The Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame will celebrate its 26th Banquet and Induction Ceremony on Nov 1 at the Embassy Suites, Norman. This year’s class includes 11 living and deceased service members representing all services and all ranks, one civilian and the Kiowa Code Talkers of WWII. Their achievements are as numerous and inspiring as those as those who have been inducted.

The formal event drew over 600 attendees in 2024, according to Colonel (Ret.) Kelly Zachgo, President of the Oklahoma Military Heritage Foundation, who operates the Hall of Fame. Families, friends and corporate sponsors like the Tinker Federal Credit Union attend to celebrate the honorees.

Zachgo also stated the entertainment will feature singer, performer and speaker Maggie Bond and guitarist Dennis Hoch, a Navy veteran of Vietnam. The 145th Army Band will perform patriotic music.

Major General Douglas O. Dollar, USA (retired), who founded the Hall of Fame, explained the purpose behind the ceremony. “We try to honor veterans for one thing, for valor. They’ve been outstanding in combat. The other criteria is that they may have done community/public service for veterans, and they certainly deserve recognition and encouragement. Also, I think it’s very important to educate the public, especially the state’s youth, about military service and the remarkable stories of Oklahoman service.” As an example, Dollar highlighted Private Oscar Upham, a U.S. Marine who erected barricades under enemy fire in 1900 during China’s Boxer Rebellion and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

A trained “Ambassador” works closely with each honoree or their family, if deceased, to ensure their attendance is enjoyable. Colonel (Ret.) Ernest Goodman, a frequent Ambassador assistant, said, “I’m honored to arrange for the family of Colonel Philip Adair, a deceased WWII Air Force pilot, to attend this year’s ceremony, he stated. “He’s an Oklahoma hero and deserves to be recognized.”

Inductees are selected through a rigorous process to ensure Oklahoma’s most worthy are chosen. Candidates must have a connection to Oklahoma, full biographical information, outstanding civilian and/or patriotic service and most importantly, according to the Hall of Fame’s website, “The military record must demonstrate heroic and/or extraordinary leadership action, service, or sacrifice; and principal awards received.”

Seating is $95 per person, with a check or credit card due by Oct 20th. Dress is Sunday best, business suit, Service Uniform or Mess Dress.
For details or to reserve seats, visit www.OKMHF.ORG or email [email protected].
Inductees
Col Philip R. Adair, U.S. Air Force, 1920 – 2017. Adair enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January 1942, training as a pilot and flew P-40s and P-47s on 139 combat missions in the China-Burma-India theater from 1943 – 1944. On December 13, 1943, he bravely attacked a large enemy bomber formation, earning the Silver Star.
SP4 Glen E. Blood, U.S. Army. SP4 Blood was awarded the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts for heroism in Vietnam on June 12, 1968. Despite sustaining wounds to both legs, his arm, and additional shrapnel injuries, he continued to direct a fierce counterattack and led his squad, carrying wounded soldiers to safety under extreme danger.
LTC Vernon W. Gillespie, Jr., U.S. Army, 1933 – 2017. Gillespie was awarded the Silver Star for heroism in Vietnam (three tours), as well as the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Air Medal while commanding two Special Forces units and led the 2nd Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division.
1LT Michael Waddle, U.S. Army. For gallantry in action in Vietnam as a platoon leader on August 26, 1969, 1LT Waddle was awarded the Silver Star, and received two Bronze Stars for additional acts of merit. He is a certified DAV Service Officer and public speaker on Veterans’ affairs.
MG Doug Dollar Distinguished Public Service Award
CAPT John P. Keilty, U.S. Navy. Former Commodore of Strategic Communications Wing One at Tinker AFB, devoted educator and mentor at Mount St. Mary High School, Rose State College, and Del City High School’s Junior NROTC. Keilty has led or supported numerous community projects.
Mrs. Pamela K. Kloiber. She spent over thirty years working with the local community and supporting Airmen and Sailors at Tinker AFB. She co-founded “Team Tinker Home Away From Home,” a program designed to support first term service members throughout the year, helping reduce suicides among new Airmen. • story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

Retirement isn’t what it used to be. In fact, according to entrepreneur and speaker Bob Loudermilk, traditional retirement as we know it is obsolete.

His new book, “Never Retire: Reinvent Yourself for Life’s Second Half,” invites readers to reject the old notion of slowing down and instead embrace life’s second half as their most meaningful, adventurous, and impactful season yet.

