November 9, 2022 Issue, Page 16 of 17

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November 9, 2022 tasked with that, that’s just over and over again. That is what hap- pens in the Marine Corps, and it just keeps it kind of exciting.” Continued from page 8. McAbee, and a lot of them did not ‘The young Marine was proud to to meet a lot of great people. I come home. He is appreciative serve his country and repeatedly still have some good friends that of where he lived and his deploy- said he would do it again. It was I spend some time with, but obvi- ments. making himself available if some- ously we were never getting shot “Tam very blessed with my time in thing bad happened, and being at so that was always a bonus. the Marine Corps, and Ijoined the able to go take care of it seemed to ‘There are downers to everything, Marines with a certain purpose. be his drive or his purpose. too. ButI would do it again tomor- Thope I did what I was supposed “Tt was all pretty simple for me. row,” he noted. to do, Overall we called it, ‘Em- You just show up, do what you are McAbee said the best place he bracing the suck.’ It seemed like told to do the best you can do it, went was on his 20th birthday in the worst times were somehow and get up and doit again the next Hong Kong, China. He had fun the best times. Just the times you day. Iwas raised that way. It wasn’t there. It was one of the tallest cit- were the most miserable, some- an adjustment for me. It was a ies in the world and everything how became esprit de corps. You kind of urgency. The hard part was was sky. His last unit was the best rally around each other and turnit being away from my family. You go part of the marines. He was with into something different,” he said. weeks without a phone call or let- them for two and a half years. McAbee went on to explain an ex- ter, in the middle of nowhere, it is “Those guys were a really solid ample of the worst and best times, hard,” he said. group. I have a big picture of them “When we were in Okinawa, we McAbee met his wife, Kammie, be- ‘on my wall. We actually just went showed up, and all of our vehicles fore his first deployment and dat- to a wedding of one of my best ‘were on operational. We had to ed through it for a year and a half. friends in Idaho a couple week- be ready in two weeks to get on a When he returned home, they got ends ago who was in the Marine ship. We worked 24 hours a day, married shortly after that, and Corps. Carl Fisher is his name. We working in shifts. It was 105 and then he left again. He described were pretty inseparable. A guy I 100 percent humidity, dang near. her as a young, good-looking met at the airport on the way to It was miserable conditions. But 19-year-old who hung around for boot camp, we were in the same we got our vehicles up and run- abad-looking Marine. anybody, and they're watching the father is Shannon McAbee. He has Second to his wife and child, it is platoon from the day we got in, ning, got on ship, and executed “Alot of times the spouses and the news. That anxiety affects them one sister Sicily George and one the best thing he has ever done, to the day we got out. His name is the mission. So it did suck so bad families get overlooked, and it’s brother, Chase McAbee. with no regrets. Zack Moore. We went everywhere while it was going on. But you're just as much a sacrifice for them. just as much as it does the Ma- As it stands today, McAbee re- together. I pulled it twice with the with the guys and you're grinding Obviously, they're not the ones rine,” McAbee said. mains a Marine, “Semper Fidelis,” same guys, that doesn’t happen a it out, and you finally reach that grinding it out. But they sit there McAbee and his wife are now par- whole lot,” he said. mission readiness and accomplish and worry. They don't know what's ents to seven-year-old Palmer. His A lot of Marines had it worse than what you set out to do. You're going on. They haven't talked to mother is Alexis McAbee and his ay H.L. “Buddy” Beutler Henry Leon “Buddy” Beutler was born on July 28, 1926 northeast of Elk City. He graduated from Canute High School in 1944. He was a member of the United States Army 2" Cavalry and served as part of the Occupation Forces in Japan in 1946. He and his wife Faye (Driver) had two children—Lea Ann and Randy. Buddy and his father farmed and ranched northeast of Elk City until Buddy’s deatt on January 11, 1976. J Joe Curtis Eakins Joe Curtis Eakins was born on December 7, 1918 to George and Della Eakins in Hammon, Oklahoma. He was raised in the Strong City/Hammon Area and attended New Site and Union Center Schools. Joe entered the United States Army on July 11, 1941 and is said to have been the first man to enlist in Roger Mills County. He served as a Medical Technician and did service in the Philippines. He was Honorably Discharged on December 26, 1945. He was awarded the American Defense Service Ribbon, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Star, and the Good Conduct Medal. Joe married Betty Dow on September 20, 1951 and they had three sons—Michael, George, and Billy Joe. Elk City’s retired SWOSU English teacher Judy Haught has writ- ten two books about the area’s veterans. The two are available for purchase at Paul Jones Drug, Gallery @112 in Sayre, Amazon or Blurb.com. For more information about purchasing one of the “ cl books contact Haught at 580-799-0245.