Oklahoma Veterans Posts

About Veterans Organizations in Oklahoma

A deep look at the history, oldest posts, membership process, and notable veterans connected to Oklahoma.

History of Veterans Organizations in Oklahoma

The American Legion arrived in Oklahoma in 1919, only twelve years after the territory had become a state, and the new fraternal organization for World War I veterans took root in a part of the country whose veteran population was already exceptionally varied. Oklahoma was a place where Confederate veterans, Union veterans, Indian Wars veterans, Spanish-American War veterans, and Buffalo Soldiers had all settled in significant numbers, and the doughboys of 1918 simply added another layer to a complex civic memory. The 36th Infantry Division, which included Oklahoma National Guard units alongside Texas units, fought in France in 1918, and many of those returning soldiers became charter members of Oklahoma Legion posts. The state's first Legion convention met in Oklahoma City in 1919, and within a year posts had been chartered in Tulsa, Muskogee, Lawton, Enid, Ponca City, and dozens of other towns.

From the very beginning, Oklahoma's Legion posts had a strong Native American presence, reflecting the state's status as the resettled home of dozens of tribal nations and the fact that Native Americans had served at higher per-capita rates than nearly any other demographic group in American history. The Five Civilized Tribes, the Plains tribes relocated to Oklahoma, and tribes such as the Choctaw, Cherokee, Comanche, Kiowa, and Osage all contributed substantial numbers of veterans to Oklahoma posts, including the famed Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I. The Second World War transformed Oklahoma's Legion department again, as Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Fort Sill at Lawton, and Altus Air Force Base became major military hubs that drew servicemembers into the state and supplied a steady stream of new veterans. The Korean War, Vietnam, and the post-9/11 wars each added their generations, and today the Department of Oklahoma American Legion is headquartered in Oklahoma City and oversees a robust network of posts spread from the Panhandle to the Ozark foothills.

Oldest and Most Historic Posts in Oklahoma

American Legion Post 1 in Oklahoma City, the Capitol Hill Post, traces its charter to 1919 and is the symbolic flagship of the state department. Post 5 in Tulsa, also organized in 1919, has long served as one of the largest urban posts in the state and occupies a building that has hosted statewide events for generations. American Legion Post 4 in Muskogee, Post 9 in Lawton near Fort Sill, and Post 14 in Enid all originated in the founding wave of charters. Post 7 in Ponca City and Post 12 in Bartlesville were both chartered in 1919 in cities whose oil-boom economies made them magnets for veteran labor in the 1920s.

American Legion Post 38 in Stilwell, in the Cherokee Nation, has historically served Cherokee veterans and has been recognized for its preservation of Cherokee-language Memorial Day ceremonies. Post 13 in Ada, in the Chickasaw Nation, has similar tribal-cultural connections. American Legion Post 119 in Anadarko, near multiple tribal headquarters, has long had a substantial Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache membership. Many Oklahoma posts maintain wall displays honoring the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I and the Comanche Code Talkers of World War II, an Oklahoma military heritage that is uniquely the state's own.

VFW Posts in Oklahoma: A Closer Look

The Veterans of Foreign Wars in Oklahoma organized its first state department in the 1920s, with early posts forming in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, and Muskogee. Because VFW eligibility requires foreign service in a recognized combat or expeditionary zone, the rapid growth of VFW posts in Oklahoma followed each major foreign war. The state's combat veteran population swelled dramatically after World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the post-9/11 wars, and Oklahoma's VFW posts have historically been concentrated near Tinker AFB, Altus AFB, Vance AFB at Enid, and Fort Sill. The Department of Oklahoma VFW is headquartered in Oklahoma City and runs vigorous Buddy Poppy, Voice of Democracy, and Patriot's Pen programs.

The VFW in Oklahoma has been particularly active in advocacy for Native American veterans, supporting expansion of VA services on tribal lands, and in recent years has played a key role in advocating for burn pit and toxic exposure claims under the PACT Act.

