Utah Valor Magazine May 2018

A SALUTE TO UTAH’S VETERANS AND MILITARY

Making Connections with Family COVER PRICE $5

MAY 2018

SPECIAL EDITION FOR SUBSCRIBERS OF DESERET NEWS AND THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

RESTORING HONOR

Nurses

make

House Calls Daily Nursing Visits Homemaking Visits Pharmacy Deliveries

Medical Equipment Physical Therapy Housekeeping

Covered 100% by Medicare Please call us today to see if you qualify

(801) 639-5000 Serving the Salt Lake Valley for over 12 years

F I ND YO UR NE X T

Join Utah State Parks in honoring the men and women who have served in the U.S. Military on our Military Appreciation Day on Saturday, August 11, 2018 Learn about our Veterans With Disabilities Honor Pass at stateparks.utah.gov

m ay

2018

STATEPARKS.UTAH.GOV

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

1

BY THE NUMBERS: THE BERLIN AIRLIFT AT 70 The American military government created a needed daily supply list based on the minimum daily ration of 1,990 calories: 646 tons of flour and wheat, 125 tons of cereal, 64 tons of fat, 109 tons of meat and fish, 180 tons of dehydrated potatoes, 180 tons of sugar, 11 tons of coffee, 19 tons of powdered milk, 5 tons of whole milk for children, 3 tons of fresh yeast for baking, 144 tons of dehydrated vegetables, 38 tons of salt, 10 tons of cheese.

In all, 1,534 tons were required each day to sustain the over two million people of Berlin.

Additionally, for heat and power, 3,475 tons of coal, diesel and petrol were also required daily.

Over the 15 months of the airlift, in total, the USAF delivered 1,783,573 tons and the RAF 541,937 tons, totalling 2,326,406 tons—nearly two-thirds of which was coal—on 278,228 flights to Berlin. The Royal Australian Air Force delivered 7,968 tons of freight. The C-47s and C-54s together flew over 92 million miles in the process, almost the distance from Earth to the sun. At the height of the airlift, one plane reached West Berlin every 30 seconds.

The cost of the airlift was shared between the USA, UK, and Germany. Estimated costs range from approximately US$224 million to over US$500 million (equivalent to approximately $2.3 billion to $5.14 billion now).

Boys from West Berlin standing on a heap of rubble wave cheeringly to a U.S. cargo plane that brought food to West Berlin, 1948. When the Soviets blocked all traffic to and from the Western sectors, which were enclosed by the Soviet Zone, the Western Powers organized an airlift to supply West Berlin with food via the so-called Candy Bombers. ap photo

2

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

m ay

2018

CONTENTS Soldiers of the 19th Special Forces

THE QUIET PROFESSIONALS pages 14-19

Discovery of Family, Heritage and Military Roots

RESTORING HONOR pages 20-25

The Berlin Candy Bomber Comes Home

A SWEET LIFE pages 26-29

DEPARTMENTS The Briefing / 4-5 Doing Business: Flag Poles for a Cause and All-Action Sports | SheShreds Co / 6-7 On the Homefront: Veteran Business Resource Center / 8-10 Remembering WWI / 11 Community Relations: Cindy Osborne / 12-13 Family Matters: Child’s Play / 30-35 Service & Support: Flags and Flowers Challenge / 36-37

WWW.UTAHVALOR.COM UTAH MEDIA GROUP / 4770 South 5600 West, West Valley City UT 84118 utahmediagroup.com To subscribe: 801-204-6100 / To advertise: 801-204-6300 PROJECT TEAM / Brent Low, Publisher / Megan Donio, Publications Manager Michelle Bridges, Project Editor / Utah Media Group Creative VALOR: A Salute to Utah’s Veterans and Military is a publication of Utah Media Group and distributed in partnership with Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune. Copyright © may 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format without consent of Utah Media Group. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication and assume no liability for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.

on the cover :

Sgt. Joshua Hunt performs the tri-folding of the American flag during the 2017 Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Douglas Historic Cemetery. Hunt’s ancestors WWII medals and awards were restored. courtesy of the joshua hunt family

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

3

The Briefing U ta h h a s a n e n ga g i n g m i l i ta r y c o m m u n i t y w i t h d e e p r oo t s a n d b ra n ch e s t h a t r e a ch f a r a n d w i d e.

O u r m y r i a d o f s to r i e s a r e tol d i n o u r s ch ool s , l i b ra r i e s , m u s e u m s , a c t iv i t i e s a n d h o m e s .

E ve r y n o w a n d t h e n VA LO R c o m e s a c r o s s i n te r e s t i n g “ b i t s a n d p i e c e s ” t h a t w e w a n t to s h a r e w i t h o u r r e a d e r s .

Learning from voices past

W

eber State University’s “All Out for Uncle Sam: WWII in Northern Utah” exhibit is now open to the public at the Union Station in Ogden after a two-year effort to organize a multitude of period artifacts and collect over 60 oral history interviews with WWII veterans and their family members.

The economic growth for the region also impacted the area, especially as the Ogden Union Station became a major junction point for the western United States, Andrews states. People may not know that before the war, Singh says, Weber and Davis counties were agricultural. All of a sudden with WWII, there was an influx of people with the military installation.

Spearheaded by Curator of Special Collections for the Weber State University Stewart Library, Sarah Singh, the collection highlights how WWII impacted everyone in the country, even northern Utah. “If you weren’t off serving in war, women all of a sudden were working in factories, driving forklifts, doing all the things men normally did while kids were doing scrap drives to try and raise money,” Singh states.

The population of Layton went from 600 to 6,000 people in a short amount of time. “We have stories of people saying they suddenly needed to find places for the military workers to live, but there weren’t enough houses. People were converting chicken coops and moving kids into one bedroom so they could help house victory workers. Civilians in northern Utah had a large role in working for the war efforts,” Singh says.

Grocery stores started keeping later hours to accommodate working women since many of them were skipping work once a week to shop before stores closed. In Weber County, all school-age kids were Red Cross-certified, Singh says, pointing out photos in the exhibit showing kids learning how to tie bandages and participate in triage.

In the process of collaborating with the community, Singh noticed many of the stories they were hearing from WWII veterans had never been told before. “Our WWII veterans are passing away, and they are notorious for having never told their story, often in an effort to forget and protect their families,” Singh says. “Now they are getting to the point in their lives where they are realizing their stories will be lost if they don’t tell them.”

“From a historical standpoint, people didn’t realize how we had contributed, so the public gets a real sense of community from the exhibit,” Union Station Museum Executive Director Holly Andrew says. “The younger generation has commented that they didn’t realize what their grandparents experienced, so now they understand why grandma practices certain things at home like saving scraps and pennies.”

4

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

The exhibit is currently on display at the Union Station in Ogden, located at 2501 Wall Ave, Ogden before it travels to various locations in northern Utah for the next couple of years.

For more information, visit wwii.weber.edu.

—DANA RIMINGTON FOR VALOR

m ay

2018

RESTORED F-16 ‘THUNDERBIRD’ TO GO ON DISPLAY The Hill Aerospace Museum is now home to a F-16 Fighting Falcon. The aircraft was first used with the U.S. Force Thunderbirds from 1983-1992, followed by the 93rd Fighter Squadron at Homestead AFB, Florida, and the 364th Training Squadron at Sheppard AFB, Texas, as a static trainer for maintenance airmen.

Before the F-16 goes on display, the jet will be cleaned and reassembled. “When we received the aircraft, it was in incredible condition due to the fact it was stored indoors,” says A F-16 Fighting Falcon that flew with the Hill Aerospace Museum Director “Thunderbirds” waits to go display after Aaron Clark. “However, we have restoration. team hill public affairs / todd cromar had to restore the cockpit, and the wings and vertical stabilizer will have to be installed.” Hill Air Force Base has a long history with F-16s, which helped drive the request to relocate the F-16 at Hill Aerospace Museum. “Hill’s strong depot tie to the F-16 includes past and present work on Thunderbirds, a long airshow history with Thunderbird participation, and the F-16 System Program Office operating out of Hill AFB for many years,” says Clark.

Visitors can see the final restoration this summer at the Hill Aerospace Museum, located at 7961 Wardleigh Road, open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. —DANA RIMINGTON FOR VALOR

MAKING A SPACE FOR CRAFTSMEN, TOOLS Making Space, a community-made space for welding, woodworking and craftsman enthusiasts, is paving the way for veterans to use a woodworking space at discounted rates, attend classes for free, and participate in a monthly meet-up for veterans.

Board of Directors Member Daniel Cowan says woodworking tools cost thousands of dollars, which isn’t usually in a veteran’s budget. “Half our board of directors are veterans, who say there is a need for someplace veterans can use their skills after they come home,” says Cowan. “A lot of people come to our shop for home repairs, to build their own cabinets, or turn candle holders on the lathe.” Veterans can access a host of working tools, including laser cutters, CNC mills and 3D printers.

In partnership with the American Legion, Making Space recently received a large selection of carpentry tools donated by a veteran with the intention of helping other veterans. This check-out program will be called “Robin’s Tool Bin.” To learn more about either program, visit makesaltlake.org, or attend a community class every Wednesday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 663 W. 100 South in Salt Lake City. Classes include knife making, woodworking, design programming, laser cutting, and more—all free to veterans. —DANA RIMINGTON FOR VALOR

VET CENTERS: OGDEN OPENS, PROVO MOVES Readjustment counseling for combat veterans is now available in northern Utah. The satellite VA facilities—2357 N. Washington Blvd., North Ogden—offer readjustment counseling for combat veterans, military sexual trauma counseling and grief counseling for families of soldiers killed in combat. Treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol assessment, and suicide prevention are also provided.

Three other Vet Centers are located in Utah: Salt Lake Vet Center—22 West Fireclay Ave., Murray, 801-266-1499 or 877-927-8387; Provo/Orem Vet Center—360 S. State Street, Bldg C Suite 103, Orem, 801-377-1117; St. George Vet Center—1664 S. Dixie Drive, Suite C-102, St. George, 435-673-4494 or 435-673-4494. —VALOR m ay

2018

05/24 MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES Remember those who died while serving in the Armed Forces. Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs rememberance at Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park, 17111 S. Camp Williams Rd., Bluffdale, 10 a.m. Monday.

Information for additional ceremonies around the state over the weekend can be found at veterans.utah.gov/calendars

06/08-09 SOUNDS OF FREEDOM Amazing day for our military and families. Friday is movie night so bring your rides or chairs and enjoy live music before the show, 6 p.m. Satuday is the car show, flag ceremony and music, 9 a.m. Over 500 cars and motorcycles. Layton Commons Park, 437 N. Wasatch Drive, Layton.

Free. utahcharities.com

07/14 DEDICATION OF UTAH’S REPLICA OF VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL Join in honoring those who served and those lost and hold dear. Honor walk to the Wall, assemble at Gentile and Wasatch Drive, 4 p.m. Dedication ceremonies, north end of Layton Commons Park, 5 p.m. Bob Hope USO Tribute Show, Ed Kenley Ampitheater, gates open 6:30 p.m. Tribute show 8 p.m. Free. facebook.com/AVVAChapter1079

08/02-07 TRANSPLANT GAMES OF AMERICA Volunteers and sponsors needed for this multisport festival event for individuals who have undergone life-saving transplant surgeries.

The games highlight the importance of organ donation, while celebrating the lives of organ donors and recipients. Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, SLC. Learn more transplantgamesofamerica.org

08/11 UTAH STATE PARKS MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY Utah State Parks will offer free day-use entrance for active military, veterans and their family in the same vehicle. Many of these parks will also be hosting fun events to celebrate like pancake breakfasts, 5K races, flag ceremonies, canoe rentals, disc golf tournaments, and more. For a list of all activities, visit stateparks.utah.gov

FOLLOW US at facebook.com/ utahvalormag or online at utahvalor.com va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

5

Doing Business T h e B e e h ive S ta te h a s a d y n a m i c a n d d ive r s e e c o n o m y. D e f e n s e - r el a te d i n d u s t r i e s a r e pa r t o f t h a t e n v i r o n m e n t .

Fr o m b u s i n e s s boa r d r oo m s , go ve r n m e n t o f f i c e s , e d u c a t i o n a l c l a s s r oo m s a n d i n d iv i d u a l l ivel y h ood s , VA LO R i n t r od u c e s r e a d e r s to t h e m a n y pa r t n e r s a n d r e s o u r c e s f i n d i n g s u c c e s s i n t h e m a rk e t pl a c e.

