Chief Damage Controlman Dennis Cherry II, of Oklahoma City, Okla., conducts a debrief with the response team following an aircraft firefighting drill on the flight deck aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett after an aircraft firefighting drill, Jan. 6, 2025. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brianna Walker

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Cameron Todd, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, mounts a dental model using plaster stone aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 29, 2025. Nimitz is underway in U.S. 3rd fleet conducting routine training operations. photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Caylen McCutcheon

Logistics Specialist Seaman Recruit Ashtyn Burch, from Norman, Oklahoma, bands pallets of hazardous materials in the hangar bay onboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, in preparation for Docked Planned Incremental Availability while in-port Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington. Ronald Reagan provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States. photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kleighton Vitug

Seaman Elijah Meksula, from Oklahoma, City, Oklahoma, stands watch on the bridge wing of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) in the Philippine Sea, Feb. 20. Milius is forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface.

As morning sun shone through the stained-glass windows of the beautiful St. Joachim Chapel, sixteen veterans, each adorned with a commemorative medal, took their places to serve as torchbearers in the 2024 Saint Ann Olympic Opening Ceremony. Patriotically-dressed residents and staff eagerly lined the attractive, newly remodeled rooms of Saint Ann Independent and Assisted Living. John Williams’ Olympic fanfare could be heard ringing in the background. Flags waved and onlookers beamed as each veteran passed the torch to the next, each hearing his name and military branch announced to thunderous cheers. The ceremony culminated with the “lighting” of the Olympic cauldron by 101-year-old Delora Mealor, who is well-known as “Rosie the Riveter.” She has been much recognized for her admirable contribution to the war effort as a riveter working on B-17 and B-25 planes during WWII.

The Saint Ann Olympic Games coincided with the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, as live coverage from Paris was streamed on the projector screen in the Grand Theatre. The community, consisting of assisted and independent living, a convent of Carmelite Sisters, and respite care residents, celebrated Team USA while competing for over 150 medals in twenty Olympic-themed events. Games included putting and chipping, chair volleyball, cornhole, wheelchair races, basketball, pool-noodle javelin, and nerf-gun shooting. Challengers faced off in a life-sized “Hungry Hippos” game, sweeping up balls with brooms. Even trivia and bingo winners were awarded medals. As a homage to Paris, residents sampled international wines and croissants while betting on Silver Derby Horse Races, a monthly favorite on campus.

All-Around Silver Medalist, and Vietnam US Air Force Veteran, Jack Jackson, said of the Olympics, “Being a torch bearer was an emotional experience. So many people were teary eyed.” “The games were a lot of fun!” 101-year old, Norman Smith, a WWII Air Force Veteran and chair-volleyball MVP medalist said “The competitions were a blast! I love to play volleyball- but I need to be in the front row!” Deacon Bob Heskamp, US Airforce Veteran who served in Vietnam along with his wife, Kathie, said they were “just tickled” that the Veterans were honored during the ceremony. Regarding their choice to move to Saint Ann, he enthusiastically said “Everyone is great, …we’re all family here,” and “it’s the place to be.”

Stepping onto the campus, one is instantly immersed in a loving, vibrant, culture of kindness and respect. Also known as Saint Ann Retirement Center, the assisted and independent living community is a ministry owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Seniors of all faiths enjoy the community’s fun, affordable, luxurious living. They are free of long-term commitments or buy-in costs, unlike other campuses of this caliber. Families, friends, and pets join in lively social gatherings. Giggles of grandkids often fill the children’s play areas. From top-notch entertainment and Chef Lori’s delicious full-service dining to concierge and housekeeping services, Saint Ann makes elevated living attainable. Lauren Montiero, Campus Life Enrichment Director, said: “Whether being honored for military service or being driven to doctor appointments in a limousine, our residents stand a bit taller, hold their heads a bit higher, and feel the respect and dignity they so deserve. Saint Ann Assisted and Independent Living is located at 7501 W. Britton Road in north Oklahoma City.
… story and photos by Joyce Clark

Strolling along the footpath on the east side of Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, it’s easy to forget you’re in a National Park. Cross the street, and you’ve officially stepped out of Hot Springs National Park and into the city of Hot Springs that’s surrounded by the park’s more than 5,500-acres, established by Congress in 1921.

By that same decade, a series of public baths had materialized on the Avenue where tourists flocked for the supposedly therapeutic waters provided by the region’s abundant mineral-laden thermal springs. Eight historic bathhouses still stand displaying all their original architectural splendor, but only two – the Quapaw and the Buckstaff – continue to offer bathing experiences for visitors. The others have been repurposed and now serve as a brewery, a hotel, or as facilities for National Park resources such as the Visitor or Cultural Centers.

Bathhouse Row and the half-mile walkway behind it, known as the Grand Promenade, were designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1987. If you’re setting out on foot to explore some of the 26 miles of paths within the park trail system, a walk along these historic routes provides a gentle introduction to this most unusual of U.S. National Parks.

