Enlisting at Seventeen
Bargas was in high school when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 in Oct. 1944. Two pals, Jimmy Jackson and Paul Cassilas, enlisted with him. Fortunately, all three came home and stayed friends for decades. After finishing training as a Boatswain’s Mate – a “jack-of-all-trades” sailor who performs a variety of duties – at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center on the shore of Lake Michigan,

Sea Duty
Bargas joined the U.S.S. Shenango (CVE-28), a small Navy escort carrier. The 53-foot vessel was manned by about 1,080 officers and enlisted sailors and launched SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers (nicknamed “slow but deadly”) and Grumman F6F-3 and F6F-5 Hellcats.

His memories of life aboard the Chenango reveal both the routine and danger of carrier duty. “We had planes that they went out and done their job and we’d fold them up (wings) on the carrier, go downstairs, you know, that was it,” Bargas said. After an aircraft’s wing folded, called a “STO-Wing,” an elevator would lower one or two aircraft inside the carrier for safety and to provide more space for take-offs and landings.

Fire on the Flight Deck
He also remembered a day when a pilot’s landing went wrong. “I remember there’s one of them planes coming in and instead of him landing, he made a mistake and he hit the other planes that was already on the deck and they caught on fire. It wasn’t his fault…. It (arresting cable) stopped him, but not quick enough. I guess he didn’t cut the thing off before he was supposed to.” Bargas thinks one or two sailors were killed. The account is confirmed by Wikipedia. “On 9 April (1945), a fighter crashed upon landing and started a raging fire among the strike-loaded aircraft on Chenango’s deck.” The crew put out the flames and kept the ship operational.

Final Battle
That same month, the Chenango joined other Navy ships in the invasion of Japanese-held Okinawa. Wikipedia states, “She gave air cover in the feint landings on the southern tip of the island, then was assigned to neutralize the kamikaze (“divine wind”) bases in Sakashima Gunto.” These were suicide planes flown directly into the decks and superstructures of Allied ships.

Specific strikes by Chenango’s bombers and fighters included dropping 500- and 100-pound bombs on the runways at Nobara Airfield, damaging airfield barracks and control towers, and attacking fuel supplies
and ammunition. They also conducted combat air patrols to intercept Japanese aircraft and protect Allied ships.

According to the National WWII Museum, “The 1945 Allied amphibious invasion of Okinawa lasted from April 1 through the end of June and was the largest and deadliest operation conducted by American forces in the Pacific war.” The Navy’s “loss of life of nearly 5,000 sailors, with another 5,000 wounded, made Okinawa the Navy’s bloodiest battle of the war, greater even than its losses at Pearl Harbor.” Luckily, the Chenango’s crew escaped kamikaze aircraft attacks.

He sailed countless nautical miles. “For the time I was in, I covered a lot of territory.” Bargas said. “I went from one ocean to the other ocean. I went through the Panama Canal. I went to San Francisco and then later on when we came back, we came back through the Panama Canal. One ocean’s higher than the other. I didn’t know that. I couldn’t believe it.” Asked if he ever got seasick, he laughed. “Yes, I was sick for about a week.” Typhoons? He nodded. “We had several of them. The ocean’s rough.”

From War to Civilian Life
After being discharged as a Seaman Second Class on April 1, 1946, Bargas returned home and began building a civilian life. He married Patricia, and later, Joyce, and had six children and three step-children. His daughter, Lanna Daniels, said he first leased a Phillips 66 gas station in Tulsa before opening his own business, Bargas Garage, for twenty years. Nearly eight decades later, Bargas continues to serve his community. He attended the U.S. Navy’s 250th birthday celebration on Oct. 13 and has been asked to be the Grand Marshal in Claremore’s Veterans Day parade Nov. 11th. • Story by Retired Lt. Col. Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFER. See Rich Travel Niche

A Serious Start to an Interview
Stephens. “Sir, is there a story or two you want to share about your service?”

Mauch. “For the younger generation, World War II was terrible. I would like for them to know that. It’s not something you would be anxious to get into…The young people need to know it’s not like video games.”

Stephens. “Please elaborate. Do you mean in general or some of the things you saw?”

Mauch. “You’re constantly hoping you stay alive so you can come home and have the American dream to marry and have a family. And that’s constantly on your mind.”

Stephens. “How did your service or the war change you?

