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Military and Veterans Bands

97th Army Band

Fort Sill1950Military band
Documented history with gaps
Master record027

Image status

Photograph withheld

C: Rights confirmation required — not cleared for publication.

How image decisions work

Documented overview

A 1950 newspaper photograph documents Fort Sill's 97th Army Band and the arrival of director Warrant Officer Adam P. Shpakowsky. The live archival metadata further states: Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Fort Sill's 97th Army band got a new director this week when W / O Adam P. Shpakowsky arrived from Bremerhaven, Germany, where he was band leader for the 421st Army."

Documented history with gaps. The record supports a public history, with important limitations stated on the page.

History

Identity and chronology

A 1950 newspaper photograph documents Fort Sill's 97th Army Band and the arrival of director Warrant Officer Adam P. Shpakowsky. The live archival metadata further states: Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Fort Sill's 97th Army band got a new director this week when W / O Adam P. Shpakowsky arrived from Bremerhaven, Germany, where he was band leader for the 421st Army."

Leadership

A 1950 newspaper photograph documents Fort Sill's 97th Army Band and the arrival of director Warrant Officer Adam P.

Sponsorship and participation

97th Army Band is treated as a military or veterans ensemble under the unit, post, ship, or veterans affiliation stated in its name and evidence. The packet does not infer a different command relationship or uninterrupted unit lineage.

Adult or plausibly adult; exact participation model may remain unverified.

Activity

A 1950 newspaper photograph documents Fort Sill's 97th Army Band and the arrival of director Warrant Officer Adam P. Shpakowsky. The image is evidence of the depicted occasion or group, not proof of a founding date or continuous operation.

Why this band matters

Named military unit, lineage, or veterans organization with durable Oklahoma evidence.

Evidence timeline

What the sources establish

  1. Documented evidence

    A 1950 newspaper photograph documents Fort Sill's 97th Army Band and the arrival of director Warrant Officer Adam P. Shpakowsky. The live archival metadata further states: Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Fort Sill's 97th Army band got a new director this week when W / O Adam P. Shpakowsky arrived from Bremerhaven, Germany, where he was band leader for the 421st Army."

    Source 1

Current research decision

What the wording does—and does not—claim

No material contradiction is resolved by assumption. For 97th Army Band, 1950 is treated as the documented evidence span, not automatically as a founding date, closing date, or proof of continuous operation.

What remains unknown

For 97th Army Band: active span, membership, directors, and later status remain to be researched.

Evidence

Sources

1 of 1 listed live source link resolved during the September 3, 2026 audit. Gateway metadata checked: Primary: “[Photograph 2012.201.B1243.0385]” — Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Fort Sill's 97th Army band got a new director this week when W / O Adam P. Shpakowsky arrived from Bremerhaven, Germany, where he was band leader for the 421st Army."

  1. The Gateway to Oklahoma History item

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