For generations, people have been taught that the pinnacle of success is reaching the day you stop working. But Loudermilk argues that the traditional script is broken. Longer lifespans, shifting economies, and a universal longing for purpose mean that “checking out” at 65 is not only unrealistic for many-it can also be harmful.

“Traditional retirement too often leads to boredom, loss of identity, and even decline,” Loudermilk says. “But what if these years could actually become your most vibrant, productive, and meaningful chapter yet?”

“Never Retire” shows readers how to trade the myth of retirement for the joy of reinvention. With a blend of powerful storytelling, practical strategies, and research-backed insights, Loudermilk paints a picture of what’s possible when people bring the same creativity, grit, and courage that shaped their first half of life into the second.

Readers will meet people who refused to fade away-entrepreneurs who started businesses later in life, artists who created masterpieces in their seventies and eighties, and everyday men and women who found new callings that gave them a fresh sense of joy and contribution.

“Many people, after retiring from an active career, loose their vitality quickly if they don’t remain active,” Loudermilk said. “Parking in front of the television and not engaging in social interaction is a recipe for rapid decline. My slogan is, don’t retire FROM something, retire TO something. The book is all about mindset and strategies to make your second half of life some of your best years.”

Loudermilk said this is not a book of theory. It is a practical roadmap for designing a second half filled with purpose, vitality, and lasting impact. Each chapter helps readers think differently, dream bigger, and take meaningful action to create a future worth living into. “It’s different from anything else on the shelf, and I think it will resonate with readers who are 50+,” he said.”

Loudermilk said the release of “Never Retire” is incredibly timely. With approximately 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day in America, this cultural moment demands a new way of thinking.

Loudermilk believes now is the time to dismantle outdated views of aging and replace them with a vision of possibility.
“The message is clear: the second half of life is not about retreat-it is about reinvention,” he said.
Dave Sheets of BelieversBookServices praised Loudermilk’s book.
“Bob Loudermilk doesn’t just challenge the idea of retirement-he dismantles it with wisdom and hope,” he said. “This book is a must-read for anyone approaching life’s ‘next act.’”
Loudermilk brings decades of entrepreneurial and mentoring experience to this message. He is also the cofounder of the Second Half Expo, the annual event that equips thousands of adults 50+ to thrive with resources, inspiration, and community. His passion for helping others live boldly in their later years flows through every page of the book.
The official launch celebration for “Never Retire” will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Second Half Expo inside the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Attendees will hear Loudermilk speak, connect with others who share the vision, and join in the book launch party at 10 a.m., marking the beginning of a movement. Details for the Expo are at www.SecondHalfExpo.com

Loudermilk said his message to readers is contained in this declaration: “I am not done yet. There is more in me than I realized. I have a legacy that I will be leaving, and I am creating my legacy right now. There is more ahead.”

He concluded “The closing chapter is about living by an ultimate operating system, which is faith. It is about living with an expectation that you have a purpose and that your life matters.”

Readers can download free sample chapters of the book or order their copy today at https://secondhalfexpo.com/never-retire/ . • story by Van Mitchell, staff writer

Herman Meinders and the Meinders Foundation have combined for an $8 million donation to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. The gift aims to transform neurodegenerative disease research in Oklahoma.
OMRF will add a new floor to its research tower that will serve as the hub for the Meinders Center for Neurodegenerative Research, the state’s first dedicated center to study brain diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Meinders, an Oklahoma City businessman and philanthropist, contributed $2 million toward this gift before he died in March. The Meinders Foundation then increased the gift by an additional $6 million.
“This generous donation will help us build upon the groundbreaking discoveries our scientists have already made involving neurodegenerative diseases,” said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. “Our ultimate goal is to improve diagnostics and treatment options for the millions of Americans who live with one of these debilitating diseases.”
At OMRF, 10 scientists lead labs that study various aspects of neurodegenerative diseases. The combined gift by Herman Meinders and the Meinders Foundation will integrate the work of these labs, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the causes behind brain disorders, including the environmental and genetic factors that increase the risk of developing one.
Meinders and his wife, LaDonna, were passionate supporters of causes that included research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Their gifts established the Meinders NeuroScience Institute and the Meinders Center for Movement Disorders at Oklahoma City’s Mercy Hospital. Both centers provide advanced treatment for Parkinson’s disease, which Herman Meinders lived with over his final 10 years.
The couple also were longtime supporters of OMRF, and their foundation became aware of OMRF’s focus on neurodegenerative diseases shortly before Herman’s death.
OMRF scientist Mike Beckstead, Ph.D., had recently been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to create novel research model for Parkinson’s research. Mo Grotjohn, treasurer and trustee for the Meinders Foundation, read a resulting newspaper article about the grant a few weeks before Herman’s death.
“As I learned about Dr. Beckstead’s research, I became convinced this was an endeavor worth pursuing, so I contacted OMRF Board Chair Len Cason and shared the information with members of the Meinders family,” Grotjohn said.
In Parkinson’s, nerve cells produce less dopamine, resulting in a loss of muscle control, balance and movement. It is second only behind Alzheimer’s as the most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting an estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide.
In addition to studying Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, OMRF scientists have made major breakthroughs for people living with other brain diseases.
For example, research at OMRF led to the only treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration for neuromyelitis optica, which robs people of movement, balance and sight. OMRF scientists also pioneered an investigational drug for glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer.
“With this gift from Herman Meinders and the Meinders Foundation, we hope to make similarly meaningful headway toward improved treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s,” Weyrich said. “Doing so would honor the memory of Mr. Meinders.”