Mauch. “Yes. Physically, I was like 135 pounds. After I got through bootcamp, I’m about 175. I think a little bit stronger (chuckles). Mentally, you were kind of prepared because of the Drill Instructor. He instructed you on how tough you should be.”

Stephens. “What would you say about how you did?”

Mauch. “Well, you experience so many things that if you’re 17 or 18 when you go in, you’re very inexperienced. When you come out, you faced a totally new world of time while you were there.”

Stephens. “Do you mean facing a world of life and death?”

Mauch. “Yes. The value of life. You’re more confident if you’re in the Marine Corps, especially. You’re more confident in your life in the future, I think all the way through life after.”

Stephens. “Anything else you’d like to say?”

Mauch. “Marry a lady that you love, for sure, and that will take good care (of you). Enjoy your family as long as possible.”

William “Bill” Mauch, now 100, saw combat close up as he rode in amphibious assault landing tractors during two of the Pacific’s most grueling battles – Peleliu and Okinawa.

Into the Heat of Peleliu
Between Sept. 16 and Oct. 20, 1944, Mauch was deployed to the island of Peleliu, a small island in the Palau archipelago located some 500 miles east of the Philippines. He arrived just after the initial Sept. 15 landing. He said, “I was in reserve maintaining the radio systems of about a dozen tractors in our company.”

Conditions were brutal. Temperatures soared to 115 degrees daily. “We drank contaminated water (from contaminated petroleum 55-gallon drums) and there was no way to bathe.” Relief came when the Navy supplied water purified through osmosis systems. Mauch said they were often dehydrated and suffered from dysentery and jungle rot in the crotch and armpits. “It was total misery.”

The Invasion of Okinawa
Five months later, Mauch “carried the first wave of troops to shore April 1, 1945”, during the invasion of Okinawa – the final island battle before an anticipated invasion of mainland Japan. Once again, he rode in amphibious tractors formally named as Landing Vehicle, Tracked, LVT4.

Each LVT4, Mauch explained, “would haul about 25 or 30 (personnel) in the rear, and the front was the driver and the radio operator, and then the commander would be also aboard…You could communicate back and forth on the tractor…I was responsible for the radio intercom systems for 12 of those LVT tractors.” He described how the vehicles were designed for transport and protection. “And then on the back was a drop tailgate, I’ll call it, and the troops would come out there and the tractor would protect them more or less while they got out. Then we could haul supplies, ammunition and things like that. Your initial job was to get the troops ashore.”

The Somber Duty of Burial
After the initial invasion of Okinawa, Mauch’s duties took a somber turn. “About the third day that we got a dispatch to pick up a load, and that was about, I’ll say six or seven dead bodies in body bags. We loaded them on our tractor…We’d haul them to the to the designated cemetery area.” The temporary gravesites were later uncovered and the remains returned to the United States.

Living Under Fire
In a Sapulpa Times interview by Micah Coquette, “Lifelong Sapulpan Bill Mauch turns 100, inducted into the Centenarians of Oklahoma Hall of Fame,” Mauch reflected, “’On that island, we were constantly under threat to our lives,’” adding, “’You have rifle fire, you have mortars, you have big guns and bombers every night. You have anti-aircraft shells that burst and can land on your tent. There’s just all these ways you could get killed.’”

Building a Civilian Life
Discharged in Feb. 22, 1946, Mauch returned to Sapulpa. His father took him to an Odd Fellows meeting where he reconnected with his high school mechanical drawing teacher. “He saw me there and he said, ‘Oklahoma Gas & Electric head called for a young man to train as an engineer…I’d like for you to go ahead…So I did and they hired me. And I spent three years as a junior engineer for OG&E.”

Realizing he needed to use his GI Bill, Mauch enrolled at Oklahoma A&M, spending nearly five years earning a degree in architectural engineering. Afterwards, “I went to work in the aircraft industry for Douglas Aircraft in their structural engineering in Tulsa. Later, McDonald Douglas bought them. I worked for them for 33 years.”

