Oklahoma event to honor World War II veterans on 80th anniversary of war’s end

As the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II approaches this September, a local company is calling on Oklahoma’s surviving veterans for a special tribute event.

Bison Challenge Coins Hosts September Ceremony in Claremore

Scott Hannaford, founder of Bison Challenge Coins, is organizing the event at the Claremore Veterans Center.

“On September 2nd, we're going to be gathering at the Claremore Veterans Center in Claremore,” Hannaford said. “They've opened their doors to us graciously. And Mission Barbecue has even agreed to cater a nice lunch for our heroes and their families.”

The Legacy Behind Challenge Coins and the ‘Ruptured Duck’

Challenge coins date back to World War II, and Hannaford says they served a unique purpose.

“In World War II, our servicemen would carry little medallions that had their unit insignia on it,” he said, “so that way if for some reason they were captured over enemy lines by one of our allies, they would recognize that emblem and they would be able to get the troop home.”

He added: “I was speaking with my great-uncle, who is a World War II veteran, and he gave me the idea of turning the ruptured duck, which is basically a pin that servicemen would wear when they were discharging from service so that way the MPs wouldn't think they were going AWOL, and he's like, you should turn that into a challenge coin.”

Seeking World War II Veterans Across Oklahoma

“There’s not a lot of veterans from World War II left,” Hannaford said, but he hopes to find and honor as many as possible.

“I just, I want to get them together so that way we can honor them, thank them, because these guys not only, you know, bravely served our nation, they also changed world history,” he said. “I mean, we would not be in the country that we are today without our heroes of World War II.”

Hannaford is encouraging families and caretakers to reach out.

“They can reach out to the company on our Facebook, just Bison Challenge Coins,” he said, “or they can send an email to our company email, which is bisonchallengecoins@gmail.com.”