News

By Jayla Hamilton El Reno High School Junior (Brian Rukes’ AP English 3 class) Emma C. Niemann was in the Women’s Army Corps, also known as the “WAC” during World War II. She was born Sept. 11, 1915, in Oklahoma. She attended Sunnyside Rural School and graduated from El Reno High School in 1935.

Listed are the 44 El Reno Public Schools students whose names are honored on the Memorial Stadium Monument for paying the ultimate sacrifice from service during World War II. The alphabetical list includes ranks and service branches:

George Haynes served in the United States Army in Korea.

James A. Jones served in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1951-1953. PFC machine gunner in the Korean Conflict. He was a DAV. Born March 3, 1933. Died July 7, 2011.

LTC (Retired) AUS Joseph C. Haines Sr. Haines entered military service on Sept. 9, 1940, when he enlisted in the New Jersey National Guard. He entered into federal service on Sept. 16, 1940, when all of the National Guard was mobilized due to the war in Europe.

Thomas E. Pitts died at the age of 74. He earned a number of honors while serving in the U.S. Army. “He was my hero.” — Coe Pitts

Lt. James Warren Hurst served in the United States Air Force in World War II.

Richard M. Preno, Sergeant, U.S. Air Force. Enlisted 1946-1949 — overseas 21 months.

Martin Conrad Peters was born in Okarche on Nov. 10, 1938. I met him in 1959 at Jobe’s Drive-In. We decided to get married Jan. 27, 1961. I was still in high school. We were afraid he was going to get drafted and he did in June. He went to serve his country, I stayed home and went to school.

Howard Hurst was born in Canadian County in 1917. Died in 2008. Served as a combat infantryman during World War II in the Aleutian Islands.