May 10, 2023 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving ; Western Oklahoma a Since 1901 Wednesday, May 10, 2023 The Family of Carl Miller’s to Receive Professional Basketball Coming to Arrowhead Honorary Diploma Center bravery and wrote him up for the Bronze Star. Hare wanted the By Sheryl Ponce family to have something to remember and honor him. There were two Silver Stars and a Medal of Honor given to three of the men who died in the Kilo Company, 3/7 Marines. Mark May 13th as the first opportunity to see the Oklaho- ‘The group was engaged by an enemy force while on a sweep ma Panthers play the Texas Warriors battle on the basketball through an open rice paddy. The ferocity of the fight caused 18 court in the Arrowhead Center. Tickets can be purchased in ad- men to lose their lives. vance, and prices vary depending on the location of the seats. Miller left high school to join the Marines during the Viet- ‘They are also looking for sponsors for the event. nam War. He had been in the service for 15 months when trag- An official sponsor would be a $750 donor to be the headline edy struck, Miller was born May 29th, 1949, to Mrs. Gertude sponsor for the game. They will be recognized throughout the and Lewis Miller. He had four sisters, Mrs. Patsy Nance, Wanda, game over the public address system and online broadcasting. Linda, and Jackie Miller of Elk City and three brothers, Jimmy, ‘They will also have courtside seats. Joe, and Larry Miller also of Elk City. There is also an opportunity for four Timeout Sponsors. According to Miller’s obituary, he was given full military rites ‘These sponsors will be recognized during each timeout through- by Headquarters Battery, 4th FAG and 8th 155MM Gun Battery of the United States Marine Corps of Norman with Maj. C.J. out the game and have eight courtside tickets. Westof, Chaplain. He was buried Sat. Aug. 10th, 1968, at Fair- ‘The Timeout Activity Sponsor will cost $250, and there are lawn Cemetery in the care of Martin Funeral Home. The Rev. four spots available for this sponsorship. The Timeout Activity Mearl Moore officiated. Sponsor will be recognized during the timeout activity over the By Sheryl Ponce Lance Corporal Carl Robert Miller's name appears on the PA and will get four baseline tickets for their donation. Nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal Carl Miller died July 28, Vietnam Memorial Wall. He is on Panel WSO, Line 26. His infor- Doors will hope at 5 p.m. that Sat. evening, For more infor- 1968, while patching up one of his friends duringa battle in Viet- mation can also be seen on www. virtualwall.org. He began his mation call 580-303-4140 or go to arrowheadeelkcity.com. nam. He was with 18 other young men who also lost their lives tour on Oct. 30, 1967, and passed away at Quang Nam Province, that night. Because Miller went into the Marines his senior year South Vietnam as a ground casualty from a hostile encounter by in high school, he did not get his high school diploma. After 55 gun or small arms fire. years, Elk City Public Schools will present his family with an hon- ‘The other 18 young men who were lost in the fight were 2ndLt ovary diploma during the Elk City High School graduation, May William S. Smoyer, Princeton, NJ, SSgt David L. Brooks, Limona, 14th, FL, HM3 Wayne M. Caron, Middleboro, MA (Medal of Honor) According to LCpl Eugene L. Hare, Jr., Kilo Company, Miller (H&S with K/3/4), Cpl Edward J. Downs, Washington, DC (Sil- was a Marine and died helping defend his country. Hare was a ver Star), Cpl Philip L. Gosselin, Topeka, KS, Cpl Daniel E. Lloyd, gunner and a machine gunner with Miller who was also a gunner and his friend. Hare sent a letter of sympathy to Miller's family Astoria, OR, Cpl Anthony C. Pino, Elmsford, NY, LCpl George S. shortly after his death. Johnson, West Covina, CA, LCpl Douglas M. Kelly, Dickinson, “| wish my deepest sincerity for your brother. Carl was shot ND, LCpl Robert C. Lee, Shreveport, LA, LCpl James C. Markel, once by an AK47 and wasn’t hurt, so while I kept our gun going, Coatesville, PA, LCp] Raphael J. Rendon, Washburn, IA, Cpl John Carl put a bandage on me and then started patching up other R. Serrano, New York, NY (Silver Star), LCpl Richard E. Urban, guys,” Hare wrote. Stratford, CT, Pfc John M. Lancaster, Louisville, KY, Pvt John E. He added that he thought Miller deserved something for his Rice, Fort Smith, AR, and Pvt John J. Till, Pasco, WA. RCCT Preparing Thriller ‘Wait Until Dark’ and Benjamin Dobbs. The show is unique in the sophisticated set, Pictured are