Fort Sill opens doors to Leadership Oklahoma

A group of 50 leaders from across Oklahoma visited Fort Sill Oct. 4-6. This group was made up of people who know what it takes to run a business, make the decisions to stay afloat during tough economic times and know how to manage employees. What they learned was what it takes to be a Soldier.

"I have a new appreciation for what our Soldiers go through, what they do, what they have to learn, the self-discipline they have to have and the fact that they really have to rough it," said Susan Hardybrooks, Schnake Turnbo Frank Public Relations senior account executive … read story

Today in History

Medal of Honor story

2nd Lt. Harold B. "Pinky" Durham, Jr., served in Vietnam as an artillery forward observer. In the battle of Ong Thanh on Oct. 17, 1967, Durham was with the 2nd Battalion 28th Infantry and directing artillery fires onto enemy fortified bunkers when he was wounded by a claymore mine detonated by the enemy. His head was severely wounded. His vision was impaired. In intense pain, he continued to direct artillery fire and employ his individual weapon, even after being moved to a secondary, defensive position with other wounded men. As the enemy attacked, Durham was hit by machine gun fire and severely wounded. He saw two Viet Cong approaching, shooting the defenseless wounded men. With his last effort, Durham shouted a warning to a nearby soldier who immediately killed the insurgents. Durham died moments later, still gripping the radio handset.
Durham was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The Field Artillery OCS Hall of Fame and Museum was named Durham Hall in his honor. The World War II-era barracks building, originally the brigade headquarters of the OCS, remains a testimony to the thousands of officers who attended the school from 1941 to 1973.