Love and Legacy
He married Helen in 1954, and together they celebrated 70 years of marriage before her passing in 2024. The couple raised four children and were blessed with six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Today, William Mauch continues to live in his hometown of Sapulpa. • Story by Retired Lt. Col. Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFER. See Rich Travel Niche

Have you seen those memorial highway signs with names and military ranks on them along the interstates in the Tulsa area? Have you wondered about the person named on those signs? One such sign is on Interstate 169 at 76th and 86th Streets in the north and southbound lanes in Owasso. It says “SGT Anthony Del Mar Peterson Memorial Highway.” Who is SGT Anthony Del Mar Peterson and why does he have a sign? I will start at the end of the story and then go back to the beginning.

SGT Anthony Peterson served in the Oklahoma National Guard. He was killed in action while serving in the Zurmat district, Paktya province, Afghanistan on August 4th, 2011. He was 24 and on his second deployment. He is survived by his parents Garth and Terra, two siblings, a son and numerous other family and friends.

I met with Anthony’s parents to learn more about who he was.

Anthony was athletic, loved the outdoors and was always training for something. Despite being a protective big brother, he also liked teasing his siblings. He once tied both of them up and hid them in a closet telling them they needed to learn how to escape in case they were ever captured. When his parents talked to him about it afterwards, he said he was just training them.

Both of his grandfathers and an uncle served in the military, however, they aren’t what influenced him to join. When he was in kindergarten, the family lived in California close to Mather Air Force Base. His mother Terra reminisced about them seeing men jumping out of a Blackhawk helicopter and young Anthony watching with big eyes and stating that’s what he wanted to do when he grew up. His compassion for the military would deepen after the events of September 11, 2001 which drew him to sign up for the military using the delayed entry program. He was so proud, he wore his uniform to his graduation ceremony. Anthony’s father believes he also knew that his parents couldn’t afford to send him to college so joining the military would take that burden off of them.

After his 2005 graduation from Chelsea High School, Anthony volunteered for his first deployment. During that time he was notified that his ex-girlfriend had a son and he was the father. As soon as he came back from that deployment he was an instant father as his son was already under his parents guardianship and living with them. The most important things in his life were God, family and country. His favorite quote was, “Come home with your shield or on it.” In the Spartan world where this quote comes from, to come home without your shield is a sign of cowardice. To come home on your shield (dead) is a sign of honor, meaning you fought til the death.

Garth and Terra Peterson are proud of the man Anthony became and are grateful for the time they had with him. They raised his son, who is now almost twenty years old and is an aspiring music producer. From the time that his dad was killed, he was taught that he had gone to be with God. His memories were kept alive through sharing what was in their hearts, by honoring his life and remembering his sacrifice.

The Peterson’s love seeing their son’s name on a highway sign and hope that it will serve as a reminder to the thousands who drive past it daily to appreciate our freedom and raise awareness about the families who have paid the ultimate price for it. They admit that their own awareness about such sacrifices and the meaning of Memorial Day and Veterans Day grew deeper when they lost Anthony. They encourage people to look up the name of those listed on the highway signs and learn about who they were.

I asked what they would say if they could say anything to Anthony. They agreed they would tell him they loved him and how grateful they are that God lent him to them. I asked what they thought he might say to them. Dad said he would say, “I love you.” Mom said he would say, “Good job, Mom. You did exactly what I wanted you to do.”

Garth and Terra have never lost their faith in God. They remain grateful for the twenty-four years they had with Anthony and for the gift of being able to raise his son.

SGT Anthony Del Mar Peterson is laid to rest at Ft. Gibson National Cemetery. •
story and photos by Jill Stephenson, mother of a fallen soldier.

Governor Kevin Stitt Commends “Oklahoma Veteran News Magazine’s” Purpose

Oklahoma’s first statewide veteran news magazine, now in its eighth month, has received an official commendation from Governor Kevin Stitt for its outstanding service and contributions to the state’s military community. The honor recognizes the magazine’s rapid growth and its commitment to sharing stories and resources vital to Oklahoma’s more than 300,000 veterans and their families.

The launch of the monthly free “Oklahoma Veteran News Magazine” highlights its mission to honor service members and their families. It invites all Oklahomans to support this important effort.

“We encourage citizens to join in celebrating the missions of our five major military installations and supporting our new publication,” Co-publisher Steven Eldredge said. “We are proud to share this free monthly magazine published to increase awareness and support of our service members and our people’s support for them among patriotic Oklahomans.”

Oklahoma takes pride in hosting some of America’s largest and most significant military installations, which serve as regional economic powerhouses and are often the largest local employers.

