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.

Just after dawn on October 25, 1944, the Japanese sent the largest naval battle group ever assembled to destroy 130,000 American soldiers invading Leyte. Their goal was to destroy the American forces just moving inland, five days after the landings, to push them out of the Philippines. This battle and U.S. Navy Commander Ernest E. Evans’ heroic actions had a significant impact on hastening the conclusion of WWII.

Never before that day had one Sailor’s actions diverted the burden of attack from so many American service members so decisively as in the Battle off Samar. That man was Evans, a graduate of Muskogee High School and the U.S. Naval Academy.

“[Leyte Gulf], a key battle in the Pacific War, was almost a disaster for the United States,” said Samuel Cox, retired rear admiral and director of the Naval History and Heritage Command, in an April 2021 article from “The Oklahoman.” “If it hadn’t been for what Ernest Evans did, the battle would have gone much worse.”

The Japanese forces attempting to surprise the overmatched Taffy 3 task force were aggressively introduced to the unwavering courage and self-sacrifice of the U.S Navy’s finest. Three American destroyers, commonly referred to as “tin cans,” because they lacked armor, began the fight for their lives against a far superior force.

Among the attacking fleet, the Japanese super battleship Yamato, the largest battleship ever built with 18-inch rifles, outweighed the entire American defending force. It was a formidable part of a massive force consisting of four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and 11 destroyers.

At the helm of the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Johnston, Evans assured himself a place in U.S. Naval history with his courageous initiative in the face of the overwhelming enemy. Before the order to attack was issued, the determined warrior began a lone preemptive retaliatory strike with extreme prejudice.

Evans entered Navy lore forever by laying a smoke screen to protect his fellow ships and navigating his vessel fearlessly into harm’s way to deploy his torpedoes.

The Johnston delivered the immediate first blow, instilling chaos within the Japanese naval ranks. Its 10 torpedoes tore the bow off the Japanese cruiser Kumano in the first few minutes of the three-hour battle. Here was the aggressive Japanese fleet, far outgunning and outnumbering its prey, being attacked and bloodied by the first ship it encountered.

Evans and his only 2,000-ton destroyer were much earlier announced to be the Navy’s readiest-for-battle warship. Evans let his assembled crew know his intentions as he took command at the USS Johnston’s commissioning in October 1943. “This is going to be a fighting ship,” he said. “I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now. I will never retreat from an enemy force.”

Evans’s tactical blitzkrieg was everything a ship that size could accomplish in that short a time. But his audacious and successful counterattack against overwhelming forces off Samar was not enough for the brave Oklahoman.

The Johnston rejoined the frigate line of destroyers as they made their torpedo runs at the far superior forces. This action meant the small Taffy 3 task force presented a “larger than real” profile in the water to Japanese Admiral Takeo Kurita on his flagship Yamato. By now in the battle, more than a hundred pilots from the Jeep carriers and land bases nearby were swarming the Japanese fleet.

Although his ship had already fired all its torpedoes, Evans wanted to protect his fellow sailors as much as possible with his ship’s five 5-inch guns. The well-trained crew fired more than 800 rounds in the battle.

By drawing fire away from the Jeep carriers he was protecting, his ship was taking hits from powerful 14-inch guns. Despite severe damage to his ship and his wounds from Japanese fire destroying the bridge, Evans repeatedly put the Johnston between the enemy and the more vulnerable U.S. ships. This saved the lives of thousands of his fellow sailors.

This second suicide run met with far less success against the enemy. After almost three hours of battle, the Johnston eased over on her side for 25 minutes until finally sinking.

Her early valiant effort meant the Johnston proved decisive. Without air cover, the enemy, confusing the aggression to be a genuine effort made by a more significant force, broke off the attack and headed for Japan.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz wrote afterwards that the success of Taffy 3 was “nothing short of special dispensation from the Lord Almighty.”

Evans earned the respect of all Navy personnel forever for his courageous actions, but he lost his life at 36 that day, along with 185 members of his crew. His body was never recovered when the USS Johnston sank after fighting valiantly for three hours.

Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart Medal for sparking the decisive victory in Leyte Gulf. He also shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to Taffy 3 for this action.

On Sept. 28, 1945, shortly after World War II concluded, Evans’ Medal of Honor was presented to his wife, Margaret, in San Pedro, California. The ceremony was attended by his mother, sister, and sons Jerry and Ernest Jr.

Evans is one of only two destroyer captains from World War II to receive the Medal of Honor.