We began by walking north along Central Avenue, passing the bathhouses, each showcasing its own unique design that reflect popular architectural styles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the U.S., including Spanish Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, and Renaissance Revival.

The Grand Promenade can be accessed from either the north or south entrance. Near the northern entrance where Central Avenue meets Fountain Street, a spring feeds two connected decorative ponds – a popular photo spot for tourists. Armed with my trusty thermometer (which any respectable traveling scientist carries), I measured the water temperature to be 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius) – just a bit too toasty for more than a brief finger dip.

Behind the pond, steps lead to the elegantly paved Grand Promenade brick walkway that took more than 20 years to complete. Surrounded by vegetation and the occasional steaming hot spring spilling over rocks, the hustle and bustle of the Downtown area peeps through the lush trees but is barely noticeable along the path as it leads to the south entrance and the site of the historic Noble Fountain on Reserve Street.

The elegantly designed drinking fountain was named after John W. Noble, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1889 to 1893, who secured funds for improvements to Hot Springs Reservation (as it was called before becoming a National Park). The fountain has been moved several times over the years and once sat outside the park’s nearby yellow Admin building that sports the familiar brown National Park logo on its street corner sign.

While there are many other short trails to attempt in the park’s mountainous areas, be sure to drive up to Hot Springs Mountain Tower. The 216-foot-tall structure is 1,256 feet above sea level and provides an excellent 360-degree view, including downtown Hot Springs and the surrounding Ouachita Mountain range.

With the aid of a telephoto lens from the tower’s summit, I was delighted to spot an old sign adorning a distant weathered building that read “Uneeda Biscuit.” Although the brand has long been discontinued, I was immediately flooded with childhood memories of the company’s ‘biscuits’ – large, Saltine-like soda crackers – that my mother slathered with peanut butter and became welcome additions to my school lunches.

Hot Springs National Park makes a great weekend trip and is full of surprises. You just have to look.

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns, and interviews for many newspapers and magazines. His hiking column describes short trails, hikes, and walks from around the country that seniors might enjoy while traveling. See www.ItsAWonderfulHike.com. Story and photos by Nick and Debby Thomas

Angeline Sivic, 99, is a part of World War II history, where she served as a Rosy Riveter working on airplanes in Wichita, Kansas.
Sivic, who turns 100 years old on April 14, was born on a small farm, seven miles north of Hartshorne.
After graduating from Hartshorne High School, Sivic, who resides in Iris Memory Care in Nichols Hills, followed a cousin to Wichita, who was already working at the Boeing airplane plant.
“I went up there and got a job, right out of school,” she said. “I liked it alright.”
Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defense industries during World War II, and she became perhaps the most iconic image of working women.
American women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers during the war, as widespread male enlistment left gaping holes in the industrial labor force. Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home.
While women during World War II worked in a variety of positions previously closed to them, the aviation industry saw the greatest increase in female workers.
More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, making up 65 percent of the industry’s total workforce (compared to just 1 percent in the pre-war years). The munitions industry also heavily recruited women workers, as illustrated by the U.S. government’s Rosie the Riveter persuasion campaign.
Based in small part on a real-life munitions worker, but primarily a fictitious character, the strong, bandanna-clad Rosie became one of the most successful recruitment tools in American history, and the most iconic image of working women in the World War II era.
Sivic married her husband John on Oct. 30, 1946, after he returned from the war. They had 4 children (3 girls, 1 boy), 6 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.
Sivic laughed when she was asked what she felt about turning 100.
“I am getting old,” she said.

Jana Determan, Sivic’s daughter, said her mother grew up on the family farm and loved cooking and gardening.
“She enjoyed canning what food came from her farm,” Determan said.
Sivic said both her parents came to the United States from Europe and eventually settled on the family farm.
She said her father worked in the coal mines along with other family members.
“That’s what they did, coal mining,” Determan said. “What they did was underground.” Determan said growing up her family ate together at home.
“Every meal, we ate at home. We didn’t go out to eat. They didn’t go on vacation. They were just home on the farm, their whole life,” she said.
Determan said growing up on a farm developed her mother into a strong-willed and hard-working person.
“She was the strong-willed person in the family. She’s the one that pretty much ran it (life on the family farm),” she said.
Determan said she is proud of her mother’s work achievements as Rosie the Riveter during World War II.
“I think it’s the greatest generation (World War II military/civilian workforce) and there’s a reason for that,” she said. story by Van Mitchell

For National Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Day, five veterans were honored with patriotic Quilts of Valor: John Wesley Ellis II (U.S. Army), Larry Perdue (U.S. Navy), Raymond McCormick (U.S. Marine Corps), Arthur L. Haizlip (U.S. Navy), George Verstraete (U.S. Army).

The Quilt of Valor Ceremony was held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 at the Edmond History Museum. The event was hosted by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), Cordelia Steen Chapter. There is no admission and all ages are welcome.

