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Military and Veterans Bands

First Oklahoma Infantry Band

Also documented as: Old First Oklahoma Infantry Band · First Oklahoma Regiment Band

Fort Sill; Camp Bowie, Fort Worth1917; disorganized by March 1918Military infantry band
Documented history with gaps
Master record148
Newspaper clipping from The Daily Oklahoman, September 29, 1917, page 5, documenting First Oklahoma Infantry Band.

Operational evidence

Oklahoma's Band Led by Boy

Sergeant Francis Mockel, age twenty-one, directed the band after five and one-half months of development. It rehearsed at Fort Sill, performed around Lawton and Medicine Park, and moved with the regiment to Camp Bowie in August 1917.

The Daily Oklahoman, September 29, 1917, p. 5. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.

NEWS-013 · High confidence · 2770 × 3306 JPEG

Underlying newspaper issue published before 1923; public-domain publication. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, and Gateway credit retained under current Gateway citation guidance.

Open full-resolution article imageGateway citation guidance

Documented overview

Sergeant Francis Mockel directed the band after its development at Fort Sill, where it performed around Lawton and Medicine Park before moving to Camp Bowie in August 1917. A March 1918 report records its dissolution and the transfer of musicians among the 142nd, 143rd, and 144th Infantry.; Contemporary 1916–1917 reports document border-service context, recruiting, and unit activity.

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

History

Identity and chronology

Sergeant Francis Mockel directed the band after its development at Fort Sill, where it performed around Lawton and Medicine Park before moving to Camp Bowie in August 1917. A March 1918 report records its dissolution and the transfer of musicians among the 142nd, 143rd, and 144th Infantry.; Contemporary 1916–1917 reports document border-service context, recruiting, and unit activity.

Leadership

Sergeant Francis Mockel directed the band after its development at Fort Sill, where it performed around Lawton and Medicine Park before moving to Camp Bowie in August 1917.

Sponsorship and participation

First Oklahoma Infantry 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

Sergeant Francis Mockel directed the band after its development at Fort Sill, where it performed around Lawton and Medicine Park before moving to Camp Bowie in August 1917. A March 1918 report records its dissolution and the transfer of musicians among the 142nd, 143rd, and 144th Infantry.; Contemporary 1916–1917 reports document border-service context, recruiting, and unit activity.

Why this band matters

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

Evidence timeline

What the sources establish

  1. Documented evidence

    Sergeant Francis Mockel directed the band after its development at Fort Sill, where it performed around Lawton and Medicine Park before moving to Camp Bowie in August 1917. A March 1918 report records its dissolution and the transfer of musicians among the 142nd, 143rd, and 144th Infantry.; Contemporary 1916–1917 reports document border-service context, recruiting, and unit activity.

    Source 1

Primary-source images

Newspaper evidence

These article images document the named band or event. They are evidence pages, not standalone photographs of the ensemble.

Newspaper clipping from The Daily Oklahoman, March 24, 1918, page 43, documenting First Oklahoma Infantry Band.

Operational evidence

Okla Band at Camp No More

The former First Oklahoma Infantry Band was disorganized after the September 1917 amalgamation. The account credits R. E. Flynn with gathering and training the group, names leader Francis Mockel, and lists transfers to the 142nd, 143rd, and 144th Infantry.

The Daily Oklahoman, March 24, 1918, p. 43. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.

NEWS-014 · High confidence · 1596 × 3784 JPEG

Underlying newspaper issue published before 1923; public-domain publication. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, and Gateway credit retained under current Gateway citation guidance.

Open full-resolution article imageGateway citation guidance
Newspaper clipping from The Daily Oklahoman, September 13, 1916, page 12, documenting First Oklahoma Infantry/Regiment Band.

Operational evidence

First Oklahoma Infantry/Regiment Band

The First Oklahoma Infantry/Regiment Band is documented in border-service context.

The Daily Oklahoman, September 13, 1916, p. 12. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.

NEWS-087 · High confidence · 2741 × 2475 JPEG

Underlying newspaper issue published before 1923; public-domain publication. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, and Gateway credit retained under current Gateway citation guidance.

Open full-resolution article imageGateway citation guidance
Newspaper clipping from The Daily Oklahoman, September 14, 1916, page 5, documenting First Regiment Band.

Operational evidence

First Regiment Band

The First Regiment Band sought recruits under Colonel Hoffman.

The Daily Oklahoman, September 14, 1916, p. 5. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.

NEWS-088 · High confidence · 2749 × 2949 JPEG

Underlying newspaper issue published before 1923; public-domain publication. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, and Gateway credit retained under current Gateway citation guidance.

Open full-resolution article imageGateway citation guidance
Newspaper clipping from The Daily Oklahoman, July 13, 1917, page 14, documenting First Oklahoma Infantry Band.

Operational evidence

First Oklahoma Infantry Band

The First Oklahoma Infantry Band recruited musicians.

The Daily Oklahoman, July 13, 1917, p. 14. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.

NEWS-091 · High confidence · 2780 × 837 JPEG

Underlying newspaper issue published before 1923; public-domain publication. Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program, Oklahoma Historical Society, and Gateway credit retained under current Gateway citation guidance.

Open full-resolution article imageGateway citation guidance

Current research decision

What the wording does—and does not—claim

Trace the complete roster, unit redesignation, relationship to other Oklahoma National Guard bands, and later service of the transferred musicians. Until that issue is resolved, the packet uses the narrowest chronology and identity stated in the evidence.

What remains unknown

Trace the complete roster, unit redesignation, relationship to other Oklahoma National Guard bands, and later service of the transferred musicians.

Evidence

Sources

The controlling project citation was reconciled in the saved source corpus (The Daily Oklahoman, 1917-09-29 p.5; The Daily Oklahoman, 1918-03-24 p.43; User-supplied newspaper corpus: NEWS-087, NEWS-088, NEWS-091). No live item URL was available for this packet.

  1. The Daily Oklahoman, 1917-09-29 p.5; The Daily Oklahoman, 1918-03-24 p.43; User-supplied newspaper corpus: NEWS-087, NEWS-088, NEWS-091

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