museum is wheelchair accessible, fully air-conditioned, and offers three types of guided tours for $20 each. Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tickets: $26 for children (K-12), $33 for seniors, $26 for military (active, retired, or veteran). There are no audio phones.
There are two cafés inside and two more restaurants at the adjacent Higgins Hotel. Four gift shops offer everything from books and apparel to WWII-themed games.
In 2024, the museum estimated that 658 WWII veterans in Oklahoma were still alive. Their stories live on through this remarkable museum. • story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

Early Life & Tulsa Race Massacre

Olivia Hooker was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1915.  When she was a child, she and her family moved fifty miles away to Tulsa…Hooker’s father owned a clothing store in the affluent Greenwood District, sometimes known as America’s “Black Wall Street.”

In 1921, when Hooker was six years old, white supremacist rhetoric boiled over into vicious violence.  Enraged by false rumors that a local Black man had assaulted a white woman, white mobs invaded the Greenwood neighborhood.  Arsonists torched homes, businesses, churches, and schools…At least dozens – likely hundreds – of Black Tulsans died. Nearly 10,000 were left homeless.

Hooker and her family were at home when intruders carrying torches entered their backyard.  In an interview with NPR, she remembered her mother hiding her and her siblings under the dining room table… “It was a horrifying thing for a little girl who’s only six years old,” she said, “trying to remember to keep quiet, so they wouldn’t know we were there.”  The men destroyed the family record player and butchered the piano with an ax.  The mob also burned her father’s store to the ground.

The Hooker family left the city soon after the massacre.  They moved to Topeka, Kansas and then to Ohio.  Hooker earned a BA at Ohio State University and began working as a teacher.  She told NPR that her parents urged her and her siblings to avoid “agonizing over the past” and instead “look forward and think how we could make things better.”

SPARS Service

During World War II, the US military began opening its ranks to women for the first time…When the Navy’s WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) program finally opened to Black enlistees in 1944, Hooker applied several times.  But the WAVES turned her down… Instead, Hooker decided to try the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, better known as the SPARS. In a 2013 interview, she recalled that the SPARS recruiter was “just so welcoming, she wanted to be the first one to enroll an African American.”

On March 9, 1945, Hooker became the first Black SPAR on active duty.  Along with four other Black women, she completed boot camp at the Coast Guard’s training center in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn.  She went on to further training as a yeoman, or administrative specialist…The head of the school wrote to every Coast Guard station commander—there were 11—to find an assignment for her.  Only one, in Boston, agreed to take a Black yeoman.

At her post in Boston, Hooker worked in the separation center, processing paperwork for those who were discharging from the service.  While she was there, the war ended…She left the SPARS having been promoted to yeoman 2nd class.

Asked about her SPARS service in 2013, Hooker reflected:

“I would like to see more of us realize that our country needs us, and I’d like to see more girls consider spending some time in the military, if they don’t have a job at all and they have ambition, and they don’t know what heights they might reach. It’s really nice to have people with different points of view and different kinds of upbringing. The world would really prosper from more of that.”

Psychologist

After leaving the SPARS, Hooker used her GI Bill benefits to go back to school.  She earned an MA from Teachers College at Columbia University and a PhD in psychology from the University of Rochester.

Hooker taught at Fordham University in New York City from 1963 until 1985.  She then worked at the Fred S. Keller School…She retired in 2002, at the age of 87.  Hooker co-founded a division of the American Psychological Association (APA) dedicated to intellectual and developmental disabilities.  The APA honored her with a Presidential Citation in 2011.

Later Life & Honors

Throughout her life, Hooker shared her memories of the Tulsa race massacre and advocated for justice for its victims.  No one was charged, and most victims received no compensation from their insurance companies. Hooker co-founded the Tulsa Race Massacre Commission in 1997 to unearth the buried evidence of the massacre. She also pressed for reparations for Black Tulsans. She joined a lawsuit against the state and testified before Congress in 2005 and 2007. In the 2020s, victims and their descendants continue to seek acknowledgement and financial compensation for the massacre.

In 2015, the Coast Guard recognized Hooker by renaming a training facility and a dining hall in her honor. Hooker died in 2018 at the age of 103.

By Ella Wagner, PhD, Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, National Park Service.   Article used with the permission of the National Park Service, August 6, 2025.