Our Arklahoma Heritage: Vian's Sergeant Kiowiah Isham died during fierce fighting near Salerno, Italy, on October 9, 1943,
- Dennis McCaslin
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Sergeant Kiowiah Isham, a young father and serviceman from the small Oklahoma town of Vian, made the ultimate sacrifice on October 9, 1943, during the hard-fought Allied campaign in Italy. His story -- drawn from military records, family memorials, and contemporary newspaper accounts -- stands as a poignant reminder of the profound personal cost of World War II for one tight-knit Oklahoma family.
Born on July 29, 1920, in Sequoyah County, Kiowiah grew up in the Vian area as the son of Lillian Lee Isham (1895–1949) and Luler Still Isham (1901–1982). He was part of a large, deeply rooted community family, with four brothers -- Deleo, Odell, Arnold, and Jimmie Lee — and five sisters: Mrs. Ross Reavis, Mrs. Bruton Bennett, Jewell Dean, Colleen, and Patsy Lee. A devoted member of the Catholic Church, Kiowiah was closely tied to his hometown, where Vian High School served as a central gathering place for the community.
Years later, that same high school auditorium would host his funeral, a final homecoming for a local son.
Isham served as a Sergeant in Company I, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division -- the famed “Thunderbird” Division, heavily drawn from Oklahoma National Guard ranks.
In early October 1943, following the Salerno landings in September, the division was engaged in a grueling northward push from the beachhead through challenging Italian terrain as part of the U.S. Fifth Army’s advance
Elements of the 180th Infantry, including Company I, faced stubborn German resistance in the hills and valleys north of Salerno during this phase of the campaign.
It was amid these operations that Sergeant Isham was killed in action on October 9, 1943. For his service and sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
He left behind his wife, Norma Dupre Isham (later Secino) of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Born August 14, 1919, in Worcester to Nelson and Arthemise Dupre, Norma married Kiowiah prior to his overseas deployment. She later remarried Robert F. Secino and passed away in 2011 at the age of 92.
Kiowiah’s body was returned to Oklahoma. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, November 30, 1944, in the Vian High School auditorium, officiated by a U.S. Army Chaplain.
He was also survived by his parents, siblings, and grandparents F. M. Isham of Stilwell and Rissie Hartlet of Bakersfield, California.
Today, Sergeant Kiowiah Isham rests in Section 17 of Sallisaw City Cemetery in Sallisaw, alongside his father Lillian Lee Isham and mother Luler Still Isham. He is remembered through family obituaries, Sequoyah County WWII honor rolls, and the enduring pride of those who still carry his name.
In the story of one young soldier from Vian --ost amid the mountains of Italy while his Thunderbird Division fought to liberate a continent -- we see the larger tapestry of a nation at war and the lasting legacy of those who gave everything.
