April 10, 2021 Issue, Page 8 of 8

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8 BeckhAM co. April 10, 2021 SWOSU-Sayre History Professor JAil log Creates Civil Defense Display elk ciTy elk ciTy JAil log JAil log Southwestern Oklahoma State University history professor Landry Brewer recently cre- ated a visual reminder of a time when western Oklahomans prepared for nuclear war. The BeckhAM co. display is available for the public to see on the SWOSU-Sayre campus. Courtesy photo. BeckhAM co. JAil log Southwestern Oklahoma anniversary of the 1961 Berlin capable of reaching the United JAil log Five generation family photo taken January 5. Front,David Gathright, 98 of Elk City. State University (SWOSU) his- Crisis war scare, which began States with nuclear bombs. tory professor Landry Brewer when President John F. Ken- “This was the closest that the Left to right in the back are Briggham Headrick, 25 of Italy holding Cash Headrick, 1 created a visual reminder of a nedy met Soviet leader Nikita United States and the Soviet years old, Anita Clayton, 68 of Elk City, Wilma Gathright, 92 of Elk City and David Head- time when western Oklaho- Khrushchev in Vienna, Aus- Union came to nuclear war, rick, 45 of Littleton Colorado. Courtesy photo. mans prepared for nuclear war. tria, that June. Khrushchev and newspapers in Elk City and Last November, Brewer issued a six-month deadline Altus and even the SWOSU helped Elk City’s City Manager, for the United States presence student newspaper in Weath- Tom Ivester, transfer several of the city’s decades-old Cold in the western portion of Ber- lin to end, or the result would erford carried stories about civil defense measures being Help protect your family’s inheritance War civil defense items to the likely be nuclear war. taken to survive,” Brewer said. Oklahoma Historical Society. According to Brewer, Presi- As with the rest of the na- You might contribute to your rule applies. cally called required minimum Using some of the remaining dent Kennedy sent a request to tion, fallout shelters were iden- IRA for decades to help pay for So, if you want to leave your distributions – from your re- artifacts, Brewer created the Congress the following month tified and stocked in western your retirement. But if you IRA to family members who tirement accounts, such as display “Preparing to Survive asking for a massive spending Oklahoma’s cities, including don’t need all the money, you don’t meet any of the above ex- your traditional IRA and your Nuclear Attack: Western Okla- increase for civil defense. eight on the SWOSU campus in may want to leave what’s left ceptions, what can you do? 401(k). If you don’t really need homa Cold War Civil Defense” “The federal government Weatherford. Brewer’s display to your children or grandchil- One possibility is a Roth IRA the money, you can use these in Mackey Hall on the SWOSU began a nationwide program dren. However, if you want to conversion. You could convert includes a 1966 photograph of withdrawals to pay for some campus in Sayre. to identify existing buildings ensure they get the most from a traditional IRA to a Roth campus shelter Stewart Hall, or all of the insurance pre- The display features items to be used as fallout shelters this inheritance, you’ll need to IRA over your lifetime, so your which shows the federal fallout that the federal government and stock them with supplies,” shelter sign on the building’s do some planning. heirs would receive the Roth miums. Life insurance can’t provided to Elk City, including Brewer said. Here’s a little background: IRA. They would still be re- replace an IRA as a means to exterior. water barrels, food, sanitation Brewer also said that shortly Up until a couple of years ago, quired to withdraw the assets save for retirement, though, so kits from the 1960s, radioac- afterward the federal fallout When the Cold War ended af- when you left the proceeds of within 10 years, but unlike you should consult with your tivity monitoring devices, and shelter sign was created to be ter the Soviet Union disbanded your IRA to your beneficiaries, with a traditional IRA, Roth financial advisor to make sure part of a civil defense siren placed on buildings that met in the early 1990s, many civil they could choose to “stretch” IRA withdrawals are generally you are working toward all that would have warned locals the federal government's crite- defense supplies were placed in required withdrawals over a tax-free. These conversions are your goals. of a nuclear attack. ria, and these would be stocked storage and, over time, thrown long period, based on their life taxable, so you’ll want to con- In any case, if you have a siz- “While researching Oklaho- with survival supplies. away. expectancies. These required sult your tax professional in able IRA or you don’t need the ma civil defense a few years ago The Elk City fallout shelter “I’m pleased to be able to withdrawals were generally addition to your financial advi- funds that you’re required to for my book Cold War Oklaho- supplies that Brewer used for preserve some local civil de- taxable, so this “stretch IRA” sor, to determine if this strat- take from your retirement ac- ma, I learned of the steps that his display were a result of this fense artifacts and share them allowed your beneficiaries to egy can help you achieve your western Oklahoma cities took program. with students and the public counts, you may want to start greatly reduce the annual tax- legacy goals. to survive nuclear war, and I October 2022 will be the and remember a time when es due, while benefiting from thinking about what you want Another option is to pur- wanted to share some of this 60th anniversary of the Octo- fear of nuclear war was part of longer tax-deferred growth chase life insurance, which to do with the money. The more visually as we approach impor- ber 1962 Cuban Missile Cri- daily life for western Oklaho- potential. And the younger the can provide a specific dollar thorough your legacy plan- tant Cold War anniversaries,” sis, when President Kennedy mans,” Brewer said. beneficiary, the longer the life amount to your heirs or be ning, the better your chances Brewer said. learned that the Soviet Union The public is invited to view expectancy and the lower the used to help cover additional of meeting your legacy goals. This summer marks the 60th was placing missiles in Cuba the display. withdrawals, so this technique taxes. This may be especially This article was written by Ed- would have been especially advantageous if you are 72 ward Jones provided by Robert valuable for your grandchil- or older, in good health, and Stephens of Edward Jones Finan- dren or even great-grandchil- taking withdrawals – techni- cial Advisor. dren. Changes in laws affecting retirement accounts have sig- nificantly limited the stretch IRA strategy. Now, most non- spouse beneficiaries must Edward Jones, Member SIPC withdraw all assets from the IRA within 10 years of the IRA owner’s death. The beneficiary d Jones | 2014 W. 3rd | Elk City, OK 73644 generally does not have to take out any money during that 10- year period, but at the end of Robert Stephens | F (580) 225-3156 | r it, the entire balance must be re- |(580) withdrawn – and that couldephens 225-3156 Financial Advisor | [email protected] sult in a pretty big tax bill. The stretch IRA strategy can still be used for surviv- ing spouses, beneficiaries who are no more than 10 years younger than the deceased IRA Russ Real estate & land auctions owner, and beneficiaries who www.russrealestate.net are chronically ill or disabled. Elk City Senior Braylen Glancy committed to Tulsa Welding School to further his educa- Minor children of the original tion next year. 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