Honoring their sacrifice
USS Oklahoma, crew to be memorialized in hall of fame ceremony
The USS Oklahoma, cap sized during the Dec .7,1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, will be memorialized along with its crew when it is inducted into t he Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame on Oct. 26. Additionally, six honorees will be inducted for valor posthumously. And two veterans will receive t he Maj. Gen. Douglas O. Dollar Distinguished Public Service award.
The induction ceremony and banquet begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman. Here are the inductees:
•When the USS Oklahoma capsized, the attack killed 429 sailors and Marines on board. In 1943, the Oklahoma was righted and salvaged. It was too damaged for repair sand was to be sold for scrap in 1946. However, the ship sank in a storm in 1947 while being towed from Hawaii to San Francisco. A USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor was dedicated in 2007 near where the ship had been docked.
• Second Lt. Kenneth M. Taylor, was born in Enid Dec. 2 3 , 1 9 1 9 , and raised in Hominy.
He attended
the University of Oklahoma asap re-law student and joined the Army Air Corps two years later. He completed fl i ght training at Brooks Field in San Antonio. In 1941 he was promoted to second lieutenant and assigned to the 47th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield, Honolulu. His squadron was sent temporarily to Haleiwa Field f or gunnery practice. Awakened by explosion sand machine-gun fire, Taylor and a colleague raced to Taylor' s new Buick. He called Haleiwa Field and ordered their planes fueled and armed. Taylor began firing as he took off. A Japanese bullet came within an inch of Taylor's head, wounding him when it exploded in the cockpit.
Taylor was credited with shooting down two Japanese aircraft, but a later search of Japanese combat reports gave him four kills. According to a story in Sooner Magazine, they were the official first heroes of World War II, both awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for Val or, the second highest award for bra very. Taylor would become a flying ace during the war. He stayed in the Air Force after the war, retiring in 1967. He became Alaska's Assistant Adjutant General Air in the Alaska Air National Guard. He died Nov. 24, 2006, in Tucson, Arizona.
• Sgt. Roy W. Harmon was born in 1915 at Talala. He joined the Army, serving as a sergeant in Co. C, 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Division.
On July 12,1944, in a battle in Casaglia, Italy, he was the acting squad leader when his plato on was pinned down by German automatic fire from three positions. Ordered to rescue the plato on, he led his squad to the right of the trapped unit, but realized the attack
was ineffective. He then ordered his squad to hold t heir position while he began an assault on the enemy. Getting within 25 yards of the first position, he set a haystack on fire. He killed two enemy soldiers attempting an escape from the fire.
Wounded while crawling toward a second machine gun em placement, he attacked the third machine gun by running to a small knoll, traversing ground that offered no cover. He was wounded halfway to the enemy position. Getting to within 20 yards of the machine gun nest, he was knocked down by enemy fire. With a final effort, he arose, hurled the grenade, and fell dead, riddled by bullets. His heroism, gallantry and self-sacrifice saved the platoon from being wiped out, making it possible for his company to advance against the powerful enemy resistance, his Medal of Honor citation read.
• Capt . Phillip Neal Butler, born in Tulsa on Aug. 1 1 , 1 9 3 8 , attended Will Rogers High School, gradurated from the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1961, and was commissioned an en sign in the U.S. Navy. He was deployed to Southeast Asia, assigned to the USS Midway aircraft carrier. On a bombing mission April 20, 1964, a bomb malfunction caused his plane to explode. He ejected, evading capture by the North Vietnamese for four days.
He was imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton. He spent 2,855 days in captivity before being released during Operation Homecoming on Feb. 12, 1973. During captivity, Butler was moved to 10 different North Vietnam prisons. He endured cruel and excruciating torture, squalid living con ditions, malnutrition, lack of medical care and was isolated. Upon return to America, he authored a book ,“Three Lives of a Warrior.” He was awarded two Silver Stars for bravery, two Bronze Star Medals, two Purples Heart Medals, and an Air Medal for combat air attacks.
• Maj . Mathew Dal e Dallas, born March 9, 1938 in Geary, and reared in Oklahoma City. He attended Class en and Northwest Classen High Schools and graduated from the University of Oklahoma.
