Rudolph Joseph Akoneto

Rudolph (Rudy) Joseph Akoneto was born at Buzzard Creek near Fort Cobb or God's Country as he used to say, on September 11, 1925. He departed this life surrounded by family on March 25, 2011, at Lawton, OK. His parents were Charles Levi and Sadie Red Horn Akoneto. He had three brothers Lansing, Everett Gene, Charles Levi, Jr. (C.L.) and three sisters Vernola Mae Parton, Flara Akoneto, Mary Miller. He attended school at Washita and Chilloco Indian School. At eighteen, he entered the Army on 26th of November 1943 at Oklahoma City, OK. He volunteered for the 101st Airborne and served with "H" Company , 3rd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment combat unit, during WWII and made jumps in, France, and Holland. He participated in a night jump which dropped 6,670 paratroopers on French soil on June 6, 1944. Their mission was to pave the way for the landing on Utah Beach. Carentan was perhaps the campaign's most famous battle for the 502nd . The causeway or bridge leading into the town was called "Death Alley" and "Purple Heart Lane" by the GI's who traversed it. Nearly every other man was killed crossing the vital bridge to later fix bayonets and attack across an open field to overtake the town which was vital to the battle. Later the KIA and WIA was estimated to be 50% to70%. In Operation Market Garden in Holland which was a daylight jump on Sept. 17, they ultimately seized the 16-mile stretch of road beginning behind German lines at Eindhoven and ending at Veghel. That stretch quickly became known as "Hell's Highway". He participated in Campaigns and Battles in Normandy, Ardenes, Rhineland and Central Europe, the Battle of the Bulge, & Bastogne (his unit was later known as the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne") and helped free the Prisoners Of War and Holocaust victims. He notched his M-1 rifle many times. He was wounded on January 16, 1945 and received the Purple Heart Medal. He also was awarded a Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, EAME Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze stars and 1 Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge, Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, Victory Medal, Occupational Medal, and a French foreigt. He was discharged on January 5, 1946 at Camp Sannin, Texas. After the War, he married Velma Nauni Akoneto, of Walters, OK, in Wichita Falls, Texas on March 14, 1950. Velma went to Heaven on March 13, 1998. He has two sons, one daughter-in- law, and one daughter, Edwin R. and Mattie Sipes Akoneto, of Walters, Oklahoma, Franklin E. Akoneto of the home, and Debra L. Knox of Lawton, Oklahoma. He has four grand children Stephanie Akoneto, Tiffany Akoneto Allen, R.C. Knox, and Angela Knox; and four great grand children Alexander Charles Akoneto, Ayla Rose Knox, Jordan Loraema Akoneto Allen, Aaron Joseph Akoneto Allen, and many nephews and nieces, cousins and extended family members. Rudy belonged to the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and was a fluent speaker of the Kiowa language; all thought after many years among the Comanche people, his Kiowa family said he spoke funny Kiowa. Rudy was the Great Grandson of Hunting Horse. He was a member of the Red Stone Baptist Church at Fort Cobb and the Comanche Reformed Church in Lawton since April 10, 1955. He served as Sunday school teacher and was a member of the Men's Brotherhood. He played on the Church softball team and other men's fast pitch teams which won many trophies and awards. Rudy was a service connected disabled veteran. He was an avid fisherman, and loved to hunt. He was employed and retired from Albright Steel and Wire, he worked for Town and Country Mobile Homes factory building mobile homes in Lawton, he farmed the land of his birthplace as well the land near his home in Walters. Rudy, while living next to the Comanche Nation Walters Community Center building, enjoyed serving as volunteer caretaker of the building for many events that happened at the center. Rudy enjoyed recording Powwow songs and Indian hymns and spent many hours categorizing the tapes to which he listened daily. He enjoyed the many family gatherings he attended. He has many friends, and relatives adopted and blood kin. Rudy was preceded in death by his wife Velma, his father Charles, his mother Sadie Estagoah, his brothers C. L., Everett G., and his sister Vernola.