Classmate Avocational Accomplishments
and some are vocational as well

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A number of our classmates have considerable talent and participate in diverse activities.
We will present some of their work and other contributions here.

Dotty Westby
When most people think of Dotty think of her as being a medal winner on the national swim team of Venezuela. But she has had considerable success as an artist. To me she shines in capturing the eyes of her subject, whether human or animal. Notice also how she deals with lighting and highlights. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy Darling art

Fred Benford cars

Fred Benford and his love for all things cars and machines.

Here we show pictures of some of his work. You may have to use the back arrow on your browser to come back to this page each time.

Click the links below to see what else he has wrought:

 

55 Chevrolets

Engines

Wheels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a speech given by our classmate Ed Wheeler. 
Though I have to admit to a soft spot in my heart for this strong man,
it is the verbalization of his thoughts in writings, and in his speech, 
that I know are so worth our contemplation. 
I commend this presentation of his speech for your consideration.

 

“WHY VETERAN’ DAY?”  

BY  

BG Ed Wheeler (USA-Ret)

Presented to the Tulsa Elks Lodge  

November 11, 2011

SPEAKER TODAY IS BRIGADIER GENERAL  

ED WHEELER, WHO’S REMARKS ARE ENTITLED…  

WHY VETERANS’ DAY?  

       OUR SPEAKER WAS A “MUSTANG” OFFICER,

 ONE WHO ROSE FROM BUCK PRIVATE TO THE  

RANK OF BRIGADIER GENERAL OVER A 35-YEAR  

MILITARY CAREER.  

 THE AUTHOR OF SEVERAL DOZEN ARTICLES  

ON HISTORICAL, MILITARY AND POLITICAL  

SIGNIFICANCE, HE IS ALSO THE PRINCIPAL  

AUTHOR OF A BOOK ENTITLED 

“DOORWAY TO HELL: DISASTER IN
SOMALIA ,”

AN INTERNATIONAL MILITARY BOOK OF THE

MONTH SELECTION.

A GRADUATE OF THE U.S. ARMY WAR

COLLEGE, CURRENTLY HE IS AN ADJUNCT

PROFESSOR AT TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE .

    AND NOW.. GENERAL ED WHEELER WITH

REMARKS ENTITLED…”WHY VETERANS’ DAY?”

ALL OF THEM ….ARE GONE NOW.  

THE LAST ONE LEFT US 

JUST A SHORT WHILE AGO.

SOME OF US IN THIS ROOM KNEW THEM.

FOR THEY WERE OUR GRANDFATHERS, OUR

GREAT UNCLES AND MAYBE EVEN THE OLD MAN

WHO LIVED NEXT DOOR.

HAD WE BEEN OLD ENOUGH TO REALIZE

WHAT A TREASURE THEY WERE, WE WOULD

HAVE TAKEN TIME TO ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR

ADVENTURES AND THEIR LIVES.  BY DOING SO,

WE WOULD HAVE HAD AN INSIGHT INTO THOSE

MEN WHO LIVED THROUGH A CHAPTER OF

AMERICAN HISTORY WE ONLY STUDIED IN SCHOOL.

WHO WERE THEY?

THEY WERE THE ONES WHO SPENT PART OF

THEIR YOUNGER YEARS PROVIDING US THE

ORIGINAL REASON FOR THIS DAY.

THEY WERE THE ONES WHO VOLUNTEERED

FOR THE GREAT ADVENTURE.

THEY WERE THE YANKS WHO VOLUNTEERED

TO FLY FOR FRANCE UNDER THE SYMBOL OF

THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE.  IF THEY LIVED

LONG ENOUGH, THEY MORPHED INTO THE U.S.

ARMY AIR CORPS, AFTER THE U.S. ENTERED WORLD WAR I.

THEY UNHESITATINGLY FLEW THEM INTO

AERIAL COMBAT, AND IF THEIR PLANES

CAUGHT FIRE THEY WERE FORCED TO RIDE

THEM INTO THE GROUND 

BECAUSE THEY HAD NO PARACHUTES.

THEY WERE ALSO THE SAILORS WHO

MANNED TIN CAN DESTROYERS THAT

PROTECTED THOSE IN THE MERCHANT

MARINE WHO CARRIED SUPPLIES TO THE

ALLIES AND KEPT ENGLAND IN THE WAR.

THEY RAN THE GAUNTLET THROWN DOWN

BY THE GERMAN NAVY’S “UNTERSEEBOOTN” 

OR U-BOAT FLEET, THAT LAY IN WAIT 

TO TORPEDO THAT SUPPLY LINE.

AND…THEY WERE THE ARMY’S

DOUGHBOYS…OR WHAT THE GERMAN ARMY

CALLED “DERTEUFEL HUNDEN” … OR “DEVIL DOGS”, 

OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.

….WHO SLUGGED IT OUT WITH BAYONETS

FIXED, WITH BATTLE-HARDENED GERMAN

ARMY “STURMTRUPEN” REGIMENTS, IN THE

COLD AND MUDDY TRENCH LINES OF FRANCE

AND BELGIUM , WHICH STRETCHED FROM THE

NORTH SEA TO THE SWISS BORDER…

WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THEY LANDED 300,000

PER MONTH, AND REPRESENTED THE FIRST

LARGE SCALE FOREIGN COMMITMENT OF

AMERICAN TROOPS, SINCE THE MEXICAN WAR

OF THE 1840S.