He joined the Army in 1956, serving four years as an enlisted man and then was commissioned as an officer upon graduating from Officer Candidate School. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division as a gunship pilot. He received the Silver Star for gallantry
on Jan. 29, 1967. He was taking a five-man infantry team to a site in the Iron Triangle in Vietnam. When he landed, the helicopter was attacked by the Viet Cong. Disregarding his own safety, Dallas exposed himself to heavy enemy fire so he could direct an immediate counterattack.
While advancing from one position to another he was seriously wounded but continued to direct an assault that killed several enemy soldiers and forced others to flee. Despite the
fact his aircraft had been damaged by hostile fire, Dallas controlled the helicopter and piloted it back to a safe landing zone. He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 20 Oak Leaf Clusters, Presidential Unit citation, and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, with Palm. He died Feb. 9, 2018.
•Commander Dan Glenn, born Dec. 24, 1939, in Shawnee, graduated from the University of Oklahoma and was commissioned
through N ROT Ca san en sign in the U.S. Navy. He trained as a naval aviator, and was assigned October 1964 to fly A-Attack aircraft. On Sept .28, 1 965, he was deployed to Southeast Asia to the USS Ticonderoga aircraft carrier. Glenn flew 122 combat missions, which included supporting ground forces and bombing runs over North Vietnamese targets.
During his second combat tour he flew 13 missions off the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. While flying his 135th combat mission, Glenn's aircraft was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire over the Ha Tinh province of North Vietnam. Only 5 miles from the coast, he tried to glide his plane east to eject over the ocean where American search and rescue helicopters could pick him up. His plane was so uncontrollable, he was forced to eject over North Vietnam. The enemy was waiting, and he became a prisoner of war. While a prisoner he was subjected to torture, suffered from malnutrition, lack of health care, squalid living conditions and exposure to the elements, and he spent six months in solitary confinement.
Eventually, he was put in a cell with James Stockdale, who after freedom became a vice admiral, Medal of Honor recipient, and vice presidential candidate. Glenn served 2,266 days as a POW. In recognition of his loyalty and resistance from cruel and inhumane treatment, Glenn received two Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit with a combat device, two Purple Hearts, 1 3 Air Medals, a Navy Commendation Medal and a Prisoner of War Medal. • Command Sgt. Major George Wilson Hunt, born in Shawnee on Dec. 20, 1938, graduated from Cobb High School in Bryant County in 1956, joined the U.S.
Army in January 1958. Hunt joined a Special Forces Reserve unit and volunteered for Vietnam where he was assigned to a Special Forces camp on the CambodianVietnam border. On Jan. 30, 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces attacked South Vietnamese and U.S. forces. Wilson was wounded Feb .4, 1968, during an attack on his camp, Cao Lanh, on the Mekong River. He was awarded the Silver Star for heroism while serving as assistant team leader of a patrol assigned to capture an enemy soldier.
When the Viet Cong officer was captured and led to Hunt's position, Hunt saw eight enemy troops coming down the trail. He exposed himself to divert the enemy's attention and direct his team's fire, killing all eight. Moments after he hid these bodies to prevent discovery of his position, 12 more enemy soldiers approached. He again exposed himself to the enemy and his men killed all except two. “His gallantry was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit on him, his unit and the United States Army,” his Silver Star citation said. Hunt also was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor for heroism during ground operations Feb .5 through Feb .7, 1968, while accompanying an air drop recovery party t hat was under enemy mortar and small arms fire. Other awards include the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge. • Col. Milton Wayne Johnson, born in Roff on Oct .16, 1918, graduated from R off High School and joined the Oklahoma National
Guard, assigned to Field Artillery, 45th Division. He completed flight training in Tulsa and Texas, and transferred to the Army Air Corps Aug. 5, 1942. He was sent to Australia; then to Port Moresby, New Guinea; and then to the 3rd Bombardment Group. His first combat mission was bombing and strafing the Japanese at Saidor, New Guinea. He took command of the bomb group when the commander was killed. He flew 107 combat missions and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 1944.
When the Korean War broke out, he was reactivated, joining the 3 rd Bombardment Group and was promoted to colonel. He flew night intruder missions into Korea and to the Yalu River for 11 months. Later he would fl y seven more months in Korea. Johnson earned three Silver Stars for heroism in the Pacific Theater of operations.
