EVERYDAY HEROES: Local woman tapped for Military Hall of Honor

Mar. 27—A Cherokee County resident was the first woman and civilian to receive an Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor membership on March 26.

The Department of Oklahoma Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Hospital representative, Faye Hammons-Morrison, had an interest with the military that began when her father returned from the World War II Pacific Theater. It continued when her brother later served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame Ambassador Jim Locke said the OKMHF was founded by Vietnam veteran and U.S. Army Two-Star Major Gen. Doug Dollar, of Cookson. The OKMHF has a large gala each year in Oklahoma City, where 12 people are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Locke said that this year, another program, the Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor, was started to spotlight veterans in smaller communities with a history and story to tell.

Locke said Hammons-Morrison is the first woman, Cherokee Native, and civilian to be inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor.

Hammons-Morrison has served the VFW at around 5,000 volunteer hours and for 57 years. Her journey that started when she was 14 years old, as a Tahlequah VFW Post 3707 Junior Girls Unit charter member. Hammons-Morrison continued her work as a full-fledged VFW advocate at 16 years old, and her accomplishments include serving as VFW Post 3707 president, Oklahoma Department of VFW Auxiliary Association president, and the National VFW Auxiliary director of Americanism.

"I started out when I wasn't even old enough to be eligible to get into the hospitals," Hammons-Morrison said. "I went with my mother. She was a Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service volunteer, so back in the day, we could play outside while she went in and did the bingo for the patients. Well, then when I became a member — I was 16 years old and we were allowed to join the auxiliary — I just continued."

Hammons-Morrison said the last Friday of the month in those days was dedicated to playing bingo at the Muskogee Veterans Hospital, where she helped pass out prizes to veterans. Later in her career, she went to the hospital and helped with her mother, something she has continued to do for years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Hammons-Morrison could not go in and visit with the patients during the pandemic, she still dropped off mainly new clothing each month for the veterans. The clothing was funded through a monthly $100 given to Hammons-Morrison by the Department of Oklahoma VFW Auxiliary.

"I'm a hairdresser at the assisted living Heritage Grove right now. It's just part time, but I used to work full time as a hairdresser. Friday would get here and I would think, 'Oh, no. I just can't go over there tonight.' But you get over there, and those gentlemen are so happy to see somebody who was different than a nurse or a doctor," Hammons-Morrison said.

Morrison is the Muskogee Veterans Hospital volunteer services representative, and she still volunteers her time there, as well as with Post 3707.

"I've just always been a patriotic person," Hammons-Morrison said. "My parents were patriotic people, and there's a need and I can do it, so I do."

Teresa Stevenson, Department of Oklahoma VFW Auxiliary president, attended the event to see Hammons-Morrison honored for her service in the organization, a notion for which Stevenson said she was grateful.

"Of course she is passionate about veterans and families, but she does it from the heart and not expecting a commission," Stevenson said.