Thomas Coleman Carlisle Jr.

Born June 1, 1920 in Jenks, Tulsa County Oklahoma, the son of the late Thomas senior and Ada Westbrook Carlisle. Thomas grew up in the oil fields of Oklahoma at gulf oil pump stations near Antlers and Pawnee, OK. He graduated from Ralston OK High School and then attended Oklahoma A & M College (now OSU). In the summer of 1940, Thomas enlisted in the US Army Air Corps.

He served his country during World War II as a pilot flight instructor in the B-25 airplane at La Junta AFB Colorado. He flew the A-20, and A-26 light bombers in the South Pacific; was a member of the 3rd attack group, the 13th squadron, known as the Grim Reapers. He flew 47 combat missions and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and Air Force Longevity Service Award.

After returning from the Pacific, Thomas spent the balance of his military career with the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as an engineering officer in the states at FEW SAC bases and tours in Morocco and Greenland before retiring from the US Air Force with rank of Major and moving to Charlotte.

Thomas worked for the Avery Rhyne Food Broker Company and as a district manager for the Rust Craft-Norcross Greeting Card company.

As a member of Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Thomas served as an usher for a number of years.

He is survived by his wife of 77 years, Ruth; three children, six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.

The following was written by Thomas himself as he reflected on his life..............

I’ve been thinking that I should put down on paper, for all of my ancestors to know about my early life growing up in southeastern Oklahoma in Pushmataha County. I was born in Jenks Okla, Tulsa County in June 1, 1920. My daddy worked for Gulf Oil in Jenks. When he and my mother moved to SE Okla must have been in the early 1920’s.

My father was the head engineer or superintendent of the Gulf Pump Station called – Ten Mile Station. I’ll try to tell all of you what life was like at the pump station. Ten Mile was located on a creek – Ten Mile, the nearest town was about five away – Moyers, OK.

The pump station complex was made up of the following: the main pump station building was about as big as a football field (80 x 300 feet)

The big building had five big diesel engines on one side that burned crude oil. On the others side of the fire wall was the oil pumps that moved the crude oil down the two or three big 10 inch pipes to the next station – about 40-50 miles south across the Red River. We lived in one side of the four big duplex houses that were located three blocks distance from the main pump station. There were three big oil storage tanks that held the oil. The tanks were about 50-60 tall. The station also had a small office building with a telephone and an operator who kept track of the oil flow. Also a big shop building for all the tools to repair the pumps and engines. There was water tank held the water to cool the engines. Water was pumped from Ten Mile Creek to a reservoir – the reservoir was too oily to swim in or fish. There was a big barn,

Must have had horses in earlier days. We always had a milk cow or two – that had to be milked twice a day. At various times we had riding horses and donkeys.

The station was out in the country – the nearest town was Moyers and Antlers which was about 10-12 miles. We were bused to Moyers Consolidated School – I went there1st thru 11 grades. People would do most of their shopping – grocery & other things in Antlers. The station would take people grocery list in the company truck every Saturday, the pump station was run 24 hours a day- 7 days a week – there was a pumper and engine – operator on duty at all times. Daddy and maintenance workers were on duty. Gulf stations were located about – 40-50 miles apart. The one to the north was at McCallister and the one to the south was across the Red River in Texas. Line riders on horses would go up and down the pipeline and check for oil leaks. They carried telephone and climbing spurs to report any problems.

Our house was located a little ways from the main pump on a road that circled the complex. That’s where I learned to drive – always a Dodge car. – I think that’s the only car my dad bought – a Dodge.

It got pretty cold in the winter time – we used wood and coal [to] heat the big old duplex. We used a wood stove in the kitchen. It was Holmes (Brad) and my job to keep the wood boxes full. We did not have indoor plumbing – all the families had an outhouse. We had a small tank that collected the rain water, that was used for washing. There was a pump water well that the families used for cooking and drinking.

In the summer time I would spend most of my time working in a big garden that we had that was located up near the barn. Fertilizer from the barn went into the garden.

The station complex was in a really pretty setting with the Kiamichi River and the K. Mountains to the east. In the summer time we would go fishing and swimming in the K. River. We would set trot lines for cat fish. We always had 22 rifles & 12-20 gauge shot guns that we used for squirrels and in winter for quails.

My mother had family in Antlers. I remember spending summer at my grandmother’s in Antlers. She lived with her daughter Amanda – we called her Aunt Man. Also her son – Uncle Healy – they lived in a big house at the edge of town – raised chickens and had a big garden. Uncle Healy ran a grocery store. I don’t know any information about my grandfather – Westbrook – I’m not sure when he died. To the best of my knowledge, my mother had three brothers and three sisters. Aunt Vio Butler lived in Antlers. I’m not sure what her husband did – but I remember her son Billy who was about my age.

She had a sister living in Tucson, AZ, her last name was Olds, her husband worked for the Rail Road. Uncle Jess Westbrook lived in Florida. I don’t ever [remember] meeting him. Uncle Glenn Westbrook lived in Okmulgee, OK. He worked for an oil company. I remember visiting them – she was a good cook. They had two daughters that I remember. I remember driving his Hudson auto – with push buttons.

Roxton, Texas – my grandmother Betty Carlisle lived with her daughter Emily and Uncle Jim Maxwell. They had a son and three daughters. I remember visiting them in the summer. They lived in a big two story house at the edge of town. Uncle Jim worked for a bank. He had a nice size place with pecan trees and a barn that he rent milking goats. The goats would go up on a raised platform to be milked. Uncle Jim had stomach problems that he needed the goat milk.