Evans’ exploits have now been interwoven into the Navy’s legacy, as his name has graced one decommissioned warship and a building at the U.S. Naval Academy. Last year, the Navy announced that the USS Ernest E. Evans, a DDG 51 Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, will soon be the second warship named in his honor.

On May 7, Oklahomans demonstrated that their servicemen and women are never forgotten during a solemn ceremony to unveil a bronze bust of Evans. In front of the Three Rivers Museum, a monument was dedicated to Oklahoma’s most celebrated World War II Navy hero in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Reagan, who resides in Norman, and his wife, Alice, spearheaded the effort to honor Evans. The campaign to raise funds and acquire the resources to create the monument took almost four years.

“I consider my work to help Muskogee honor Commander Ernest Evans one of the most significant things I have ever done,” Reagan said. “It’s a good feeling to help others. I am very proud to have Alice present, who helped make it a great day for me.”

Nationally acclaimed artist Paul Moore from Norman created a bronze bust of Evans wearing his Navy Medal of Honor. An identical bust, a gift from Reagan and his donors, is displayed at the US Naval Academy Museum.

The bust sits atop a tall square black granite pedestal. Below his image at the front of the bust is a miniature model of the USS Johnston in bronze, firing her five-inch guns and creating a smoke screen.

Patrick Cale, the Mayor of Muskogee and owner of Muskogee Marble & Granite, was the only corporate donor to the project. He provided the pedestal that features Evans’ significant career dates on the front, while the back showcases his Medal of Honor citation.

Reagan and his wife, Alice, volunteer five mornings a week with the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation in Norman. It is accredited as a Regional Veterans Service Organization. Its dedicated staff members work tirelessly to help all service veterans and their families receive their full military service benefits. story/photo by Darl Devault, contributing editor

by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer

Family, duty, and giving back are some of the hallmark virtues that Army veteran Clyde Houston has lived by.
Family and friends gathered on July 13 at the Montellano Event Center in Oklahoma City to celebrate his 104th birthday and paid homage to a man who made a positive impact on so many lives.
Houston was one of the Greatest Generation born in Porter, Oklahoma on July 17th, 1920.
Houston faced many challenges and according to his family, he never wavered on his duties as a soldier and a father. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941-1945 as a Quartermaster military occupational specialty and provided troops with supplies and logistical services.
Houston grew up during the Golden Age of American Sports and emphasized the value in good physical fitness and sporting activities. Throughout his lifetime, he continued to teach the importance of maintaining good health and physical fitness with his own athletic children and shared this love of sports with all the neighborhood kids.
To help teach kids the value of sporting activities and get kids involved with different athletics, he built a neighborhood basketball court to give his children and local kids an outlet to play sports, build teamwork skills and prepare these young men and women for life lessons that you can only learn from playing sports.
“My dad was kind of the caregiver for us and the neighborhood kids too,” said Deborah Lynn Furman, Houston’s daughter. “When my dad would cook, he would make sure the kids in the neighborhood, he provided them if they wanted to eat, they were welcome to it. He played basketball with the kids. That is how most of us learned how to play sports because my dad taught us. My dad was a hands-on dad. My dad got out there, played with the kids in the neighborhood, played with his kids. That’s the kind of man he is.”
Houston grew up in humble surroundings in Haskell, but later became a well-known high school athlete.
“My dad was a basketball star with his school, Haskell High School and played football and baseball,” Furman said. “He loved baseball and even played against (Negro League and Major League Hall of Famer) pitcher Satchel Paige (as adults). Back then my dad said they used to go to these little towns (across the country) and play and they would run them out of town because they did not allow Blacks.”
Throughout his military service and civilian career, Houston held several jobs and positions but none of those careers were as important as his role as husband to his late wife of 70 years Dolly Jewel Durham Houston and father to his eight children.
Houston has 22 grandchildren, 57 great-grandchildren, and 26 great-great grandchildren.
“My dad was the kind of man that we all would sit down at the dinner table and eat together. My parents did that daily,” Furman said. “He taught us how to honor the elderly. He taught us how to be respectful and mindful of people’s feelings and to be kind and giving.”
Furman said giving back was important to her father and his faith.
“My dad was a real giving person,” she said. “If it were something that a church member was lacking, like not having food in their house, my dad would take a sack of groceries to those people. My dad instilled in us that you had to have a good work ethic. You had to be honest, and you could not take anything that did not belong to you. You had to work for what you wanted because he did that. And my dad took care of us. We never wanted for anything, and with eight kids, that is a task in itself.”
Furman said her father was proud of his military service but added that his experience was shadowed with the way Black soldiers were treated.
“I will put it this way, my dad said they weren’t fair about certain things. It was certain jobs that the Black soldiers were assigned to,” Furman said. “And my dad was a Quartermaster. He took the supplies around to the different platoons.”
Furman said her father taught his children to not be prejudiced and treat people how you would want to be treated.
“My dad didn’t curse,” she said. “My parents didn’t use profanity. We weren’t subjected to that. We had loving parents. My dad is easy going. My dad was the kind of person, like at Christmastime, my dad, if you give him a pair of socks, he is happy. You give him anything. He didn’t want us to grow up being like that (angry) because he felt like eventually things would get better and eventually it did.”
After separating from the military, Houston worked for Spartan Aeronautics before moving from Haskell to Oklahoma City.
“My mother wanted to move to Oklahoma City where her mother was, so my dad got on at the post office downtown,” Furman said. “He later worked construction and hurt his back and retired.”
Furman said faith has been her father’s bedrock in life.
“My dad wakes up every morning praying to God, every morning,” she said. “Faith is very important to him. My dad was a member of Church of God in Christ, my mother was Methodist, so it was different from what my mother was accustomed to. But once my mother married my dad, she joined the Church of God in Christ and that is all I know. I know that faith, love, and being decent and honest is the main objective that my parents taught us. And to believe in God and always trust in Him because that is your source.”