Wacky and wonderful, the CrosStar Flag and Tag Museum in Afton tugs tourists into a satisfyingly bizarre collection of oddities gathered by owner and operator Al Childs. Since opening in June 2022, the 150-foot by 150-foot museum has grown in variety and popularity. It’s eye candy on Route 66.

About 100 mostly international tourists drop in every day. A welcoming host, Childs, 77, happily escorts them through the building and grounds, explaining what they are seeing. “…one of my main sayings here is, ‘I guarantee you you’ll smile and laugh out loud or I’ll give your money back,’” he told two visitors. “You’re supposed to say, ‘Well, how much you charge? ‘Nothing!” is his answer.
There’s no entrance fee because, “I like Route 66 and there was some places I stopped at in 1976, it didn’t cost me a thing to see stuff like this, you know? You don’t gotta advertise on Route 66. Just stick something out front there!” he said, gesturing to the road. “They’ll come.”
After a family from Barcelona, Spain, arrived, the husband danced next to Jake and Elwood Blues Brothers statues while his daughter snapped photos. “There’s more stuff out there.You can touch, open doors, ring bells, smash buttons,” Childs encouraged.
There’s plenty to see: a Shoney Big Boy, original gas pumps, a 1951 Ford police car and 1959 Thunderbird, skeleton in a pick-up truck (joking, Childs tells visitors, “…that’s my ex-wife there. I dug her up. She wanted to go for a ride and I didn’t know she meant in the car”), totem poles, car hoods and grills for each of the eight Route 66 states and some for foreign nations, Elvis playing a guitar and much more.
Childs admits, “I wasn’t planning on getting this big when we started to do it. We were just going to have a little garage right there with my cars in it.” But he has too much energy to sit still. “VA doctors tell me I’m a 75-year-old in a 50-year-old body,” he said.
Childs and his partner, Jeanette, built most of the museum themselves. “We poured all this concrete by hand (concrete floor)…And she painted it all.” He constructed the metal overhang and porch, used a blow torch to cut and weld truck parts, and handled the carpentry.

The museum is Childs’ therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a harrowing tour in Vietnam. He deployed as a U.S. Marine infantryman – 0311, grunt – with Echo Company, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines (2/5), 1st Marine Division from January – July 1968. His total time in service was August 1967-August 1969.
Childs said he arrived “right in the middle of…Tet Offensive…and I was in Phu Bai (Airfield) and then Hue City, and then we was up in the Bach Ma Mountains overlooking Khe Sanh…They was bombing, bombing everything… Well, probably in four days we lost 28 people and I was in a 10-man squad (during Khe Sahn battle). “My friend Joe Jordon was killed in action April 3rd 1968,” after being killed by a sniper.
During another battle, Childs recalled, “Two had died, I mean, the point man and the second man died. I was the fourth man back (in the platoon). And they set off one…a booby trap in the road or something. Well, this was in the jungle.”
Childs received two surface wounds but did not get a Purple Heart medal. (Author’s note: 2/5’s missions included search-and-destroy patrols, ambushes, and security for key routes, bridges and villages. The Khe Sanh battle occurred January to July 1968).
Malaria struck in July 1968, sending him to Japan for three months. He recovered in Okinawa. A doctor gave him a S3 profile and ‘no duty in a tropical zone.’ The illness came back three times.
After discharge in 1969, Childs battled PTSD and checked into two VA Centers. Doctors removed his prostate because of cancer. “I got a hundred percent for it (cancer), but I already had a hundred percent for Agent Orange and I think I had 70% for combat duty. I probably got 300% altogether, but you ain’t gonna get but a hundred percent no matter what,” he joked.
Childs drove heavy construction equipment and became a working superintendent for his brother. “I was in Kansas City for 45 years working in construction and then I retired and that’s when I decided wanted me a museum.”
Glen and Misty Posey from Decatur, Alabama, visit. Glen said, “we started off heading west for California. Got to Flagstaff, she got sick. So, we’re riding it backwards all the way back to Chicago.” They were celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary.
The name “CrosStar” comes from his Vietnam memories, where he often saw buildings marked with red stars and crosses. His favorite piece at the museum is a blue painted tree stump with a star cut out and a red cross on top.
Austin Hanes, manager of the “Nowhere on Route 66” restaurant in town, said, “It’s good for business. I like sending people that way and it’s a neat piece of ‘66.”’ Linda Tipton, a home town resident, agreed. “I believe when they stop there…it brings business (here). I think it’s a good thing for our town.”
Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, added that, “It takes a passionate person with a dream to make these (Route 66) attractions a reality…anyone that stops to look around and talks to Al gets an experience they will never forget.”
The museum is at 103 S. Central Ave (Route 66), is open every day and during the summer, “open until we close.” • story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

