VFW to honor namesake’s sister during July 4 rodeo

The sister of one of the Wimberley VFW post’s namesakes will be honored at the 75th Annual VFW Rodeo on the evening of July 4.

The official name of the local post is Oldham-Cummings Post 6441, but few of today’s local residents know who Oldham and Cummings were.

When Wimberley’s young men returned home after World War II, together with older local First World War veterans, they formed a VFW post—one of Wimberley’s first and most en during civic organizations. The founders decided to name the post in honor of two Wimberley men who had lost their lives during the war, Charles Oldham, Jr., and James Cummings.

Peggy Oldham Savage is Charles Oldham’s sister, and she will be present at the Sunday night performance of the rodeo as a guest of the VFW.

Charlie Oldham, as he was known locally, was a Marine second lieutenant who lost his life in a Florida plane crash while undergoing flight training on May 21, 1943. He was 21 years old at the time.

Oldham was the son of County Commissioner and Mrs. Charles E. Oldham, Sr., and was born and raised in Wimberley. He graduated from San Marcos High School in 1939 and enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University) before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1942. His younger brother Jack Oldham was a private in the Army at the time of Charles’ death.

Charles’ memorial service at Wimberley’s Christian Church was attended by hundreds of mourners.

James Cummings, a pri vate in the Army’s 95th Infantry Division, which was part of General George S. Patton’s third Army, was killed in action in Germany on November 29, 1944. He was 21 years old. The Third Army entered southwestern Germany the day before, and the action in which Cummings was killed was near the town of Saarlautern.

Cummings was raised in Houston and graduated from Lamar High School in 1942 after which his family moved to Wimberley. He was inducted into the Army in May 1944, six months before he was killed.