The first Silver Star was earned May 18, 1944, for flying to the rescue of bomber crew men who were floating on a raft and being fired on by the enemy. Johnson circled over the raft, strafed the enemy and continued flying protection until a seaplane could pick up the men.
The second Silver Star was earned Oct. 2, 1944, for finding two crew members of a plane that crashed into the waters despite approaching darkness and bad weather and lacking a gunner. He returned a Catalina rescue airplane for the crew.
Johnson's third Silver Star was earned on Jan. 7, 1945, for gallantry in action over the Philippine Islands when he led a 72-plane formation that bombed and strafed a heavily defended Japanese-held air field. Despite his gun failing to fire and a concussion from a land mine causing the bomb-bay doors to be sprung, he continued leading the formation.
Johnson's other awards include three Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legion of Merit and Purple Heart. He died July 18, 2003 at Ada. • Col. Rosemary Hogan Luciano, born March 13, 1912 at Ahpeatone, attended high school at Chattanooga. She joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps at Fort Sill in 1936, and was stationed in the Philippines shortly before the Dec. no 7 attack
on Pearl Harbor. As the Japanese moved into the Philippines, they bombed American military sites. She led American and Filipino nurses to the Bataan Peninsula to set up a 1,000-bed hospital. The hospital was ordered to move closer to the fighting. Hogan served as assistant chief of nurses until being wounded April 6, 1942, when she and another nurse were assisting a surgeon in an operation. A bomb exploded 25 feet from her, killing and injuring patients and badly wounding her leg. She had shrapnel in her arm, nose and face. Hogan was imprisoned at Santo Tomas Prisons in Manila until liberated in 1945.
After the war, she transferred to the Air Force Nurse Corps where she served as chief nurse at Bolin Air Force and at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. She was among the first four women promoted to full colonel and one of the first women awarded the Purple Heart. She received the Bronze Star for caring for sick and wounded while in captivity. She died in 1964.
• Sgt. Maj. Ira Edward Whitaker joined the Army in October 1952, trained as an operation intelligence specialist in Air Defense Artillery, and was sent to Korea assigned to Battery C ,5 th Automatic Weapons Battalion, 7th Infantry
Division. While there, his unit participated in the final battles for Pork Chop Hill, Baldy Arsenal and T-Bone prior to the armistice in July 1953. In June 1968, he was sent to Vietnam, serving as first sergeant of Battery C, 8th Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.
While stationed with other units at Fire Support Base Rita, the base was attacked by a battalion sized unit. His defense helped repel the attack and undoubtedly saved lives. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart. Whitaker retired from Fort Sill in 1974. His awards also include Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Republic of Vietnam Civic Act Medal 2nd Class, United Nations Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. Receiving the Maj. Gen. Douglas O. Dollar Distinguished Public Service award are:
Capt. William“Bill” Leslie Ford, a Shawnee businessman, and Marine Lance Cpl. Harvey Pratt, an artist. This award, based upon public service, is presented f or exemplary public/ community service benefiting military veterans
and community activities that strengthen the quality of life for veterans, their families and communities.
Ford, born Dec .16, 1942, in Shawnee, is president of Shawnee Milling Co. He's been involved with ONEOK, Shawnee Community Foundation, the University of Oklahoma where he graduated in 1964, the OU Board of Trustees, Fort Sill and the Field Artillery Association, and Oklahoma Baptist University. In 2005 Ford chaired a committee creating a Veterans Memorial project honoring fallen service members from Oklahoma. The park's 10 black granite panels lists the fallen from the Spanish American War to today. Active in ROTC, he and his brother Bob have awarded two $1,000 scholarships annually to exemplary male and female cadets in a business-related field. His platoon while in Korea was named Platoon of the Year of all U.S. Army forces in Korea in 1965.
Pratt, born in El Reno in 1944, is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. A Vietnam veteran who served three years in the Marines, his last tour in Vietnam, finished his mi litary service and began working for the Midwest
City Police Department. His first drawing description of homicide suspects resulted in an arrest and conviction. He joined the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in 1992. During his career, he has completed thousands of witness description drawings, which helped in thousands of arrests and in hundreds of identifications of unidentified bodies. He currently is employed as a forensic artist for the OSBI, pioneering techniques used in law enforcement across the United States. An accomplished Native American artist, he's won numerous awards, including a first place at the annual Red Earth Festival. He also has taught before law enforcement agencies concerning police forensic art and interviews.