Oklahoma WWII

When we began our Oklahoma World War II Stories project last summer we were prompted to act by Ken Burns’ documentary, The War, and the realization that veterans of the war years are dying at an alarming rate.  So, our ambitious and worthwhile project began.  We were ready to interview Oklahoma veterans and produce stories about their experiences.  What we weren’t ready for was losing one of the veterans we profiled quite so soon.

Sad to say, Dale Luton, USMC, died early Monday morning in his hometown of Tulsa after a short illness.  He was 83.  We learned about Mr. Luton in July when his daughter, Linda Luton Jackson, contacted us about a photograph that Ken Burns was using in the promotion of his documentary.  Linda saw the picture of a solitary soldier in the promotional materials and realized she had seen it before.  More accurately, she had seen the bigger picture that showed five Americans:  one dead on a stretcher and four carrying his body.  The person in the front of picture was her father.  The photograph was in her father’s scrapbook and also in a frame at her parents’ home.  

(above)  Dale Luton, left-foreground, carrying a stretcher with a dead American at Saipan in 1944.   Luton died on October 22, 2007.

We arranged to meet Linda’s father, and interviewed him on August 10, 2007 at his home in south Tulsa.  Photojournalist Boots Kennedye and I spent most of the day with Mr. Luton and his wife, Betty.  He told us about his experiences at Tarawa, Guadalcanal, and Saipan, where the now-famous picture was taken.  We visited over lunch and found out that Dale Luton was quite the star in the retirement village where he lived; even more so after word got out about his new fame.

(above) OETA photojournalist Boots Kennedye photographs Dale Luton looking through his scrapbook on August 10, 2007.

Mr. Luton explained that he was likely the only ambulance driver depicted in the picture who survived the war.  The others, he believed, were killed in a Japanese attack soon after the picture was taken in Saipan in 1944.  Mr. Luton returned to Tulsa by the fall of 1944, got married and launched his career with the Tulsa Fire Department early in 1946.  He spent 32 years at the TFD before retiring in 1978.

We let Ken Burns know about discovering Mr. Luton and word got back to us that Burns wanted to talk to Mr. Luton sometime.  Last week that happened.  With Mr. Luton’s health failing, time was of the essence and we let Ken Burns know.  Just a few days ago, Ken Burns reached Dale Luton, by telephone, and they visited for a few minutes.  Linda tells us they visited about Mr. Luton’s service and sacrifice, and Ken expressed his appreciation.   We were honored to get to know Mr. Luton, as well, and grateful for the opportunity to tell his story.  We will miss him.  

Mr. Luton’s death is another reminder that the men and women of the “greatest generation” will not be with us much longer.   We invite persons with a World War II story to tell to share it through this website, by phone, by mail or by e-mail.      

      Dale Luton (June 13, 1924-October 22, 2007)

A memorial service for Dale Luton will be held on Thursday, October 25, at 1:00 p.m. at the 10th and Rockford Church of Christ in Tulsa.   

Until next time, Dick Pryor 

- Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 at 11:16 am in Guadalcanal, Marines, OETA, Oklahoma News Report, Saipan, South Pacific, Tarawa, The Oklahoman, The War, World War II. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.