The key to your point is "here in Oklahoma." My very best friend was treated very well by VA in Muskogee, he served a total of 8 weeks active duty in 1957. Some states are better than others in the way they treat Vets.
I suspected that was probably a factor but knew I might get other input here. I did some contract training for the VA hospital in OKC for staff development. It was a good group but they appeared frustrated by the daunting bureaucracy.