KCA Veterans Powwow to honor home guard

Joining with Armed Forces Day, the Kiowa, Comanche, Apache (KCA) Indian Veterans Organization is hosting its 5th Annual Veterans Powwow.

The event at the Great Plains Coliseum Expo Center, 920 S. Sheridan, on Saturday celebrates not only the American veterans, “our warriors,” who protect the nation at the risk of their own lives but also those loved ones who stay behind to support their sons and daughters in volatile times, said Knox Takawana, KCA officer.

“These true heroes provided the prayers, the love and the strength for our warriors to perform their duties,” he said. “Our mothers, our fathers, and our families will be honored this year.”

This means there will be a special gourd dance conducted for each branch of the military and everyone is encouraged to dance with their brothers and sisters-in-arms, Takawana said.

“This is always a favorite of our vets and members of each branch get to stand and help sing and cheer,” he said. “There might be a little healthy rivalry when this takes place, but you can bet when all songs are concluded, they cheer for each other.”

For those veterans who paid the supreme sacrifice and never returned from war, a song will be performed in their honor, according to Takawana.

“’Taps’ will be rendered at the close of these songs in a way that brought tears to this veteran’s eye and many more last year,” he said. “You need to be there.”

This year’s honorees are Robert W. “Corky” Poolaw and Ramona Goombi, both Kiowa, said Blas Preciado, KCA officer. Other honorees are Cheryl Takawana, Mison Noriega, Lisa Lookingglass, Christa Killsfirst, Diana Brice and Dana Aitson, Comanche; and Kenny Williams, Apache.

Preciado said there were only biographies and photos of the two Kiowa honorees provided and available.

•Ramona Rae (Pena) Goombi is the daughter of the late Carmeletta Quetone Wahnee and the late Raymond Pena and was married to the late Marlin Goombi Sr. Her father was a Marine Corps veteran and her husband, Marlin Sr., was in the

Army where he served as a combat medic during the Vietnam War. All four of her sons served in the military. She serves as treasurer for the Kiowa Tia-Piah Society, as an officer in the Carnegie Victory Club and is an active member of the KCA Veterans Auxilairy.

•Robert W. (Corky) Poolaw is the son of the late Horace Monroe and Winnie Chisholm Poolaw. He enlisted in the Marine Corps July 1956 and was discharged August 1960. He served in the communication/electronics field. During this time he qualified for and ran in the all-Marine track and field meets in the 800 meter run.

After attending Cameron University and Southwestern State colleges, Poolaw received a degree in secondary education. He also ran the mile and was Oklahoma collegiate champion in those events.

Poolaw reentered the Marine Corps in August 1964. And was a Platoon Commander during the Vietnam War before serving duty at the Pentagon for the Department of Defense before becoming a Company Commander in 1972, and in 1974, the Director of Staff at the Non-commissioned Officer Leadership Academy. His service continued until retiring in 1987 from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

From 1988 to 2004, Poolaw was employed as a civilian employee at Tinker Air Force Base with the Defense Information Service Agency

All are welcome to attend Saturday’s ceremonial event, Takawana said.