FLAG POLES FOR A CAUSE ‘THIS SHOWS A VETERAN THEY ARE APPRECIATED AND LOVED’

by David Cordero

T

v e t e ran - in s p ir e d non p rofit giving bac k to t h o s e w h o gav e s o m u c h

he force was unexpected, cracking Kendall Redmond’s army-issued helmet and knocking him unconscious. He had been riding in the truck commander spot during a routine mission around Al Qayyarah, Iraq on March 15, 2008, when the terrain became muddy. Soon the vehicle collided with what Redmond thinks was a wall.

The impact split Redmond’s brain hemispheres. In the aftermath, he had problems speaking. His motor skills had diminished. His time in the military was over.

Redmond managed to recuperate and eventually returned to civilian life. The Spanish Fork resident and his family had wanted a flagpole for their front yard, but did not have the financial means. Yet thanks to Flag Poles for a Cause, one day, to his surprise, there was Old Glory attached to a tall flagpole in his yard. “It was so special to think that somebody cared enough to provide a wonderful flagpole for my family and me,” Redmond says. “It is a constant reminder to me of who I am, where I live and where my heart is.”

Flag Poles for a Cause is a nonprofit organization that installs flagpoles, free of charge, for wounded veterans and Gold Star families. It began when commercial real estate agent and Eagle Mountain resident Ryan Myers heard that a friend, a veteran, was getting a new roof installed for free. “I had just installed a flag pole in my yard, so I figured I would install one for him,” recalls Myers. “It’s a way for me to give back to those who sacrificed a lot for our freedoms.”

Although Myers never served in the military, he has a deep appreciation for veterans. Only recently has the organization become a nonprofit. Each of the 65 total flag poles erected so far were funded by Myers. “I think this shows veterans that their service isn’t forgotten,” Myers says. “Every time a veteran sees that flag flying, they know they are appreciated and loved.”

Flag Poles for a Cause 801-319-5548 flagpolesforacause.com

Ten years ago, while he was temporarily paralyzed on the left side of his body and often sustaining seizures, Redmond 6

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

Nonprofit Flag Poles for a Cause installs flagpoles, free of charge, for wounded veterans and Gold Star families. courtesy of flag poles for a cause

wondered what would be ahead. Now, he serves proudly on the board of directors for Flag Poles for a Cause and is involved with other nonprofits.

“Every night I walk around my property. I always catch myself looking at the flag so proudly lit up in the night sky,” Redmond says. “It reminds me of all the good this country has to offer.”

David Cordero is a professional writer and has won numerous awards on a variety of subjects, including sports, education and military matters. He volunteers as a board member for Utah Honor Flight and edits the newsletter for American Legion Post 90. m ay

2018

Gina and Tony Duffy’s businesses—All-Actionsports.com and Sheshreds.co—are intertwined and are often paired together as an empowerment vehicle to demonstrate branding and business power. courtesy of all-action sports

ALL-ACTION SPORTS AND SHESHREDS.CO RELEVANCE—RESPONSE—RETURN | SUPPORT THE SISTERHOOD

by Jennifer Weaver

T

h u s band - and - w if e t e am ru n v e t e ran - ow n e d b u s in e s s e s

ony Duffy served several years in law enforcement and as a member of a strategic response team in the Air Force. His experience has proven perfectly applicable to his current work in supporting and promoting action sports.

organizes competitions. His clients vary from energy drinks to Maverik to universities.

“I took my experience and what I like to do in life and combined it with the disciplined approach, fight-or-die philosophy and work ethic from military service,” Duffy says.

That fearless approach to adrenalinepumping sports captured the attention of Duffy’s wife, Gina, who noticed big gaps in apparel, gear and support of female athletes.

With assistance from Tony, Gina started SheShreds.co five years ago to create events and support female action/adventure sports such as mixed martial arts.

For the last decade, Duffy’s sports marketing and brand-building has fostered the creation of an entire community of people with a passion for extreme sports. From wake surfing to zorbing, All-Action Sports provides brand awareness and event promotion that brings visibility to not-so-mainstream sports that otherwise might go unnoticed.

In addition to functioning as a store, the site is a space for women who are passionate about extreme sports a place to connect, share tips, and build personal brands. SheShreds.co has 24,000 Instagram followers and an ambassador program that provides women the opportunity to weigh in on content and products, promote events, and get involved in coaching.

Not that All-Action Sports shuns the mainstream sports and recreation. Duffy has those covered too. As a factory rep for Centurion Boats, he’s able to send prospects to the company as well as create his own prospects to sell boats.

But the heart of All-Action Sports are activities that fall on the “extreme” side of things. Beyond brand promotion, Duffy coordinates and

“We put positivity out there and support anyone who loves, and are passionate about, sports that will push them and challenge them— and we’re here to cheer them on,” says Tony.

m ay

2018

Jennifer Weaver is an award-winning journalist, freelance writer and digital news producer. She is the mother of three children and daughter of Vietnam KIA Sgt. 1st Class James C. Jensen, D Co, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cav Division.

ADVICE FOR RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS n Know that there will be unknowns. Ask for help, even ask for help from people you don’t know but perhaps admire. People are willing to give you sage advice and help, if you ask. n Your financial capital forecasting will require twice as much as you think—you will make mistakes, guaranteed. n Work like you want it. Work with your vision of success in mind. Don’t work to make it survive; work to flourish.

—by Tony Duffy

she shreds .co All-Action Sports, all-actionsports.com SheShreds Co., sheshreds.co LMP Inc., lmpinc.co

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

7

On the Homefront

A ‘PERSONAL TOUCH’ V E T E R A N B U S I N E S S R E S O U RC E C E N T E R I S M E N TO R A N D A DVO CAT E F O R V E T E R A N S

by Hillary Bowler for valor maga z in e

W

ith an estimated 17,000 veteran-owned businesses in Utah, and hundreds more veterans seeking to start their own business, the Utah Veteran Owned Business Partnership aims to help.

question became, ‘How do we more effectively create ongoing engagement?’” In essence, there are plenty of resources available, but it can be difficult to sort through it all and find what’s most effective for a specific situation.

“Utah is very patriotic and supportive of veterans,” says Gary Harter, executive director of the Utah Department of Veteran and Military Affairs (UDVMA). Harter explains how in 2014 several agencies came together to form the partnership. Partners today include UDVMA, Utah Department of Workforce Services, Service Corps of Retired Executives, Small Business Administration, Zions Bank, Transition Assistance Advisors, Small Business Development Centers, the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund, Salt Lake Chamber, Salt Lake County, American Legion and the Procurement and Technical Assistance Centers in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. All of them are united by the goal to help veterans start and run businesses successfully.

That’s where the Veteran Business Resource Center (VBRC) comes in. The VBRC functions similarly to the 15 statewide Small Business Development Centers, but it is specialized, providing an important mentor and advocate for veterans as they navigate the many business and veteran-focused resources at their disposal. Supported by the Veteran Owned Business Partnership, the VBRC is housed in the Salt Lake Community College Miller Business Resource Center in Sandy.

One way the partners achieve this goal is by hosting the annual Utah Veterans Business Conference each spring. The conference helps hundreds of veteran business owners learn about local and national resources and connects them to other business opportunities.

“Veterans like working with someone they can relate to— another veteran knows how to cheer them on and have the hard conversations when necessary,” Pearson says. “We wanted to have a one-stop-shop so veterans don’t fall through the cracks.”

The Utah Veteran Owned Business Partnership has been involved in other initiatives, and several of the partner agencies run veteran-focused programs such as the SBA’s Boots to Business training program. Between those and federal resources through Veteran Affairs, one would expect that the bases are covered.

Not quite.

A ‘ONE-STOP-SHOP’ “We’ve been meeting for a number of years on how to really help veterans out with business,” Harter says. “The 8

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

“Creating this position has helped further cement our relationship as partners,” says Cory Pearson, director of Veteran Services at UDVMA. In addition, Harter and Pearson explain, it provides a necessary personal touch.

In August of last year, the stars finally aligned for the VBRC vision to come to fruition. Jackie Hobson was appointed director of the VBRC.

THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB “The VBRC itself is a great program, but the person who runs it is just phenomenal,” says Jim Herrin, director of the Salt Lake Regional SBDC, who heads the office Hobson works in.

It’s easy to see why Hobson is an excellent fit to serve as VBRC director. She and her husband are both U.S. Army veterans—she served in Iraq for 15 months in 2003 and 2004.

Upon her return and discharge, Hobson opened a photography m ay

2018

Jackie Hobson, director of the Veteran Business Resource Center, is a mentor and advocate for veterans as they navigate the many business and veteran-focused resources at their disposal. umg photo / michelle bridges

business that served several western states for nearly a decade.

She opened a retail clothing store, which she grew over six years and successfully franchised before selling it in 2012.

With 36 months of GI Bill support available to her, Hobson managed to complete a bachelor’s degree in psychology in two years and an MBA in one. And, Herrin points out, she did all of that as the mother of five children. “She just has an incredible amount of energy and can take on a lot,” Herrin says.

While working on her graduate degree at Utah Valley University, Hobson interned at UVU’s SBDC. Between her military service, business ownership experience and recent experience with Utah’s rich network of business resources, Hobson was a perfect fit for the role. And she’s thrilled about it.

“I always felt like I got rid of my uniform too early,” she says.

“I’m really happy to stay in the veteran world.”

DIGGING IN AND MOVING FORWARD When Hobson accepted the position, she hit the ground running. She has personally travelled all over the state to conduct several networking meetings and has taken on more than 100 clients since August. It’s important to Hobson that she not duplicate efforts—through her face-to-face meetings and other research, she’s gained a critical understanding of what m ay

2018

Utah veterans truly want and need out of business resources so the programs can be enhanced in productive ways.

The Veteran Owned Business Partnership recently conducted a survey of more than 400 veterans. According to the survey, Hobson says, 40 percent of them own a business and another 40 percent want to start a business.

“The number one reason across the board was that they want to do something meaningful,” Hobson says. In fact, there are many reasons entrepreneurship is a good fit for veterans.

According to Hobson, skills in leadership, organization, discipline and teamwork all inspire veterans to start businesses at high rates—but some can get lost along the way.

Many veteran business resources are either geared toward the earliest startup stages or have revenue and longevity requirements. That can be especially hard, Hobson says, because most veteran owned businesses fall under $250,000 in yearly revenue. To support those companies at the middle stages, Hobson has partnered with UVU to develop a program called Advanced Business Training (ABT).

ABT is designed to work much like the military’s Advanced Individual Training—post boot camp training for personnel.

ABT groups veteran business owners together in units similar va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

9

to platoons. The nine-week program targets business growth challenges specific to the needs of the cohort, and after graduation in week 10, business owners receive six months of follow-on support. The program will run quarterly with first cohort beginning this May. While Hobson is excited about ABT, her real work happens in that “personal touch”—very customized, accessible mentoring.

She strives to be “in the know” with every resource available so that she can in fact be that “one-stop-shop.”

“If I can’t help you, I will get you someone who can help you,” she affirms.

Herrin commended Hobson’s “tireless” efforts so far.

“Veterans … have left their families and sacrificed a lot. Not

Harter and Pearson echoed the sentiment, pleased with the VBRC outcomes. “Whether they start a business or not, we just want to know at the end of the day that the veteran is successful,” Harter says.

For more information about the Utah Veteran Business Resource Center, visit UtahVeteransBRC.org.

Hillary Bowler is content specialist at Utah Media Group. She has worked for the Deseret News covering arts, culture and religion, as an advertising copywriter for small business clients, and as a PR and content specialist for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Her work ranges from indepth articles and editorials to video scripts and taglines.

BUSINESS TREND 1: CYBER SECURITY

BUSINESS TREND 2: LOYAL CUSTOMERS

BUSINESS TREND 3: COMPANY CULTURE

In today’s hyper-connected world there are so many ways an attacker can compromise a business and its operations.

Every day adversaries are attempting to steal our intellectual property, our personal and financial information or, even more sinister, they may breach a network not intending to steal data but rather to use a company’s IT infrastructure as a weapon in their arsenal to attack others.