AMVETS, DAV, and Other Veterans Organizations in Oklahoma

AMVETS came to Oklahoma in the late 1940s as World War II veterans organized to push for the GI Bill and other postwar benefits. The Oklahoma AMVETS department has dozens of active posts, with strong concentrations in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and the Lawton area. The Disabled American Veterans organization maintains an Oklahoma department headquartered in Oklahoma City and operates a transportation network that brings disabled veterans to the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, the Muskogee VA Medical Center, and outpatient clinics across the state. Oklahoma DAV chapters are particularly experienced with claims related to Native American veteran services, Agent Orange exposure, and PACT Act burn pit conditions.

DAV service officers across the state have processed thousands of claims in recent years.

Oklahoma Veterans Posts by the Numbers

Oklahoma is home to approximately 290,000 to 310,000 veterans, a substantial population for a state of roughly 4 million residents. The state hosts Tinker Air Force Base, the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma and the home of major Air Force depot maintenance and the E-3 AWACS fleet; Fort Sill, the home of U.S. Army Field Artillery and Air Defense training; Altus Air Force Base, home to airlift and tanker training; and Vance Air Force Base near Enid, home to undergraduate pilot training. The American Legion Department of Oklahoma maintains approximately 250 to 280 chartered posts and reports active membership exceeding 30,000.

The VFW Department of Oklahoma operates around 100 posts. AMVETS maintains roughly 30. Oklahoma's Native American veteran population is one of the largest in the nation in absolute and per-capita terms.

How to Join a Veterans Post in Oklahoma

Eligibility for the American Legion in Oklahoma follows the same federal rules that apply nationwide. Any veteran with at least one day of honorable federal active duty since December 7, 1941, or currently serving honorably, may join an Oklahoma post. National Guard and Reserve members federally activated also qualify, and Oklahoma's Army and Air National Guard have seen substantial federal activation in recent decades. Dues at Oklahoma posts typically run from $30 to $50 per year, with paid-up-for-life options available.

The Sons of The American Legion is widely active in Oklahoma, with squadrons attached to most parent posts. The American Legion Auxiliary maintains units throughout the state and sponsors Girls State each summer at Oklahoma City University. Many Oklahoma posts maintain Legion Riders chapters that perform funeral honor missions and ride in parades; one of the more memorable Legion Riders traditions in Oklahoma is the annual procession to the National Memorial at the Oklahoma City bombing site each April 19th.

Notable Oklahoma Veterans in History

Oklahoma's roster of notable veterans is exceptional. The Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I, organized in late 1918, are credited with helping to break the German lines through encrypted Choctaw-language transmissions, an innovation born of necessity in the trenches and one that would inspire the larger Navajo and Comanche Code Talker programs of the next war. The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II, organized at Fort Benning and serving in the European theater, repeated and expanded that legacy and used their language to transmit messages on D-Day and beyond. Pfc.

Ernest Childers, a Creek Indian from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was the first Native American Medal of Honor recipient of World War II for his actions in Italy in 1943. General Tommy Franks, who commanded U.S. Central Command at the start of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, was raised in Midland, Texas, but grew up partly in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and remains closely tied to the state. Astronaut Tom Stafford, an Air Force pilot and Apollo astronaut who flew on Gemini 6, Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and the Apollo-Soyuz mission, was born in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Robert Gaylor, the fifth holder of that senior enlisted title, called Oklahoma home. Senator Robert S. Kerr, a longtime advocate for the state's veterans, served in the Army during World War I. Many Oklahoma Legion posts are named for Medal of Honor recipients and other heroes from their local communities, including posts honoring Korean War and Vietnam War local fallen, and the state continues to honor its tradition of disproportionate Native American service through ceremonies that intertwine military and tribal ritual.

Frequently Asked Questions: Oklahoma Veterans Posts

Sources & Further Reading

• https://oklegion.org/
• https://www.legion.org/
• https://www.vfw.org/
• https://www.amvets.org/
• https://www.dav.org/
• https://www.va.gov/vetdata/
• https://oklahoma.gov/odva.html
• https://www.tinker.af.mil/
• https://sill-www.army.mil/