Altus Air Force Base, Fort Sill, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Tinker Air Force Base, and Vance Air Force Base host thousands of service members and their families. They all employ thousands of patriotic civilian Oklahomans and play a vital role in national defense.

Oklahoma’s National Guard, Reserves, and their civilian workers also support our military’s important role in keeping our country free.

The publishers say this new magazine will aim to strengthen pride and unity among all Oklahomans by highlighting the state’s values and priorities for its military community as the Oklahoma Standard.

Oklahoma’s Patriots, stationed at these installations, have a significant impact on the economy and community. Their contributions, including job creation, business partnerships, and infrastructure development, are a source of pride for the state.

“Oklahoma Veteran News Magazine” seeks to elevate awareness and respect for veterans’ service in Oklahoma and to highlight how our state offers nationally ranked tax benefits to veterans who retire here, honoring their sacrifices while defending American freedoms.

By helping to connect veterans with resources, the “Oklahoma Veteran News Magazine” aims to inspire community engagement. It does this by sharing stories of veteran achievements and providing updates on benefits and services.

The publication acts as an important platform to raise awareness of veteran businesses in our communities. It showcases these businesses so other veterans can recognize them as vital resources, thereby boosting the state’s support for its military community.

As its statewide distribution continues to grow, this magazine will become a vital part of the state’s identity and its dedication to the military community. It strives to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of all Oklahoma veterans and their families.

Co-publishers Steven Eldridge and Steve Sibley encourage Oklahomans to support the publication through subscriptions and article submissions. They ask everyone to share it with veterans in their communities, fostering a sense of belonging and collective pride.

“This magazine will honor the men and women who have taken the oath to defend America in our great state and their families,” Eldridge said. “We are proud to provide this free public service. Our goal is to raise public awareness and respect for our service men and women, ensuring their sacrifices are recognized and celebrated across Oklahoma and the world.” • story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

SPECIAL NOTE: Without the support of our veteran-friendly businesses below, we could not publish this magazine. Please be sure to reach out and thank them for supporting Oklahoma Veterans.

• Nerve Renewal Group
• Synergy Home Care
• Belmont Cove
• Villagio Senior Living
• Sibley Insures
• Seniors Helpers
• KW Real Estate Planner
• Cornerstone Home Health
• Brightstar Care
• Help for Veterans
• Saint Ann Assisted & Independent Living
• Brazito Coins & Collectibles
• D-Dent
• Bravo Roofing
• Oklahoma Veterans United
• SNU Veteran Center
• Navigating Medicare
• Excell Private Care Services
• Visiting Angels
• Miller Hospice
• OK Tobacco Settlement
• Endowment Trust
• Grace Home Care
• Oklahoma Military
Heritage Foundation
• Homewell Care Services
• Jimmy’s Egg Restaurants
• English Village Skilled Nursing &
Therapy – Altus, OK
• River Valley Skilled Nursing and Therapy – Clinton, OK
• The Fairmont Skilled Nursing & Therapy – Oklahoma City, OK
• Kingwood Skilled Nursing & Therapy – NE Oklahoma City, OK
• The Ambassador Skilled Nursing & Therapy – Tulsa, OK
• University Park Skilled Nursing & Therapy – Tahlequah, OK

In keeping with our new mission to bring Oklahoma veteran news to life, we are only now celebrating the installation and unveiling of the most important military tribute statues ever created by an Oklahoman for Oklahomans. On Veterans Day in 2021, Luther sculptor Joel Randell unveiled his bronze composition, “NSU Veterans: Serving and Communicating through the Decades,” becoming the most visually detailed and robust tribute to military service ever in Oklahoma, located in Tahlequah.

“The complexity of Randell’s tour de force is more than most sculptors will ever achieve in a lifetime if you add up many of their most important military statues,” said former CSU art professor Bob Palmer, Oklahoma’s most viewed muralist. “For one sculptor to bring so many heroic-sized figurative bronzes to life in one setting is the pinnacle of a once-in-a-generation sculpting effort.”

The larger-than-life bronze monument, depicting service members from all branches of the military, graces a plaza on the east side of Seminary Hall on Northeastern State University’s Tahlequah campus.

Two years in the making, following the initial prototype’s approval, the five bronze military figures are a testament to the involvement of many NSU students and community members in support of America’s military mission. The five bronze soldiers representing the military services surround a larger-than-life Lady Liberty, holding a large American flag and a lantern aloft to guide them home.

