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Apr 4, 2006

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ELGIN VETERAN HONORED FOR BATAAN SERVICE
The Comanche County Chronicle, OK

Ten Oklahoma teenagers from Thunderbird Youth Academy of Pryor, Oklahoma marched in uniform for 26.2 miles at the 17th annual Bataan Death March Memorial, held in the desert town of White Sands, New Mexico on Sunday, March 26. As they returned to Oklahoma, they stopped in Elgin to honor a former Bataan Death March survivor Elmer "Lloyd" Parks and meet his widow, Naeoma.

The students, Samantha Barnes, Lisa Bingham, Nicholas Chandlee, Corby Christian, Kelcee Cooley, Benjamin Flores, Kolton Harper, Wesley Hartsfield, Joshua Hood and Alexander Nazar joined with area veterans Ira Whitaker, Scotty Ambrose, Mike Gabbard, Perry Tate, Ford Bowen, and Rudy Hightower to honor Parks. As the American flag was raised the students stood in formation and saluted the flag, then presented Mrs. Parks, who was joined by her neice Susan Meadows of Wichita Falls, Texas, with mememtos of the march. Each student stood in file shaking hands with Mrs. Parks, Mrs. Meadows and each veteran.

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