Four sites mark 75th anniversary of Will and Wiley’s death

Seventy-five years ago when word reached the United States that Will Rogers and Wiley Post had been killed in an Alaskan plane crash, there was a pause around the world.

Banner headlines proclaimed the deaths, networks went off the air for 30 minutes, and Congress was silent. Wiley Post’s body was brought back to Oklahoma for burial. And 50,000 people passed by the casket of Will Rogers, dead at 55.

Sunday, Aug. 15, the anniversary of their deaths, four memorial tributes are planned simultaneously: Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore; the Will Rogers Ranch in Will Rogers State Historic Park, Pacific Palisades, Calif.; Wiley Post grave and monument in Oklahoma City Memorial Park Cemetery; and Barrow, Alaska, at the site of a monument erected by Oklahomans in 1982.

In Claremore, Will Rogers Memorial Commissioner Jim Hartz will deliver the same eulogy given by the Rev. J. Whitcomb Brougher, a Rogers friend, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in California. Will Rogers’ body was moved to Claremore when a crypt was completed at the Will Rogers Memorial.

Each town as planned special events starting at 4 p.m. (Claremore time).

Below are planned activities:

Claremore:
• Fly-over by Sean Doherty from western Rogers County
• Flag ceremony by Boy Scout Troop 88
• Recognize active duty and retired flying military personnel
• ”America the Beautiful” by Mary West of Oologah
• Eulogy
• Placing of wreath on the family tomb by Will Rogers grandson, Kem, and great-niece, Doris “Coke” Meyer
• Taps played by Mikela Connella, senior and a district honor band member of award-winning Oologah Mustang Band

Memorial Park Cemetery, Oklahoma City
Hosted by Wiley Post Commission
• Fly-over
• Bob Burke, attorney and author of Wiley Post biography; emcee
• Flag ceremony, taps, patriotic music and reading of the eulogy
• Brief remarks by special guests Gen. Will Moore, co-worker and friend of Wiley’s brother, Gordon Post and aviator-retired FAA; Oklahoma Supreme Court Judge Marian Opala, Oklahoma City University law school classmate of Gordon Post

Will Rogers State Historic Park
• Memorial tribute following Dog Iron Polo Cup and Champagne Brunch, tour of home and Friday evening grand re-opening of ranch visitors center and showing of “Mr. Skitch” on the lawn at Will’s house.
• Hosted by Will Rogers Ranch Foundation and Jennifer Etcheverry, great-granddaughter of Will Rogers

Barrow, Alaska
• Tribute at Barrow monument and greeting runners in the Clare Okpeaha Run from the crash site to Barrow.
(In 1935 it took Clare five hours to come the 15 miles to deliver word of the crash.)