The Army is depicted by a Cherokee Code Talker from World War I, who sits and provides cryptic communication on the front lines of battle. NSU is the location of the original Cherokee Female Seminary, and Tahlequah remains the capital of the Cherokee Nation.

“We know the Cherokee Nation has a prominent place here in Tahlequah and at NSU. What their soldiers did in World War I was an incredible new effort to help save American lives,” Randell said at the unveiling in 2021. “Many know about World War II Code Talkers, but it was the Cherokee and Choctaw patriots who led that effort initially in their war.”

The Navy is represented by a catapult officer, better known as a “shooter,” who signals when a pilot should take off from a carrier’s flight deck.

A U.S. Marine is seen as a soldier from the Vietnam War wading through a flooded rice paddy while using his hand to signal to fellow soldiers.

The Air Force is depicted by a modern-day female officer pilot holding her flight helmet who successfully completed another mission.

“Incidentally, she would be the highest-ranking person in this composition. She is stepping off the world stage having finished a successful flight, with the satisfaction of a job well done,” Randell said.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescue crewman stretches his arms along a helicopter cable in a heroic effort to save someone in peril at sea.

Elevated in the middle stands a woman who represents the families back home. She is holding a lantern aloft, with a large, colorful American flag billowing in the wind. The lantern has a light feature that emits an amber glow at night.

“Lady Liberty is holding a lantern aloft, effectively shining the way home for those who are scattered abroad. She is standing on a representation I call a semi-globe representation of the Earth,” Randell said. “With her right foot, she is ‘standing’ on Tahlequah so those who see her can remember where home is.”

The two-foot-tall globe at the center of the monument, which all the figures are touching, shows how American veterans have served wherever they were needed around the world. The names of the branches of the services are etched low on the globe behind each service member to help viewers connect with their role in serving.

The artist titled the sculpture “NSU Veterans: Serving and Communicating through the Decades” because each figure uses their body to communicate, whether through a radio, a light, or an arm gesture.

“Lady Liberty’s light is something I’ve never done in a sculpture before. And quite frankly, I don’t know of too many sculptures that go to that length to have an internal lighting system,” Randell said. “It reminds you of a warm fire, and that’s what our service men and women think of, warm thoughts of being back at home.” The innovative lighting system adds a touch of warmth and nostalgia to the sculpture at night, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.

In addition to the flag, the artist placed a triangular logo representing the Space Force, the newest branch of the military, at the top of the flagpole to round out the depiction of American forces.

“I knew that we needed a topper for our flag, right up there,” Randall said. “I looked at the Space Force logo since it is a triangle shape in front of a globe. I think it makes sense at the top. I imagine it in this setting as a communication satellite.”

NSU President Steve Turner praised the monument in 2021, expressing his pride in the new addition to the campus and its proximity to the historic Seminary Hall. “I can’t think of a better place for it to be, adjacent to historic Seminary Hall,” Turner said.

NSU has been recognized as a military-friendly campus. It is also a veteran employer champion and a proud part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Yellow Ribbon campaign.

It offers comprehensive services for veterans and their families. Resources include a dedicated Office of Veterans Services to assist with educational benefits, a veterans’ lounge, credit for military service, and flexible online learning options. The university helps veterans maximize benefits, complete degrees, and transition to civilian careers.

Randell, 51, is nationally renowned for his patriotic bronze statues, particularly veteran-themed monuments. His prominent works also include the large bronze inclusive Women’s Veterans Monument of similar complexity in Del City, Okla., honoring women service members from each service.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Central Oklahoma, studying figurative sculpture in bronze with David L. Phelps. After college, he completed his traditional sculpting apprenticeship with Shan Gray.

“The NSU Veterans Monument was a dream come true project,” Randell said recently in an interview. “NSU afforded me a robust budget, allowing me to include all branches of service, various wars and conflicts, while honoring both men and women in a glorious tribute to veterans. At 110 percent life-size, it was heroic size but not overwhelming. With the figures rising from the globe at different points, it is a visual feast from every angle. I am proud this sculpture captures the actions of serving in the military during both peace and war.” • story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Bill Norfleet has been collecting coins for years, and after retiring, he took his collecting to the next level by opening his business Brazito Coins and Collectibles, located at 2525 Northwest Expressway, Suite 222 in Oklahoma City.