Research shows the top three crucial things customers look for in a company or product are quality, consistency and a top-quality customer experience. People expect knowledgeable sales staff who truly listen and care about meeting the customer’s need rather than hawking a solution or product. It boils down to the two things for the customer: (1) solve my problem, and (2) leave me feeling “great” about the experience.

To build a positive company culture with strong leadership, begin by recognizing your organization is a group of like-minded people who are attempting to achieve a common goal. Leadership is the art of inspiring another person’s heart to achieve your purpose, so culture and leadership will always go hand-in-hand.

Small businesses have all the same vulnerabilities as large ones. They are even more vulnerable to cyber-attacks because adversaries believe small businesses are far less prepared to deal with or detect an attack. Most of the time they are correct; small business does not typically have an internal IT team, and if they do its usually a single person with little to no background in cybersecurity. Contrary to popular belief small businesses currently suffer the majority of attacks because adversaries know they are less likely to be prepared for a cyber incident or breach.

To protect themselves, small businesses need to answer two questions: (1) do you know who or what is on their network at any given time? And, (2) do you know who or what has changed on your network at any given time? Even a basic cybersecurity program will allow a business to start answering these questions and become more secure in their cybersecurity.

CONTACT INFORMATION Aliahu “Alli” Bey, Haight Bey & Associates 1972 W. 2550 South, Suite A, West Haven, UT 888-379-0509, haightbey.com

10

only is this a way of helping them start or grow a business—it is helping their families in general.”

Loyalty is much different than satisfaction. Just because a customer is satisfied does not mean they are loyal.

Satisfaction comes when people get what they expect to get. Loyalty is won when people feel the experience has been targeted uniquely to them. Competitors abound who can solve the customer’s problem. Those companies that excel concentrate heavily on improving the customer experience.

The top characteristics of a positive company culture are unity, candor and initiative. When members of a company are sincerely unified in purpose, they are more likely to speak the truth boldly and directly. They strive to take fearless action to better the organization and achieve the mission. They look to serve one another, versus serving their own interests.

And the No. 1 way to earn the trust of another person? Empathy.

In a global market small business can rarely compete on price or selection. They CAN and MUST compete on the level of personalized, knowledgeable service, friendly caring staff and a superlative experience from start to end for the customer. Customers also want quick and generous solutions when something goes wrong. Don’t ignore the small things that are the big things, like clean bathrooms, inviting smells, soft music and a smile.

A business can create a “place people want to work” from the very beginning by clearly defining the purpose of the organization, defining the employee’s desires, and determining how to unite the two. Always act with honor, even when it may not make financial sense, as people will recognize “how” things are done is even more important that “what” was done. Consistently reward superior performance, but do not neglect to show appreciation for mediocrity. Such individuals are giving you their most important asset … their time.

CONTACT INFORMATION Kevin R. Miller, VisionBound International visionbound.com

CONTACT INFORMATION Joshua S. Adams, Perspective Approach 435-232-8182, perspectiveapproach.com

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

m ay

2018

Remembering WWI RECONNECTING WITH THOSE MEN WHO FOUGHT 100 YEARS AGO

umg photo / michelle bridges

Respecting ‘superheroes’

T

eenager Curtis Evans was looking for an Eagle Scout project. Listening to Patrick Mahoney, a military re-enactor from one town over, talk about long-forgotten veterans buried in neglected gravesites in the Eureka cemetery piqued Curtis’ interest. With research from a book about local war dead by historian Joann Morris and backed with financial support from Elks “Tintic” Lodge 0711, Curtis felt he could finally tackle his proposed project of refurbishing six veteran gravesites.

First, Curtis had to find all six graves, identify the occupants, and verify all were indeed Civil War veterans. With help from Fort Douglas Military Museum, Curtis had confirmation within a week—he was taking care of five Union soldiers: Samuel H. Nelson, George T. Bridges, John A. Davidson, Alexander Tony West, John T. Sullivan; and one Confederate: James Curtis Kirkendall. Curtis found all six had no known living relatives close by.

A survey of the sites showed four had headstones, two did not, and all were in disrepair.

With help from his grandpa, they fortified the ground, stabilized headstones, put in curbing and gravel. Then added small American flags and star-shaped markers identifying on which side the veterans fought. “Grandpa said to honor all of them equally since they fought for their beliefs,” Curtis added. The whole process has taken about 18 months.

Curtis says it’s hard to relate to the “old guys” because life now is so different from then.

However, hard work, patience, love of country are values you can appreciate anytime. “They deserve all the honor and credit we can give them. They put their lives on the line, just like a superhero.” —MICHELLE BRIDGES FOR VALOR

05/28

MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY AT HISTORIC FORT DOUGLAS CEMETERY Hosted by Association of the U.S. Army with representation of World War I soldiers, ceremony will include keynote speaker Brigadier General Doug Cherry, patriotic music, wreath laying, gun salure, sounding of Taps and memorial prayer. Assemble at the Fort Douglas Museum Memorial Park, 9:15 a.m. Processional march to the cemetery, 9:30. Ceremony, 10 a.m. Free, open to the public. Historic Fort Douglas, 32 Potter Street, Salt Lake City, ausautahchapter.org

As a part of the Utah World War I Commission grant process, Emery County applied for a grant to research, find, cleanup, and restore headstones and markers of WWI veterans and soldiers buried within their county. During WWI, more than 1,400 men registered for the draft from Emery County. This project will focus on those who volunteered, enlisted or were drafted as soldiers. There are seven communities involved in the project; Elmo, Cleveland, Huntington, Castle Dale, Orangeville, Ferron, and Emery.

Emery County Archivist Suzanne Anderson is compiling and preparing stories and photos of soldiers from these areas to help the communities connect to these men who fought over 100 years ago. Two examples of WWI soldiers buried in Emery County are Sheldon Axelsen buried in Cleveland and William Blackburn buried in Ferron.

The American Legion, Emery County Historical Society, Emery County Historic Preservation Commission and Emery County Archives are partnering together with the local youth in the communities to not only clean the markers, but also to make connections with the past. The project will be divided into three areas—Elmo/ Cleveland/Huntington, Castle Dale/Orangeville and Ferron/ Emery. Youth from the middle schools will be asked to share any photos or stories of their great grandparents that were soldiers during the war. The first presentation will be held in the spring to let first area communities know more about, and become involved in, the project. The other two areas will follow with their presentations.

Questions? Contact the WWI Commission at vjacobson@utah. gov —VALERIE JACOBSON FOR VALOR

n DISCOVER MORE about Utah and World War I, including upcoming events, through the Utah World War I Commission at heritage.utah.gov/history/wwi m ay

2018

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

11

Community Relations M a n y s e r v i c e m e n a n d w o m e n o n t h e f r o n t l i n e m a k e s a c r f i c e s to d e f e n d o u r h o m e s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s .

I t i s i m po r ta n t f o r t h e m to k n o w t h a t o n t h e h o m e f r o n t w e a r e “a l l i n t h i s to ge t h e r. ” VA LO R s h i n e s t h e s po t l i g h t o n t h o s e w h o w o rk t i r el e s s l y to s h o w o u r s u p po r t a n d ap p r e c i a t i o n .

FANFARE K E E P E R O F T H E RU F F L E S A N D F LO U R I S H E S: P ROTO C O L E X P E RT C I N DY O S B O R N E

by Jennifer Eaton for valor maga z in e

A

t 4-foot 11-inches and barely over a hundred pounds, describing her as diminutive might be an understatement. But petite stature can be deceiving.

Cindy Osborne, Hill Air Force Base’s longtime protocol expert, is the raw muscle behind some of the most important happenings at Utah’s largest military installations Widely considered a demanding, nerve-wracking job, protocol is difficult to define. It’s synonymous with high visibility encounters and even higher stakes. Osborne is the first person senior commanders and distinguished visitors look for when arriving at an official function, the last nod given before an emcee is cleared to begin reading a script, and the orchestrator of every important detail that comes before, after and in between.

“It’s my job to make sure every ‘i’ is dotted and every ‘t’ is crossed so that our airmen are properly represented in accordance with military customs, courtesies and tradition,” Osborne elaborates.

In her quarter century tenure, she has overseen close to 3,000 changes of command, promotion and retirement ceremonies, awards banquets, commanders’ calls and high profile dignitary visits. The dizzying array of associated tasks that fall within her purview include flag etiquette, dress and appearance, itineraries, invitations, registration, parking, seating arrangements, transportation, lodging, scripts, menus, venues, and managing official representation funds.

Even more challenging than the exhaustive checklists

12

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

necessary to make such a wide array of events run smoothly is the fact that in the world of protocol, there’s no escaping Murphy’s Law. Osborne explaines, “You plan extensively for every single event, right down to the very last detail, but you have to be prepared for things to go wrong—things that are completely out of your control.”

She laughs as she recites her protocol mantra, “This job is not for the faint of heart!”

“For example, you’ll have your seating chart, name plates and menu choices labeled and arranged perfectly when a distinguished visitor who forgot to RSVP walks in, along with his guest, looking to be seated at a head table,” she says. “They’re always apologetic, and the bottom line is that we need to make room, so we smile, ask the rest of the table to scoot down, pull up two extra chairs, and head to the kitchen to find a way to provide more meals.”

Another favorite mishap memory involved a commander’s uniform footwear malfunction.

“Moments before a group change of command, my boss whispered, ‘Cindy, can you follow me over to the side?’ where he pointed out that the heel of his shoe had completely fallen off and was flapping as he walked,’ she recalled. “I grabbed my duct tape and other usual fixes, but nothing worked, so I walked up and down the formation until I found an airmen who looked like he had the same size shoes, and politely said, ‘I’m going to need to borrow those, please.’” m ay

2018

Osborne has swapped belts, stitched buttons, and super glued ribbon racks back together in the nick of time, but the most meaningful fix came during an Airman Leadership School graduation.

“As the graduates and their dates were arriving in the lobby, one young gal walked in very underdressed for the occasion, took one look at the other ladies, immediately turned bright red, and started to cry, ‘he never told me what to wear,’ so I took her to the restroom, removed the black wrap I had around my neck, fashioned it into the top of a dress, turned her existing dress into a long skirt, and voila, we had a formal gown!” says Osborne, grinning at the memory.

That ability to maintain composure, practice discretion, and think quickly on your feet is what Osborne believes ultimately distinguishes a successful protocol Cindy Osborne, Hill Air Force Base’s longtime protocol expert, oversees one of many change professional from someone who is of command events. In the world of protocol, there’s no escaping Murphy’s Law. team hill public affairs / ron bradshaw quickly overwhelmed by the position.

Even though every function requires a team approach, she notes that the protocol lead feels ultimately we visited her in the hospital and there must have been 70 plus responsible for the event’s success or failure, and that pressure plants and bouquets in the room from the mayors and civic breeds two distinct paths to coercing cooperation. leaders who love and respect her.”

“One approach is to be ridged, demanding, and overbearing in order to get the job done, and unfortunately, that was probably me in my early career,” she admits, adding, “You can’t beat people down to get the result you want, but I didn’t understand that at the time because I was young and eager to impress.”

She remembers a pivotal encounter that changed her perspective when a commander took her aside and said, “Don’t use my name to get the job done. If you can’t get it done on your own then bring it to me and I’ll make sure we get it done.”

From that moment on, earning trust and building rapport became her preferred way of doing business and it paid dividends.

“Cindy is known as the consummate professional,” says Doug James, Ogden Air Logistic Complex Chief of Protocol and a colleague of more than 20 years.

“She produces at a superhuman capacity and is incredible with our community,” he adds. “She makes everyone feel like a million bucks. When she broke her leg skiing a few years ago, m ay

2018

As she inches toward retirement from civil service, likely in about two years, the irony is not lost on her that someone else will have to plan that retirement ceremony. And though she acknowledges that giving up her role will be difficult, trading out high heels for ski boots on weekdays and gaining back more nights and weekends to spend with family is certainly appealing.

The view from her office window and everything it represents will likely be Osborne’s most difficult goodbye.

“I’ve stared at that beautiful flag outside my window for so long now … I’ve seen it blowing in the wind in all its glory; I’ve seen it shining in the sun on a bluebird day; I’ve wept over it on 9/11 knowing what our country and our airmen were about to go through,” she laments. “It’s been a constant reminder of why the long days are worth it and why, when the time comes, I’ll miss all of the amazing people here who have touched my life.”

