The drums sounded across the Comanche County Fairgrounds in Lawton.
The beat in honor of Native Americans who served this country with pride.
And if Kris Killsfirst, Sr., has any say in it they will keep beating for years to come as a reminder of generations of Native American U.S. Service Members past, present and future.

The seventh annual KCA Veterans Powwow was held in conjunction with the Ft. Sill Armed Forces Parade.

The event started in 2019 as a result of the Smithsonian Institute asking three Oklahoma tribes to help with the unveiling of the National Native American Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“We came together and said ‘what can we do,’” Killsfirst said. “They said “have a celebration and honor our veterans.’ That’s how we came together and started this KCA Powwow.”

Turnout was good for the first event and a partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Veteran’s Affairs office in Muskogee helped veterans in southwest Oklahoma put in 156 benefit claims.

Killsfirst said there were an astounding 86 first-time claimants.
“It was one of the largest events they had ever had,” Killsfirst said. “We reached a lot of rural veterans in Southwest Oklahoma. A lot of them came out because their families said they were dancing for them.
“A lot of our veterans come home and integrate back into society and don’t really claim and get the benefits they rightfully deserve. That’s how we kept going with this.”

Killsfirst said the event brings some broken families together for the first time in decades.
“Pretty soon they couldn’t even remember they were mad at each other,” Killsfirst laughed. “It’s a celebration. There’s no agenda.” There’s traditional food, dancing and family. “We answer a lot of questions. We educate people about who we are and what we do,” Killsfirst said. “Even to our community and neighbors, the folks we went to school with they’ve always heard our drums. They’ve always seen our regalia but they never understood exactly what it meant.”

Killsfirst laments his father’s generation never received the recognition they deserved coming back from Vietnam. He was able to bring his father out to the initial Pow Wows. “Those ones didn’t get this welcome so that’s why it’s so important,” Killsfirst said.

Earlier this year, Killsfirst was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor.
Other honorees included Matthew Dukes, Dr., Sergeant, US Marine Corps, Mark
Baker, Captain, US Army, Peter Plank, Lieutenant Colonel, OK State Guard and Brandi Rector, Sergeant, US Marine Corps.
Killsfirst served from September 1992 to March 2012.
He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He served in Iraq from March 2003 to April 2004, November 2005 to November 2006 and June 2008 to June 2009 with HQs & A Company, 1-4 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion and the 4th Infantry Division.
He served as the team chief for the forward arming refill point.
During his career he also served in Fort Drum, New York with the 10th Mountain Division, Camp Mobile, Korea with 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Oklahoma with 214th Field Artillery Brigade and K-16 (Seoul Airbase), Korea with the 17th Aviation Brigade.
He retired at Fort Carson, Colorado with the 555th Engineer Brigade.
Now his mission is to help educate.
“One of the biggest things I think is important is we help educate our younger people of where they come from,” Killsfirst said. “They get to hear stories about their grandpas and their grandmas about our history.”
He points out Native Americans were not granted citizenship prior to 1924.
“Yet we deserved in defense of this country for decades before that,” he said. “We’ve only been citizens for 103 years. People don’t know that. It’s allowing our older folks to tell there story once again.” • story by Bobby Anderson, contributing writer

