Army veteran honored at Centennial Celebration

Lifelong Keota resident Olen Thomas (US Army) was honored at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center Centennial Celebration in Muskogee on Sept. 27. Thomas was one of five area veterans that were honored at the event as they were born between April 1923 and Jan. 1924. Thomas will turn 100 on Oct. 21. He was stationed at Ft. Chaffee and served time in Germany from April 1943 to Nov. 1945. Thomas was a prisoner of war for seven months and received the Purple Heart award. He spent 19 years working at the Keota Feed Mill and spent several years as the Haskell County Sheriff. Thomas is sitting in the front row with his wife of 12 years JoAnn Thomas. On the back row, from left, are several of his many grandchildren -  Jessica Foster, Summer Lovell, EJ Thomas, Nick Thomas, Randi Denney and Scott Christopher.

Submitted photo