Heroes: Yesterday and Today
Lawton Educators At a GW Workshop
Last Monday was Memorial Day, a day established to remember those who lost their lives in the service of our country. This patriotic holiday reminded me of a recent trip I made to Lawton to do a workshop for teachers and also an email I received from Don Clapsaddle.
Lawton is best known for its connection to Fort Sill, an active Army installation with the field artillery school. General Washington would have enjoyed visiting this military reservation that was staked out on January 8, 1869 by Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. Its first Indian agent was Colonel Albert Gallatin Boone, grandson of Daniel Boone. Daniel Boone was actually with General Braddock (and Washington) during the famous battle in the French and Indian War in which Washington had two horses shot from under him and four bullet holes pierced his clothing (and he still saved the remnants of Braddock’s battered troops). George Washington was a fighter who never gave up during the long Revolutionary War; so he would have appreciated Fort Sill’s most famous guest under “house arrest”, Geronimo. Geronimo is the legendary Apache who fought long and hard to maintain his tribes’ independence. Geronimo died at Fort Sill in 1909 of pneumonia. *
Don Clapsaddle is Chief of Staff of the Department of Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart. The award was first given by General George Washington at Newburgh, New York on August 7, 1782 during the Revolutionary War to recognize distinction for meritorious action. The Purple Heart is currently awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the U.S. military who have been wounded or killed in action. According to the Military Order of the Purple Heart, an organization for combat-wounded veterans, the medal is “the oldest military decoration in the world in present use and the first award made available to a common soldier (Mount Vernon’s Website).” Mr. Clapsaddle explained to me how he discovered the forgotten ashes of a Veteran of the Vietnam War. His name was Private Warren A. Nicholls. The Private was wounded and paralyzed, and spent his life confined to a wheel chair. He died at age 39. Following his death his ashes, along with parts of his uniform, were placed in a footlocker. The old rusted footlocker was eventually sold for $5. When the contents were discovered, Mr. Clapsaddle was notified and he immediately took action. He, along with a local cemetery, constructed a memorial monument that now contains Warren’s ashes. A Memorial Day program related Nicholls’ story and gave this veteran who “slipped through the cracks”, a proper place of rest. The monument is now among the Oklahoma Hero’s, in the Field of Honor. General Washington would be proud.
*Information about Fort Sill came from : http://sill-www.army.mil/pao/pahist.htm