Jennifer Eaton is a journalist and public relations professional. She serves as public affairs officer for the Utah Air National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, and as Chief of Community Engagement at Hill Air Force Base. She is the recipient of multiple Air Force journalism and public affairs awards. va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

13

THE QUIET PROFESSIONALS S O L D I E R S O F T H E U TA H N AT I O N A L G UA R D 1 9 T H S P EC I A L F O RC E S G RO U P

by Hank McIntire for valor maga z in e

S

ixteen Utah National Guard soldiers, from two separate combat teams, stood at attention March 18, 2018, as their commander-inchief, Gov. Gary R. Herbert, pinned medals on each one’s chest for gallantry, valor or wounds sustained in battle. Curiously, the number of awards—19—matched the numeric designator of their unit: the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

The scene was a familiar one at Draper headquarters, where soldiers or airmen are often honored for bravery and service after returning from deployment. And in nearly every case, Guard officials are anxious to share the story so that those in uniform and their families are appropriately recognized. However, that day journalists covering the event were asked to omit soldiers’ first names and to not directly show recipients’ faces. This was to strike a delicate balance between publicly acknowledging their accomplishments while preserving some sense of anonymity for soldiers who by nature do not seek the limelight and wish to keep a low profile, given the sensitivity of their mission.

m ay

2018

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

15

Four Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with “V” device (for valor), seven Army Commendation Medals with “V” device and three Purple Hearts were presented at the ceremony.

According to Army Regulation 600–8–22, the Silver Star is awarded “for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.” The Bronze Star is given for “meritorious achievement or service … in connection with military operations against an armed enemy,” and the “V” device is added for “acts of heroism.”

Staff Sgt. Walrath, a medical sergeant and recipient of one of four Silver Stars awarded that day, was typical in both his actions on the battlefield and his reaction to all the attention. “[Despite] hundreds of fragments of shrapnel in his body,” the citation read, “he completely disregarded his own suffering to immerse himself in the care of his wounded comrades.” Walrath even used his own body to shield from a grenade attack a wounded soldier he was treating. He was also unassuming in his comments following the ceremony, deflecting praise to his fellow soldiers. “It’s incredibly humbling,” Walrath told the Deseret News. “I really didn’t do anything more than my job, and that’s not me being humble. That’s just the fact.”

As remarkable as Walrath’s in-the-moment actions and his after-the-fact reflections were, they are typical of what Col. Larry Henry, commander of the 19th Special Forces Group, and Master Sgt. Kirk Holmer, a senior instructor in the 19th, both call the 2,000 “quiet professionals” who comprise the unit headquartered in Utah and divided among seven other states.

So who are these soldiers of the 19th? What do they do, and what does it take to be in the Special Forces? This article gives a glimpse into the lives of these “quiet professionals” and 16

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

how they contribute to the safety and security of the United States and other countries.

THE 19TH SPECIAL FORCES: A BRIEF HISTORY AND MISSION Organized in 1961, the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) has always maintained its headquarters in Utah.

First Battalion and Group Support Battalion are also based at Camp Williams. Second Battalion is divided among the West Virginia, Ohio and Rhode Island National Guards. Fifth Battalion has units in Colorado, Texas and California, and the 19th has a Chemical Reconnaissance Detachment in Montana.

Col. Henry, a 31-year veteran, has commanded the 19th since June 2017. An Ohio native, Henry joined the Field Artillery, where he served for two years and then completed his officer training in the ROTC. He served in the Ohio slice of the 19th for 14 years as a traditional Guardsman, at the same time working in his civilian job as a police officer. He later served as a full-time member of the 19th, alternating between duties in Utah and Fort Bragg, N.C., the headquarters of the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command.

Henry cannot recall a time when members of the 19th have not been serving somewhere around the world. “Someone is deployed all the time,” he says. Since 2001 his soldiers and officers have filled assignments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom in locations such as Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and the Philippines. These and other contingencies have seen the 19th on every continent except Antarctica.

The unit’s motto is De Oppresso Lieber (Latin for “To liberate the oppressed”), and the 19th has been aligned with the U.S. m ay

2018

In the post-9/11 era, soldiers with the Utah National Guard’s 19th Special Forces have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of U.S. Special Operations. photos courtesy utah national guard

military’s Pacific Command for 30 years. Consistent with that connection the 19th will be sending about 100 soldiers later this year to Korea to support Special Operations Command with interoperability training, which means working with other American units and foreign militaries to ensure that all forces can work and communicate seamlessly with each other in the event of contingencies in the region.

As for what Special Forces soldiers do during an overseas assignment, unlike most of their Army counterparts, their tasks vary widely instead of specializing in one or two areas.

Occasionally, a member of the 19th might work in an embassy and wear a suit, or perhaps they may conduct a one-person operation for weeks or months at a time. More often, however, troops are deployed as part of a 12-man Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA). These detachments often “train, advise and assist partner-nation battalions,” explained Henry. They are employed as small teams, work in austere environments and are used as force-multipliers to meet U.S. military or partnernation objectives. In such environments, Special Forces soldiers must build cohesion with their foreign-military counterparts, living and eating as they do, dressing as locals, and often growing beards to blend in, build rapport and earn respect.

communicators, one team sergeant, one intelligence sergeant, one warrant officer—“the jack of all trades who brings it all together,” says Holmer—and a commander.

“Every Special Forces soldier specializes in something,” Holmer explains, in order to enhance the overall capabilities of the ODA. These areas of expertise include high altitude, low-opening (HALO) parachuting; infiltration; sniper; urban combat; mobility; mountaineering; medical; communication; weapons; engineering; and planning and operations. According to Henry, in the first year of operations in Afghanistan, U.S. forces routed the Taliban and captured Kabul and Kandahar using only Special Forces with these kinds of capabilities.

“These soldiers are force-multipliers, they deploy to places that are very dangerous and they don’t create a large American footprint,” he says.

WHAT IT TAKES TO EARN THE SPECIAL FORCES TAB

To get Special Forces soldiers there from here, it requires from six months to two years of preparation. The first stop is Basic Training, followed by Advanced Individual Training that gives the soldier their first military specialty. Then comes Airborne School. With additional training at the unit level, Henry explained, this is sufficient for the soldier to qualify to serve in an Airborne unit. But if they want to earn the Special Forces tab, that’s where the real work begins.

Given the mission and makeup of a typical ODA, a member of the 19th has to be good at a lot of different things, explained Master Sgt. Kirk Holmer, who himself spent 10 years as a member of an ODA, completing yearlong deployments to Kuwait and Afghanistan and is now a senior Special Forces sniper instructor. The 12-man ODA team consists of two medics, two engineers, two weapons sergeants, two

To become a green-beret-wearing, 18-series (18B, Special Forces weapons sergeant or 18D, Special Forces medical sergeant, for example) member of the Special Forces, the candidate first attends an intensive, three-week selection course at Fort Bragg that includes physically demanding individual and group tasks, small-unit tactics, land-navigation and psychological testing.

m ay

2018

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

17

(LEFT) August 2017. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) with the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Utah National Guard, participated in a joint-service training mission in Boise, Idaho. (CENTER) Members of the 19th SF work with pack mules as part of unconventional-warfare training. (RIGHT) An engineer sergeant with the 19th SF, climbs an ice wall at Mount Rainer National Park, Ashford, Wash. photos courtesy utah national guard

Those who complete the grueling selection course then become candidates for the Special Forces Qualification Course, or Q Course, as it is known in military circles. The duration of the Q Course, according to Henry, will vary depending on the soldier’s specialty. Those seeking to be medical sergeants have the longest path (two years) because they prepare to perform basic medical, dental and veterinary procedures—including surgeries—given the remote and austere environments where ODAs must operate.

The 19th will obtain many of its tabbed (Special Forcesqualified) soldiers in the traditional way by recruiting and training new members of the unit from Basic through the Q Course. However, the unit also increases its numbers through transfers from Ranger regiments, the Marine Corps and from active-duty Special Operations units. When the 19th can draw qualified green berets leaving active duty, it saves $500,000 in training costs, says Henry.

In addition to the training and preparation of Special Forces soldiers, what about the individual characteristics that leaders look for in their recruits and candidates? Are they trying to find the Mike Henrys ( John Wayne in The Green Berets) and the John Rambos (Sylvester Stallone in the Rambo series) of the world? Not really, Henry observes. “We’re looking for self-motivated men and women,” he says. “We need someone positive and self-assured—someone we can give direction to and then get out of their way and let them accomplish it.”

“Some people think we’re after someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando: a muscle-bound, meat-eating, killing machine,” says Holmer. “Being a Special Forces soldier isn’t like that. Yes, there is a level of physicality and mental 18

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

toughness, but we need someone with interpersonal skills, professionalism, and the ability to think on their feet. Every Special Forces soldier should be a master of the basics: shoot, move, communicate, navigate and survive.”

And more and more opportunities are opening up to women in the Special Forces throughout the Army. Henry explains that all duty positions in the unit can be filled by women, and a female soldier in Fifth Battalion, 19th Special Forces, in Colorado is preparing to be the first from the 19th to attend the Q Course.

“It will take a special group of women to do that,” Holmer adds.

“They will be successful and they will be assets.”

‘THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE’ Much of the doings of the 19th Special Forces Group fly far below the radar of the media and the general public. “Just because it isn’t on the news doesn’t mean that our soldiers aren’t furthering American interests abroad,” Henry says. But sometimes the notoriety does come only after a soldier pays the ultimate price. One such member of the 19th was Aaron Butler, of Monticello, Utah, who died Aug. 16, 2017, in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated while he and his team were clearing a building, according to a Pentagon press release. Eleven others were wounded in the blast, and some of them were present at the ceremony March 18, where they received medals for bravery and wounds they sustained.

After presenting the awards and exchanging salutes with these soldiers, Gov. Herbert paid tribute to them—and Butler— for who they are as much as for what they did. “We sleep well at m ay

2018

“ONLY A GREEN BERET CAN BE CALLED SPECIAL FORCES. ALL OTHER ELITE FORCES ARE CALLED SPECIAL OPERATIONS.”

D

uring a visit to Fort Bragg, N.C., in October 1961, President John F. Kennedy observed the unique capabilities and values of the U.S. Army Special Forces. Soon afterwards, he authorized the “Green Beret” as the official headgear for all these “unconventional warriors,” who were thereafter and ever know as “The Green Berets.” ( jfk library) The Special Forces Association (SFA) is a non-profit fraternal organization for current and retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers. Established in 1964, the association is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with 84 chapters located in the United States as well as Panama, South Korea, Germany, Thailand, Philippines and Okinawa.

night—all of us—because we know there are people on guard in uniforms saying, ‘Not on my watch.’ We will not forget. We cannot forget.”

Henry adds his praise for the soldiers of the 19th, knowing that he will soon pass the baton to others to carry on the mission.

“These are soldiers willing to sacrifice their time with their families—more time than the average reserve-component unit.

Their balancing of civilian career and family and commitment to our nation is pretty significant. It’s humbling to serve beside them.”

Holmer, who serves closely with and trains these warriors, feels that kinship, too. “Wherever you go, that brotherhood is there,” he says, referring to the unspoken connection felt

by Special Forces soldiers past and present. “The lineage, the cohesion through success, it generates humility. They get the mission done. They don’t need to write books about it. They know who they are and what they have done, and sometimes that’s enough.”

To borrow a phrase from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “It is altogether fitting and proper” that the three soldiers from the 19th Special Forces Group quoted in this article—Walrath, Henry and Holmer—each used a form of the word humility to describe how they felt about their service and their comrades. It is sufficient evidence to show whom these men and their fellow soldiers are: The Quiet Professionals.

Hank McIntire served 26 years from 1988 to 2014 with the Utah Army National Guard and U.S. Army in both military intelligence and public affairs. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Utah Valley University. m ay

2018

Utah is Chapter 70. The unit was granted its charter in 1995.

Supported by a loyal core of comrades, activities include regular monthly meetings and seasonal dinners, getaways and get-togethers. The chapter provides an honor contingent for fallen comrades, assistance to comrades in distress and their respective families in need, and is involved in other military functions and observances throughout the year. The chapter also has a close working relationship with the Utah National Guard’s 19th Special Forces headquartered at Camp Williams.