EUROPE HAD EXHAUSTED ITSELF FOR

ALMOST FOUR YEARS WHEN THE YANKS

ARRIVED.  AND THEY CAME FROM A NATION

THE GERMANS THOUGHT WAS ONE THAT ONLY

PRODUCED FARMERS AND SHOPKEEPERS.

THE FIRST ONES ARRIVED IN 

THE EARLY SPRING OF 1918.  

THE FRENCH WANTED THEM

FED INTO FRENCH REGIMENTS AS FILLER

REPLACEMENTS.  BUT GENERAL JOHN J.

“BLACKJACK” PERSHING, COMMANDER OF THE

AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES REFUSED. 

HE INSISTED THAT AMERICAN TROOPS WOULD

ONLY FIGHT UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES..

OR HE WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO FIGHT AT ALL.  


THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH FINALLY

CAVED IN…AND THE U.S. 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION

WENT INTO THE LINE IN APRIL.

THAT DIVISION WON ITS FIRST VICTORY AT CANTIGNY .

BY JUNE, 300,000 MORE LANDED AND AMONG

THEM WERE THE UNITED STATES MARINES. 

THEY STOPPED A GERMAN ADVANCE TOWARD

PARIS IN THE FOREST OF BELLEAU WOOD .

BY THE END OF JULY, THE ARMY’S

“DOUGHBOYS” CAPTURED CHATEAU THIERRY. 

AND A MONTH LATER, THE GERMAN TRENCHES

AT ST. MIHIEL FELL.

IN SEPTEMBER, THE YANKS LAUNCHED A

MASSIVE OFFENSIVE.  IT RESULTED IN THE

AMERICANS CAPTURING IMPREGNABLE

GERMAN DEFENSES IN THE ARGONNE FOREST

BY THE END OF OCTOBER.

THE WAR TO END ALL WARS ENDED 11 DAYS

INTO THE NEXT MONTH.

WITH THE END OF THE GREAT WAR,

VETERANS FROM ALL OF EUROPE ’S INVOLVED

COUNTRIES WENT HOME.  

900,000 YANKS RETURNED HOME AS WELL, 

TO PARADES AND MEDALS 

AND WELCOME HOME PARTIES.

BUT 112,000 DIDN’T.

THEY REMAINED FOREVER IN FLANDERS

FIELDS, AT ARLINGTON , IN AMERICAN

CEMETERIES THROUGHOUT EUROPE , AND EVEN

TODAY REST IN THE GROUND OVER WHICH

THEY FOUGHT THE GREAT WAR.

WORLD WAR I WAS FOUR YEARS OF

BLOODSHED THAT COST THE BRITISH EMPIRE ,

FRANCE , GERMANY , AUSTRIA , RUSSIA , ITALY

AND MANY OTHER NATIONS, AN ENTIRE

GENERATION OF YOUNG MEN…

15 MILLION YOUNG MEN.  

20 MILLION MORE WERE WOUNDED, 

HORRIBLY MAIMED AND LEFT WITH

NIGHTMARES OF THE UNENDING ARTILLERY

BARRAGES AND BITTER FIGHTING.

AT PRECISELY 1100 HOURS, ON THE 11TH DAY

OF THE 11TH MONTH, THE ARMISTICE WENT INTO

EFFECT AND ALL THE GUNS IN EUROPE FELL

SILENT AT THAT MOMENT EVERYONE IN THE

TRENCHES REALIZED THEY HAD JUST SURVIVED

THE MOST COSTLY WAR IN THE HISTORY OF MAN.

ON THAT DAY, NINETY THREE YEARS AGO,

WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE “LOST

GENERATION” BELIEVED IT WAS OVER.

IT HAD BEEN THE WAR TO END ALL WARS..

OR SO THEY WERE TOLD BY POLITICIANS. 
 

NONE OF THEM AT THE TIME COULD VISUALIZE THAT

THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WOULD FIGHT AN

EVEN GREATER WAR 20 YEARS LATER.

BUT ARMISTICE DAY WOULD NEVERTHELESS 

BE CELEBRATED FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES.

VETERANS WOULD PARADE AND CITIZENS

WOULD CELEBRATE THIS DAY WITH PARADES,

JUST AS WE DID TODAY IN DOWNTOWN TULSA .

THOSE CELEBRATIONS OF THAT ORIGINAL

ARMISTICE DAY LASTED UNTIL 1954.

BUT WITH THE COMING OF WORLD WAR II IN

1941, AND KOREA IN 1950, AND THE ELECTION

OF PRESIDENT DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER; IT

BECAME APPROPRIATE TO RECOGNIZE ALL VETERANS 

WHO SERVED OUR NATION IN PEACE,

AND IN WAR.

