Freedom’s Voice The Monthly Newsletter of the Military History Center 112 N. Main ST Broken Arrow, OK 74012 http://www.okmhc.org/

“Promoting Patriotism through the Preservation of Military History”

Volume 7, Number 10 October 2020

United States Armed Services Mission 22 Memorial Day of Observance

Navy Birthday – October 13

Important Notice

The MHC’s annual Veterans Day Salute to Veterans concert has been cancelled this year because of the Covid-19 pan- demic.

Birthday Party for Junior Nipps

On September 25, the MHC treated World War II veteran, Oscar “Junior” Nipps, to a 95th birthday party with cake and ice cream.

The MHC’s newest acquisition is a Mission 22 Memorial honoring the memory of SSGT Michael Keith Coon, a ten-year decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, who served in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan. The cast iron silhouette depicts a soldier sweeping for land mines. Michael Keith Coon was born on June 23, 1982. He is a 2000 graduate of Jenks High School. After high school, he attended Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee before enlisting in the Army. SSGT Coon was a squad leader, and by all accounts, he was an extraordinary leader. Over time, the loss of his men in combat began to weigh on him. He suf- fered from PTSD, and combined with setbacks in his personal life, he sank into despair, which he could not overcome.

SSGT Michael Keith Coon took his life on September 23, MHC 5th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament 2015. He was laid to rest with full military honors in Fort Gibson National Cemetery not far from his grandfather, CPL Phillip On Friday, October 16, the MHC held its 5th Annual Benefit Coon, a World War II veteran, survivor of the Bataan Death Golf Tournament at Battle Creek Golf Club in Broken Arrow. March and three years as a POW of the Japanese. There was a nice turnout of motivated golfers and the weather The MHC is honored to have the Mission 22 Memorial, and was perfect for a great day of golf. Many people were respon- is grateful to Michael Coon, SSGT Coon’s father, for this im- sible for making the tournament the best one yet. First, the portant gift. Also, the MHC extends a big “thank you” to Hilti's players, without whom there could not have been a tourna- Alan Engel and Arthur Veros for donating their time and labor ment. The MHC extends a special “thank you” to Battle Creek to install the memorial. Golf Club for hosting the event, the City of Broken Arrow, the many sponsors: Bill Whitescarver Real Estate, Broken Arrow Golf and Athletic Club, Bryce Hill Law Office, Epic Waste Man- agement, Floral Haven/Chuck Brown, George Hedrick, Jack O’Connor, Jim Wasson, Kerig Coffee Maker, Kathleen Garringer, Kevin Hern (Congressman), L&L Machine Guns, Litl’l Links Golf Club, Metro Appliances and More, Oklahoma Army National Guard, Primeaux Mitsubishi, Rick Hadrava-Epic Management, Ron Roark Insurance Agency, Stoney Creek Hotel and Confer- ence Center, Tulsa Federal Credit Union, TTCU Federal Credit Union and the many who contributed gifts for the players. Fi- nally, we thank the Blue Star mothers for their participation and the many MHC volunteers, who made the tournament function and Traci Henry for the tournament photographs.

MHC Executive Assistant Jean Bailie and volunteer Howard Coy at the registration table

Mission 22 supports the veteran community with three main programs: veteran treatment programs, memorials and community social impact. “The memo- rials remind us of the sacrifice, honor those we’ve lost and help tie civilian to soldier.” To learn more about Mission 22, go to their website at

https://mission22.com/.

Laura Coy, Debbie Knight and Janet Viel – Blue Star Mothers table

MHC volunteers Cathy Johnson and Michael Tarman

MHC volunteers Keith Browne, Susan Virdell, Claudia Price and Howard Coy at the practice putting green

Tournament Action Shots

Congratulations to the Winning Teams

First Flight (L-R) J. Dub Roker, Brian Collebrusco, Bob Angus

Second Flight (L-R) Ken Collins, Gary Woods, Rick Butefish, Ryan Browne

Election Day – November 3rd

Please vote. Too many have sacrificed for anyone to take this right of citizenship lightly.

Oklahoma’s Fallen Heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Kyle Adam Brinlee SSGT Kirk Avery Owen