Hank Kuhlman came from a military family while his wife of 55 years Jeanne did not. Yet, the Edmond couple ended up serving in the United States Navy together in Washington D.C. and Florida.
Hank Kuhlman came from a military family while his wife of 55 years Jeanne did not.
Yet, the Edmond couple ended up serving in the United States Navy together in Washington D.C. and Florida.
“My grandfather was a Prussian army officer. My father was in the Army Air Corps, and then after that, Air Force when it changed over,” Kuhlman said. “As a matter of fact, when I graduated from high school, the first thing I got was a telegram from him (father). He was in Sondrestrom Greenland and said, “When are you enlisting?”
Jeanne Kuhlman said after graduating from college in 1969, she had limited career paths to choose from.
“In 1969 I had two choices as far as employment. I could become a schoolteacher, and I didn’t want to do that, or I could become an airline stewardess. I didn’t want to do that either, but I needed a job,” she said. “A friend of mine was talking about it and thinking about going into the Navy. So, she and I investigated, and I decided that wasn’t such a bad deal. So, it was a job, and it was something I wanted to try.”
Mrs. Kuhlman was hoping she could utilize her modern language degree in the Navy,
“I graduated from college with a modern language degree. I could speak French quite fluently, and I was studying Russia and making some progress,” she said. “So, I was hopeful that maybe there would be something in the Navy where I could use my skills. But of course, they didn’t do that. I was administrative, which is fine. That’s what women did in those days because that was still the days of the old Auxiliary, and we were just beginning to change over starting in the ‘70s. And even so, there were limitations there too. But it was interesting.”
Kuhlman said he and his wife both started as ensigns which is the same thing as a Second Lieutenant.
“She got her commission ahead of me and later on she was a Lieutenant Junior Grade, which was senior to me,” he said.
Kuhlman served in uniform from August 1970 to September 1978, while his wife served from 1969 to 1972.
Kuhlman said he met Jeanne at the request of his Division Commander.
“We met because my Division Commander wanted me to go see this person who was giving him a hard time about a fleet program,” he said. “I made an appointment with her office, and I walked in and that’s how we met. We were both at Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, DC. We met early in October 1970. We got engaged in January, and we were married in April of 1971.”
The couple later moved to Pensacola, Florida where he was taking flight training. He was later transferred to Naval Air Station Lemoore Attack Squadron 146 in California and ended up serving in Vietnam.
After returning from Vietnam, Kuhlman returned to Pensacola and was part of Helicopter Training Squadron 18.
Kuhlman, who was no longer serving in uniform due to a reduction-in-force, was sent by the Navy in 1995 as a civilian employee to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, which was home to two Navy squadrons.
“A lot of people were dismissed due to budget cuts,” he said.
“The parent command was Naval Air Depot Jacksonville, and they needed somebody out here to be the senior airframe engineer for these squadrons out here. And that’s how we got here.
Jeanne Kuhlman said initially her husband thought the job transfer was a joke.
“He thought it was a joke when they first called him, because he didn’t remember any large bodies of water in Oklahoma,” she said.
Kuhlman worked at Tinker for 10 years before retiring in 2006.
After retiring the couple moved to Edmond to reside at Villagio of Bradford Village Independent Living.
“We really enjoy it here,” Jeanne Kuhlman said. “One thing about living in a community like this, if they don’t see you or hear from you in a day or two, they come knock on the door and check on you.”
The Kuhlman’s stay busy in retirement traveling and are active in their Quail Springs Baptist Church in north Oklahoma City.
Kuhlman also spends one day a week volunteering as a baby cuddler at Children’s Hospital in OKC.
“In 1995 I was watching a news program on Channel 3 in Pensacola, and they were doing one of their little reports about baby rockers at the hospital. And the last thing the lady said was, “We never have enough men. So, when I retired, I called up Children’s and said, “You need a male volunteer to hold babies?” And they jumped right on it,” he said.
Kuhlman continued, “My primary responsibility is to comfort and calm down babies who are agitated or upset or hungry so that they don’t burn calories. They don’t burn calories, they grow. That’s the primary responsibility. We have some other responsibilities, like we’re supposed to talk to them and read to them and all to help their mental development also. It’s my ministry.”
by Van Mitchell, staff writer

