Oklahoma Heroes: Tom Payne

Tom Payne served as a helicopter pilot with the 118th Thunderbirds during the Vietnam war. He flew a variety of missions ranging from combat assaults to supply drops and medical evacuations. Upon returning home Tom became involved in serving his community, eventually joining the Rotary Club of Tulsa. One of the projects he works on with the Rotary is the committee that oversees drilling water wells in rural villages in Nicaragua. In the past 12 years they have drilled over 500 wells and Tom has visited the country multiple times to see the results and oversee the process. Tom credits his time of service with military as his motivation to continue to serve those who are less fortunate.

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