As an Air Force Chaplain from 1995 to 1998, I thought life’s path was set. Serving at Incirlik, Turkey, and other places, I bonded with airmen, praying through their fears with Psalm 91 verse 4, “Under his wings you will find refuge.” I just knew I was exactly where God wanted me. However, over time I could see this was just a steppingstone towards Gods call into civilian ministry. So, I left the Air Force expecting a smooth transition. Instead, doors closed – churches, ministries, even secular jobs rejected me. The bright spot during that turmoil was that I happily married my soulmate. Life moved on, filled with raising our daughter and teaching college-level Bible classes. Inside though, I felt adrift, my purpose lost after the military.
Fifteen years later, clarity came through crisis-and my Australian Shepherd, DB. One day, DB broke house rules, bolting at me with panicked eyes, something was wrong. A voice in my mind screamed, “You’re dying. Get help!” An image of my daughter growing up motherless flashed before my eyes. It hit hard. What’s happening to me? Was it God or DB? I can only describe it as surreal, as my husband drove me to the hospital. Then came the diagnose, a heart attack-my third due to a rare congenital condition causing coronary artery dissections-this was my gravest. The ER doctor was shocked at how lucid I was, given that I had a 90% blockage of my left anterior descending artery. At 100% it’s called a widow maker. Double bypass surgery saved me, but medications nearly killed me, leaving me desperate for alternatives.
I dove into research and consulted conventional and holistic practitioners. Slowly, I rebuilt my health with diet and supplements, sidestepping prescriptions. Gradually, my faith in God restored my courage and my health. Two years later, I was taxiing my daughter, teaching at a Christian university, and riding horses again. Then, a divine question pierced me: If you lived expecting to survive, not die, what would you do differently? I’d been living in fear’s shadow, not faith’s light.
That question sparked my calling. My recovery taught me the body’s healing power when stewarded well. I wanted to help others-especially veterans-overcome health barriers, to fulfill their purpose. Conventional medicine alone wasn’t enough; I needed training centered on the body’s innate healing. In 2015, I found it: a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. Seven grueling years later, I became a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and moved back to my home state of Oklahoma. Now, in my Stillwater clinic, I guide clients through PTSD, pain, and fatigue with hyperbaric oxygen, nutrition, and herbal medicine from a faith-based perspective. Seeing a vet’s hope rekindled after activating the body’s self-healing mechanisms is my joy.
My journey mirrors Joshua’s in Numbers 13-14. As a young chaplain, I expected a linear path. Joshua, too, faced setbacks. After the Exodus, he spied the Promised Land, but doubt from others delayed God’s promise for 40 years. Only Joshua and Caleb, steadfast in faith, entered. Joshua 1:1-3 shows God’s faithfulness after Moses’ death, urging Joshua forward. Veterans, your setbacks-health crises, lost dreams-aren’t the end. Like Joshua, declare God’s power in your doubt. He equips you in spirit, soul, and body to seize His purpose.
Fellow veterans, your story isn’t over. My path from chaplain to survivor to naturopath proves it. Shift from fear to faith. Start small: sip water instead of soda, pray for five minutes daily, or call a battle buddy. Visit my clinic or a veterans’ group. God redeems pain for purpose-let’s steward our bodies and lives to fulfill His call. •
Patti V Sheeley, Chaplain, USAF, ND, M.Div, MA.