1920 – 1945 Tulsa Medal of Honor Recipient
By Jill Stephenson
The story of Albert Earnest Schwab is one of courage forged through hardship and a legacy sustained by family devotion and community honor.
Born on July 17, 1920, in Washington, D.C., Schwab was the oldest of five children in a troubled household. While his father was often absent due to work, his mother, a Chippewa woman, struggled in ways that deeply affected the family. They moved to Tulsa when he was six weeks old and his parents eventually divorced. Despite the challenges of his youth, Schwab found joy and excelled in sports, graduated from Tulsa High School in 1937 and briefly attended the University of Tulsa. He then went to work in the oil industry.
When military deferments were lifted during World War II, Schwab and his brother-in-law enlisted in the Marine Corps. Schwab quickly proved himself to be intelligent and driven and earned a reputation as an overachiever.
PFC Schwab served as a flamethrower operator in Okinawa, Japan. On May 7, 1945, during intense fighting in Okinawa, his unit became pinned down in a valley by machine gun fire coming from a ridge ahead. Facing relentless enemy fire, Schwab climbed the steep cliff toward the gun position. Fully exposed, he reached the emplacement and used his flamethrower to destroy the weapon and its crew. His actions allowed his company to move forward and take control of the ridge. Shortly afterward, a second machine gun opened fire, causing additional casualties and stopping the advance. Before he could refill his fuel supply, he moved forward to confront the new threat. Despite his limited resources, he successfully eliminated the second position.
As Schwab completed the attack, the enemy fired one final burst, causing fatal wounds. His fellow Marines recognized the extraordinary nature of his bravery and gathered witness accounts that would support the highest recognition of valor.
For his gallantry, Schwab was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In
a ceremony in Tulsa on Memorial Day 1946, his medal was presented to his three-year-old son. His sacrifice would continue to be honored in the years that followed, including the naming of Camp Schwab on Okinawa in 1959 and a statue and designated reception area at Tulsa International Airport. His story also reached a wider audience through the writings of famed World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle.
Initially buried in Okinawa, Schwab’s remains were later returned to the United States at the request of his father. He was laid to rest with full military honors at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa in 1949. According to his niece Judy Bryant, given the magnitude of his heroism, the plainness of his grave has long felt inadequate to the family. Bryant has dedicated years to ensuring her uncle receives a more fitting tribute. Inspired by her mother JoAnn, Albert’s sister, she has worked with veterans’ organizations and community supporters to redesign his gravesite so that it more aesthetically reflects his brave and gallant sacrifice. Reflecting what a Marine of his era would have carried, the proposed design includes a Soldier’s Cross and a granite slab engraved with the full wording of his Medal of Honor citation.
Working with Tulsa’s Memorial Cemetery, the effort has taken more than a decade to gain approval and momentum. With support from individuals like John Camp of the Marine Detachment unit, plans are moving forward. The project is has been established to raise the necessary funds. For Bryant, the work is deeply personal but rooted in humility. She has never sought to claim any part of her uncle’s heroism, only to ensure that it is properly remembered. The journey has connected her with veterans and supporters whose shared respect for service has been both humbling and inspiring. Citing it as a tangible way to preserve Schwab’s story for future generations, completing the gravestone project remains a central goal on her life’s bucket list.

Albert E. Schwab’s life was shaped by adversity, but defined by heroism and valor. Today, his legacy endures not only in history books, but will be preserved by the efforts of those who refuse to let his sacrifice fade and will assure he is given the recognition he deserves in his final resting place.
Donations to help with the cost can be made by going to the Albert E. Schwab Detachment of the 857 Marine Corp League website www.mcl857.org and following the DONATE button prompts. Once the page is reached to finalize the donation, there will be a box to add an additional note. Please include
“Medal of Honor Fund” to ensure it is applied accordingly.
Any contributions received over and above what is needed will be directed toward local veteran causes.

