US Army in Oklahoma--A True Tale of Cowboys and Indians Part 5

Fort Gibson, 1870's Wikipedia, public domain

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez
Thank you for joining us in our fifth and final article covering the rich and diverse history of the U.S. Army and its effects on the history of the state of Oklahoma. In the last four articles, we have covered how the Army assisted in the Indian Removal Act, the assorted Trails of Tears, the War Between the States, the Southern Plains Indian Wars, and policing the territory during the time of the Land Runs. That was all during the 19th century. Obviously, it was rugged, and at different times, places were quite lawless. During the 20th Century, the Oklahoma Army National Guard assisted in World War I, the Tulsa Race Riots, World War II, and Korea.

First let us say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

After Korea, the 45th Infantry Division, being limited to only citizens of Oklahoma, continued to assist in the recovery actions during several natural disasters, however, they did not see any action during Vietnam. In 1968, due to a paradigm shift in the Department of the Army, the 45th Infantry Division was disbanded and became the 45th Infantry Brigade.

In the intervening years, the 45th has been involved in the conflicts in Bosnia, Gulf War 1 (also known as the Iraq War), and Gulf War 2(also known as the War on Terror—9/11 to present). They have also been involved with the recovery efforts for numerous natural disasters along the home-front, including numerous tornadoes, hurricanes, and acts of terrorism (the Murrah bombing—I did a blog on it and you can find it here).

The U.S. Army has several active posts throughout the state, including but not limited to, Fort Sill, the McAlester Army Ammunitions Plant (and all surrounding facilities), and numerous Army National Guard Posts. According to governing.com there are more than 11,000 active duty Army troops that are currently serving recruited from Oklahoma. Oklahoma has the 3rd highest recruitment rate per capita in the U.S. for the military in general.

Thank you for joining us this month as we have completed our discovery of the U.S. Army and the influence they have had on the history and development of our great state. Join us next month as we delve into the Air Force and their influence on our state.

    Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma. 

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Sisters that Changed History: The Tru'ng Sisters

Blogger: Amber Schamel

Trung Sister's Statue in city of Ho Chi Minh
Photo by CC BY-SA 3.0

This month in our series of Sisters that Changed History, we visit Vietnam during the first century A.D. These two gals are kinda like the Vietnamese Joan of Arc.

Tru'ng Trac and her younger sister, Tru'ng Nhi were born in Gaio Chi (Northern Vietnam) to a military family. As they grew up under the Han Dynasty, Vietnam was under Chinese rule. With their father being the prefect of the county, the two girls were made to study martial arts and war strategy, which they utilized later in life.

At some point, a neighboring prefect came to visit Tru'ng's father. The neighboring prefect's son, Thi Sach, met and fell in love with the eldest daughter and a marriage was arranged.


According to the Vietnamese accounts, the Han Dynasty was a difficult one for the oppressed people. The Chinese overlords were cruel and heartless. Tru'ng Trac's husband made a stand against the Chinese and was executed. The overlords hoped to make an example of him and discourage further rebellion.

It backfired.

Thi Sach's wife and sister-in-law banded together and took over the revolutionary movement, somehow managing to raise a force, which seems to have been mostly women. They marched on the commandary capital Lien Lau. They were victorious and the Chinese commander fled for his life. 

As the year went on, the sisters and their allies captured 65 cities. Tru'ng Trac and Tru'ng Nhi became co-reigning queens of the newly liberated state.

However, their success did not last long. The Emporer of China gathered boats, wagons, and supplies and sent an army to overthrow the two sisters.

The records of their death contradict each other. The most popular claim is that the two drowned themselves in the river to avoid capture, but other tales insist they died while fighting after being abandoned by their fellows, or they were captured and decapitated by the Chinese, one legend even claims they vanished into the sky.

Either way, these two sisters are emblems of freedom and are revered still today in Vietnam. There are many temples erected in their honor, and every year the Vietnamese hold a celebration to remember their valor. Even though they lived over 2000 years ago, the sisters are considered national symbols. Their legacy inspires patriotism and freedom in the Vietnamese people.