Kyle Adam Brinlee was born at Pryor, Oklahoma, on Febru- Kirk Avery Owen was born in Tulsa on August 16, 1973. He ary 17, 1983. He graduated from Pryor High School in 2001. is a 1991 graduate of Sapulpa High School. Owen was a full- Soon after high school, Brinlee joined the Oklahoma National time employee with the Oklahoma National Guard, which he Guard. Because of his interest and skill in carpentry, he was joined at age thirty-one. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007. assigned to Detachment 1, Company B, 120th Engineer Battal- On August 2, 2011, SSGT Owen, a squad leader in HHC, 1st ion as a carpentry and masonry specialist. His unit was de- Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Com- ployed to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. bat Team, was leading his men in a mine sweeping mission On August 11, 2004, Specialist Brinlee was riding in a con- when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Lajah voy when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in District in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. Owen was fatally Asad, Iraq. He was killed by the explosion. Brinlee was the first wounded by the explosion. Oklahoma National Guard soldier killed in Iraq. He was post- SSGT Kirk Avery Owen was laid to rest in Green Hill Memo- humously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart and pro- rial Gardens Cemetery in Sapulpa. Among his many decorations moted to Sergeant. He was twenty-one years old. and awards are a Bronze Star, Oklahoma National Guard Dis- An estimated 1,300 people attended his funeral in the Pryor tinguished Service Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman High School auditorium. Governor Brad Henry spoke at the Badge and Noncommissioned Officer Development Rib- funeral and LTC John C. Lile eulogized Brinlee as a self-achiever, bon (2). who was the first to volunteer for duties, a "standard-bearer of the young, military soldier." SGT Kyle Adam Brinlee was laid to rest in Graham Memorial Cemetery in Pryor.

The MHC Salutes Afghanistan War Veterans

Pryor’s monument to her sons killed in combat. Afghanistan Service Ribbon Kyle Brinlee’s name is second from the bottom. October 7, 2001 - Present

This Month’s Featured Artifact of Portia. He was also very active in the Masonic order. At the beginning of the Spanish-American War, Governor, Daniel Webster Jones, gave Scott a Major’s commission in the Arkansas State Guard (precursor to today’s ). He served as an officer on COL J. F. Smith’s staff at Memphis and later at Mobile. Although the Arkansas State Guard was federalized, it was unfit for combat duty, and the war was so brief that it served its entire federal service under- going training in the . After the war, LTC Scott returned to civilian life and lived the rest of his days in Portia, where he died on June 5, 1917. He is buried in Crossroads Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ar- kansas.

The dress uniform belonged to Thomas Jefferson Scott, who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. The coat was modeled on the style of a Civil War Confederate military coat and was worn by members of the United Confederate Veterans, a veterans’ organiza- tion established after the war. It is one of the MHC’s oldest authentic uniforms. The coat collar has the rank insignia of a Confederate Lt. Colonel, but Scott ended the Civil War as a Captain. He was a Lt. Colo- nel of the Arkansas State Guard at the end of the Spanish-American War. That apparently entitled him to wear the rank on his UCV uni- LTC Thomas Jefferson Scott – ca. 1900-1917 form. (The uniform is on loan to the MHC by John Koons.)