All 77 Oklahoma Counties.
All 50 states.
Numerous foreign countries.

The geographic reach of Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation is staggering.
But even moreso, the impact for veterans, their families and generations to come is incalculable.
The operation has grown beyond even Graham’s expectation but the process is always a familiar one.
A friendly voice on the phone leads to a visit to the Norman office where a hot cup of coffee and some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet are waiting to thank you for your service, pull you up a chair and show you how to get the benefits you’ve earned for you and your family.
At the heart of it all is Dale Graham, who served in the Marines.
The Veteran’s Administration ranks Graham’s foundation as the eighth-leading organization in the nation in terms of the amount of money procured for veterans and their surviving spouses.
He says service members who have worked with the foundation are currently receiving $900 million per year in benefits.
“In reality it’s double or triple that,” Graham said, noting those numbers only count the last eight years of the organization’s existence, not the 20 that preceded it. “It’s worked out real good.”
More than half of those who seek out the foundation’s assistance travel from out of state, he says.
“The men and women who served got the short end of the stick.”
Last fall, Graham welcomed a service member who flew in from Vietnam. Another from China, another from Dubai, another from Greece.
England, Australia, Africa, the list goes on and on.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Graham said. “But we’re winning.”
Graham still volunteers his time but the foundation pays a small army of staff that is amazing to watch in action. And there’s another dedicated group of volunteers that’s the backbone of what the foundation accomplishes.
“When you help somebody else it helps you,” he said.
It’s a lesson he learned later rather than sooner.
He turned to alcohol to cope with the PTSD he brought back with him after serving in Vietnam. He says it dotted almost 30 years of his life.
“It was the only way I could deal with life. Or I thought it was,” he said. “But we got all that past and now we just do what we can do to change lives.”
Changing lives involves helping navigate a seemingly unfair maze of paperwork to service-connect disabilities veterans thought just went hand in hand with serving their country.
“Everything we’re doing down here is working,” Graham said.
The stories that come through the front door are devastating; service widows losing their homes due to rising inflation, veterans living out on the street who don’t want to ask for help.
“I had one couple come in and I did his papers and he told me ‘next month I get my medicine,’” Graham remembers. “He told me they took turns getting their heart medicines every other month to keep costs down and they hoped nothing else ever happens.”
“Him and his wife were living on $1,200 a month. When I got through with him he was getting $4,000 a month from the VA. It’s the richest he’s ever been.”
The times Graham is able to get a service member 100-percent service connected they are able to receive free medical insurance for the spouse and the kids.
“What we’re doing today I think is wonderful,” he said.
More than a decade ago, Graham was invited to Harvard to speak about how he was helping returning veterans.
He’s an expert, but to some service members he’s a savior.
Taylor Poindexter agrees. As the foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Poindexter helps the foundation keep moving forward and track its reach.
“The impact we are having is unmeasurable,” Poindexter said. “Not only are we improving the quality of life for our veterans but we’re actually saving some of their lives.”
Nearly 30 years ago, the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation was founded by Graham and Rhonda Reynolds and is dedicated to serving veterans and their families.
Recognizing the challenges veterans face in accessing their entitled benefits, the founders were driven by a deep commitment to fight for those who have served our country.
Since its inception, the Foundation has provided essential services including accredited VA claims assistance, transportation, financial aid, and referral management, ensuring veterans receive the full range of support they deserve.
The Foundation has helped more than 50,000 veterans and their families.
“Not only does it change quality of life, it changes quality of opportunity,” Poindexter said. “We are making a difference and the difference we are making we’ll probably never know. But the only way we truly know is when you and I as veterans get service connected we know how it affects our lives.” •
story and photos by Bobby Anderson, staff writer

On September 18, as Dr. Anthony Pham was performing his normal vision exams and prescribing eyeglasses at Tinker Eye Care, he received a nice-to-have surprise award.
A “Special Recognition Award” came from the Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart, presented by Master Chief Petty Officer Larry Van Schuyver, State Commander.
Schuyver said the award was given “because over and over again, he’s taken the time to help with our elderly, disabled veterans and other families. He’ll help you any way he can. He’s an honorable, decent man and we’re proud to welcome him to our Purple Heart family.”
Staff, family and Joanna Bunde, Visual Merchandizer at Tinker’s Base Exchange, clapped with their approval.
Afterwards, Pham, who owns and manages the store, explained how he felt. “I’m honored to receive this. It’s my privilege to serve as a civilian optometrist.”
The Tinker Eye Care office serves 250 customers a week with primary eye care (exams, eye disease, contact lenses and more). • story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.