Through fundraising efforts, lead by Donita Henry family affairs for the Guard’s 19th Special Forces, the SFA has generously supported Utah County Veterans Council, Veterans Drug Court and veteran-owned businesses all around the state.

Today, the SFA is the only fully recognized veterans fraternal organization that has exclusive membership qualification limited to Special Forces qualified personnel and those soldiers who directly support the SF mission. The wearing of the Green Beret and Crest while in civilian clothes is authorized by the Department of Defense.

Membership is open to any person who is or has been a member of Special Forces, including those in the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Those wishing to join must apply, providing certified documentation “leaving no doubt” the applicant is qualified by proving past or current assignment with a Special Forces unit. A Decade Membership may be granted to a person who as a minimum of 10 years combined years in SFA and Special Forces. Associate membership is also available to individuals who do not meet this criterion, but who have “contributed significantly to the support of Special Forces, or its lineage, in the accomplishment of its mission.”

Utah Chapter 70 holds to the Special Forces principles and ideals—We are the Keepers of the Flame, the Guardians of Tradition—active and retired who will never stack arms.

—MICHELLE BRIDGES FOR VALOR

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

19

The Association of the U.S. Army highlighted the Joshua Hunt family presentation at their 2017 Fort Douglas Memorial Day ceremony. Hunt and another honor guard member did the ceremonial refolding of the flags and presented them to each of the three oldest living children of each of the Trail brothers. Gov. Herbert joined in presenting shadowboxes with the restored awards and decorations to the family. photos courtesy of joshua hunt family

20

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

m ay

2018

RESTORING HONOR O N E M A N’S J O U R N E Y O F D I S C OV E RY F I N D S E X T E N S I V E FA M I LY T I E S, R I C H H E R I TAG E A N D D E E P M I L I TA RY RO OT S

by Brock Jones for valor maga z in e

I

n the shade of a small grove of trees at Historic Fort Douglas Cemetery, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joshua Hunt and another soldier carefully fold an American Flag in front of a table adorned with two other flags and three triangular-shaped shadow boxes filled with Army medals and decorations. Later in the ceremony, a captive crowd watches in silence while Hunt and Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert present the flags and boxes to members of Hunt’s extended family. By all accounts, Memorial Day 2017 was something special.

For Hunt, this ceremony marked an important moment in a journey to restore stolen military honors to his grandfather, Nicolas Trail, and two of his grandfather’s brothers, Dewey and Albert, all of whom fought in and lived through World War II. That journey alone would make this an interesting story but what makes Hunt’s story even more remarkable is that he’d only recently discovered a whole side of his family that he’d never known existed, that he was the grandson of Nicolas Trail, and that his family history contained a record of storied military service.

DISCOVERING EXTENDED FAMILY From the time he was 15 years old, Hunt had been searching for his father and that missing side of his family. He’d tried half a dozen times through various means to find them over the years but found nothing but dead ends. Hunt’s fiancé Kenzie, who is now his wife, gave him a DNA kit as a birthday present.

When the results came back, they revealed that Hunt had a sister he’d never met who resided in the Salt Lake City area. m ay

2018

“Having grown up as an only child, I found a sister first.

She was also looking for her father and together we found him and our four other sisters,” Hunt said. One day he’s an only child and first-generation military, and the next he’s part of large family he never knew existed. In October 2016, Sarah (the first sister he found) and Hunt eventually found their father and sisters all living in the Salt Lake area, three days before he and Kenzie were married. Mere days after meeting for the first time, Hunt’s father and several of his sisters were at his wedding. “It’s a huge family and they’ve all been incredibly kind and accepting and supportive and have received Sarah and I like we were there all along,” said Hunt.

After finding his father and sisters, it came to Hunt’s attention that his grandfather and his two granduncles, all Salt Lake City born, had voluntarily served in WWII. In fact, Hunt believes that two of them enlisted through Fort Douglas, the very place he was working when all this newfound family history came to light.

“At the time I found my dad I was working at Fort Douglas.

And it was this really incredibly neat thing to find out that my grandfather and his two brothers walked the same halls of these same buildings that worked in,” Hunt said.

FINDING AND DECODING DD214S As he got to know his new family and became more steeped in the family history, Hunt discovered the family home that had contained his grandfather’s and granduncles’ military memorabilia was broken into a decade or more ago and all of va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

21

LOST AND FOUND

T

AC C E S S I N G T H E U TA H S TAT E A RC H I V E S

he Utah State Archives and Records Service is the state agency charged with assisting governmental entities in managing their records and with preserving those governmental records that have long-term historical value. In that capacity, the Archives works with government offices from the governor to county officials and from large state government departments to local cities and towns. The Archives maintains a state of the art repository for storage of historical records and holdings include materials from the early territorial period through statehood and up to as recent as the early 2010s.

Among the records held by the Archives are some militaryrelated records. Some records, such as administrative records of the Utah National Guard, were created in the normal course of government operations. Other records, such as military separation forms and veterans burial records represent deliberate attempts by government agencies to document the contribution of Utah’s servicemen. Some of the more recent service records at the Archives are regarded as private and accessible only to the subject of the record, but most of the older records are open to the public for research.

using military records State Archives holdings include military administrative records from the very earliest days of the territory. These records include orders and correspondence from the territorial militia (or Nauvoo Legion, as it was called), as well as later records from the Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard. Service records at the Archives also span over a hundred years. Nauvoo Legion muster rolls document service in the territorial militia. Pension applications filed in the early 1900s document military service in the Indian Wars of the 1860s. Service cards provide information on those serving in the Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Mexican Border Campaign.

Among the most interesting service records at the Archives are questionnaires collected from World War I veterans and families.

The questionnaires asked for information about such things as date of induction, branch of service, training camp, dates of overseas service, ranks achieved, and casualties. Perhaps the most compelling part of the questionnaires was the request that it be returned with a photo of the serviceman. For a time, the State Archives actively collected copies of military discharges for Utah servicemen. The bulk of these discharges (or DD-214s) date from the World War II era, but some are as early as World War I and a few as late as the Vietnam War. A more complete listing of military-related records at the State Archives can be found on the Archives website at https:// archives.utah.gov/research/guides/index.html. The records listed can be accessed in the public Research Center operated jointly by the Archives and the Utah Division of State History. The State History collection includes a variety of non-governmental records, including books, photos, manuscripts and maps. The Research Center is located in the historic Rio Grande Railroad Depot and is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Inquiries can be made by email to historyresearch@utah.gov or 801-245-7227.

—ALAN BARNETT, MANAGER STATE ARCHIVES RESEARCH CENTER

22

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

Wartime snapshots and military papers of the Trail brothers: ( top left ) Dewey Trail serving in the Pacific Theater; ( top right ) Nicholas and Albert Trail meet by chance on a street in the Philippines; ( above ) lbert Trail’s WWII discharge papers or his DD-214. courtesy of joshua hunt family

m ay

2018

People come to the State Archives Research Center to find out more of their family’s military history by accessing the unique archive. Such records can specify where he served and what unit he was in among other pieces of information. Often many find out things that “to grandpa may have seemed so ordinary and he just didn’t tell you about. We get a lot of peole who are interested in filling out that story. So they come here to the one place where they can fill in the missing pieces.” —Alan Barnett, manager of Utah State Archives Research Center the brothers’ military mementos were stolen. Having heard about the program to restore lost or stolen military awards and honors, Hunt decided to look into restoring what had been stolen to the living members of the Trail family. The work of discovering exactly what had been stolen wasn’t free from difficulty, however.

“Of course, there was a records fire back in the seventies and I found out that these three men’s records were destroyed in that fire. And so I kept digging.” The fire Hunt referred to was the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo. According the NPRC website, approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files were destroyed.

An estimated 80 percent of the records kept on personnel discharged between Nov. 1, 1912, to Jan. 1, 1960, were destroyed in the fire. Hunt’s grandfather’s and granduncles’ records fell into that category.

Undeterred by the setback, Hunt continued searching and found out about the military records archive here in Utah. With this discovery, Hunt contacted Alan Barnett, manager of the Utah State Archives Research Center in Salt Lake City, for help in the search for the documents he needed. The kinds of records Hunt was looking for are not in the public record because they contain private information—birthdates, social security numbers, and such—so Josh had to present Barnett with a formal request of exactly what he was looking for, and Hunt had to prove that he was indeed who he claimed to be. Once all that was validated, there remained one final piece that had to be verified before beginning the official records search could begin: the men to whom the records belonged had to be deceased.

“I was able to go into the records and identify that the people were deceased, because if they were still alive then they would have to be the ones to make the request,” said Barnett.

“Once I was able to verify that they were dead, and that Josh was a family member, we were able to provide him the records.”

Hunt was provided his relatives’ Certificates of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, known among military members by the official Department of Defense document number, DD214, pulled from microfilm in the state archives.

With what felt like a huge obstacle behind him, Hunt was now faced with trying to make sense of what he’d found.

Though he has more than a decade of military service under his belt, first in the Air Force Reserves, then in the Utah m ay

2018

Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert talks about honoring military members who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. courtesy of joshua hunt family

National Guard and currently in the U.S. Army Reserves, so much has changed in the 70 years between World War II that Hunt couldn’t fully decipher the documents. He reached out to a college friend for help.

“I got in touch with Nathan Cragun who I knew was a big military history buff, an expert in his area, and we started working together on it,” Hunt said. Cragun is the co-founder of the Utah Military History Group. He and Hunt met as students at Weber State University where Cragun worked for Veterans Affairs at Weber State and Hunt was in WSU’s ROTC program.

Cragun was more than happy to help his friend; old military records are his passion and he was excited to be involved.

“It’s something I’ve had a lot of exposure to and so when Josh reached out to me it was ‘Let’s do this’!” Cragun said.

“Records back then, while they appear similar, there’s a lot of things that are left out, or they’re worded in a different way.”

Hunt and Cragun examined the documents extensively and were able to piece together the awards and honors each brother had been given and thus what needed to be restored. These awards were among those presented to the family members during the 2017 Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Douglas. va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

23

After making plans for the Memorial Day ceremony, Joshua Hunt notified his extended family of the event expecting only a handful to attend. In fact, dozens flew in from California, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Idaho and even Canada. Each of the living children of the Trail brothers received a tri-folded flag and shadowbox of military honors. “It was a powerful moment for all of them. It truly meant a lot to this whole family. All three of these men were revered as great men. The whole family just loves and adores their memory.” —Joshua Hunt LEANING ON THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO HELP

“We have direct contacts that can look into the matter for a more efficient response.”

While attempting to understand the DD 214s better, Hunt and Cragun not only found out which awards had been stolen from the family home, they also made other discoveries: There were a number of awards the men merited but hadn’t been given while alive.

For those like Hunt who believe a congressional inquiry is the next step in their search to restore or award missing military commendations, the process to begin such inquiries is fairly straightforward. The first thing that one must do is “gather as much information and documentation as possible,” said Emfield. “Once you have a clear understanding and have supportive documentation, reach out to your congressional office.” Requestors are asked to fill out a simple privacy release form that allows the congressional staff to look into the matter on behalf of the individual or family. “We cannot guarantee specific outcomes,” said Emfield, “but we have had many successes.” So far Hunt has no new information on the progress of his inquiries, but he remains hopeful that Congressman Curtis’s office will produce results.

“Throughout the process we also determined, as far as we can tell at this point, that one of the men was eligible for a Purple Heart that he didn’t receive. The other is also due a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star,” Hunt said. “That’s something we’re now working on getting awarded.”

Cragun, who has been instrumental in Hunt’s search, said it takes experience handling these kinds of old military records to pick up on the subtleties that the documents contain.

“The way we discovered that one of the brothers is eligible for a Bronze Star is the fact that, during World War II, the Combat Infantryman Badge was created and while they were still trying to come out with the criteria and how to award it, all those soldiers who received a CIB during the Second World War were automatically given a Bronze Star. And so that’s one of the things that was not listed there (on one of the brothers’ record).” And there could be more.

Upon discovering the possibility that his grandfather and granduncles might be deserving of various other awards not annotated on those archived DD214s, Hunt contacted Joshua Emfield, deputy director for Congressman John Curtis’s office.

“When a service member or veteran reaches out to me with concerns (like Hunt’s), I open an official congressional inquiry for Congressman Curtis,” said Emfield. “This means I send over a letter from the congressman to the respective agency to look into correcting, replacing or providing awards or recognitions that should have been provided.”