American Legion Lebron Post 58

Esports program, which is designed to reduce veteran suicide by providing an environment of a connection.

Suicide has no single cause and no one approach can end it-but prevention is possible, especially when Veterans find support before a crisis happens.
That’s the mission of the American Legion Lebron Post 58 in Guthrie with its Bunker 58 Esports program, which is designed to reduce veteran suicide by providing an environment of a connection, teamwork, and camaraderie for local veterans.
“Bunker 58 started as an idea between three Legionnaires a couple of years ago,” said Army veteran and Lebron Post 58 Chaplain George Shafer. “We were sitting around drinking coffee, and one of our members read an article in the National American Legion Magazine about a partnership with a gaming organization. And in that article, it explained to us that eSports provides a level of camaraderie, accountability, and competition that veterans crave. We began the process of looking into what it would look like to get that program at our post here in Guthrie. And we began looking at the cost and looking into the internet, and considering where we could potentially run the program.”
Shafer said the process began of reaching out to Regiment Gaming, which is the nation’s largest veteran-only gaming community in the country.
“I was able to make contact with Chris Earl, who’s the CEO of Regiment, and that began a working relationship with both Regiment and Paradox Customs to get the computers,” Shafer said. “Our committee worked tirelessly from February until July, getting the room designated, getting the room prepared. We coordinated with the community. We coordinated with many entities to help make this happen. And finally, on July 10th, we had our grand opening.”
Shafer said the grand opening was a success.
“It exceeded our expectations dramatically,” he said. “We were hoping on a Wednesday afternoon to hopefully get 10 or 20 people to come out and look at what we were doing. We ended up having over 100 people show up. We were able to speak with veterans and attendants who had never stepped foot into an American Legion before. We were able to procure new memberships coming from a younger demographic. And the response that we got from our immediate community was overwhelmingly special.”
Shafer said Bunker 58 is a passion project for Lebron Post 58 members.
“Many of our committee members are enthusiastic about this project because we know somebody who has succumbed to being part of the 22 a day,” Shafer said, in reference to the number of veteran suicides per day. “Our goal is to have this program up and running so that it is a safe place to land for any veteran who finds themselves struggling during the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving through the week after New Year’s, is our target goal to get good at facilitating, mentoring, and assisting veterans through this new venue.”
Shafer said each Esports committee member is being trained how to operate the gaming equipment by Brent Lemmons, vice-chair of the Esports committee and former Esports coach at Guthrie High School.
“We’re training our committee members on how to operate the equipment,” Shafer said. “We will train up the entire committee on how to start up, run, diagnose, fix, assist, get people onto gaming platforms, working with the different areas of hardware like the mouse, the keyboard, the headset, the controller, the towers.”
Shafer said when the training is finished, the goal is to host game nights and tournaments.
“We’d like to have beginner nights where people just step in and they learn about what Esports is, and how they can take advantage of it,” he said.
Shafer, like other veterans, has had his share of struggles since leaving the military.
He said his faith and a support network has helped him.
“I am a veteran that has struggled,” he said. “I’ve been out of the military for 10 years. I have struggled with the aimlessness, and the lack of passion, feeling worthless, feeling empty, feeling void.”
Shafer said his struggles help him better help other veterans.
“When I see that in somebody else, I’m able to recognize it,” he said. “Not because I’ve experienced exactly what that person has experienced, but it rekindles my desire to ensure that nobody ever feels that way again. To ensure that they understand that they’re made in the image of God, in the image of their creator, and that they have worth, and that they have value. Even if they no longer wear the uniform or serve the country, they still have value and they still have worth, and they still have things that they were put on this planet to do. And if I can help them get through this short, temporal period of feeling empty, it’s my honor to do that.”
According to a 2023 Military Times article, video games have gone hand in hand with military service since the 1990s when service members would take their Nintendo or Sega Genesis consoles on deployment with them. While much has changed in the quality and quantity of gaming services and platforms, one thing has remained constant: Military members love video games.
They love them so much that the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Air Force/Space Force, and Coast Guard have established esports teams. The services founded these teams to modernize outreach and recruitment efforts and show a different side to military service.
Shafer said the long-term goal of Bunker 58 is to give veterans an outlet to turn to instead of suicide.
“The long-term goal is to end veteran suicide. So, do I believe video games are the answer for veteran suicide? No, I do not. I believe that Esports are a methodology to reaching potential veterans that could be struggling,” he said. “And that is our responsibility. Do we want veterans to come out and play video games? Of course. Absolutely. We want to provide that environment. We want the environment to be safe, we want it to be warm, we want it to be engaging. But when people pull me aside in my role as a chaplain to discuss matters of faith, suicidal tendencies, financial hardships, joblessness, I believe that is the core of the program that will eventually begin to save lives.”

