ENID, OK - Enid’s Woodring Wall of Honor, KOFM 103.1, along with the City of Enid present Celebrate Freedom, a weekend tribute to honor our veterans on Saturday, May 28th & 30th, at the Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park at Woodring Regional Airport in Enid, OK. Saturday is the Freedom Ride sponsored by the Cherokee Strip Abate Motorcycle Club. The event, held from 11-2 pm will include a blessing of the bikes, flame ceremony, wreath laying service at the Vietnam Wall, a DoD Vietnam Veterans Pinning Ceremony, and entertainment provided by members of Dually Noted. More than 100 motorcyclists from all over the State of Oklahoma will be traveling to the veterans park for the event. Monday is the annual City of Enid Memorial Day Ceremonies honoring the fallen of Oklahoma.
Celebrate Freedom Memorial Day Ceremony will also honor three fallen families this year including Bart Arnold, USAF/City of Enid Policeman who died while on active duty. Col Chuck DeBellevue, USAF retired, will be the key note speaker along with Col Jay Johnson, Commander Vance Air Force Base, who will dedicate the new additions to the monuments and conduct the fallen heroes honor segment of the program. The Woodring Wall of Honor recently acquired a Kiowa and Huey helicopter for the museum. In Monday’s service, a special ceremony will be conducted by US Senator Candidate, Luke Holland, to dedicate the Kiowa helicopter to the Kiowa Nation and Kiowa Black Leggins Honor Society. An drum song will be held in tribute along with a cedar blessing ceremony by Kiowa warriors to complete the dedication. Tribal leadership and legislative members will be present for the ceremony. US Congressman Candidate, Wade Burleson, will give the invocation and benediction prayers and Elise Vanover will perform the National Anthem and sing special music. Legislative members, Senator Roland Pederson will present citations and John Pfeiffer will be the emcee. Mayor George Pankonin will welcome the crowd to the ceremony.
“We are celebrating our 20 year partnership with the Kiowa Black Leggins Honor Society this year. It’s going to be an honor for us to dedicate our newest acquisition during our annual Memorial Day Ceremonies. Local artist, Tox Morillo, has contributed to the dedication and we’re blessed to bring this helicopter back to Oklahoma in honor of the Kiowa Nation who call this state their homeland.”
The Woodring Wall of Honor has several opportunities to expand their cockpit static display by purchasing the T-38 for permanent placement in Enid. We’ve received $3,500 toward that goal and will have the aircraft on display on Monday.
For more information on any of the Memorial Day weekend activities in Enid, contact Elaine Johns at the Woodring Wall of Honor at 580-478-3034.
Red Dirt Run of Honor is postponed until November.