Emfield said he and his team first attempt looking through the National Personnel Records Center and if that doesn’t yield anything, they reach out to the military branch in which the service member or veteran served. “Whether the inquiry is with the Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard or Air Force, the inquiry is ‘red flagged’ for expedition. Many individuals have attempted to get a response from some of these DoD branches without success for more than a year,” said Emfield.

24

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

SETTING UP THE UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY At the time of last year’s Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Douglas, Hunt was a member of the Utah National Guard Honor Guard, and in his mind the ceremony would be a fairly simple flag folding ceremony for all three men. What he envisioned as a small family affair turned into a large event attended by Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert and other civilian and military dignitaries.

“I was just going to do a private ceremony and film it and present that to my father and subsequently to living relatives of the other brothers,” Hunt said. But then he approached Dave Kent, vice president of corporate affairs with the Association of the United States Army, about the ceremony. Kent, who is also on the planning committee for the Fort Douglas Memorial Day ceremony, took the idea of including Hunt’s family presentation to the committee. They wholeheartedly agreed to incorporate Hunt’s ceremony into the larger Memorial Day event.

“I took it to our board and reviewed the details and everyone was unanimous. This is what we’re all about, honoring soldiers that are no longer with us, those who have paid the ultimate price,” Kent said. “I was happy to arrange the governor’s part because it seemed like that’s what was appropriate.”

Hunt credits Kent with turning his little ceremony into a publicly visible and newsworthy event. “Seemingly overnight, m ay

2018

After the Memorial Day ceremony, Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert visited with the Trail family—spending extra time to talk with each member and later taking a picture with the entire family. “He made the event special for every person,” said Joshua Hunt. courtesy of joshua hunt family

Governor Herbert wanted to get involved and it turned into an absolutely beautiful event, thanks to Dave Kent,” he said.

his line of work are more private, but no less important, than Hunt’s.

During the ceremony, Hunt and the other honor guard member marched forward through the center aisle. They unveiled a table containing the three shadowboxes filled with the Trail brothers’ awards and decorations, as well as the flags that would be folded and presented to the family.

“When we provided these records for Josh, we had no idea what it was going to lead to, and what impact that was going to have. People discover these records, get the information (they seek) and they walk out the door and we have no idea what happens after that. But in a lot of private ways, it has an impact.

It may not be as public as it was for Josh, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have an impact on people’s lives, in helping them make that connection with their relatives. It happens on different scales for a variety of people. It doesn’t have to be as public and amazing as Josh’s experience to be meaningful.”

“Of my father’s side of the family, I think we had over 30 people fly in, and this was their first time meeting me,” said Hunt. The family had gathered from Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California and Canada. “They were all seated up front for that unveiling. We did the ceremonial folding of the flags and I presented them to each of the three oldest living children of each of these men and then Governor Herbert joined me at the stage to present the shadowboxes with the restored awards. It was an incredible, powerful moment,” said Hunt.

OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE SEARCHING FOR MILITARY RECORDS Hunt recognizes that not every discovery made in the state archive gets the kind of publicity and exposure that his family’s discovery received, and hopes his experience will help others who also may be searching for military information, lost or otherwise unknown.

“I hope by telling my story to bring awareness of this resource, the state archives, and help other people to have the same end result and be able to find the information they’re looking for,” Hunt said.

According to Barnett, most of the successes he sees in m ay

2018

For Hunt, whose military career continues now in the U.S. Army Reserves where he will take command of a unit later this year, he will continue working to ensure his grandfather and granduncles receive all the awards they earned through service during World War II. Anything less would be unfitting for the Trail brothers’ heritage and their extended family.

“For the family as a whole, restoring the awards has meant a lot to them. I’ve spent my whole life here in Salt Lake City and to find out these men were all local boys who served and walked ahead of me is very, very meaningful,” Hunt said. “To find out that I had the honor of having been a family member of these three men is just an incredible heritage that I will never be able to live up to.”

Brock Jones is an assistant professor of English at Utah Valley University. He has served in the U.S. Army and the Utah National Guard for more than 16 years. va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

25

A SWEET LIFE T H E B E R L I N CA N DY B O M B E R: GA I L S. H A LVO R S E N C O M E S H O M E

by Beau J. Burgess w it h mi c h e ll e b ridg e s for valor maga z in e

T

his year marks the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift (june 26, 1948 to sept. 30, 1949).

The airlift was a direct response to the Berlin Blockade (june 24, 1948 to may 12, 1949), an action where the Soviet Union blocked all supply routes to the Allied-occupied West Berlin in an attempt to both physically and economically isolate the city in order to force their competing ideological and economic vision for post-war Europe. With several flights a day, the airlift bypassed the blocked ground routes from above to deliver vital necessities such as food and fuel each day.

Col. Gail “Seymour” Halvorsen has been known as “Hal” his whole life. However, through his decisions and actions as a pilot during the airlift and Operation Little Vittles, he would soon and forever become the legend known as “Uncle Wiggly Wings”, “The Chocolate Flier”, “The Gumdrop Kid”, “The Chocolate Pilot”, and most famously, “The Berlin Candy Bomber”. He is a man, who to some, worked miracles from the heavens. His legacy is a testament to how the smallest acts of human kindness can grow into something life changing.

Here, the man and the legend shares thoughts and memories from the sweet spots of his life.

I was raised on a small farm in northern Utah. All I knew was hard work. It taught me that if you didn’t grow it, you didn’t eat. We canned everything during the summer so we’d have hardy food in the winter. I would be working in the sugar beet field and look up at the sky and say: “Oh, look at that.”

My neighbor, Art Hansen, was in flight training at USU. I was down digging in that dirt field and Art flew over me in a biplane; buzzed me. I just about came out of my socks. That’s what got me started flying. I earned a scholarship to the same program as Art; competing against 140 students from around Utah. I drew the entire engine and memorized everything. I got my pilot’s license in the fall of 1941, just before Pearl Harbor.

••

After graduation, 10 of us—five guys and five gals—put in $50 each and bought a Piper Cub airplane with a 55 horsepowered engine in it for 500 bucks. You had to be careful on a hot day getting it off the ground; it didn’t have much power. It 26

2008. Pilot Gail Halvorsen poses in front of a picture of his Douglas DC-4 raisin bomber during the International Aerospace Exhibition ILA at Berlin-Schoenefeld south of Berliln, Germany. ap photo

m ay

2018

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

27

was mostly for entertainment purposes but it gave us plenty of flying time. I joined the Civil Air Patrol and later the U.S. Army Air Corps.

••

During the Depression, candy was a luxury. My mother used to make a good chocolate-pulled toffee. I had my first storebought candy at age 5 or 6. I remember it was a Babe Ruth.

••

Through the airlift, I learned about the power of candy. It became a source of power in the lives of those who were so deprived of basic living conditions. They were living in bombedout houses, bombed-out buildings, underground in basements.

The candy became the symbol of a different world.

Something out there, something from the outside. It was a symbol of hope; a symbol of freedom; a symbol of something they didn’t have or couldn’t get it any other way—and it came from the sky.

I’ve gotten a thousand letters but the one that really brought it home for me was from a little boy. On his way to school, out of the lowly clouds came a parachute. “It landed at my feet. I was astounded. I had read about it happening but I didn’t think it would happen to me. It took me a week to eat that candy bar.

I’d eat a little bit at a time. I hid it. But what was important to me was that there was someone in America who knew that I was in trouble. That somebody cared about me, a kid.”

••

Early on in the lift, I was out taking pictures as I always had my camera. I noticed some children through the barbed wire fence. After some interaction with the children, I was confronted with a decision. As was typical of the time, children would flock to us for gum or chocolate as they expected us to have some from our rations. These children didn’t approach the subject. As I had turned to leave, I found myself back at the fence and reaching in my pocket. I extended an offer of two sticks of Wrigley’s Double-Mint gum. As there were so many children, I broke the two sticks into four pieces. Those who didn’t get a piece of the precious gum passed around the foil wrappers to share the scent. They were so destitute, they were grateful for anything they could share and experience.

Witnessing this, I had to figure out how to share more.

If two sticks went that far, just think of what I could do with 30. I worked out a way to communicate with the children as I hatched a plan to drop more candy from the plane on the next trip. How would they know it was me? I remembered back to my days on the farm in Utah when I would wiggle my plane’s wings to signal to my parents it was me passing overhead. So, I gestured to the children with my arms that I would wiggle my wings upon my approach. Who knew that decision that day would change my life; as well as those of so many.

••

28

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

Hershey’s was our biggest donor for chocolate. Of the times chocolate was sent to us to drop, dark chocolate didn’t come up that often. We finally got one batch toward the end of Operation Little Vittles. I’ll confess to eating one of those bars.

During the airlift, we never endorsed a specific type of candy.

Every candy company sent candy, large or small, and contributed proportionally depending on the size of their operation.

••

Being the Berlin Candy Bomber has changed my whole life. It’s made me doubly aware of freedom, a free land and free agency. The real story behind the story is the dedication of all those kids. It’s about freedom. Freedom is the bottom line. The thing about freedom is don’t get use to it. If you get use to it, you can’t imagine what it’s like without it. The German children know what it’s like without freedom.

••

In all of my travels around the world, I’ve found that if you respect the rights of others to choose, that people will respect your right to choose. And the others don’t matter. You don’t put them down, but you don’t change your attitudes and inclinations to match somebody else’s. Because of this, I’ve been rewarded throughout my entire military career.

••

I find having a routine saves time. It sounds like a routine burns time but it doesn’t. When you get to my age, I want to get up and not stay in bed any longer than I need too. Try to get to bed at a reasonable time at night; get up in the morning, 7 at the latest. Have a plan at night before you go to bed and have a little piece of paper and pencil by your bed. Jot down the things you’re interested in that are still undone at the end of that day and be thinking about them and you’ll dream of a way to help solve your problems.

••

Growing up during the Depression, we had lots of love and it kept us going through some tough times. I honor the guidance my parents taught me growing up. Those values are what I live by in my life, my work, my family, my religion.

ATTITUDE. My mom and dad taught by example. They shared with me that you can determine how you respond to 95 percent of the stimuli that happens to you. You can get mad, you can learn from it; but you do have control over it. And the rest?

God loves you and whatever happens, you’ve done your best.

GRATITUDE. Be grateful for being alive in the first place.

Show appreciation for the little things that happen to you and for the people who make those little things possible. You’ll go a lot farther in the world.

SERVICE BEFORE SELF. I believe nobody can be happy if they’re after their own agenda. You’ve got to get outside of yourself and help someone in need. When you’re going out of your way for someone in need, someone who needs it badly, m ay

2018

Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen was so impressed by a group of polite German youngsters watching Berlin Airlift operations from outside the fence of the Tempelhof airdrome. He promised to drop candy to them. He used handkerchiefs and scraps of cloth as miniature parachutes, and word of his personal humanitarian mission spread to the United States. Halvorsen earned the nickname “Candy Bomber.” u . s . air force photo

someone who’s almost given up on life; you can step in and make a difference by showing personal concern.

THE LITTLEST THINGS YOU MAKE, AREN’T SO LITTLE. Those decisions will put you where you end in life so be careful where you walk. Be honest with yourself. Listen to your core feelings to know what’s right, not what’s convenient.

At the end of the war, I was torn between staying in the service or going back to the farm to work for my dad. I prayed, sought confirmation. Dad said he had all the help he needed and to do what I wanted. I wanted to fly; so I stayed in the Air Force. And that small choice has served me well over the years.

I’ve had a wonderful career and have certainly enjoyed it.

••

Do you have a favorite candy? A Hershey’s dark chocolate bar.

What’s your favorite flavor of gum? Wrigley’s original Doublemint! I’ve tried many of the new flavors, but I like the old ones.

What was your favorite fruit growing up? Oh, peaches.

What was the worst job to do growing up on the farm? Springtime cleaning out of the manure pile and spreading it out over the fields after it sat all winter.

What was one of your favorite books that you learned a lesson from?

It was a western book by Zane Grey about a boy and his father growing up on a ranch. I owned that ranch.

What game did you like to play as a kid? I liked Monopoly. I always wanted to be the car, the Rolls Royce.

Did you go camping as a kid? We had no money so that was our recreation. We camped a lot, hiked a lot. Especially in the Unitas.