For more information about Bunker 58 call the Lebron Post 58 post at (405) 282-2589.

My name is Jill Stephenson.

I moved to the Tulsa area earlier this year with my father. We are from Minnesota, however I spent the last four years in NW Arkansas and have previously lived in several other states. My only child honorably served in the military for three years before making the ultimate sacrifice to defend our beautiful America in 2009 at the age of twenty-one. Although I am not from Oklahoma and my son is counted as a MN fallen soldier, I will be sharing stories of Oklahoma/greater Tulsa area fallen military. My first offering will be about my son. Going forward I will focus on local families by sharing stories of courage, patriotism and selflessness. Above all, I want you to get to know the faces and the families of those who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.

My son Benjamin Kopp joined the military and became an Army Ranger out of respect and admiration for his great grandfather, a WWII veteran, and to avenge the events of September 11th. After 9/11, at the age of 13, Ben vowed to serve his country with determination and pride. He arrived at Ft. Benning, Georgia exactly one month after his high school graduation. His tenacity made him an accomplished Army Ranger only seven months later. The daily challenges of being an elite Army Ranger do not come easy, but quickly turns boys into men. Ben was no exception. On his first visit home, the change in him was noticeable and it was apparent he was doing exactly what he was meant to do.

Ben maintained his childhood friendships from his hometown of Rosemount, MN, but also established new friendships within his fellow brothers of the the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He became known for his fearless attitude, crooked grin and his charm with the ladies. Ben had an infectious personality and all would agree he was a best friend to many. Ben served two tours in Iraq before his third tour in Afghanistan in May of 2009.

On July 10th, during a firefight with the Taliban, he saved the lives of six of his fellow Rangers before being shot in the leg. Unfortunately, recovery from the trauma his body endured from the gunshot wound and following surgery would prove to be too much. Ben Kopp died on July 18, 2009 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Prior to his death, Ben ensured his living will stated that upon his death, all of his organs, bone, skin and tissue be donated. His donations saved or enhanced the lives of 60 people. His heart lived on and continued to beat for fifteen years and seven months in a woman from Illinois who passed away from health issues unrelated to her heart earlier this year. Ben’s strong ranger heart stayed with her until the objective was complete.

He distinguished himself with the Army Achievement Medal with two awards, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. Upon his death Ben was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart. He was also posthumously promoted to Corporal. Per his wishes, he is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in the famed section 60, where he is surrounded by heroes from all conflicts dating back more than one hundred fifty years.

The pride I have been gifted in being Ben’s mother is something that has continued to grow. His positive influence and inspiration to all who knew him and many who came to know him after he died, remains alive and well. Among many admirable traits he possessed, Ben was also a champion of the underdog, an aspiring leader, humorous, driven, convicted, courageous and selfless. Saving the lives of his brothers on the battlefield and then of strangers upon his death, were true testaments to the kind of person he was.

