ENID, OK - If you drive by the City of Enid offices, you’ll see that they have yellow ribbons on their trees to honor those who serve and who have served during Veterans Appreciation Week November 2-11.
The Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park has teamed up with the City of Enid, local Ambuc organizations, the Stride Bank Center, Gaslight Theater, Abate Riders, Vance AFB, and Visit Enid to celebrate our veterans during Celebrate Freedom week. A time to honor and remember all veterans in Enid. Since early 2000, the Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park and Enid Regional Airport, has adorned the cedar trees lining the airport entrance with yellow bows to remember and honor our active-duty military and veterans.
The City of Enid began adopting the yellow ribbon campaign three years ago from an idea provided by Enid city attorney, Carol Lahman, who remembered the time when tying yellow ribbons was prevalent in her community. She remembered the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” and wrote a proclamation for the city to adopt. The song is a timeless classic from Tony Orlando and has come to mean a lot more, especially for veterans and their families assigned stateside and overseas protecting American interests.
Celebrate Freedom is the annual theme and begins on Saturday, November 2nd with breakfast at Barnstormers at Woodring Regional Airport at 7:30 am. The day continues with the Ride to Remember, which honors our Vietnam Veterans. The ride, organized by Sheri Pitts and the Chisholm Trail Abate Riders, will leave the Wall of Honor at 10 am and will visit three NW Oklahoma military monuments. The ride will end at the Oakwood Mall with family friendly activities held with the dedication of the new American Military Heritage Museum. The OK Military History Exhibit has been on display for one year and the Wall of Honor will be turning the exhibit into a permanent museum at the former Sears anchor store in the Oakwood Mall. The exhibit spans 40,000 sq. ft showcasing all eras of war and all service branches, according to the Executive Director, Elaine Johns.
Johns stated, “The exhibit has been very successful and had visitors from people in cities all over Oklahoma, several other states, and even visitors from foreign countries. The owner of the Oakwood Mall asked the organization to make this a permanent location, and our board voted to do just that!” Antique, muscle and classic cars will be showcased outside the mall entrance on Nov 2nd for the free car show. Several food trucks will be available outdoors with a variety of food choices. A craft/vendor fair will be held in the mall featuring a variety of vendors. The mall vendors will be open for the event. The Blue Star Mothers will be holding a bake sale to defray costs in shipping care boxes to our Oklahoma troops. Donations can be accepted to offset the costs of postage. Entertainment will be provided by Stan Melrose sharing classic tunes. To enter a craft booth or food truck contact Sheri Pitts at 580-237- 6933.
Celebrate Freedom week continues Tuesday, November 5th with a special ceremony at 10 am at the entrance to Vance AFB on Kincade Blvd. Carrying on the tradition which began three years ago, two oak trees will be planted, one to honor current military members, the other to remember Prisoners of War and those still Missing in Action. Yellow and black ribbons will be tied around those oak trees in remembrance. Mayor David Mason and Col Throckmorton, Commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance, will say a few words. POW’s from the Hanoi Hilton and WWII have been invited to attend and will be present reminding us of the need to remember those missing in action or those that may still be held captive.
On Wednesday, November 6th, the Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park, First Baptist Church of Enid and the AM Ambucs will host a FREE lunch for veterans from 11:30 – 1 pm. The keynote speaker for this event is Brig Gen Ben Robinson. The pulled pork meal will be prepared by the AM Ambucs and served by the American Heritage Girls and Trail Life Boys Groups. Seating for 100 is available. Please RSVP to Rob Houston by Nov 4th to Visit Enid. The church is located at 401 W. Maine St. To sign up, call 580-233-3643, extension 1, or email to info@visitenid.org.
A phenomenal new event has been added to Celebrate Freedom! On Thursday, November 7th the Gaslight Theater is producing a new Chautauqua type veterans storytelling production. It showcases the lives of several veterans including Medal of Honor recipient Harold Kiner. Dr. Larry Kiner, Harold Kiner’s nephew, will portray the courageous veteran sharing the experience of his military service in World War II. Several veterans’ stories will be shared during the evening. The doors open at 7 pm and the presentation begins at 7:30 pm. For additional information contact Frank Baker at 580-484-5712 or Nathan Parry at 202-594-1449.
The annual Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, November 9th at 10 am. This parade has turned out to be a extremely successful event in honor of our veterans, both past and present. More than 150 entries have been highlighted in past parades and we expect the parade entries to grow larger each year. For more information or how to enter a float in the parade, contact Noon Ambucs Parade Organizer, Donnie Harris, at 580-747-8781.
Monday, November 11th, a FREE Veterans Day Ceremony will be held at the Stride Bank Center Grand Ballroom at 6:30 pm. The annual ceremony and Legacy Awards honors veterans for their outstanding service to our country. Five veterans will be awarded the prestigious Legacy Veteran of the Year, including 104-year-old WWII dentist, Dr. Earl Mabry. We will also award one Lifetime Legacy Citizen of the Year award recognizing former Enid resident, Todd Lamb. The award will be present for his service to our country as a secret service agent, and for making a difference for all Oklahomans as our Lt. Governor, Oklahoma advocate, politician, and President of Oklahoma Christian University. Mr. Lamb will accept the award on the 15th anniversary of presenting the first-ever Lifetime Legacy of the Year recipient, former State Senator and Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Norman Lamb, his father. The Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park is excited to host Medal of Honor recipient, Dwight Birdwell, as our keynote speaker for the Nov 11th veteran’s day service. The current Secretary of Veterans Affairs, John Nash, will emcee the event. The student patriotic art contest winners will be revealed, and medals/gift certificates will be awarded. Special presentations will be made by legislative members, veterans, and special guests.
The Woodring Wall of Honor is planning several events to commemorate their 25th year with a large welcome home party for Vietnam Veterans on March 29th. The date celebrates the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Johns states, “we need to give them a welcome home that they deserved and never received.” We’d love to have citizens, students and families line the street leading to the Stride Bank Center to welcome them home, Enid style. A veterans’ conference, free meal, entertainment, and other services will also be held on that date. On Memorial Day weekend, a large aircraft cockpit fest event will be held at Oakwood Mall along with several services to honor the fallen of Oklahoma. The 25th year will end in November 2025 with another great Celebrate Freedom week!
For further information about Celebrate Freedom and the Veterans Appreciation Week, contact Visit Enid at 580- 233-3643, www.visitenid.org or info@visitenid.org or Woodring Wall of Honor at 580-233-4530.