What was your first car? I got a Model-T as a junior in high school. I was the most popular guy around.

Are you a dancer? That’s one thing I’m not. When people went dancing, I went fishing.

••

From his humble roots in the dirt of the family farm to the skies above, Gail, the Berlin Candy Bomber, remembers who he is and what he stands for. He still maintains his pilot’s license and wears his flight suit issued all those years ago. With more than 9,500 flight hours, he continues to fly at the age of 98.

Beau J. Burgess is the museum and historical collections curator at the Fort Douglas Military Museum (Utah National Guard). He is a historian, visual artist and avid fan of pop culture. m ay

2018

“BUILDING TO INSPIRE”: THE GAIL S. HALVORSEN AVIATION EDUCATION CENTER.

T

he Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation advances aviation education, promotes youth leadership development, enhances community capacity for emergency response and encourages humanitarian service on macro- and micro-levels.

With interests in partnerships and other programs from Utah Valley University’s aviation program and local business in the aerospace industry, what started with plans for a single hanger has quickly expanded far beyond the original idea. Fundraising initiatives in full swing and plans are currently underway to build a multiple-building facility housing exhibition and meeting space, a fully-operational CAP emergency preparation services hanger and an simulation-focused educational space to promote aerospace and STEM education. ”CAP has a phenomenal educational program that we want to promote and utilize,” said Paul Jensen, the foundation’s assistant executive director. “We want to teach students from kindergarten through college and show what is out there.”

Regardless of the ever reaching vision, the main mission is still Gail Halvorsen’s life and the principles that he lives by— which are really becoming a lost art,” said Jensen.

Learn more about the foundation, the Berlin Candy Bomber and his life and legacy at thecandybomber.org. —VALOR va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

29

GONE FISHIN’

H A N D-I N-H A N D O U T D O O R S O F F E R S A N O U T

I

t started with taking disabled children fishing on Lake Powell.

Soon veterans were also going fishing. Organizers saw how underserviced these two groups were with recreational activities and launched Hand-in-Hand Outdoors—giving all a chance to share in the simple things like fishing, boating and camping. Overtime, the program has expanded to serve veterans, disabled veterans, their families, children (both disabled and under-privileged), Gold Star families and families of fallen law enforcement.

A companion program, the American Heroes Project, was created to host week-long camps in partnership with Rocky Ridge Outpost in Manila. These camps are designed for specific groups.

Today, Hand-in-Hand Outdoors offers day trips five days a week from mid-May through mid-September. The Strawberry Operation, managed by veteran and licensed-boat captain Brent Croxford, starts early in the morning. “They catch all kinds of fish up there—a lot of fish, especially Kokanee. They eat and laugh and have a great time,” said Randy Watt, the nonprofit’s executive director. “Give Brent a call. If there’s room on the boat, he’ll pencil you in.”

According to Watt, before summer begins, all reservations will be online at americanheroesproject.org. But for now, for a day of fishing at Strawberry Reservoir, contact Croxford: 801-577-5331, 1oldphiserman@gmail.com and for all other inquires contact Watt at randy@americanheroesproject.org. —MICHELLE BRIDGES FOR VALOR

MORE RESOURCES FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES 4-H CLUBS OF UTAH 4-H is the nation’s largest positive youth development program. Utah 4-H offers a variety of programs, projects, contests and events from livestock to sewing, and leadership to robotics.

385-468-4320, utah4h.org

30

DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES DWR is part of the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In addition to managing and protecting Utah’s wildlife, they manage hunting and fishing opportunities within the state.

801-538-4700, wildlife.utah.gov

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

photos courtesy of hand - in - hand outdoors

NATIONAL ABILITY CENTER NAC empowers individuals of all abilities by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through sport, recreation, equestrian and educational programs.

435-649-3991, discovernac.org

m ay

2018

Family Matters E ve r y s e r v i c e m e m be r n e e d s a s t r o n g a n d h e a l t h y s u p po r t s y s te m to d o w h a t i s a s k e d o f t h e m .

T h e e ve r w i d e n i n g ba n d s t h a t e n c i r c l e s t h e i n d iv i d u a l i n c l u d e s pa r t n e r s , f a m i l y, pe e r s a n d c o m m u n i t y.

VA LO R e x pl o r e s r el a t i o n s h i p s t h a t c o n n e c t s , e m b ra c e s a n d u pl i f t s .

CHILD’S PLAY ALWAYS ASK: “WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?” THERE ARE WAYS TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE MILITARY LIFE ON THEIR LEVEL

by David Bringhurst w it h sarai b ring h u rs t and mi c h e ll e b ridg e s for valor maga z in e

O

ne of the more interesting chapters written about military family life is titled, “Voices from the Backseat: Demands of Growing up in Military Families” by Morten Ender.

Most adults can relate to the image of being in the back seat of the family car and asking, “Are we there yet?” from their own childhood.

Military children have become experts from the backseat vantage point, having crisscrossed the country as their military parent relocates at the beck-and-call of Uncle Sam. A family where one or both parents are pursuing a military career can expect to experience relocating every one to three years. These moves lead to social upheaval for the children, often result in child care issues, housing problems and impact the non-military spouse employment.

At the same time military life can lead a child to be more resilient, adaptive, flexible, able to make friendships easily, and more open to experience different cultures and people. In the long term, this single aspect of military life alone can impact a child’s educational success, spousal career ambitions and family community connections. Most military and veteran families do quite well as they adjust to the changes their military member’s career presents them.

There are other concerns military families face as part of military life. Concern about the military member’s safety, both in combat and deployment situations, as well as in day-to-day training. There m ay

2018

is an unspoken (and sometimes spoken) expectation to look good in front of the military member’s colleagues and superiors. In her book “Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress,” author Mary Wertch called it the “mask” when referring to the pressure to maintain an image of having things “all together, no problems here.” She further referred to the reticence of military families to discuss their life as the “fortress,” wherein spouse and children protect their military member’s career by not discussing the struggles or challenges they may be facing due to the demands of that career. This can be particularly problematic when family violence is being hidden rather than getting help.

NAVIGATING A DEPLOYMENT The term “ambiguous loss,” was first coined by Pauline Boss in the 1970s when she noted the impact of a service member missing in action on their children and spouse. This is the essence of an unresolved grief, a loss that has no closure. There are many life experiences that create such loss, adoption and divorce, for example. Recently, researchers have given the term additional meaning, “A family member may be physically absent but psychologically present, or a family member may be physically present but psychologically absent.”

Throughout pre-deployment, the service member is becoming focused on the deployment ahead, they are completing all their required trainings, all these preparations for departure increase their time away from home. Their time is increasingly given to va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

31

DRIVEN TO BE BETTER

F R E E D O M V E H I C L E S TA K E TO T H E ROA D

F

reedom Vehicles Association, freedomvehicles.org, is dedicated to promoting patriotism, educating the public about U.S. military history and honoring veterans through displays of military artifacts. The nonprofit organization was started by Vernon Stout, Wade Knapp and Dave Turley. The three men felt they needed a long-term effort of honoring soldiers so every person who sees and touches their displays gains an understanding of the sacrifices made to keep America free.

“We re-purpose physical assets that are no longer in active use by the armed forces to give the general public opportunities to learn about, touch, feel, sit in and explore all types, sizes and shapes of vehicles and equipment,” said Stout. Freedom Vehicles has grown from small displays to more than 50 vehicles and 20,000+ World War I to present-day military artifacts.

In 2017, the group participated in nearly 20 events with the largest event, at Colonial Days in Orem’s Scera Park, attracting approximately 50,000 visitors over a four-day period. Learn more about the 2018 event at freedomfestival.org

“After visiting any of our displays, youth are more likely to thank a veteran, shake a hand, listen to a story, understand their challenges,and have a desire to serve in the military,” Stout said.

“All activities primary focus and design is to teach and educate youth.” —JENNIFER WEAVER FOR VALOR photos courtesy of freedom vehicles association

MORE RESOURCES FOR PROMOTING PATRIOTISM ROOTS OF FREEDOM Imagine programs in your school, business or home that includes life-changing simulated experiences, excellent curriculum and other electrifying tools that will increase patriotism.

877-917-1787, rootsoffreedom.com

32

UTAH PATRIOT CAMP Camp involves everyone—kids, parents and community—with the goal of educating ourselves about our great nation and the principles upon which it was founded.

801-893-CAMP (2267), utahpatriotcamp.com

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

NATIONAL PTA “REFLECTIONS” CONTEST The 2018-2019 theme “Heroes Around Me” will spark imagination and creativity in school and at home. Encourage your school to imagine, create and celebrate with Reflections. reflections@utahpta.org

m ay

2018

their unit, and taken away from home, the family begins to experience the loss already as they are anticipating the separation. The military member is still physically present, but psychologically and emotionally he/she is becoming absent.

During the actual deployment, the military member is “gone.” Depending on the resources in the deployment location, they may be able to contact family on a regular basis via phone, internet, and/or email. In this situation, the loss is related to their physical presence, as the service member is physically absent but may be psychologically present. When examining the relationships between the deployed parent and child via video technology, one study found an unmeaningful bonding with younger children and a meaningful bond with older children. That is, a younger child for example may not appreciate the psychological presence of their parent on a screen as much as they miss their physical presence—no more hugs, no riding on daddy’s shoulders, no mom tucking them into bed at night.

Ambiguous loss can occur once the deployment is over and the parent is home.

Communication with family and friends related to the war trauma can be strained.

The experience is too difficult to adequately describe what they saw, felt, heard, smelled, witnessed, did, and how they have been impacted, how they have changed from those experiences. Even more, the military member would never wish to expose their spouse or children to the harsh realities that they experienced during combat service.

Deployments are challenging enough for those who leave their families, however, family members also face challenges during the time apart. Family Readiness Centers (FRC), like the one at Hill Air Force Base, provide support for military members and their families before, during and after deployments. According to MSgt. Shantelle Carpenter, the Readiness NCO, “We kind of have a community of everyone looking out for these families so that when their airman leaves, families don’t feel like they’re on their own.”

MAKING THE GRADE IN SCHOOL The deployment aspect of military life has also been associated with causing at least some attachment issues among the children and spouse left behind. Around 44 percent of all military members are married with children, nearly 1.1 million children to be more precise, half of whom are under the age of 5 (2015 statistics). The percentages among those who have deployed? 68.2 percent are married, and 58.5 percent with children ages birth to five years.

According to attachment theory proponents, the best environment to create a young child’s secure mental and emotional disposition is through an emotionally available and responsive caregiver, which can in turn provide the child the necessary skills to adjust and adapt to difficult or challenging situations. These attachments in a child’s formative years impact future relationships. Importantly, if the caregiver remaining at home during a deployment has an insecure attachment history of their own, then he or she may not adjust well to their partner’s absence, this can have a notable negative effect on their children’s ability to adapt to the absence of the military parent.

Approximately one-third of children who experience a parent’s deployment reveal significant levels of anxiety. Studies also reveal that school-aged children may find it difficult to manage their emotions, especially as they become more self-aware and are learning how to control their impulses. Children of national guard and reserve parents report experiencing increased conduct issues, due to the lack of social support systems, as well as the difficulty with adjusting to parental separation during deployment. Adolescents with a deployed parent who are already struggling with an insecure attachment to their caregiver, can exhibit signs of depression, lower academic achievement, and higher rates of anxiety. m ay

2018

HELPING KIDS TELL THEIR OWN STORY Deployments happen. Moms deploy and dads deploy. When they put on a uniform, mom or dad is a soldier. That’s their job outside the house. Inside the home, they’re mom and they’re dad. “I wanted kids to be able to put their parent into this book,” author Leslie Zimmeman said. “I wanted them to as much support as possible in their own story.”

The book is written for preschoolers through grade school. As soon as kids can talk, they’re asking “why, why, why.” So explaining the “why” to them, using words and terms in a story is important. Older kids don’t necessarily need a book. Parents can talk to them about what’s happening and they can process it in an adult way.

Research has shown kids tend to regress when they’re parents leave—they do worse in school, suffer depression and may have anger issues; simply because they don’t understand what is going on.

Kids need to know they aren’t alone in this. They have people they can reach out too whether it’s their grandma, teacher, coach, friends—people to whom they can express how they’re feeling.

