The Oklahoma Home Guard

I have a copy of a very old document. At the top, just above the seal of the Great State of Oklahoma, are the words “The Oklahoma Home Guard”. Below that seal is the name of my grandfather, Levi Latty.  Pappy Latty had been too old to go to the Great War so he along with many other men joined the Home Guard. They drilled in defense tactics just in case the enemy invaded American soil. The paper I have is a copy of the honorable discharge paper my grandfather received after the war ended.

My mother wrote an amusing account that happened during the time of World War I. She was probably 11 or 12 years old. The following is a quote from Remembering Etta Bend. The words are my mother’s, Susie Latty Day:

“Alice had married and her husband, Charlie Vanderpool, was in the army. Alice continued to live with us while Charlie was away. 

I was scared to death of German spies. Our dear old friend, Granny Bohannon, was staying with us. Her tales of Bushwhackers were fresh in my mind. One night I was dreamily drumming my fingers across the safe in the dining room as Granny went on about the terrors of the Civil War in general and bushwhackers in particular. I did not see Alice lay her dish towel across the rack and slip out of the house through the front door.

Suddenly from the corner of my eye, I saw a long, round something slide across the screen door.

“German spies! German spies!” I yelled, knocking over my chair and bolting for the living room.

Papa grabbed his rifle from its place over the front door and sprinted to the dining room. Grandma Bohannon, though nearly deaf, had no trouble hearing me. She dashed out of the kitchen right behind me. Georgia and Henry clung to Mama while she tried to shush me.

Alice had been unable to get back into the kitchen because I had locked the screen earlier. She hurried around the house, through the front door and found the family in an uproar. She had only meant to play a joke on me. She had no idea I would think the broom handle was a gun. It was only in later years I found it funny. But my family never let me forget ‘German spies’.”