The museum remained open during the ceremony.
During the ceremony, each of these veterans received a handmade patriotic quilt made by the Piedmont Quilt of Valor Foundation, whose goal is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing of quilts.

“The Quilt of Valor has been going on for quite a few years now. It’s an organization that honors all veterans that have been touched by war,” said Tammy Ross, DAR Service for Veterans chair with the Cordelia Steen Chapter, NSDAR. “The Quilt of Valor Foundation, they make the quilt, but other organizations do the ceremony. It’s my chapter that does the ceremony.”

Ross said her DAR chapter is five years old.

Established in 2020 with a charter membership of 26 ladies, the Cordelia Steen Chapter has grown to a thriving membership of 80 in 5 years. The Chapter was named Cordelia Steen in honor of the first pioneer women of Edmond.

“We’re part of the national society, Daughters of the American Revolution. And our goals are patriotism, education and historic preservation,” she said. “And this is part of our patriotism that we do. We honor our veterans. Last spring we did one for 10 recipients. This year we just honoring five men, and they represent the different branches of the military. Although this year, we don’t have an Air Force guy.”

The five veterans being honored include Verstraete a 1st Lieutenant who served as a Green Beret in Vietnam; McCormick is a Purple Heart recipient who served as a combat trainer in Vietnam; Haizlip served in the JAG; Perdue served as an aviation machinist; and Dr. Ellis served as a helicopter medic.

Ross said the DAR did the pinnings as part of the event.

“Any Vietnam Veteran who came to this ceremony also received a pin,” she said. “Because we’re partners with the 50th anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration Organization, we’re able to give out these pins on behalf of them. We presented these pins to any Vietnam Veteran that was there that has not received one. It was a neat program.”

Ross said it’s important to honor the service and sacrifices that veterans have made serving their country.

“They sacrificed themselves to be able to represent our country to protect it,” she said. “In all the things that the veterans do, and all the different wars that we’ve had that went all the way back to the Revolutionary War, they fought for a cause, and they fought for our freedom, to protect us from different things that could happen to our country.”

The mission of Edmond History Museum is to celebrate Edmond history through preservation and education. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information visit www.EdmondHistory.org or by calling the museum at (405)-340-0078. Museum admission is free. story by Van Mitchell

Born Feb. 14, 1914 in Kemp, OK, Aaron Lloyd McMurtrey called Durant his hometown. After enlisting in Dallas Texas on October 5, 1940 McMurtrey was stationed at Naval Training Station San Diego, California. He was then stationed on the USS California (BB 44) in November.

He became a Seaman Apprentice upon enlistment and then was promoted to Seaman 1st class then later 2nd class. His awards and Decorations include: Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (Bronze Star) and the World War II Victory Medal. McMurtrey was member of a gun crew.

Seaman 1st Class McMurtrey was lost in the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7th,1941.

The process of identifications for the USS California began with the disinterments of 25 Unknowns associated with the ship between January and March 2018. Given the success of the USS Oklahoma project, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has expanded its work to three other battleships involved in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor: USS West Virginia, USS California, and USS Utah.

There were 103 total casualties from the USS California. At the start of the project, there were 20 unresolved casualties from the ship and 25 associated Unknowns buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Hawaii. Disinterments were completed in March of 2018, and as of January 2004, there have been five identifications from USS California.

Unresolved Casualties are individual service members known to have died in a particular incident but for whom no remains have been recovered or identified. They might also be regarded as “missing in action” or, more formally, “killed in action, body not recovered.”

The main difference between USS California and USS Oklahoma is that the assemblage of remains from each ship shows different patterns of commingling. The strategies to segregate these commingled remains into distinct individuals are slightly different, even though the underlying scientific techniques we use are the same.

Additionally, in many cases the skeletons from the USS California are more complete than those from the USS Oklahoma are. There are additional and different analyses that are conducted to make sure that all the elements go together and represent a single individual. The largest challenge faced are the unresolved individuals that we don’t have any Family Reference Samples for. Not having that DNA information can make it very difficult to demonstrate conclusively that a given set of remains belongs to a specific individual.

The Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Health Care System hosts a program called Pathways to Housing- Homeless Program Festival. The Pathways to Housing goals are to collaborate with community partners to ultimately find Veterans without shelter, housing. The Pathways to Housing Homeless Program Festival will be at the OKC VA Medical Center, located at 921 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City on Wednesday, April 16, from 8am – 4pm. The festival will be at the OKC VA, Atrium-area, Ground Floor.

The OKC VA and other homeless community partners are pulling resources together to help Veterans find housing options, employment opportunities, mental health services, medical care, legal assistance, and many other support services for both the Veteran and their families.

This program is hoping to highlight the important work that that VA providers and community partners are doing to help homeless Veterans find housing. If you are a Veteran and struggling to find housing or are at-risk, please come to the OKC VA Main Campus on Wednesday, April 16th from 8am-4pm, located at 921 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104 or call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.