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    Candidates get candid with vets

    Candidates get candid with vets

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Bradley Cooney | (Left to right) Navy Chief Warrant Officer (Ret.) Dale McElfresh, Army Col. (Ret.) Art...... read more read more

    NORMAN, OK, UNITED STATES

    02.04.2018

    Story by Sgt. Bradley Cooney 

    145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

    NORMAN, Okla---- On a brisk Saturday afternoon, future officers of the Oklahoma Army National Guard met with some friends at the Norman Veterans Center. These are fairly new friends, just having met a few months ago. These new friends happen to be veterans from past wars such as World War II, Vietnam and Korea.

    For the past few months, officer candidates of Class 63 worked with four veterans who are residents of the Norman Veterans Center. This gave soon-to-be lieutenants access to insight from seasoned and highly decorated war veterans from all walks of life, while giving veterans a chance to have their life and military service recognized and honored in front of fellow veterans, service members and families.

    “The candidates were assigned to interview the veterans,” said Maj. Richelle Treece, commander of the officer candidate school. “They then have to put together a 3-part presentation, the human side of battle, the logistical side and the tactical side. They come to the Veterans Center to show their presentation to the veterans and their families, which ended up being a great thing because there were great-grandchildren that had never heard their family’s story.”

    This fairly new program has proven to be a great way to pay tribute to the service members of an earlier era.

    “Any time any of our young Soldiers can come here in uniform, it just brings back so many wonderful memories for these veterans,” said Jeannene Wade, program administrator at the Norman Veterans Center. “This particular program is very important because you’re honoring the memories, the legacy and what each of these veterans represented years ago, and what they represent now.”

    The program has also been a monumental asset to officer candidates.

    “We talk about how being future officers, there’s a lot of leadership and a lot of stuff that we still have to learn,” said Officer Candidate Jonathan Ohearn. “Coming here and talking to these veterans, we are realizing that they are a wealth of knowledge that we wouldn’t get anywhere else. There’s just a wealth of information that they are able to give us that really fit into the philosophy that they’re teaching us in OCS.”

    Saturday afternoon, in an activity room filled with wheelchairs and walkers adorned with American flags and respective military service hats, officer candidates one-by-one gave presentations to residents and family members, chronicling the four brave veteran’s lives and military careers.

    “It’s something that brings respect, honor and dignity and it gives the other veterans the opportunity to see what great heroes we have here,” Wade said.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 02.04.2018
    Date Posted: 02.05.2018 17:15
    Story ID: 264626
    Location: NORMAN, OK, US

    Web Views: 47
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN