19th Street Magazine January 2023

Rick Starkey Veteran of the Month

In an effort to increase access to healthy opportunities, the City of Moore recently opened a new fitness court at Fairmoore Park. The court was funded by National Fitness Campaign, an effort dedicated to cultivated healthy communities.

The court offers a guided circuit routine that targets a full-body workout. Utilizing body-weight exercises, seven stations lead teens and adults through progressive and adaptable exercises to build strength and agility.

Buster Bread, the fitness coordinator for Moore Parks and Recreation, said that he appreciates the accessibility the court offers the community.

“I have a passion for fitness, especially free outdoor fitness,” he shared. “You can be out in the sun, listen-

ing to music and get some exercise in whether that be cardio or strength training.”

Bread plans to have fitness programming at the court including instructor-led, boot camp style classes as well as sessions to assist people preparing for fitness tests like what is required for careers in public safety and the military.

A free app, available at nationalfitnesscampaign. com/fitness-court, provides both instruction and daily challenges for users of the fitness court.

“Accessible resources like this Fitness Court and the exercise equipment at Little River help people of all fitness levels create healthy habits,” Bread said.

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR VISION

Backed by more than $26 Billion in assets, we're one of the largest commercial lenders in the country. Yet we are community-focused and empowered by local decision-makers.

Contact us to see how we can help your business grow and thrive!

A Film Festival for the Whole Family

BY: STAFF

Oklahoma may not be the first location that comes to mind as a center for films from around the world, but one local event is helping raise our state’s profile by highlighting the industry’s next generation of filmmakers. Moore Norman Technology Center’s Clean Shorts Festival will take place on-site at 4701 12th Ave. the evening of Friday, March 3 and all day Saturday, March 4.

Free and open to the public, the ninth annual festival features short films that are 30 minutes or less. Dozens of entries will be screened, and organizers plan to show each film at least twice throughout the event.

The festival is open to all ages with content Ben Hlavaty, Digital Cinema & Television Production instructor, describes as “PG-12ish, with limited language.” The Clean Shorts play-on-words theme characterizes the festival’s family-friendly approach.

“We have had films from elementary students to feature filmmakers from nearly every country each year,” explained Hlavaty. “Topics run the gamut.”

Hlavaty initially started the festival as a fundraiser to support student travel to state competitions and SkillsUSA competitions at the national level.

The Oklahoma State Film Challenge, a free filmmaking contest open to all Oklahoma high school and vocational technical students, is also part of the festival. This year’s challenge is held in memory of Charlie Blessington, a student at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center who took his own life in December 2020.

Students are tasked with creating “a 30-60 second suicide prevention public service announcement, using the theme ‘You Matter.’ Submissions will be scored by a team at the Clean Shorts Film Festival. The top 10 submissions will be presented to Charlie’s family for final voting and the winning submission will receive a $500 scholarship from the Charles Michael Blessington Foundation.

MNTC began receiving submissions for the festival via an online platform in October. Students have been reviewing and scoring the films to notify winners in early February so they can plan to attend, if possible, since a question-and-answer session with filmmakers is growing part of the festival.

Hlavaty started working in Oklahoma’s energy sector as a mechanical designer but found an affinity for film at Oklahoma City Community College. Instead of finishing an engineering degree, he started night courses.

“I worked on some movies and never looked back,” said Hlavaty. “I never would have thought I’d be a teacher ever but when you find something you’re passionate about, that matters. I love seeing the students have those ‘a-ha’ moments and figure something out. That’s amazing. I get to relive that every day. I don’t have a job. I have an opportunity.”

Part of the festival’s focus is raising awareness of talent showcased through independent films.

“There are so many people who are incredibly talented, and this art is happening without a huge budget,” said Hlavaty. “Not everyone is in Hollywood. Oklahoma is blowing up in the filmmaking world. If you’re a student and you want filmmaking, acting, writing, directing, editing, there’s probably a career tech for your school.

“It takes more than one person to make a movie. We have a lot of the same equipment professional film crews use and everyone works together to make the festival happen.”

Students outside the film program also participate by making trophies, working on graphic design and more.

“We would love to have the public come out and see these films. This might be your only chance to see the short films because they don’t have a platform as much as feature-length films do,” said Hlavaty.

Find more information at https://filmfreeway.com/ CleanShorts.– BSM

“There are so many people who are incredibly talented, and this art is happening without a huge budget.”

We are made for more motivation, more confidence and more success. Orangetheory© Fitness has the coaches, science-backed workouts and supportive community to help you live a more vibrant life. We know you will love your Orangetheory experience, so we guarantee it. Just take 8 classes during your first 30 days and if you don’t feel like you’re living a more vibrant, happier, healthier life, take back all your money and walk away. That’s called our 30-Day Risk Free Guarantee*, and it’s only at Orangetheory.

After claiming their 5th National Championship, the Sooners are ranked number one in the preseason and return a loaded roster injected with talented newcomers. As the Sooners position themselves for the move to the SEC, the challenges will continue to grow in preparation for the toughest conference for Women’s Gymnastics in college athletics, but the expectation now is the same today as it has always been under 17-year head coach KJ Kindlerto compete for the sport’s biggest prize.

The Sooners are the favorites to repeat and they are poised to do just that.

COMPLETING THE DRIVE FOR 5

Going into the 2023 season, it’s hard not to look back on the impressive finish to last season. A year after finishing second to Michigan by less than a tenth in 2021, Oklahoma rallied to register a score of 198.2 which was just enough to slip by the Gators and claim the title.

The Sooners found themselves in last place after the floor exercise in the first round. It would have been easy for the Sooners to hang their collective heads and feel that maybe it was just not meant to be. But OU rallied in a big way and never looked back en route to winning the title.

“We caught fire on vault, and I felt like we kept momentum in our favor from that point forward,” Kindler said. “So proud of the way they just kept feeding off each other. I still get chills to this day thinking about how we finished.”

Now that OU has had the chance to celebrate another championship, the goal is straightforward - do it again. Kindler is not worried about focus or desire.

“The summer helps you refocus… since we’re a winter sport, you’re done in April, and you have that time to revel in the moment. When it was time to get back to business in August, everyone was on board,” Kindler said. “We have a good group of women, a lot of leaders on our team, and I don’t think it was difficult for them to refocus on the next step.”

Photo by: Shevaun Williams & Associates

Left to right: Jenna Dunn, Olivia Trautman, Ragan Smith, Allie Stern

BY: CHRIS PLANK

ALL THAT TUMBLES IS

A DOMINATING SENIOR CLASS

As the Sooners prepare for the next step, they do so with a more experienced group than the squad that took home the title last year. It’s a team that has incredible depth and a talented and accomplished senior class.

The Sooners return eight gymnasts who combined for 20 All-American honors, highlighted by seniors Ragan Smith, Olivia Trautman, Allie Stern and Oklahoma native Jenna Dunn.

Smith has been a star since the moment she stepped on campus at the University of Oklahoma. Smith, a Rio Olympic alternate in her first year at the senior elite level, began this Olympic cycle in 2017 by winning the U.S. all-around title. Smith’s margin of victory — 3.4 points — was greater than Simone Biles’ average margin for her four national titles from 2013-16. But an ankle injury led Smith to decide that she was ready to move to college.

“I felt like my time was done in elite,” said Smith. “I really just wanted to move on with my life and everything.”

Smith enrolled at Oklahoma and has been a constant for the Sooners since.

“I didn’t want to let go of elite because it’s been my whole life and my dream,” Smith said at the time. “But at the same time, my mind was telling me to come to

college and have fun. I’m glad I made that decision because I love it here.”

Smith was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year during her freshman campaign and has been nothing short of elite for the Sooners during her time in the Crimson and Cream. In fact, she clinched the 2022 National Title for the Sooners, scoring a 9.962 on beam during the final rotation to pull .112 points ahead of the Florida Gators.

Trautman and Stearns are taking advantage of an extra COVID season. When the coronavirus shut down the 2020 sports season, the NCAA allowed an extra year of eligibility for every student athlete. While the shutting down of the post season potentially cost the Sooners a National Championship, it did allow for Trautman and Stearns to return for another year.

Trautman has been a battler, an overcomer. She has been a resilient force for the Oklahoma Sooners during her career.

“Every day you get the same demeanor with her,” Kindler said. “There are no ups, there are no downs. If you’ve got one or the other, you probably know something is going on. She’s very calm, very collected for someone her age.”

Trautman has battled setback after setback but has found a way to still step up in the biggest moments.

Photo by: Mark Doescher

Jenna Dunn

She has earned All-American honors in three of her four seasons and was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2019. The one year she did not earn an All-American honor she scored a perfect ten in the vault. Incredibly, Trautman has achieved this unparalleled success while missing half of the season in three of her four years as a Sooners.

But being on the sidelines only made Trautman better and her focus and passion served as an inspiration to her teammates.

“I think that it does inspire them to take a positive spin on what’s going on, because a lot of times it’s easy to give up,” Kindler said. “With Olivia, she never does that. She’s a great example for the rest of our team.”

Stern has established herself as one of the best vaulters in the country and a leader for the Sooners.

“She does everything right,” Kindler said of Stern. “She is focus and determined and is someone that sets an incredible tone for this team.”

Oklahoma native Jenna Dunn brings the Sooner passion and pride. A graduate of Westmoore High School, Dunn has been a powerhouse on the beam for the Sooners.

“She is all Oklahoma,” Kindler said. “Sooner born, sooner bred… she is all about being a Sooner and is primed for a big season.”

THE NEXT GENERATION

Beyond the talented senior class, the Sooners return a versatile group that has done everything it takes to reach the highest level of college gymnastics.

Jordan Bowers returns after an All-American season on the floor and should factor in all around.

“She grew the most during the season last year,” Kindler said of Bowers. “From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, she was a completely different person - a little more tentative at the beginning of the year and had to talk herself into confidence, at the end of the year she had an abundance of confidence. That elevated her game.”

Returners Danny Sievers, Kat Levasseur, Danae Fletcher and Audrey Davis could all find themselves as competitors in the all-around, a magnification of the depth the Sooners have heading into the season.

“There are so many stars on this team, and they are all really vocal,” Kindler said of her roster. “They all

want it their way which is good. We must learn how to calibrate and bring it all together.”

Freshmen Faith Torrez and Ava Siegfeldt could play major roles for the Sooners as well.

“Faith is someone you will hear a lot about, and she will be an all arounder,” Kindler said. “She trained in Chicago and was a USA National Team member. She is incredibly powerful. She does the most difficult skills on beam in our whole lineup.”

Siegfeldt has already proven herself as a gamer with the way she performed in the preseason intrasquad.

“She kicked it up a notch,” Kindler said of Siegfeldt. “What we saw in practice was good. What we saw in the meet was better.”

PRESEASON NUMBER ONE

When the preseason polls were released in December, the rest of the country saw the Sooners lineup and ranked them as the top team in the country heading into the season.

It’s the fifth time in program history that OU has been picked as the No. 1 team, the 13th straight season ranked in the top five nationally to begin the year and

the 9th straight season in which the Sooners have been ranked in the preseason top three.

“In all of our history, we’ve only been atop the preseason poll five times,” Kindler said. “In seven out of the last 10 years, we’ve either met or exceeded our preseason rankings. It’s a compliment and it’s still a big deal… but it’s all in your hands.”

MOTIVATION

The Sooners are loaded, so competition will be fierce to even make the lineup. For Kindler, that is incredibly exciting, yet challenging to balance.

“You want a competitive environment in the gym, but you want people to trust one another and understand why choices are made,” Kindler said of her deep roster. “No one wants to be on the sideline, but it elevates them every single day to get better.”

The talent is in place, and concerns over motivation are minimized by one simple message from the fivetime national championship coach… there is still room for more.

“Unless your hands are full. You don’t have enough. Our freshmen only have two rings... there’s plenty of fingers left,” Kindler said.– BSM

Photo by: Mark Doescher

Danielle Sievers

Under-appreciated, a diamond in the rough, sleeper, a true underdog - however you want to describe him, Oklahoma native Sam Godwin has been an absolute find for the OU Men’s Basketball team this season.

“Most guys focus on buckets and looking good for the camera… I try to focus on hustle plays and offensive rebounds,” Godwin said of his grinder mentality. “I had two older brothers that toughened me up as a kid, but I also realized I can do that if my shots are going in or not. That was an easy way to make an impact on the team and help us get extra possessions.”

Prior to putting on the Crimson and Cream, Godwin was already a known commodity in the state of Oklahoma. He led Southmoore High School to the Class 6A state tournament semifinals in 2019-20 before earning Oklahoma AllState honors in 2020-21. Godwin had an incredible career at Southmoore.

By the time finished his career, he was the Sabercats’ all-time leader in blocks and rebounds and was named the 2020 Southmoore Male Athlete of the Year. He also earned a spot on the Oklahoma Class 6A All-Tournament First Team as a senior.

Beyond success on the court in high school, the relationships and friendships developed off the court made the biggest impact on Godwin.

“The relationships were what mattered. My high school teammates and I talk every day,” he said. “We have a group chat and practice with the new Southmoore guys over Christmas breaks, giving back any way we can.”

After his stellar high school career, Godwin had offers, but the recruiting process wore on him.

“The recruiting process in high school was pretty stressful, to be honest,” Godwin joked. “I’m a senior in high school getting home at 6 p.m. and I’m on the phone for three hours every single night. There were some other things I

BY: CHRIS PLANK

SOUTHMOORE SOONER

wanted to do. So, I went on a Wofford visit, and I really liked it there … the rest is history.”

Godwin appeared in 52 games with Wofford College and earned 17 starts over his career. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team after the 2020-21 season, averaging 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during that freshman campaign. Godwin led the Terriers in field goal percentage (66.3) and blocks (16) in his first collegiate season.

Last season, he saw action in 30 games for the Terriers, logging 12 starts. Godwin shot 62.1% from the field and averaged 6.3 points per contest. He also notched 3.1 rebounds per game and recorded 19 assists, 13 steals and six blocks.

Godwin was excelling on the court but was ready for something new and closer to home. Spartanburg, South Carolina is over 1,000 miles from home, and Godwin was ready to experience college basketball with family.

“I realized it wasn’t for me being that far from home,” Godwin said. “It’s a great thing playing college basketball, but when your family can’t experience it with you it gets kind of lonely.”

When Godwin put his name in the portal, the buzz was building around the 6’10” product, and he real-

ized there might be something more out there for him, and that something was back home.

“Before I even entered the portal, I knew I wanted to come back to Oklahoma and go to OU regardless of scholarship,” Godwin said. “I don’t even know if I told my parents that, but I was talking to other schools and had offers from mid-majors all over, but my mind was made up that I was going to come here if he had a spot for me.”

Godwin didn’t have much to separate himself from the myriad of big men in the portal when it came to his numbers. The junior averaged just 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds, and he primarily came off the bench.

But when OU head coach Porter Moser was told by his staff that Godwin was an Oklahoma guy he began to dig deeper.

“When he was in high school, I was in Chicago so I wasn’t familiar with him, but we saw he was from Oklahoma and averaged seven a game - not stats that jumped out at you,” Moser said of the Oklahoma native.

But it was more than just the fact that Godwin was an Oklahoma product that started to sell Moser. The Sooner head coach saw that in the biggest games against the biggest opponents, Sam Godwin was at his best.

“We noticed the major games is when he did his best,” Moser said of Godwin. “Sometimes, at that level, a 6-10 guy might dominate over a smaller team, but when he played the major teams, he did well. He checked the box of toughness, and he was athletic.”

Godwin had one of his better performances at Wofford against Georgia despite battling foul trouble and earned his first career start against South Carolina. While the performance against major programs caught the eye of Moser, for Godwin, it was just another game.

“I treat every game the same - focus on what I’m going to do,” Godwin said. “I don’t get stressed out about the competition, I just go out there and do what I do.”

Moser was sold and Godwin had Norman on his mind. All that remained was the official invite.

“Once I told him he’s got a spot on our team, it was over,” Moser said. “I get chills thinking about it. Our conversations were about how much he loved Oklahoma, loved the Sooners. Wanting to play for your state was a big thing for me too.”

“When he told me he had a spot for me, I told him I’d take it almost immediately,” Godwin said. “It was a dream come true. Growing up in Ada most of my life, watching OU basketball, my mom went to OU, so it’s always been a dream to play here. When I knew I had a chance, it was a no brainer. I knew I had to take it.”

But there wasn’t a promise of playing time or even a scholarship. Godwin knew he wanted to be a Sooner and was ready to assume any role necessary to help support the team.

“Coming in, I knew what my role was,” Godwin said. “Come in and provide hustle and offensive rebounds, anything I could do to get the team extra possessions, so that’s my focus going into the game every night.”

With his love for Oklahoma established, Godwin made it impossible for Moser to keep him off the court.

“He has this love for Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma, and you can’t put a price tag on that,” Moser said. “He gave us no other option… made it undeniable we had to put him in the game.”

For Godwin, he was simply doing what he has always done - give it his all.

As the Sooners get ready for the challenge of the Big 12, Godwin will see his role continue to grow. He scored in double figures in three of his first five

games as a Sooner and put 12 points on the board while grabbing six rebounds against Seton Hall in the semi-finals of the ESPN Events Invitation, a tournament the Sooners eventually won.

“It’s a great lesson for guys that take the approach Sam Godwin has taken,” Moser said. “He exemplifies everything I love, energy and toughness. His role is he uplifts us when he gets in there. He comes in, that energy is going up.”

Godwin is living his dream and making the most of it.

“I’m having a great time, even my parents have noticed the difference in me. Everyone is noticing how much fun I’m having,” Godwin said. “College basketball has never been this enjoyable for me so I’m taking it all in.”

The hard-working presence Godwin has brought on the court is shared within the locker room and has spread off the court. The Sooners are a tight group focused on doing everything they can to win a championship.

“The chemistry everyone has, we have no ego problems,” Godwin said. “Everyone puts their egos aside when they come in the locker room. All we want to do is win and we’re going to give everything we must to make that happen.”– 19SM

ENHANCING TRAINING

Construction of a new Public Safety Training Center at Moore Norman Technology Center will offer more training opportunities and continuing education for the center’s law-enforcement cadets and area agencies.

Center officials broke ground last November on a 15,000-square-foot firing range at the northwest corner of 12th Avenue NW and Franklin Road. The training center will be used by students in the center’s Basic Peace Officer Certification Academy and public safety agencies in the community.

“It’s going to improve our quality of law-enforcement training for everyone in central Oklahoma,” said Jerry McConnell, director of public safety.

The training center will also feature an indoor gun range, a Law Enforcement Driver Training course that offers high-speed driving practice and a 90,000square-foot skills pad for maneuvering and backing practice. Also on the property is a barn with classroom space, a large open area for defensive tactics training and three houses to use for training.

Construction on the firing range and driving course are anticipated to start in February, McConnell said.

During the groundbreaking, Moore Norman Technology Center Superintendent Brian Ruttman thanked the community and partnering agencies for their collaboration and support of the project.

“MNTC is grateful for the many community supporters who have contributed to this effort, including Moore Norman advisory committee members, trainers and public safety partners, including the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Moore Police Department, Midwest City Police Department and future partners,” Ruttman said. “Partnerships are growing and so is the Moore Norman Technology Center public safety training program.”

Center officials said benefits of the training center include opportunities for the center’s cadets to gain more knowledge and experience. In 2020, the center began offering a Basic Peace Officer Certification Academy as an avenue for individuals to pursue careers as peace officers and assist area agencies with hiring and training needs closer to home.

New firing range, driving course to offer continuing education for law-enforcement cadets, area agencies

BY: SHARLA BARDIN

So far, 72 cadets have graduated from the program, which is open to adults 21 and older who want to pursue a career in law enforcement, security or corrections.

Additional plans for the new Public Safety Training Center include constructing buildings, including a convenience store and a small hotel, to simulate a town for realistic training exercises.

Another initiative with the training center includes partnering with area fire departments to accommodate training needs with a burn tower and one- and two-story residential burn structures.

For more information about the center’s public safety program, visit mntc.edu.– 19SM

Westmoore Girls Basketball has a New Head Coach NEW LEADER

It’s the beginning of a new era for Westmoore Lady Jaguars’ basketball as head coach Abby Chafey enters her first season. She has already made a symbolic impact on the program.

Chafey brings energy, toughness and, most importantly, a winning culture to Westmoore. She spent four years at Southern Nazarene University, one of them being an assistant coach for the Crimson Storm’s first-ever conference championship.

She helped lead SNU to a 12-8 record and a trip to the NCAA DII tournament. She also played a pivotal role as the freshmen basketball coach for Edmond Memorial and Putnam City North.

Before her coaching career, Chafey was a dynamic scorer as a player. Just like her coaching role at SNU, she played her college ball there as well. Chafey was a three-time All-GAC selection for the Crimson Storm and finished with 1,334 points in her college career.

She also hit 222 three-pointers, which ranks third alltime at SNU.

Chafey is carrying on that winning attitude into her

first head coaching position at Westmoore. The Lady Jaguars are off to a 2-4 start this season, but you can see progress early in the season. Westmoore picked up their first win over East Central, which was a special moment for Chafey.

“I love these girls, they surprised me after the win, my first win as a head coach,” Chafey said. “I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else, they are so special. I’m very grateful for Westmoore and every one of these girls in the program.”

Big goals are set for Chafey, which is an excellent sign for a first-year head coach who wants to eventually compete with the best at the end of the year. “Obviously, my goal as a coach is to get to the state tournament and compete for a state championship, just like every other coach. That’s everybody’s goal, and we’re going to do everything we can to get there eventually,” Chafey said.

Lady Jaguars basketball is heading in the right direction, and the excitement is high in the Westmoore community.– 19SM

The Highest Weight Loss with a balloon, No Surgery Required

Journey Clinic is proud to be one of the only weight loss clinics in the region offering patients the Spatz3 adjustable gastric balloon.

• FDA clinical trials show that the Spatz3 patients lost five times as much weight as those dieting alone.

• The Spatz3 boasts the highest weight loss results and highest success rates of all gastric balloons.

• The Spatz3 balloon is inserted and removed during a 15-minute, non-invasive outpatient procedure with no incisions or hospitalization. It is a walk-in, walk-out weight loss procedure.

If you are ready to make a change towards a healthier you, visit JourneyClinic.com or call 405.515.2049 to request an appointment today!

Lana Nelson, DO Azure Adkins, MD

HEALTHY NEW YEAR CHECK LIST

Mandi Brown

New Year’s resolutions often revolve around improving your health. But sadly, the vast majority of us won’t stick with our goals beyond just a couple of weeks.

Mandi Brown, a nurse practitioner at Norman Regional’s Primary Care - West Moore clinic, shared her best strategies to be healthier in 2023 and how to stick with it!

Brown encouraged consistency.

“I know life gets busy, but it is important to put your health as a priority,” she said.

At the top of Brown’s checklist - schedule a checkup with your primary care physician or provider.

“A connection with someone you see on a routine basis helps track your health trends over time,” she explained.

Brown sees patients of all ages from newborns through seniors, something she said enhances her practice.

“Especially in adulthood, most (risk factors are) based on family history,” Brown shared. “What I love about family practice is that I often get to know multi-generations in one family.”

If you are looking for a new primary care physician, you can start the search by talking with your family and friends about who they see and what they like about their doctor. Also, consider getting into a health system where you can easily access specialists you might need.

After you’ve seen your PCP, be sure to follow up on any recommended screenings based on your age, family history and symptoms. Preventative screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies and blood

work can catch things before they become a problem, Brown advised.

“Prevention is a big thing in medicine,” she said. “We want to catch (a problem) early and manage it before it gets out of hand.”

Once you’ve addressed any health concerns, it’s time to get moving!

“Movement boosts those feel-good hormones,” she shared. “If you are having a stressful day, a walk can help clear your mind and help balance what you eat.”

Brown suggests starting with a 20- to 30-minute walk three days a week, working up to the recommended 150 minutes of activity a week.

Next, it is time to address the way you fuel your body. Brown cautioned against strict, fad diets and instead recommended incorporating sustainable changes.

“Everyone has good intentions around the new year, but you need to find something you can maintain,” she said.

She also recommended prioritizing sleep.

“Sleep is so important,” Brown said. “Lack of sleep affects your whole day. A good night of sleep sets the stage for a better day.”

Her final orders are to give yourself regular checkins, paying close attention to abnormal symptoms.

“Don’t ignore symptoms,” she advised. “Address them so you can feel better.”

Brown has worked in family medicine for 18 years. She grew up in south Oklahoma City and attended the University of Oklahoma.– 19SM

VETERAN OF THE MONTH: RICK STARKEY

Volunteering for the Marines at age 17, Veteran Rick Starkey never dreamed of the colorful and exciting life he would live. From the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Vietnam War, he shared “the good and the bad but not the ugly.”

