By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Richard Hagan and his sister Sandy McMillan are two of the Piedmont Area Veterans Association members who make sure no veterans’ graves are left out on Veterans Day.
There are American flags to put out each year on each known veterans’ grave at Spring Creek Cemetery near N. County Line Road and N.W. 150 southeast of Piedmont, and at the Kansas Cemetery at Morgan Road and N.W. 192. Sandy McMillan is married to Burt McMillan, and Sheila McMillan, Katie Phillips, and Debbie Phillips, of Piedmont this year placed flags out for Veterans Day at the historic Spring Creek Cemetery, established 1889. There are a number of veterans from Piedmont families at rest in the far northwest Oklahoma City cemetery.
“Richard and I are brother and sister,” Sandy McMillan said, standing next to Richard Hagan on a Saturday before Veterans Day at Spring Creek Cemetery. “When we started about eight to 10 years ago, when did we start?” Sandy McMillan asked.
Richard Hagan said, “About 10 years ago now,” Richard Hagan said.
Sandy McMillan continued. “Nobody was doing anything with the cemetery, we had them mow it and then we started placing flags out. They gave us a list of the veterans they knew of and we have added to it in the past and Richard updates the list.”
Richard Hagan said, “I update it annually with what we find so that there are no veterans out here who don’t have a flag.”
Sandy McMillan said, “We try to make that happen.”
Hagan continued, “We are behind a time or two until we can figure out whose here and get them identified, that person identified so we try to insure there are no veterans out here who don’t have a flag on Veterans and Memorial Day.”
Their parents buried at Spring Creek are Earl and Valda Hagan. Earl Hagan was a World War II veteran and Valda Hagan worked as a welder during the war at Fort Sill and trained welders. They had lived in Oklahoma City and Guthrie. Sandy McMillan and Richard Hagan live in Piedmont.
There were about 280 American flags placed on graves at the Spring Creek Cemetery this year, Richard Hagan said. The group used small red wagons to cart the flags around the cemetery to place at graves.
Spring Creek Cemetery is one of the oldest pioneer cemeteries in central Oklahoma. It has been named 89er Cemetery and Benge Cemetery in past times at what is now N.W. 143 and N. County Line Road.
See more photos and read the full story in the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette.
