A CITY BORN OF WAR: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF MIDWEST CITY AND TINKER AIR FORCE BASE (BEHIND-THE-SCENES FEATURETTE)

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A CITY BORN OF WAR: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF MIDWEST CITY AND TINKER AIR FORCE BASE

Greetings to our viewers. My name is Christopher Miller and I’m an explorer and historian based out of Killeen, Texas. Currently, I just returned from exploring Alaska and the Japanese Islands so most of this assignment was recorded in route remotely from my laptop. However, I have striven to provide the best possible end-product illustrating preservation activities I am involved with that are currently on-going as well as those moving forward into the future.

The video montage you just witnessed is a proposed title sequence for a possible series of web-based videos covering the historically important and unique history of Midwest City, Oklahoma, and the neighboring military installation of Tinker Air Force Base. Every photo used in the sequence is a primary source material originating directly from the Oklahoma Historical Society archives. These proposed series of videos have been designed to be one of multiple multimedia elements all linked together to create a new and exciting historical immersion exhibit focused on the subject material identified previously. In short, these videos will provide in-depth information related to the city and the military base – both of which were created as a direct response to the real-world events of World War II. 

Additional elements being proposed include a series of posters, an interactive kiosk, and the completion of an academic book focused on the military angle of the history being examined. Other possible items are also being considered.

This project sprang out of a classroom assignment while pursuing my doctoral degree at Liberty University. My initial proposal was to produce a series of undetermined multimedia and written components discussing various aspects of the military base. However, as I began my initial inquiries, it became increasingly apparent that the history of both the base and its nearby city has been overlooked and is virtually unknown by much of the academic community – not to mention the public. It is the intent of this initial video you are watching to provide a “behind the scenes” look at the process of expanding my initial vision into an accurate illustration of this history for permanent inclusion into both the local and national historical narratives working with local experts and historians.

I began the journey by searching for any local historical societies for both the city of Midwest City and the military installation of Tinker Air Force Base. Almost immediately, a hit came up in the search results pointing to the city’s website where I was able to learn that the Midwest City Historical Society was just established a few months ago on 25 July 2023. As they are still in the process of setting up the organization using only volunteers, there was a temporary contact list pointing toward the Oklahoma Historical Society where I could obtain more information. Reaching out, I was able to make contact with the Director of the Research Division, Chad Williams, who provided me with guidance to literally thousands of primary sources related to Midwest City and Tinker. Examples of these primary sources include governmental records, newspaper articles, photographs, and much more. However, these resources were simply catalogued and would still need to be compiled into some type of narrative. Chad also pointed me toward Dr. Jim Willis, the Professor Emeritus of Journalism at Azusa Pacific University.

Dr. Willis has written a book entitled “Tinkertown: A Wheatfield, an Airbase, and Us” which documents his memories of growing up in Midwest City near the base. It should be available next month on Amazon. However, to date this is the only book I have discovered pertaining to the base and its history. Initial inquiries appear to show a lack of any scholarly material produced documenting the unique past of both the base and city. This is where my project began to blossom past a simple academic assignment into serious historical research.

Dr. Willis suggested that I get in touch with two local volunteer historians in Midwest City who had helped him gather information for his missive. Taking his advice, I reached out to Bob Osmond and Marty Thompson, emailing them from abroad until I was able to speak to them at length by phone upon my return two days ago. They informed me of an upcoming class reunion on 18 May 2024 where Cindy Mikeman, Dr. Willis, and they themselves would be in attendance. As Mrs. Mikeman is new to this presentation, I feel compelled to mention her position as the Vice President of Foundation and Resource Development for Rose State College as well as Director of the Atkinson Heritage Center. Returning to the topic of the reunion mentioned previously, as Dr. Willis will be launching his new book at the event, I have been extended an invitation to attend. I was also invited to access the local archives to gather more materials. In the meantime, I have initiated contact with all parties involved and am currently working with them to assess what resources are available and pertinent to my research.

Simultaneously, I began developing media for both this assignment and moving forward into actual preservation activities. With a certain look in mind, I perused through the Envato Market – a repository for assets which can be licensed and purchased for projects. Selecting several, I then moved into the customization and editing process. Starting with the proposed title sequence shown at the beginning of this presentation, I selected music which I then imported into Adobe Audition - a software solution for editing sound. At this point, I selected the passage of music I found to be most compelling to edit and export as an MP3 file.

During this period, I also took the opportunity to write out and record the audio script you are listening to. Microsoft word was utilized for all written elements and to prepare the required video transcription. Again, Adobe Audition was used for the editing and recording process. This was completed in a closet located in my home which I have converted into a basic sound studio.

Moving into the visual aspect of the sequence, I fired up Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere where I created and placed various assets to produce the feel of the presentation you are currently viewing. Assets include many of the primary source photographs provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society archives presented with pertinent accompanying text developed from a preliminary timeline previously developed. This process took several days to not only situate the material but also to render out the final video product.

As for the physical side of things, I also began preliminary layouts for possible posters related to the final immersive experience. Utilizing Adobe Photoshop, I carefully designed and laid out primary source imagery accompanied with its associated data taking extra care to ensure branding remains consistent throughout all the proposed elements.

For me personally, not only has this project helped propel me forward in my doctoral studies, but it has also become a labor of love. Although I grew up in Midwest City and spent much time on Tinker, I have become painfully aware of how much I didn’t know regarding either. Discovering information new to me has led to an immense feeling of pride for my community and upbringing. I am looking forward to continuing the journey.

And finally, I would like to direct your attention towards an already completed video asset developed for Midwest City’s 75^th anniversary six years ago. Created by 1577 Productions, it is the first and only attempt I have discovered thus far at documenting the history I’m wishing to expand upon. It is extremely informative and a major influence on how I will move forward with the structuring of future multimedia elements. It is my hope to blend my product around this existing asset to create a fuller and richer understanding of the many aspects of the history involved. I highly recommend a viewing and have provided a link both within this video and in the comments below for those who are interested.

The history of Midwest City and Tinker Air Force Base is an important and unique part of the national historical record. As I continue to move forward in my research, I feel honored to be able to share it with a larger audience and invite everyone to join in on the experience. There are exciting things happening on the horizon.

Stay tuned for more and thanks for watching.

Link to video: https://christophersean.com/index.php/video-proposal

Link to Midwest City 75^th Anniversary video by 1577 Productions: https://youtu.be/2Jdr3lM_8YM?si=BhnYunnPVOvR6q3d

EXAMPLES OF ACCOMPANYING INFORMATIONAL PAPERS FOR THE PROPOSED WEB SERIES: A CITY BORN OF WAR  - THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF MIDWEST CITY AND TINKER AIR FORCE BASE

"STORIES FROM THE PAST" POSTER EXAMPLES FOR THE PROPOSED WEB SERIES: A CITY BORN OF WAR  - THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF MIDWEST CITY AND TINKER AIR FORCE BASE
selected stories reprinted from the past to provide a glimpse into everyday life

proudly introducing the new music album
A CITY BORN OF WAR
Music inspired by the proposed Web Series

A City Born of War
Prelude to War
A Nation in Preparation
Mobilization
Rallying the Troops
The Home Front
Strength in Unity
Victory and Beyond
Echoes of Triumph