By Freddy Graves

It sounds like there was a lot of money to be made from Covid, at least according to investigation reports from the VA’s Office of Inspector General. Unfortunately for certain thieves, however, the OIG was all over them when the scams were revealed. The head thief in one case was a part-time pastor who was nailed on four counts of wire fraud for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) scams. He devised a scheme to apply for loans that were supposed to be used for payroll and business expenses during the Covid downturns. Not only that, but he approached and then coached church members (one of them a VA employee) on how to apply for the “free money” funds, including pretending they had actual businesses to run.
He then taught them how to apply for loan forgiveness (which was a bonus of the program if funds were actually used to pay employees) so they wouldn’t have to pay the money back. All they had to do, it seems, was to follow his instructions. It helped that he worked for a Small Business Administration-approved lender … and split the money with him.
Part of their downfall came from inflating income figures from a real tax return — which did not indicate that there was any kind of business income at all, not realizing that it would be a simple matter for one government agency to speak to another agency to verify facts. Another mistake was leaving a paper trail of emails wherein he instructed one of his church members on the steps to take to apply for the loans.
When sentenced, the pastor could get 20 years for each count of wire fraud. One coconspirator (who did not own a business) could get 60 years — 20 for each of three counts. The other (who also did not own a business but had a great paper trail
of how-to instruction emails for applying for the fraudulent loans) is cooperating and likely won’t see any jail time.

(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc

Women Veterans Recognition Day is not a separate Veterans Day for women. The day, celebrated yearly on June 12, recognizes, honors and remembers the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (pub.L. 80–625, 62 Stat. 356), allowing women the right to permanently serve in the regular armed forces.
Women have served in America’s wars and conflicts throughout our history. They played vital roles in the Revolutionary War, serving as soldiers, raising morale and spying on the enemy. It is known that some even disguised themselves as men to be able to serve. More than 400 women fought in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.
During World War I, about 35,000 women officially served. Women served in lifesaving roles such as nurses, and critical support staff roles such as the Hello Girls, formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit. In World War II, 350,000 women served in the U.S. military in occupations such as nursing, military intelligence, cryptography and parachute rigging.
In August 1943, the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) merged into a single unit for all women pilots and formed the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). They flew more than 60 million miles in two years. During this time, the 6888th Battalion was formed as the first and only all-Black Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to deploy overseas during WWII. Their nickname was “Six-Triple Eight” and their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”
Breaking barriers on June Day 1948 – Before the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948, only women nurses could serve in the regular and reserve forces during peacetime. All other women were sent home after each conflict. The signing of the Act deemed women essential to the war efforts and allowed them to serve in the regular armed forces full time. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, coupled with President Truman’s decision to desegregate the military, also permitted African American women to officially serve in the military, five years after the 6888th Battalion accomplished its mission of cleaning two years of mail backlog in three months, twice. When women can, they do.
A day worth recognizing – June 12 proclamations and events around the U.S. each year commemorate the signing of the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act by President Truman in 1948. The date was first recognized as a commemorative date when the New York State Assembly declared June 12, 2008, to be Women Veterans’ Recognition Day.
Women served, women belong – Today, women serve in all military occupational specialties, including logistics, munitions, intelligence, and many combat. Women contribute to the most professional, educated, agile and strongest military the U.S. has ever seen.
Despite their longstanding service, many women Veterans struggle to be recognized, respected and valued as Veterans in civilian life. After all they have done and continue to do, women Veterans deserve the support and respect they have earned through their service. They should feel like they belong at VA.
VA understands that women Veterans face specific challenges and have unique health care needs. Beginning in 1992 with the Veterans Health Care Act, VA has been providing gender-specific care to eligible women Veterans. Since then, we have been expanding those gender-specific services and launching initiatives to make women Veterans aware of their well-deserved benefits. We also continue to support our facilities across the country in fostering a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for the women Veterans who come through our doors.
Recognize outstanding women – There is so much history about women Veterans to be told, and it’s important that women continue to be recognized for their service and sacrifice. On March 12, 2022, Public Law 117-97 was passed to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women’s Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ‘‘Six Triple Eight.’’
This June 12, to all women Veterans out there – Happy Women Veterans Recognition Day from VA and Oklahoma’s Veteran News.
by Missina Schallus, Navy Veteran and communications manager for the VA’s Center for Women Veterans.