“I’ve collected coins for a long time, and when I retired, I decided I’d just start selling some and buying some and trading back and forth,” he said. “It keeps me off the sofa. It helps me to meet people and do things.”

Norfleet sells/buying at coin shows, sells coins online, and meets with individuals by appointment only at his Oklahoma City office location.

“I’m not a high-pressure salesman at all,” he said. “I’m not going to pressure them to sell them (coins). I just try to help them (with coin information/values). Hopefully they’ll come back when they do want to sell them if they do.”

Norfleet said the internet has changed the way coins are sold.

“The online section is taking over from the storefront business,” he said. “Coin shows are not a storefront, but they’re akin to them. It’s face-to-face-stuff. I’m afraid that the (smaller) coin show deal is kind of dying.”

Norfleet said there are still larger coin shows that attract buyers/sellers from across the country.

“One of the biggest ones in the country is in Orlando, Florida,” he said. “We went to that one in January. It had 660 tables. We went to one a couple weeks ago in Houston. That’s a pretty good size show with 120 tables. There was a lot going on there. A lot of people buy and sell. The bigger shows have many different things there, and you draw a whole lot more people.”

Norfleet said to help better attendance at the Oklahoma coin shows, he is using email to help attract more attendees.

“We are trying something new. We’re going to send out an email to about the first 1,000 people that are identified as having an interest in coins,” he said. “We’ll send out a few emails, one of them four weeks before the event and one another week or 10 days before the event. We’ll see how that works.”

Norfleet said his website features a variety of certified coins.
Certified coins have been graded by an authoritative third party like the Professional Coin Grading Organization (PCGS) or Numismatic Guarantee Company (NGC).

A coin that has been certified will come in a tamper-evident encapsulation or slab from the organization that certified and graded it. This slab will have the necessary information to verify the coin’s grade and authenticity.

“A lot of what we have for sale are what are called certified coins, and they’re in a plastic container,” he said.

Norfleet said coin collectors have a wide variety of coin interests.

“It’s just wide (coin interests),” he said. “Two of the most popular of all time are Morgan dollars and Peace dollars. The (Morgan) were made from 1878 to 1921. Now there were some years in the 1920’s and 1930’s when they weren’t made because the price of silver got to where it didn’t make sense to make a dollar with it. They made a few in 1934 and 1935. The Peace dollars were made from 1921 to 1935. Gold coins are popular. The Indian head two-and-a-half-, five- and ten-dollar Indian head gold coins. The Saint-Gaudens coins are popular.”

Norfleet said he receives phone calls from people who are interested in selling their coins and inquiring about what they might be appraised at.

“We talk about what they have, and that gives me a good feel whether it’s worth their time and mine for us to get together or not,” he said. “I had one lady call and said she had a lot of foreign coins she was interested in getting appraised. I told her I didn’t handle foreign coins, but I gave her information on some people who do. Sometimes you get people who don’t have any children or grandchildren, or as is my case, don’t have any children or grandchildren who are interested in coins. That’s true of a lot of people. We try to be helpful to them in figuring out how to make that decision, whether they want to sell them or keep them.”

Norfleet said he has never lost interest in collecting coins.

“I just enjoy the hunt, but I’ve always enjoyed going to coin shows and taking a list with me of things that I want and looking for them,” he said. “Sometimes you don’t find what you are looking for. But a lot of times, you’ll find something.” •
story by Van Mitchell, staff writer

For more information about coins call Norfleet at (405) 495-4000, email [email protected] or visit www.brazitocoinsandcollectibles.com

Cannon Roar, Infantry Charge

Boom! Boom! The ground shook as Union and Confederate howitzers volleyed across the battlefield. Smoke rose while 2,000 spectators filmed or covered their ears. Children cried. The Reenactment of the Engagement at Honey Springs, July 17, 1863, had begun.

Six Confederate cannon fired in sequence. Four Union cannon answered. Amidst the smoke, Confederate cavalry flanked left, sabers in hand, while rebel infantry in grey wool uniforms emerged from the woods. At the midpoint of the battle, they spread into two, 20-man lines and advanced toward the Yankee line, believing they were retreating.