“The book gives them ideas on ways to communicate with their parents. Like their parent is gone but not unreachable in most cases,” Zimmeman said. “You can email, call, send letters and pictures; but it let’s kids know they’re not forgotten about; that parents are thinking about them too.”

Kids still need to do their jobs: homework, chores, playing and not feeling guilty about having fun. Dad and mom are going to change, kids will change, and that’s OK. —VALOR INQUIRIES: When Mom Deploys ISBN: 978-1-943239-10-8 When Dad Deploys ISBN: 978-1-943239-09-2 Publication date: August 15, 2018 authorlesliezimmerman@gmail.com

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

33

HIGH FLYIN’ S T E M C I T Y P U T S N E W V I E W O N A I R S H OW

A

fter seeing an extremely popular STEM City event recently, event leaders wanted school-age children in Utah to benefit from a similar event at the upcoming Hill Air Force Base “Warriors over the Wasatch” Air and Space Show, June 23-24. Learn more at theutahairshow.com An entire hangar will host an array of companies and schools, each with interactive, hands-on STEM activities, in addition to a stage with hourly STEM demonstrations hosted by the Hill AFB STEM Outreach group. “We want to create an opportunity to showcase to kids the things they are interested in, such as diesel superpower trucks, and their need to have STEM. They will see that it’s not just boring science stuff. They can actually see the end result,” said Kevin Ireland, the show’s executive director.

STEM Program Manager for HAFB, Alison Sturgeon, is coordinating the efforts for the STEM City so the general public can see how much STEM employees are needed. “Efforts like these not only highlight the needs of the Air Force for STEM, but everyone who supports us as well, such as our defense contractors, universities, and the whole aerospace community in educating parents and students on the great opportunities in STEM that are waiting for them.” —DANA RIMINGTON FOR VALOR

MORE RESOURCES FOR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AEROSPACE HERITAGE FOUNDATION Hill Aerospace Museum’s Aerospace Center for Education strengthens area youth by promoting interests in aerospace science.

Hopefully sparking interest in continuing their education in science-related fields.

801-825-5817, aerospaceutah.org

34

photos courtesy of utah aerospace heritage foundation

UTAH MILITARY ACADEMY UMA prepares cadets as leaders to thrive in competitive environments upon graduation with a focus on additional education in an environment related to the military culture.

Lehi: 385-498-6167, Ogden: 801-689-3013 utahmilitaryacademy.org

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

UTAH’S STEM FEST This is a most unique gathering of hands-on experiences with science and technology that will fire a child’s imaginations. For 7-10th grades. Public night Oct. 22. School participation Oct. 23-24. utahstemfest.com

m ay

2018

Kim Taylor, director for Hill’s FRC, says her staff works closely with School Liaison Officer Tracie Atkins to let teachers and care providers know when a parent is deploying.

“We want them to watch for certain signs and symptoms a child may display at school,” she said. Davis and Weber school districts have become “really good at keeping an eye” on military children throughout the school year.

HELPING CHILDREN COPE DURING SEPARATION Many ways exist to help children cope with the deployment of a parent. Some are as simple as placing a picture of dad on a pillow case or one of mom’s face on a doll in place of the doll’s face. (Although children might find this a bit too creepy.) Counting the days until the parent comes home is another method for dealing with the loss, these activities can be fun and create a connection where the service member becomes more psychologically present to the child despite his/her physical absence.

For example, one family prepared for their father’s departure by buying enough Hershey’s Kisses for each child to equal the number of days he would be deployed. The father then physically kissed each Hershey’s Kiss in the presence of the children and put them in a container, while he was gone the children got to get a kiss from dad every day!

They also witness the kisses decreasing in the container and could understand when to anticipate his return. Challenges may arise if the deployment is extended, but creative families can find ways to deal with this too.

Carpenter explains that for those who live on base or nearby it is easier to keep in contact with families because a community is already in place. “We host monthly events to bring deployed families together. It gets them out of the house, breaks up the monotony and brings them together with other families in the same situation.” For those that live farther away, it is harder to make connections.

As ironic as it may seem, military children may find involvement in military-affiliated programs as a way to cope with military life. In Utah there are chapters of the Jr. Civil Air Patrol, JROTC, STEM and some community-sponsored youth programs.

Utah National Guard Family Programs Coordinator Kelly Barnes says his biggest challenge is geographical proximity. Guard families are spread out across the state and beyond—not concentrated like at Hill. Because they reside in neighborhoods where they may be the only military family, it is common for families to use community programs instead of military resources. Distance and time also makes regular meet ups difficult.

Either Barnes takes his programs on the road or participants must travel to Camp Williams.

Guard leadership sees value in what Barnes has created and “they’ve set me up really well.” His relies on partnerships, like 4-H Clubs, to provide research-based programs that teach life skills. Barnes is delighted with the garden Guard youth plant, weed, water and harvest each year. “It allows us to teach them how to cook too.”

It is necessary to acknowledge the worst case scenario, when a parent is killed in action, then of course the family will need much more than kisses to face their loss and survive the grief. Each branch of the military has programs that are specifically designed for these families, often by those who have experienced similar losses.

Bottom line. MSgt. Carpenter said, “We just try to make sure that spouses and kids know that there is a place here and there are people here for them. And just because your family member is gone, you are not alone; there’s a whole extended family here for you.”

David L. Bringhurst, Ph.D., LCSW, grew up in Utah before serving as a social worker for 21 years on active duty for the U.S. Air Force. He’s had many positions including Chief of the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, Chief of Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention for the Air National Guard, and Chief of Air Force Family Research. He now resides in Mapleton and is a Clinical Associate Professor teaching for the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work via their Virtual Academic Center. m ay

2018

RESOURCES TO HELP CHILDREN WITH MILITARY LIFE MILITARY ONE SOURCE Military resource providing 24/7 support for military personnel, spouses, family members and survivors. Find answers and guidance from those who have been there.

800-342-9647, militaryonesource.mil REAL WARRIORS: RESILIENCY PROGRAM FOR MILITARY FAMILIES Non-medical counseling available through the Military Family Life Counselor (UMFLC) program and through Military OneSource to talk with a crisis counselor).

866-966-1020, realwarriors.net NAMI UTAH: HOMEFRONT A free, six-session program for families, caregivers and friends of military members and vets with mental health conditions. Learn more about classes in Utah.

801-323-9900, namiut.org ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Utah PTA Military Families: utahpta.org/military-families-boardspecialist Military Child Education Coalition: militarychild.org Military Significant Other Support (SOS): militarysos.com Military Family Advisory Network: militaryfamilyadvisorynetwork.org Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) FOCUS: .taps.org Good Grief Camps: taps.org/ national/2018/goodgriefcamp Gold Star Families: facebook.com/ GoldStarFamilies Gold Star Moms: goldstarmoms.com

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

35

Service & Sacrifice

FLAGS AND FLOWERS V E T E R A N S C H A L L E N G E C R E ATO R TO B E PA RT O F F R E E D O M F E S T I VA L

by Jennifer Durrant for valor maga z in e

C

ruising around on skateboards trying out new tricks.

Spending hours playing the latest video game.

Challenging friends to pizza roll eating contests.

Kicking the soccer ball around the neighborhood park.

These are all pretty typical activities for the average 12-year-old boy, right?

Well, it’s time to introduce you to a young man who has turned in his soccer ball and time at the neighborhood park (at least temporarily) for a more noble, patriotic cause, spending his free time instead at cemeteries throughout the country decorating veterans’ graves with American flags and red carnations.

Meet Preston Sharp, the creator of the Flags and Flowers for Veterans challenge.

On Veterans Day in November 2015, then 10-year-old Preston joined his mom at the Redding, Calif., cemetery to honor his grandfather, who had served in the U.S. Navy, by placing a flag and flower on his grave. Arriving at the cemetery, however, Preston was heartbroken to discover that there were hundreds of veterans’ graves not receiving the same patriotic treatment. “I was thinking that there were going to be flags out on all the veterans’ gravesites. I kept looking for flags and looking for people putting them out, but I didn’t see anyone,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I got really frustrated, mad that our vets weren’t getting honored on Veterans Day.” Once at home that night, Preston’s mom, April Sharp, worked to effectively channel his frustration. She told him, “If

36

va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

you’re this upset, do something about it or let it go,” she said.

“He was so upset that day.”

Preston quickly got to work, first vacuuming the home for money and then deciding to ramp up the fundraising by setting up a GoFundMe account. Over the past two and a half years, that GoFundMe and other fundraising efforts have collected $55,000, all going to purchase American flags and red carnations for veteran graves. As he is quick to proclaim, veterans should be honored every day, not just on holidays.

ONE GRAVE, ONE CEMETERY AT A TIME Before Preston’s fundraising campaign really took off, he would earn money however he could, purchase as many flags and flowers as possible and then head out to the cemeteries of Redding and Sacramento, decorating as many graves as possible. When he would run out of money, Preston would jump on Facebook and share his goal with friends, family and neighbors. “He would run out of money, but then something would break and he’d get just the amount he needed to keep going,” April said.

And when Facebook outreach didn’t work, Preston asked his mom to help schedule speaking engagements. “Take me to a group or something and I’ll talk in front of them and raise some money,” he said. Preston has spoken to multiple VFW groups in the Redding area, but has since expanded his speaking engagements, most recently presenting his Flags and Flowers campaign to a group of 600 people in Washington, D.C. m ay

2018

Young Preston Sharp created the Flowers and Flag Challenge to honor veterans with an American flag and red carnation. His efforts may have started in his hometown of Redding, Calif., but he has a vision to visit all 50 states. courtesy photos of sharp family

NATIONAL EXPERIENCES From the beginning of the project, Preston knew his patriotic mission could not be contained to just California. His goal was to honor vets in cemeteries in all 50 states. With help from donors, Preston and his mom have been able to travel regionally to Nevada and Oregon, but also to Alabama, Florida and Virginia. Now, people are actually donating money for flights, allowing the bulk of donations to purchase flags and flowers.

Along his travels, this young man has created incredible memories, like decorating 4,000 unclaimed veterans graves at Quantico National Cemetery in Virginia. “We had 200 people there to help. It was amazing,” he said.

The pinnacle of that visit to the nation’s capital, however, was when Preston was invited to attend the 2018 State of the Union address, meeting President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence, then receiving a standing ovation from both sides of the political aisle.

It was that appearance that caught the attention of Carl Bacon, founder of Provo’s Freedom Festival Stadium of Fire.

“Preston is a fine young man who is drawing attention to the m ay

2018

time he is spending honoring the flag and veterans,” said Bacon who has invited Preston and his mom to join in this year’s Freedom Festival celebrations.

UTAH BOUND With more than 48,000 veterans graves decorated to date, that number will increase by nearly 3,300 when Preston introduces Utahns to the Flags and Flowers Challenge July 2-4. Preston will be recognized at three major events at the Freedom Festival. He will be honored in the Grand Parade, lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance at the Stadium of Fire and, of course, decorate more than 3,000 veteran graves at the Provo City Cemetery.

Those interested in donating and volunteering to help decorate graves when Preston visits Utah for the Provo Freedom Festival can visit PrestonSharp.net.

Jennifer Durrant has been writing for daily newspapers throughout Utah and in Palm Springs, California for more than 20 years. She loves to write about extraordinary people, restaurant, theater and concert reviews, home decor trends, cooking techniques and recipes, and anything else related life in Utah. In her spare time she loves traveling the world, cooking for her family and decorating her home in Santaquin, Utah. She can be reached at jenndurrant28@icloud.com or @jenndurrant28 on Instagram and Twitter. va l o r : a s a l u t e t o u ta h ’ s v e t e r a n s a n d m i l i ta r y

37

Attention

Veterans

Our staff of trained professionals stand ready to assist you in many ways, such as: • Outreach Activities - Help with VA Pension, and Aid & Attendance - Service Connected Disability Claims • Job Fairs - Getting you employed, skills workshops, etc.

• etc.

• • The Homeless Veterans Stand-Down - Providing food, shelter, and clothing The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs is here to serve you. We operate: • The Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park • Four Veterans Homes from Ogden to St. George • The State Approving Agency for Veterans Education Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs 550 Foothill Drive, Suite 150 Salt Lake City, Utah 84113 Phone: 801-326-2372 Email: veterans@utah.gov www.veterans.utah.gov