Attend "Patriots in the Park" on May 17

to Honor Our Military and Their Families!

MOST DECORATED COMANCHE

United States Air Force Master Sergeant (Retired) Lonnie (Torralba) Henderson has earned the distinction of being the most decorated Comanche veteran, having earned 65 decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons.

He served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard from 1956-1959, and retired from the Air Force after serving from 1959-1986. Henderson was on a 105mm gun crew with B Battery, 158th Field Artillery Battalion, 45th Infantry Division, based in Anadarko while serving in the National Guard.

In the Air Force he served in the intelligence field as a ground and airborne cryptographic linguist. Henderson is qualified in Russian, Vietnamese and German. He saw duty in Vietnam, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Japan and Panama and flew reconnaissance missions in the along the West German/East German/Czechoslovakian borders, in the Baltic, Barents, White, Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean seas, the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea and over Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Gulf of Mexico, against Grenada and various areas of Central America. His only stateside assignment was at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

He has more than 1,000 combat flight hours and more than 5,000 hours of combat and combat support hours in C-130 and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft. He has also logged a few mission on the AWACS aircraft.

Henderson retired a second time from the Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb. He is from the Grey Mountain family and lives with his British-born wife, Hazel, in Washita, west of Anadarko.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (19), Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal (7), National Defense Service Medal, Combat Readiness Medal (4), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Grenada), Vietnam Service medal with three Campaign Stars, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (9) with the V for Valor Device, Air Force Long Tour Ribbon (6), NCO Professional Education Graduate Ribbon, Small Arms Expert Rifle Ribbon, Cold War Service Medal, Basic, Senior and Chief Aircrewmember Badges and the Combat Crew Badge. He has also received the Comanche Nation Honorable Service medallion and the Comanche Nation Combat Service Medallion.