​Events of Interest to the Artillery OCS Community
 
Date: Saturday November 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM

Artillery Officer Candidate School Heritage Hall Ribbon Cutting

At this time, we do not know exactly how the Ribbon Cutting will be conducted.
Here is what we anticipate based on what we know:

A 10:00 a.m. Field Artillery Museum Tour (by invitation only) hosted by Museum Curator Gordon Blaker will conclude prior to the Ribbon Cutting. The tour is for the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame Inductees Class of 2024 and their families as well as other VIPs. (Please see the Notice below about the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame).

We expect the museum tour participants and those planning to attend the lunch will gather outside in the Heritage Hall Courtyard near the two artillery pieces for the 11:00 am Heritage Hall Ribbon cutting.

It is probably not a good idea for the lunch crowd to be inside the classroom while the Patriot Club and Field Artillery Association staff prepares for the lunch event. Anyone inside would need to exit the building, avoid the ribbon, gather in the courtyard for a few minutes and then go back inside after the ribbon is cut, for lunch and whatever else transpires from then until 12:30 p.m.

The lunch event is described as a Light Lunch Buffet in the new Artillery OCS Heritage Hall with fellow OCS Alumni, Field Artillery Hall of Fame Inductees, US Field Artillery Association Board Members and Fort Sill Leadership.

The ribbon cutting and the invitation extended to the Artillery OCS Alumni is an add-on to the original event for U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame Inductees, Field Artillery Association BOD and Fort Sill Leadership.  and we appreciate the opportunity that we have been afforded.

You must register to attend this event:
https://www.fieldartillery.org/events/ocsmuseumlunch

NOTICE: The U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame is administered by the U.S. Field Artillery Association. All nominees must be living at the time of nomination. 

Three Artillery OCS graduates are honored in the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame:
General Jack N. Merritt (Class 35-53).
General Tommy R. Franks (Class 5-67).
Major General Leo J. Baxter (Class 6-70).
      
From the U.S. Field Artillery Association website: 
"The United States Field Artillery Hall of Fame was designed to recognize, with distinction, a wider array of Field Artillery men and women, across various branches, of assorted ranks, and civilians or volunteers who have contributed greatly to the branch. There was also a need to recognize those former Red Legs, who served and then, using the core values of the FA, went on to reach the top levels of their chosen profession. While the HOF is not as illustrious as the Musical Tattoo, this platform allows us to honor more than one inductee each year, from a wider field of qualified candidates. In future years, the Tattoo Honoree will automatically be inducted into the HOF."

The 2024 Inductees are:
  LTG (Ret) David D. Halverson, US Army
  LTG (Ret) Gary Cheek, US Army
  MG (Ret) Guy Bourn, US Army
  Col (Ret) Michael Marletto, US Marine Corps
  Hon Brian Birdwell, LTC (Ret), US Army
  LtCol (Ret) Michael Grice, US Marine Corps
  CWO5 (Ret) David Thomas, US Marine Corps
  CW4 (Ret) Richard Wilkinson, US Army
  SMMC (Ret) Ronald Green, US Marine Corps
  CSM (Ret) Harold Shrewsberry, US Army
  Mrs. Constance McDonald
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The 2024 Musical Tattoo and U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame Induction Dinner 
is Saturday, November 2, 2024 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CDT)
at the Hilton Garden Inn Lawton, Oklahoma.

You must register to attend this event:
https://www.fieldartillery.org/events/2024hofdinner