Originally from the small town of Oakridge, Oregon, Starkey was born and raised in the picturesque logging community about 150 miles southeast of Portland in the Cascade mountains just below the pass.

“We grew up cutting down trees and working in sawmills making lumber,” he shared.

Starkey joined the Marine Corp shortly before the Cuban Missile Crisis began in 1962. In late October, he boarded a ship to Cuba and sat off the coast for more than a month.

“I was only 17 so I was ready for anything,” Starkey explained. “I was a hard-charging young Marine and wanted to do all the things John Wayne did in the movies. But then most of us got dysentery because we ate some bad turkey that year.”

With the crisis was averted in Cuba, he returned to Camp Pendleton in California before being stationed at Camp Schaub in Okinawa.

“We had a formation one morning and my commander said he needed five volunteers,” he remembered. “I stepped forward and they scooped me and four others up and we went to Vietnam. I was okay with that; I was still a young guy. Then when I arrived, I saw what war really was, and I wasn’t so hard charging after that.”

Starkey said his battalion was in Vietnam as advisors to teach the Vietnamese how to use U.S. weapons and to teach U.S. tactics.

Returning home from Vietnam in 1965, Starkey was again stationed at Camp Pendleton and married “the best person in the world,” he said.

“I got married but back in those days it was not conducive for a Marine to have a young wife and a family. When it came time to re-enlist, I said I was getting out of the Marine Corp,” he said.

Out of the Corp for about three months, he found it difficult to find a job. At the suggestion of his brother, he joined the Air Force. Less than a year later, he was back in Vietnam. Stationed at the Bien Hoa Air Force Base in Vietnam from late April 1967 to March of 1968, Starkey was there during the Tet Offensive, a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. The Tet Offensive became a key turning point in the conflict.

“We had about 1,800 to 2,000 North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong hit our base,” Starkey recalled. “There were about 400 of us on the perimeter and, if I’m not mistaken, that battle lasted about six hours. When all was said and done, they did not accomplish their mission; we beat them back.”

Three people on Starkey’s base were awarded the Silver Star. One of them, William Piazza, retired at Tinker Air Force Base and has a gate is named after him. Several people were awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Three people from the Security Forces Unit died; two were killed by combat action and one had a heart attack.

BY: ROXANNE AVERY

Coming home from Vietnam in March 1968, Rick retired from the Air Force. Three years later, he decided to return to the Air Force but this time in a hospital setting working medical logistics.

In 1988, Starkey finished his career in the Air Force after 17 years and he worked for a hospital group for several years before fully retiring and moving to Moore, Okla. to be near a friend who was ill.

“I needed excitement to keep my heartrate up,” Starkey said. “The weather here, especially in the spring with the tornadoes, is exciting. I also enjoy the lack of traffic.”

Starkey and his wife have three sons, the oldest is in Air Force in California. The middle son works for a candy manufacturer in Dallas that supplies hospitals with all their candies and cookies. His youngest son works IT for a law firm in Seattle.

The most memorable event in Starkey’s life was making it out of Vietnam alive.

“We all still carry scars from there,” he said. “That’s the ugly part we don’t talk about.”

“I worked at a portable hospital in Guam and helped process over 100,000 Vietnamese. We did health checks and worked with military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam,” he said.

Starkey was riding in the back of an ambulance with a female patient when she began yelling something in Vietnamese. With no idea about what was happening, he soon delivered her baby.

“That was pretty dramatic,” he said. “I have a picture from later that day of me holding the baby.”

Looking back over his life, Starkey said, when he was in military, it was at the best time to serve.

“Military life and communities were so close knit back then,” he shared. “We all went our separate ways but I’m still in touch with people I met 30 to 50 years ago. I would not be the person I am today if not for the Marine Corp.”

Now fully retired, Starkey says he has six Saturdays and a Sunday.

PATIO

STRAWBERRY MOJITO

ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTS COME WITH Respect.

To truly respect someone, you need to understand who they are—their hopes, dreams, goals, and challenges. Since 1909, the Armstrong Bank family has had the honor of knowing the people of this community and the privilege of serving up financial guidance and accounts to help you succeed. With every solution you’re searching for, know that we’re here for you, and we have your best interest in mind.

Respect helps us do so much more for you.