June 27, 2026 Issue, Page 10 of 10

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NEWS 10• SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2026 The Elk City News motorcycle division. CAR Larry Snider, #133, Clinton, won the Best Interior; Mark White- Continued from page 1 skunk, #148, Sayre, won Best Paint; CJ Cook, #111, won Best Engine; #95, Altus, first place. Custom and Ken Pool, #146, Double Oak, trucks winners were Mike Keyes, Texas, won the person who Trav- #30, Elk City, second place and eled the Farthest. The downtown CJ Cook, #111, Weatherford, first Window (decorated) Winners were place. 580 Threads, third place; The Attic The Stock Motorcycle winners Door, second place; and The Coo- were Cody Taylor, #63, second Coo Swan, first place. place and Jessica Patterson, #42, The car show was the largest Elk City, first place. Modified Mo- in the Route 66 Festival history. torcycle winners were Ralph Garza, Although it was hot, the crowds #126, second place and Matt Lu- walked around Ackley Park check- cas, #37, first place. In the Peoples’ ing out the cars, voting for the Peo- Choice the winners were Dave ples’ Choice, and stopping at the Beck, #75, in the cars division; vendors shopping for food or other Mike Keyes, #30, in the truck di- wares. It was a grand weekend. vision; and Matt Lucas, #37, in the Always Faithful Farm Boy Honored by the President It’s hard enough to fly a heli- State Fair in Oklahoma City my fire and evacuating more than declared Col. Herbert Fix Day in copter expertly in ideal circum- where he saw the Blue Angels, the 5,000 American and Vietnamese Oklahoma. stances. U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration civilians and others from Phnom He is seen in this January 24, Herbert Fix did it while being Squadron. That’s when he knew Penh, Cambodia, and Saigon, 1979, photo with Vice President shot at. he wanted to fly. South Vietnam, when those cities Walter Mondale while being hon- The 1952 Merritt High School After college he joined the fell to Communists at the end of ored at the White House. graduate was born in Elk City and United States Marine Corps and the Vietnam War. Fix retired as a Colonel in 1982. raised on an area farm. He grad- became an aviator. Fix flew for more than 15 He was inducted into the uated from SWOSU in 1956 with Fix eventually commanded a straight hours. SWOSU Distinguished Alumni an education degree as a biology Marine Air Control squadron and For his superb actions in the Hall of Fame in 2014. and physical education major and two CH-53 helicopter squadrons. heroic evacuation, President of Fix died in 2021 and was bur- business minor. He flew in Vietnam. the United States Gerald Ford ied with full military honors at He later earned a master’s de- During his service with the Ma- awarded Fix the 1975 Harmon Cape Canaveral National Ceme- gree in business from Auburn rines, Fix was awarded the Bronze International Trophy, given an- tery in Mims, Fla., near the Ken- University. Star, Meritorious Service Medal, nually to the world’s outstanding nedy Space Center. During his senior year of col- and several Air Medal awards. aviator. The U.S. Marine Corps motto lege at Weatherford, a trip to the His most outstanding contri- Elk City honored Fix with a “Semper Fidelis” is Latin for “Al- state capital changed his life. bution was expertly leading his parade and gave him the key to ways Faithful.” Fix attended the Oklahoma helicopter squadron through ene- the city. June 21, 1977, was also Congratulations to Clifford Jackson winner of our Father’s Day gift Keenan Jackson, pictured Clifford recently retired from with his dad Clifford Jackson, the Oklahoma National Guard submitted his dad’s photo for after 37 years of service and our annual Father’s Day give- is employed by the City of Elk away through the Elk City News. City. Clifford was the recipient of a 5 He and his wife Melissa gallon bucket of gifts which to- have 2 grown children, a son taled just over $425. Those gifts Keenan and a daughter Brian- were thoughtfully provided by na Beets and they are the proud our generous businesses here in grandparents of one grandson, Elk City. Grayson Beets.