Thomas Jefferson Scott was born on September 18, 1843, in Butler County, Missouri. At the beginning of the Civil War, he joined the Confederate Missouri State Guard. After his enlist- Museum Hours and Admission Fee ment expired, he joined the 12th Missouri Infantry Regiment Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 – 4:00; Saturday: 10:00 – 2:00 (Confederate) and was elected a 1st Lieutenant. (At the time, Closed Sunday and Monday and major Federal holidays Confederate soldiers elected their officers below brigade com- mander.) He later rose to Captain and remained at that rank Adults – $5.00 th until the end of the war. The 12 Missouri was mustered into Members and Children under 18 – Free Confederate service on October 22, 1862. It fought in the bat- tles of Prairie Grove (Arkansas) on December 7, 1862, Helena For more information, call (918) 794-2712 (Arkansas) on July 4, 1863, Pleasant Hill (Louisiana) on April 8, 1864, and Jenkin’s Ferry (Arkansas) on April 30, 1864. www.okmhc.org At some point after the war, Scott moved to Portia (Law- rence County), Arkansas. He served at least one term as mayor th sitting in ships off Wonsan for two weeks, while the Navy Korean War – Crossing the 38 Parallel st cleared a channel through the heavily mined harbor. The 1 th The turnaround from near defeat of UN forces to complete Marine Division landed on October 26. On the same day, 7 victory was sudden and dramatic. By October 1, 1950, the Infantry Division went ashore over the beaches at Riwon fur- North Korean army, with the exception of a few thousand cut- ther up the coast. off and isolated, had been driven from South Korea. The NKPA was shattered and the North Korean government was in panic. What would happen now? Would the victorious UN (over- whelmingly United States) forces push on to the Yalu River and unite South Korea? UN forces had accomplished the directives of the resolu- tions that had authorized expulsion of North Korean forces from South Korea. The war could have ended then and there with a faction of the casualties and costs that ultimately oc- curred. However, the rapid and unexpected victory created new possibilities – the unification of Korea under a noncom- munist government. MacArthur certainly wanted that and made his desires known. Syngman Rhee absolutely wanted his country unified. President Truman now faced a dilemma. On the one hand, he was gratified for the quick victory and could now bring the men home. On the other hand, he was under President Truman met General MacArthur on Wake Island for the first, intense political pressure to unify Korea. In practical terms, and only, time ever. Both were on their best behavior, but thoroughly Truman had no choice but to pursue unification. He and his detested each other. administration and the Democrat party in general had taken a Meanwhile, Eighth Army drove up the west side of Korea beating over their “loss” of China. Americans, in general, were and captured Pyongyang on October 19. The 187th Airborne in a frenzy over the successes of the USSR in taking over east- Regimental Combat Team made the first of their two combat ern Europe, their support of militant communists in other Eu- jumps during the war at Sunchon and Sukchon on October 20 ropean countries, the communist takeover of China and insur- in an effort to cut the road to China. They hoped to capture the gencies in Vietnam, Malaya and the Philippines. Additionally, North Korean leadership fleeing their capital and to rescue they were fearful, sometimes hysterical, over real or imagined prisoners of war. The first part of their mission was a failure, as communist activity within the United States. Wisconsin Sena- the North Korean officials were already gone. They managed to tor Joseph McCarthy had contributed to a Red Scare by assert- rescue a few prisoners, who had been abandoned and found ing, without facts, that communists were active within the gov- several more, whom the North Koreans had killed. ernment, particularly the State Department. All of these fac- By the end of October, UN forces held 135,000 NKPA pris- tors contributed to a real unease among the American people, oners of war. In addition to the POWs, the NKPA had suffered one that Truman couldn’t ignore. about 200,000 men killed or wounded and had lost 313 tanks MacArthur’s assurance that unification would be an easy (mostly T-34s). Only about 25,000 NKPA regulars had made it thing and would be completed by the end of the year; more- out of South Korea, as their military had entirely collapsed. over, the Chinese would not intervene. In fact, the Chinese U.S. forces in Korea now numbered 125,126 combat troops, were quite alarmed over the prospect of the American army on 119,559 rear area troops and 36,667 Air Force personnel. The the border of China, not to mention the loss of a fellow com- ROK army numbered 82,786. Although the ROKs served under munist country. Chinese foreign Minister, Chou Enlai, using the U.S. command and are often counted as UN forces, they were Indian ambassador as a conduit, issued a warning to the West. not technically UN troops, because South Korea was not a If UN forces crossed the 38th Parallel, China would intervene member of the United Nations. militarily on North Korea’s behalf. The United States govern- Unknown to MacArthur or anyone else in his command, ment viewed that and subsequent warnings as propaganda and 200,000 Chinese troops began infiltrating into Korea on Octo- bluff. The Soviet Union’s delegate had returned to the UN Se- ber 20. On October 25, they attacked ROK forces, who had ad- curity Council, so Truman couldn’t take the issue there, as the vanced to the Yalu. Because MacArthur said they weren’t, his Soviet Union would veto it, so he took it to the General Assem- Intelligence chief continued to deny the Chinese were in Korea bly, where it easily passed. The United Nations now gave its in force. imprimatur to military unification of Korea. When Truman met with MacArthur on Wake Island on October 15, the General Sources: assured the President, that China would not intervene in Korea, but if it should, he could easily handle them. He assured the Appleman, Roy E., South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu, Center of President the war would be over by the end of the year. Military History United States Army, Washington, DC, 1961 On the authority of the United Nations Resolution, Eighth Halberstam, David, The Coldest Winter, America and the Korean War, Army crossed the 38th Parallel on October 7. In the meantime, Hyperion, New York, 2007 MacArthur had ordered the X Corps to northeast Korea. After United States Navy in World War II

Devastator dive bombers of VT-6 aboard USS Enterprise being pre- pared for takeoff during the Battle of Midway – June 4, 1942. 100th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) constructing an airstrip on Guadalcanal – 1943

Gunboat, USS Tulsa, with a PT boat at Milne Bay, New Guinea February 1943

USS Nevada (Pearl Harbor survivor) bombards Utah Beach, Normandy – June 6, 1944. She later served off Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

USS Batfish earned nine battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific. She sank fourteen ships and damaged three others during her seven war patrols. Over a period of four days in February 1945, she sank three Japanese submarines. Today, Batfish is a museum in Muskogee’s War Memorial Park.

USS Pennsylvania (Pearl Harbor survivor) leads USS Colorado, USS Louisville, USS Portland, and USS Columbia into Lingayen Gulf prior to the landing on Luzon, Philippines – January 1945. Navy Birthday – October 13, 1775

USS Cherokee Nation

The above is an artist’s rendering of the future towing, rescue and salvage ship, USS Cherokee Nation. (Photo illustration is by Mass Communi- cation Specialist 1st Class Paul L. Archer – Navy.) The keel of the Navy's latest ship named after the Cherokee Nation was laid at the Gulf Island Ship Yard in Louisiana. The Navajo-class ship will provide ocean-going tug, salvage and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations. It will have the capability to tow ships and carry a load of nearly 2,000 tons.

The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Chuck Hoskin Jr., and the ship's sponsor, Deputy Speaker of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council, Victoria Mitchell Vazquez, etched their initials into the keel and declared it to be "truly and fairly laid."

Freedom is not free.

1. Freedom’s Voice is the voice of MVA, Inc. dba Military History Center, a 501(C)3 private foundation, as a service to its members and supporters. Contents may be reproduced only when in the best interest of the Military History Center. Please direct comments or suggestions to the Editor at [email protected]. Ken Cook, Editor