News from Voices of Oklahoma…

The observance of Veterans Day celebrates the service of all military veterans and Voices of Oklahoma would like to add these Oklahoma voices to this special day.

– Bob Norman: Petty Officer Robert (Bob) Norman was on board the battleship USS Nevada in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. You can hear his story, beginning with chapter 3, here.

– Shawnee Stewart: Shawnee Stewart served in the Army Air Corp during WWII and was a gunner on a B26 Bomber. He was shot down over Germany and he tells that story beginning with chapter four; listen to it here.

– Rex Calvert: In 1945 Rex Calvert was an enlisted man in the Marines and along with the 4th Marine Division he began a 40-day trip to Iwo Jima in 1945. The story is told by Rex beginning with chapter six; listen to it here.

These stories from Voices of Oklahoma represent some of the veterans and those affected by war. You can hear more stories like these by searching for topics on our website and selecting WWII. These actual voices bring us closer to their war experiences.

Thank you for listening to Voices of Oklahoma and for sharing with your friends. Remember to record the oral history of your family; you’ll be glad you did!

The mental health issue of suicide has been pushed to the forefront of our nation’s conversation. Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 per capita in suicide rates. In the early sixties, David Bernstein became the executive director of the Mental Health Association and was an early advocate for suicide prevention by bringing the concept of a suicide hotline to Tulsa. He also established the Suicide Prevention Center which was the first of its kind in the Southwest. Beth Macklin who was the religion writer for the Tulsa World was one of his first volunteers.

In his oral history interview, David Bernstein talks about suicide and comments on this sentence from a letter: “Dear Mary, I hate you, Love John”. Listen here to Chapters 10 and 11.

Be sure to share David Bernstein’s entire story with your friends and family and thank you for listening to Voices of Oklahoma.