Chickasaw vets lay wreath at Tomb of the Unknowns

This article appeared in the December 2014 edition of the Chickasaw Times

WASHINGTON – Leonard Sealey, a Chickasaw veteran from Lawton, Oklahoma, said memories of his service in Vietnam came flooding back when he saw a Huey helicopter at the Udvar-Hazy Center during a recent trip to Washington, D.C.

Mr. Sealey was one of 16 Chickasaw veterans who took a Veterans Day trip to the nation’s capital sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation.

Governor Bill Anoatubby said the Chickasaw Nation sponsored the trip to show appreciation for the veterans’ service to the country.

“We owe a great debt of gratitude to all the men and women who served in the armed forces to protect our freedom,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “While Veterans Day offers a unique opportunity to express our appreciation, it is always fitting to thank these individuals for the sacrifices they made to help secure the way of life we enjoy.”

Ada, Okla., veteran Tom Cooper and Mr. Sealey placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns during the trip.

Mr. Cooper said it was a blessing to be chosen to lay the wreath.

“This is something I will never forget,” he said. “I lost friends overseas, so this is something I did for the friends I lost and for all the families who lost loved ones.”

James Swinney, a Vietnam veteran from Grapevine, Texas, said when he and many others came home from Vietnam, few people thanked them for their service.

“At (that) time, most people didn’t show our military the respect they deserved,” he said.

The number of people who approached the veterans today to say ‘thank you,’ Mr. Swinney said, illustrated how public attitude has changed for the better toward veterans.

Marvin Garrison, a Chickasaw veteran from Alpine, Arkansas, agreed, saying many people had expressed their appreciation for their service.

Mr. Sealey visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and made an etching of the name of a comrade he witnessed killed in action in March 1966. The pilot of his helicopter was struck by machine-gunfire and died instantly.

Many of the other Vietnam veterans on the trip made a point to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. Veterans visit “the wall” to find names of men they had met during their service. There were more than a few tears from members of the group as they visited the memorial.

The group included veterans from Oklahoma, Texas, Rhode Island, Montana, Louisiana, Arkansas and California. They arrived on the special excursion Nov. 7 and departed Nov. 12.

The group has visited the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol, among other sites.

Members of the group of Chickasaw veterans included Mary Ahtone, Ada; Jim Boyd, Coventry, R.I.; Tom Cooper, Ada; Irvin Cravatt, La Habra, Calif.; Jim Dickerson, Norman, Okla.; Delbert Evans, Holden, Louisiana; Marvin Garrison, Alpine, Arkansas; Joe Hefner, Whitesboro, Texas; Billy Hester, Edmond, Okla.; Leonard Sealey, Lawton, Okla.; James Swinney, Grapevine, Texas; Thomas Smith, Butte, Montana; Tecumseh Underwood, Maud, Okla.; Michael Whithorne, Kingston, Okla.; Flying Clouds Moore, Tuskahoma, Okla.; and Holmes Willis, Altus, Okla.