He is sorely missed to this day by all who know and love him. In life and in death, Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp was and still is a hero. I couldn’t have asked for a better son. He was my best friend. We will always be the land of the free because of the brave.•
story by Jill Stephenson

Pete Reed, former director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, was tasked by his close friend, the late Gov. George Nigh, to work with the Force 50 Foundation to help bring the Native American Warrior Project to fruition.

Pete Reed, former director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, right, and Bill Anoatubby, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, are working to help make the Native American Warrior Project in Oklahoma City a reality.Reed, who began his career in public service at age 25 and became director of the Department of Veterans Affairs at 29, has been working with the Native American Warrior Project to establish a monument recognizing Native Americans’ contributions in the U.S. military.

In August, Reed kicked off a statewide tour to honor Native American veterans and raise funds for a new monument at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City.
The tour, dubbed the “Season of the Warrior Campaign,” will visit 100 communities across Oklahoma in under 100 days.

Reed and his team plan to meet local leaders, visit community landmarks, and engage with newspapers to raise awareness for the project.

“He (Nigh) asked me to pursue with the Force 50 Foundation to visit all 77 counties,” Reed said. “Our goal is to raise $2.5 million from 100,000 Oklahomans at $25 each. That’s one quarter of 1% of our state, and we believe there are 100,000 Oklahomans at $25.”

The Force 50 Foundation, headquartered in Norman, is dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of Veterans by enhancing their access to essential healthcare, mental health support, and transportation services. Through strategic collaboration with an extensive network of partners, they strive to empower Veterans with the resources and support they need to thrive.

The Native American Warrior Monument arch rendering is shown at the state capital in Oklahoma City.Nigh, a special advisor to Force 50, penned a letter to Oklahomans to support the Native American Warrior Project.

“As someone that believes in the State of Oklahoma and supports all Oklahoma veterans, I would like to ask your participation in the Native American Warrior Project,” he wrote. “This is a Special Recognition Vision of the Force 50 Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to serving the healthcare needs of all Oklahoma Veterans.”

Nigh continued, “This project promotes the dedication of a First American Warrior monument at the newly established Oklahoma Veterans Memorial Park on the southside of the State Capitol. We are asking all Oklahomans to support this project. Our success depends on you and the many good Oklahomans you know. Please help us spread the word within your community and assist us in our fundraising efforts to honor the heritage and military history of these special Oklahomans!”

The project has garnered support from prominent figures including former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer.

Reed also highlighted the creation of the Oklahoma Veterans Memorial Park at the state Capitol, which will feature the 45th Infantry Arch as its centerpiece. He said the Native American Warrior Monument will be the first of its kind in the nation and will honor the state’s diverse military history.

Native Americans have served in every major military conflict since the Revolutionary War. In the 20th century, more than 12,000 Native Americans served in World War I, and 10,000 Native women joined the Red Cross.

During World War II, over 44,000 Native Americans served, including nearly 800 women. Since 9/11, Native Americans have served at a higher per-capita rate than any other ethnic group. While their reasons for serving are as diverse as their tribal affiliations, many cite their desire to follow in the footsteps of family members and the cultural value placed on patriotism, duty, and Warrior traditions.

Reed said the Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $4.3 million for a 45th Infantry arch and site development.

“Even though the 45th Infantry arch will be the anchor monument to the new Veterans Park, what we are doing is going out and working to establish the other monuments and sculptures in the park. The first one being the Native American Warrior Monument,” he said.

Reed said the Veterans Park; the Veterans Arch and the Native American Warrior Monument have already been approved by the Oklahoma Arts Council.
“The Arts Council cannot put the project out to bid until we raise the funds. Once the funds are raised, invitations to bid on the project will only go out to Native American artists and sculptors,” he said.

Reed said his statewide tour is going well.

“We’re getting great newspaper coverage, front-page coverage on every rural newspaper in every rural city that we visit. So, we’re getting the word out,” he said.
Reed said he would like to have all the funds raised by early 2026, but construction on the project may not start until Fall 2026.“The Arch and the site development will all be

completed and dedicated sometime in the middle of next summer, 2026,” he said. “Until that’s dedicated, we can’t put another monument on there.”

Reed said he is grateful to play a part in Nigh’s vision for the project.

“He was my dear friend, and no one represented the state of Oklahoma better than George Nigh. There will never be another George Nigh in Oklahoma,” Reed said. “And so, this means everything to me to see this Veterans Park beginning with the Native American Warrior Monument to become a reality. Nothing means more to me, and I will not stop until we succeed.”

Check donations for the project can be mailed to 50 Foundation, PO box 722838 in Norman, Okla., 73070. Visit www.force50foundation.com or use your phone and scan the code below. • story by Van Mitchell, staff writer