November 2021

Albert “Dutch” Musser served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from 1945-46.

Musser also served in the Korean War from 1950-54.

Military service in the United States was once more common than it is today.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the draft for military service was ended in 1973, a point in time when 2.2 million men and women made up the country’s active military personnel.

By 2018, the number had dipped below 1.3 million.

Memorial Day and Veterans Day each honor the military, though the two holidays are not the same.

Memorial Day, which is celebrated annually on the last Monday in May, honors the brave men and women who lost their lives while serving in the American military.

Many communities host memorial ceremonies honoring their fallen soldiers on Memorial Day, ensuring such soldiers’ bravery and sacrifices are never forgotten.

Service members make numerous sacrifices in defense of their countries.

While the debts to service members may never be the kind that can be repaid in full, paying tribute to veterans, on Veterans Day and throughout the year, can be a great way to show them just how much their efforts are appreciated.

Veterans Day begins with Armistice Day

Veterans Day is a byproduct of the end of World War I, when Germany and the Allied Nations signed the Treaty of Versailles, formally ceasing fighting and establishing terms of peace.

Captain Aaron Youngheim enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was stationed in the South Pacific as a pilot of a B-24 bomber for approximately four years.

Aaron was a true hero in the South Pacific and to all who knew him.

Estelle Cash is his daughter.

A proposal has been approved to expand a rural water district’s footprint in an area between El Reno and Yukon.

Canadian County commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a petition to annex unincorporated land into the Green Valley Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District. The action came at the end of a 29-minute public hearing.

Attorney Joseph Weaver filed the petition as representative of the water district.

Thousands of residents from El Reno and surrounding communities, both two- and four-legged, converged on downtown over the weekend for the annual El Reno Main
Street Spooktacular.

Dressed in a wide range of Halloween costumes, attendees were treated to candy by area businesses and organizations.

With more support coming through grants and fundraisers, Canadian County’s new domestic violence center will get $44,195 in public funds for its second operating year.

Canadian County commissioners approved the funds for Cardinal Point, which operates a Family Justice Center serving domestic violence victims.

The $44,195 will come from Canadian County’s fiscal year 2022 budget, which takes effect around Nov. 1. It’s exactly $100,000 less than what county commissioners allocated last year.