Bobby Neil Ludlow, District #3, is the Choctaw Nation’s Veteran of the Month.
Ludlow was born in 1944 at the Talihina Indian Hospital and graduated from Smithville High School in 1963.
He volunteered for the U.S. Army that October, motivated by the escalating conflict in Vietnam and having a strong sense of duty to serve his country. On three occasions, his units were trained and fully prepared for deployment, but at the moment of each transfer order, he was not sent.
Sgt. Ludlow served at multiple duty stations, including Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Lewis, Washington; and Alaska. He also served in Korea, where he gained a deep appreciation for the opportunities and way of life offered in the United States. He competed in 106mm and 81mm mortar competitions, excelling as a top competitor, and earned expert status in rifle and pistol qualifications.
He returned to Oklahoma and utilized the GI Bill to attend Eastern Oklahoma. State College and the Univsity of Oklahoma. He and his wife of 56 years, Ruby, have one son, Sean, who is an emergency room doctor in Mustang, Oklahoma.
Ludlow was employed by the USPHS Indian Health Service for approximately 25 years and retired in 1995. He began as a clerk and rose to the highest position of Administrative Officer.
Following his retirement, he held several part-time positions, including correctional officer in Hodgen, Okla., from 2000-2007, Dictionary Committee member from October 2010-2016, Institutional Review Board member from October 2010-present, Peace Maker (Judicial Branch) from June 2017-present, Sunday school teacher, and Choctaw interpreter and community advocate. He has served in the Choctaw Nation Honor Guard since 2008. He proudly recounts his gratitude for his military service and for the Choctaw Nation.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma holds our Veterans in the highest esteem and appreciates their sacrifices and contributions to preserve our freedoms and the way of life we hold dear.