“Yee-haw! Yip-Yip!” Johnny Reb yelled, firing at two infantry squares of 25 Union soldiers standing about 50 feet apart. Two men in blue fell. But Billy Yank held firm and in the actual battle, fired back – just as reenactors did on November 7 and 8. In disciplined turns, the Union squares fired volleys at the rebel line 150 feet ahead. The left column fired – three men in grey dropped. The right column fired – two more grey men fell.

Then, Northern Army cannon thundered, covering the Yankees’ advance. The Graybacks retreated across Elk Creek. A narrator explained each step of the battle, which took place on part of the actual battlefield, for onlookers.

Diverse participants

Historical Society information says the combatants in 1863 came from the 1st Division, Army of the Frontier (USA), commanded by Maj. Gen. James Blunt and the Confederate Indian Brigade led by Brig. Gen. Douglas Cooper. They included “American Indians, veteran Texas regiments, and the First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment (the first African American Regiment to see combat in the entire Civil War)…Cooper reported his losses as 134 killed and wounded, with 47 taken prisoner. Blunt reported his losses as 17 killed and 60 wounded.”

Outcome

The Union victory ensured federal control of Fort Gibson in Indian Territory and Fort Smith in Arkansas. However, American Indians in Indian Territory were devastated. The Historical Society estimates between 11-24 percent of tribal members died and after the war, tribes were forced to sign treaties with the U.S. government that made them give up or sell much of their land.

Rest and Relaxation

After the reenacted battle, blue and grey cavalry soldiers allowed children to pet their horses. Attendees and reenactors lined up at food trucks, although it was startling to see Union and Confederate soldiers eating hot dogs and tacos together.
Nearby, Sutler Row businesses sold books, wooden guns, games, and reproductions of 19th Century household items. Demonstrations included laundresses, a piper, and sanitation methods. Union and Confederate camps housed reenactors and their families over the weekend, adding authenticity to the event.

Molly Hutchins, Site Director, estimated 2,500 school children attended Education Day, Nov. 6, and 5,000 came for the two reenactments. She said 300 reenactors from 10 states participated.

Educating Visitors

Trait Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, explained the purpose of the reenactment is “to give our visitors a better understanding of the Civil War in the Indian Territory.” Asked what he hopes people take away from attending, he replied, “Understanding a little bit more about the people that fought here, the reasons they fought and how the battle may have looked. It’s always good when you can match fun and education together.”

Reenactors Voices

For many participants, reenacting is a passion. “I love history. That’s why I do this,” said Sean Mize of Edmond, a Confederate cannoneer. Union soldier Preston Ulrich of Moberly, Missouri, has been reenacting since age 13. Now 17, he participates 6 to 8 times a year with his father. “I think it’s fun. It’s a good way to escape modern life. It lets us dip into what our ancestors did.” For Colleen Jefferson of Ft. Worth, “I think this conflict is the defining conflict for the nation because it challenges our beliefs about our founding principles.” Jefferson has been reenacting for 14 years.

About the Battlefield

Oklahoma’s Historical Society owns and manages the 1,100 acres of the Honey Springs Battlefield east of U.S. Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville, Oklahoma. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2013. The Society hosts and schedules the reenactment every two years. Planning takes a full year, with support from organizations such as the Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield, a 501(c)(3).

Four monuments list the fighting units involved. Please visit the museum to understand the battle. It has a gift shop and two main rooms. One room offers recorded messages on telephones from dairies and papers of participants and mannequins in period uniforms and weapons. The second displays maps of the engagement, explanations and a replica supply wagon. A few artifacts recovered from the battlefield like minie bullets, lead and canister balls, and camp equipment, are on display.

On one telephone recording, the voice of Col. James Williams, Commander of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry recounted events. “…I moved my regiment… loaded and bayonets fixed under sharp fire, to within 40 paces of the rebel line, without firing a shot, then halted and poured into their ranks a well-directed volley of buck and ball…which sent them to grass…which they never recovered.”

Largest Civil War Battle in Indian Territory

Hutchins emphasized the site’s importance: “We’re the site of the largest Civil War battle fought in Indian Territory…We are also known as one of the most culturally diverse battles in the entire Civil War. Preservation of our site is important for those reasons. We are dedicated to sharing the history of the (battle) and honoring the men who fought here.” •
• Story by Retired Lt. Col. Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFER. See Rich Travel Niche

To learn more, visit https://www.okhistory.org/sites/honeysprings.