Born in Lewistown, Montana, in 1929, Sammy was the youngest child of Myrtle and Harry Field. His dad passed when he was 6 and Sammy moved to Hominy with the family in 1935.
He was a football star for the Hominy Bucks. He was a senior at Hominy High School, where he was class President. Believing that “school only lasts through football season”, he enlisted in the Army in December 1946. He completed his education in the service. After Completing his 18-month term with the Army, he enlisted in the Navy in December 1948. After a year he decided he liked the Army better and rejoined. Once again being stationed in Germany, in 1952 he volunteered for service in Korea with the 45th Division.
During his service there he received the Bronze Star award for “entering an unchartered minefield at night and . . . moved to the assistance of the wounded men when the rescue team neared the scene of the disaster.” As a corporal he was engaged on the Eastern Front and had a part in the fighting at Heartbreak Ridge and at Luke’s Castle in the Punchbowl area. He served on the front line for 62 days before being sent to Japan at the age of 24.
Sammy was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and held local and regional offices.
After completing his service time in 1954, Sammy completed training at Oklahoma A&M Tech in Okmulgee as a Linotype operator. He went to work for a brief time at his brother Morris’ newspaper in Cedarvale, Kansas. Then he went to work for the Shidler Review, and bought the publication in 1956 and owned it until 1959. While in Shidler he ran for Mayor. When he was 29 years old, he ran for State Representative. Apparently, he was not cut out to be a politician as he lost both elections.
In 1968 Sammy’s brother Louis passed away. Louis was owner/publisher/editor of The Hominy News. As a result, the paper was subsequently sold at auction. This prompted Sammy to start a new publication in Hominy called The Progress. In February, 1971, a day after a controversial court ruling, three men entered the newspaper office and shot Sammy. He was wounded twice with one missing his heart by 2 inches. After successful surgery he as back on the job shortly thereafter vowing “there won’t be any letup in covering controversial subjects.”
The Progress continued publication until Sammy was shot and killed under mysterious circumstances in 1973. He was 44.
Sammy was married to Margaret Malone and they had 3 children.
The Progress was subsequently merged with The Hominy News and is now known as The Hominy News-Progress. (Compiled by Bill G. Starks who knew Sam, his uncle.)
