Local Nonprofits’ Plan To Honor An Oklahoma Hero

Two local nonprofits, The Oklahoma Mural Syndicate (OMS) and the With Love Project Foundation have teamed up to honor Captain Pitts.

Captain Pitts, an Oklahoma hero, is one of the first Black Army Officers to receive the Medal of Honor. 

The two nonprofits selected Jeremy Biggers, an award-winning artist from Dallas, Texas to create a mural in Captain Pitts's honor. 

The mural will be installed on the side of the Pitts Park Recreation Center located at 1920 North Kate Avenue in Oklahoma City.

And to aid the project, Oklahoma City awarded funding to the team to develop the mural. 

“We believe Captain Pitts should have a monument at the state capital, but we’re going to start with a mural at the park named after his honor,” says Jabee Williams of the With Love Project. 

The team of nonprofits is going to unveil the art at a celebration on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2023, at 2 p.m. located at Pitts Park.

The event will have an unveiling of the mural, food trucks, music, and more. 

Who is Captain Pitts?

Riley Leroy Pitts (October 15, 1937 – October 31, 1967), was a United States Army captain and the first Black officer to receive the Medal of Honor. 

The medal was presented posthumously by President Lyndon B. Johnson on December 10, 1968, for actions in Ap Dong, Republic of Vietnam. President Lyndon B. Johnson gave the Medal of Honor to Mrs. Eula Pitts and his son and daughter on December 10, 1968. In presenting the award, Johnson declared, “What this man did in an hour of incredible courage will live in the story of America as long as America endures - as he will live in the hearts and memories of those who loved him. He was a brave man and a leader of men. No greater thing could be said of any man.”

You can read more about Capt. Pitt’s historic career at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society here.