Comanche Indian Veterans Association Celebrates Armed Forces Day
Comanche Indian Veterans Association held an Armed Forces Day banquet on Saturday, May 20, and a Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 29.
Commander of CIVA Kevin Pohawpatchoko said Armed Forces Day was to recognize the men and women who are serving.
“We had two veterans that were honored for their service to our country,” he said. “They agreed to be honored, so we read their biography and awarded them a plaque. What was unique on one of them was that he was a graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. We hardly have that many Comanche Nation members that go into the academies and the armed forces, and he was one of them.”
He said several organizations were invited to the banquet to educate them about CIVA and honor those who are serving.
“We do a lot of invitations to the community to show them what we do behind closed doors or behind a curtain. They don't see us going out there, going to the hospitals, paying visits, going to homes, visiting our veterans, or going to their homes, doing a prayer service, doing funeral honors,” Pohawpatchoko said. “Not only the funeral honors, but then helping with the funeral, which we do provide a service for our veterans, in which the families come to us for advice, how they want to proceed on a funeral of a loved one, especially the military portion of it, which we can provide the military honors for our deceased veterans.”
He said Memorial Day was to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“We have 13 tribal members that served World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam War, and recent there in Iraq,” Pohawpatchoko said. “They paid and supported our lives for our freedoms, and we're here to honor them in that way. Plus, we have members that died while on active duty, non-combat, in which we do honor.”
He said they also honor the veterans who have died since last Memorial Day.
Pohawpatchoko said both events are important.
“Armed Forces Day is very important to me because it's honoring the men and women who are serving as our protectors right now. So they are in the front lines,” he said. “And within Memorial Day, it's very important to honor those who really paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
He was able to go to France to Normandy Beach, where Comanche Code was first broadcasted.
“It's an honor and a privilege to step on that beach,” Pohawpatchoko said. “It's like the communication was transferred over to the land and also the landing of our forces there. But there's a lot of blood that was shed, and it's just sacred ground. It was an honor to be there on that sacred ground.”
In three years, CIVA will be 50 years old.
“We never thought we'd reach this far within the organization in the 50th year. We're planning something big,” Pohawpatchoko said. “Still in the planning stages. We're 47 years old. In three more years, it'll be the big 50.We're planning something big for a celebration.”
Comanche Nation Chairman Mark Woommavovah, Vice Chairman Cornel Pewewardy, CIVA Princess Arlene Schonchin and City of Lawton Mayor Stan Booker attended the event.