WITH LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING

VETERANS’ DAY SIGNED BY PRESIDENT

EISENHOWER, EVERY VETERAN NOW HAS A DAY

IN WHICH HE…OR SHE.. IS REMINDED THAT

THEIR SERVICE TO A GRATEFUL NATION 

WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.

FOR THIS DAY IS DEDICATED TO EVERY MAN

OR WOMAN WHO HAS HONORABLY SERVED OUR

COUNTRY IN UNIFORM, WHETHER IT WAS IN

PEACE…OR WAR…..

TO ENSURE THAT THEIR COUNTRYMEN 

WHO DID NOT JOIN 

THE ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, COAST

GUARD, MERCHANT MARINE, NATIONAL GUARD

OR RESERVE FORCES…REMAINED IN THEIR

HOMES SAFE AND SECURE…AND FREE.

BECAUSE VETERANS VOLUNTEERED TO

PLACE THEMSELVES IN HARM’S WAY ON

BEHALF OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN, THEY WENT

PLACES OTHER MEN WOULD NEVER GO.

BECAUSE VETERANS VOLUNTEERED, THEY

DID THINGS OTHER MEN WOULD NEVER DO.

AND BECAUSE VETERANS WENT IN HARM’S

WAY FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T, THEY WOULD SEE

THINGS OTHER MEN WOULD NEVER SEE…

IN LIFE …OR IN THEIR NIGHTMARES.

AND BECAUSE THEY DID, THEY LIVED

THROUGH HISTORY THAT OTHERS WOULD

ONLY READ ABOUT.

VETERANS’ DAY IS MORE THAN MERELY A DAY

ON THE CALENDAR.  IT’S A REMINDER TO

EVERYONE THAT EACH GENERATION HAS

PRODUCED MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL DEFEND

OUR WAY OF LIFE…AND HAVE DONE SO 

FOR OVER TWO CENTURIES.

AND WHY NOT.

THEY WERE THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF A

PRECEDING GENERATION… JUST AS

TOMORROW’S WARRIORS WILL BE COMPRISED

OF THOSE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL

REFLECT YOUR VALUE SYSTEMS AND

PATRIOTISM AND LOVE OF COUNTRY.

VETERAN’S DAY PROVES THAT MEDALS

DON’T MAKE HEROES.  THE REAL HEROES ARE

IN THE CEMETERIES AND IN THE V.A. HOSPITALS

AND WOUNDED WARRIORS TRYING TO

RECUPERATE.

JUST BECAUSE THIS DAY WILL BE OVER AT

MIDNIGHT TONIGHT…DON’T FORGET THOSE

WHO WILL BE SPENDING THE REST OF THEIR

LIVES RECOVERING FROM WOUNDS…BOTH

PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL.  


THEY ARE THE ONES WHO MAY NOT GET TO THE PARADES

OR TO CELEBRATIONS.  BUT TO KNOW THEY

ARE REMEMBERED CAN DO MORE FOR THEM

THAN A BOXFUL OF RIBBONS, MEDALS AND CITATIONS.

SO MAY I SUGGEST THAT DURING THE

COMING YEAR…WHEN OUR TROOPS COME HOME, 

TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND GREET

THOSE AT THE AIRPORT…SHAKE THEIR HANDS

AND LET THEM KNOW THEY WEREN’T

FORGOTTEN.

AND IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN THEY ARE

DUE TO ARRIVE, THEN SOME WEEKEND DROP BY

A V.A. HOSPITAL AND BRING THEM SOME BOOKS,

CARDS OR SOME MAGAZINE. 

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY …SHARE SOME OF YOUR

TIME…WITH THOSE WHO WILL NEVER BE ABLE

TO GO HOME AGAIN  …BY LETTING THEM

KNOW THAT THEIR SACRIFICE HAS BEEN

CHERISHED... AND THAT THEY HAVEN’T BEEN

FORGOTTEN. 

SUCH A GESTURE WILL HELP THEM HEAL FASTER

THAN ANY AMOUNT OF MEDICINE.

IN THE PROCESS, YOU WILL BE DOING

YOURSELVES A FAVOR AS WELL, BECAUSE AS

YOU SHAKE THEIR HANDS…YOU WILL BE

TOUCHING HISTORY.

FOR THEY WILL BE THE MEN AND WOMEN

WHO WROTE IT WITH THEIR OWN BLOOD…ON

THE SANDY BEACHES OF NORMANDY ,

GUADALCANAL AND SAIPAN .

…OR ON THE ROCKY KOREAN SLOPES OF

DAGMAR, OLD BALDY AND PORKCHOP HILL ...

OR AT QUANG TRI, DAK TO,

OR IN THE CITY STREETS OF HU

IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH VIETNAM

AND NOW ON THE SUN BAKED SANDS OF IRAQ

AND SAND BLASTED PLAINS OF AFGHANISTAN .

AS LONG AS THIS NATION CONTINUES TO

PRODUCE MEN AND WOMEN LIKE THEM…

WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO FEAR ANYONE…

AND NEITHER WILL GENERATIONS YET UNBORN.

FOR AS LONG AS WE REMAIN A NATION OF

THE BRAVE…WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A

NATION OF THE FREE.