three Spirit Riders from the left are Elk in that it is done almost entirely in the dark, along with a sto- City’s Cadlyn Smith, 2022, Rob Bomhoff, 2023, and ryline that is not for young audiences. Additionally, the directors 2024 Abigail Thomas. Courtesy photo. warn that there will be screaming, and even some blood on stage. Elk City’s Abigail Thomas ‘The play was made into a movie in the 1967, staring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Julie Herrod, Efrem Zim- balist, Jr., and Jack Weston. It is said to be an American psycho- logical thriller directed by Terence Young and produced by Mel Ferrer. Most of the cast is new to the RCCT stage. They include Named OSU Spirit Rider Shaden Foresman who plays Mike Talman, Josh Barnett plays By Sheryl Ponce Sgt. Carlino, Alex Duke plays Harry Roat, Jr., Ciria Duke plays Susy Hendrix, Zach Perry will be Sam Hendrix, Emily Barnes will be Gloria, and the policemen will be played by Ryle Yeager, Wade Another local girl, Abigail Thomas, will be riding OSU's black Shower, and Harrison Wheeler. beauty, Bullet, across the football field when the season begins “This group of actors have been on point. We cast them, and in the fall. She is following last year’s Spirit Rider Rob Bomhoff, then we had a week where we had to go work in Texas. We said, and in 2021 Elk City’s Cadlyn Smith. It was Smith who inspired ‘Learn your lines’ And boy did they ever rock that,” Benjamin her to be on the Spirit Rider team in her sophomore year and said. guided her through the process. Once the directors returned to the theatre, the cast was ready “I wanted to do that (be the Spirit Rider) ever since I saw that to learn blocking. They had their lines learned, and because it is Cadlyn (Smith) was on the team. She was a couple years ahead avery physically challenging production, they have been ready to of me, and she always posted about it and talked about it. She start the next phase of rehearsals. talked about all these amazing experiences that she had on the “These are new faces to the theater, and they are excited. They have so much energy, they work together, and they mesh with team and on the field” Thomas explained. everybody,” Christy continued. She continued the story about how she tracked down the Because the cast is small, they have become an intimate group application and realized that she could not apply until she fin- that have become friends. One character does not upstage anoth- ished her freshman year. Thomas kept her eye on the target, and Christy Russsell Dobbs and Benjamin Dobbs, director. er one because each person plays an important role in the play. asked questions whenever she could about the team. “It's going to be a great show. Ciria (Duke who plays the blind “At the end of my freshman year, I talked to Cadlyn again. By Sheryl Ponce Susy) is so good you can’t tell that she can see, She has a really She gave me the application and gave me some pointers. She nice conversational voice onstage. But also, she’s willing to get to talked me through how the process would work. I tried out and ‘The Red Carpet Community Theatre is currently in rehearsals the top of the emotions. She has the perfect gait that is perfect got on the team that year. I got to watch Cadlyn ride that whole for Frederick Knott’s two act play, “Wait Until Dark.” The show for the part, playing a blind person,” Christi said. year. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I would love to do that,” Thomas was first presented by Fred Coe at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre ‘The directors said that Emily Barnes plays the part of a teen- said. in NYC in 1956. It is a thriller story about a housewife who re- ager that helps her blind neighbor with a lot of sass. As she watched Smith through her year as Spirit Rider, she cently became blind and unknowingly has a doll filled with drugs. “Tt’s an amazing cast. They have surprised me,” Benjamin said. Because Susy Hendrix is a blind woman, there will be times saw how it would be a once in a lifetime experience. It might be She is conned into helping a criminal into giving up the doll, but she launches a counterplot against the crooks with the help of a that the only light on stage are matches that lights their way, so something that she could never do again, once she graduated. young neighbor. See Thriller page 2. See Spirit page 2. ‘This production is being co-directed by Christy Russell-Dobbs «AQUA Weather tomorrow 85 / 63 Vol. 120, No. 40 75 cents, 8 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com