FORT SILL, Okla., Nov. 29, 2018 -- Fort Sill is the subject of the newest entry in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series of books celebrating the nation's pictorial history.
The publication date of Nov. 26, 2018, seems perfectly timed to coincide with not only the Christmas shopping season, but also the 150-year anniversary of Fort Sill's founding on Jan. 8, 1869.
Whether this was by design or a mere stroke of luck, author Mark Megehee isn't quite sure.
"Good question," he laughed. "I really don't know."
Out of the blue, Megehee got a call from Dr. Boyd Dastrup, command historian for the Army Field Artillery School, who said Arcadia Publishing had contacted him to say that Fort Sill's time had come.
The South Carolina-based firm asked if Dastrup would be interested in producing one of its illustrated books. This one would tell the history of the fort and the community.
Owing to other obligations Dastrup had to decline, but he recommended Megehee for the undertaking.
"I'm very honored and pleased and delighted to do this. I don't consider myself to be the best subject-matter expert, but I do have a good working knowledge of Lawton-Fort Sill, and I've enjoyed my (Fort Sill Museum) career of over 20 years," the author said.
"The fact that it coincides with the 150th anniversary is rather remarkable. I'm very pleased at the way it's coming together," Megehee said.
Signed copies of his "Fort Sill" book will be available at the Fort Sill Post Trading Store, 435 Quanah Road. It is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"I've talked to retired Col. Gene Love, who has been very supportive. He gave me some wonderful advice and went through my manuscript with a fine-toothed comb and did a great job of helping me to move in directions that would encompass a good deal, especially of the more recent events," Megehee said.
Love works with the Armed Services YMCA and is a driving force behind the Friends of Fort Sill, which runs the Post Trading Store and has long been a helping hand to the museums on post.
Megehee credits Love and Dastrup with making sure the product was well-balanced and in keeping with events. Dastrup also penned the book's foreword.
Megehee retired in October 2014, and was active for a few years as a volunteer at Field Artillery Museum events, such as the annual Candlelight Stroll at the Fort Sill Historic Landmark and Museum, schools, and civic groups.
This past spring he and his wife, Georgia, and their daughter, Jocelyn, moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., to be close to family and friends. Jocelyn is now doing well as a freshman at Thunderbird Adventist Academy.
Before this project, Megehee authored the book "Eagles Ascending: An Outline Military History of the Rise of Brandenburg-Prussia, 1600-1700."
He finished his latest book a year ago, before moving to Scottsdale.
"I was fortunate to find so many great images. And I've got to thank the people who run the museums at Fort Sill for their contribution, because they provided the lion's share of the historic photographs," Megehee said.
He credits Frank Siltman, director of museum services; Dr. Scott Neel, director of the Fort Sill Museum; Gordon Blaker, director of the Field Artillery Museum, and their staffs with doing a fantastic job of giving him access to their photo archives.
"I don't know how many hours I put in at the Fort Sill Museum archives and also at the Artillery Museum collections, but I really got some choice images," Megehee said.
The Fort Sill Tribune supported the project by providing contemporary staff photos to illustrate Chapter 7, "The Mission Enhanced."
For the final chapter, retired Lt. Col. Peter Contos, a physical therapist at Reynolds Army Health Clinic, traveled around post with Megehee to capture contemporary images of such historic sites as the Ambrosia Springs Wellhouse (the first building on any Army post to be named for a woman), Geronimo's grave, and Flipper's Ditch.
"Fort Sill has so many amazing places, as well as the interesting people who have been there," Megehee said.
Other photos came from the Morris Swett Library in Snow Hall courtesy of Dastrup and librarian Shelia Duckworth, as well as from Joel McFarland, public affairs officer for Reynolds Army Health Clinic, and John Beemer of the Fires Center of Excellence Office of Protocol.
To put the photos in context, Megehee provided a tightly written introduction to the book as a whole and one-page intros to each chapter.
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