Valor

A SPECIAL EDITION FOR SUBSCRIBERS OFDESERET NEWS AND THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

U.S. Army soldiers load into a UH-60L Blackhawk at Fair f ie ld, 2012. The soldiers are conducting practice jumps in order to prepare for a future exercise. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / s e n i o r a i r m a n d e v i n d o s k e y

valor: a salute to utah’s veterans and mil itary 1

CONTENTS

3Foreword: Valor A Salute to Utah’s Veterans and Mi l i tary

5Remember ing My Stor y Utah Veteran History Project : “ Where Were You When WWII Ended?”

16Answer ing the Cal l Utah Honor F l ight : Their Memoria l , Our Miss ion

20Fly ing High Celebrat ing 75 Years , Hi l l A i r Force Base Cont inues to Impact Utah

34Homegrown Heroes The Utah Nat ional Guard Serves at Home and Abroad

44Def ining Freedom From One Generat ion to Another

valor: a salute to utah’s veterans and mil itary2

Army vers ion of Medal of Honor and Gold Star F lag, of World War I I v intage. d e s e r e t n e ws p h oto / m i c h a e l d e g r o ot e


U tah Media Group and our par tner s , Desere t News and The Sa l t Lake Tr ibune , recognize the se r v ice and sacr i f i ce o f Utah’s ve terans and mi l i ta r y men

and women. We want to share the i r s tor ie s , h i s tor ie s and v ignet te s o f mi l i ta r y se r v ice wi th our reader s . When we chose to do so wi th a keepsake magaz ine , we dec ided on the t i t l e , VALOR, to a l ign wi th words a s soc ia ted wi th the nat ion’s h ighes t mi l i ta r y decorat ion — the Medal o f Honor — extreme courage , insp i ra t ion to l ead , conspicuous ga l l antr y, daunt le s s for t i tude and sp i r i t o f se l f - sacr i f i ce .

Off ic ia l ly ca l l ed the Congres s iona l Medal o f Honor, the award i s g iven for “uncommon va lor” by men and women in the a rmed forces . It i s g iven for braver y in ac t ions “above and beyond the ca l l o f duty” in combat aga ins t an armed enemy. Since the meda l was e s tab l i shed by an ac t o f Congres s and s igned into l aw by Pres ident L inco ln , there have been some 3 ,450 rec ip ient s . Utah has s ix accredi ted rec ip ient s — Marvyn S . Bennion, Wi l l i am E. Hal l , George T. Sakato , Jose F. Va ldez , George E. Wahlen, a l l o f Wor ld War I I v intage ; and Br ian M. Thacker o f the Vie tnam War.

According to Terr y Schow, former execut ive d i rec tor o f Utah’s Depar tment o f Veterans and Mi l i ta r y Af fa i r s , Meda l o f Honor rec ip ient s a re , in h i s exper ience , humble , modes t indiv idua l s . Most ly, they’re surpr i sed by recogni t ion of the i r hero ic ac t ions , o f ten done a t the cos t o f the i r l i ve s . Rec ip ient re sponses a re s imply, “ I jus t d idn’t want to l e t my buddies down, that i s why I d id what I d id . I had to go get them, care for them.”

As the measure o f one man, Schow re fe r red to George E. Wahlen’s c i ta t ion for h i s Medal o f Honor :

For con sp i cuous ga l lant r y and in t rep id i t y a t the r i sk o f h i s l i f e above and beyond the ca l l o f duty wi th the 2nd Bat ta l ion , 26th Marine s , 5 th Marine Div i s i on . . . dur ing ac t ion aga in s t enemy Japane s e f o rc e s on Iwo Jima. Pain fu l l y wounded , Wahlen remained on the bat t l e f i e ld … to a id a wounded mar ine and carr y ing h im back to sa f e t y de sp i t e a t e r r i f i c concent ra t ion o f f i re . Tire l e s s in h i s mini s t ra t ion s , he con s i s t en t l y d i s regarded a l l danger to a t t end h i s f i gh t ing comrade s a s they f e l l under the deva s ta t ing ra in o f shrapne l and bu l l e t s , and rendered prompt

a s s i s tance to var iou s e l ement s . . . Wounded aga in , he ga l lant l y re fu s ed evacuat ion … repea t ed l y render ing medica l a id whi l e expo s ed to the b la s t ing fur y o f power fu l Japane s e guns . Stouthear t ed and indomitab l e , he per s evered in h i s de t e rmined e f f o r t s a s h i s uni t waged f i e rc e ba t t l e and, unabl e t o walk a f t e r su s ta in ing a th i rd agoniz ing wound, re so lu t e l y c rawled 50 yard s t o admini s t e r f i r s t a id to s t i l l ano ther fa l l en f i gh t e r. By h i s daunt l e s s f o r t i tude and va lor, Wahlen s e r ved a s a con s tant in sp i ra t ion and contr ibuted v i ta l l y t o the h igh mora l e o f h i s company dur ing c r i t i ca l pha s e s o f th i s s t ra t eg i ca l l y impor tant engagement . Hi s hero i c sp i r i t o f s e l f - sa c r i f i c e in the fac e o f overwhe lming enemy f i re uphe ld the h ighe s t t radi t ion s o f the U.S . mi l i tar y …

Wahlen’s se l f l e s snes s d id not end upon re t i rement f rom mi l i ta r y se r v ice . He re turned to Ogden and went to work for the Sa l t Lake Veterans o f f i ce . He worked t i re l e s s ly for year s for ve terans by expla in ing benef i t s , lobbying for medica l and re t i rement fac i l i t i e s , and es tab l i sh ing the Utah Veteran Memoria l Park and Cemeter y. Schow says even in h i s f ina l dec l ine , Wahlen watched the da i ly progres s o f the Ogden Veterans Home, which bares Wahlen’s name. “His f ina l concerns were for h i s f e l low ser v ice men and women,” says Schow. And Utah re turned the honor. “At h i s funera l , I thought , ‘what a revered man’ … from the h ighes t -ranking to the lowes t - ranking mi l i ta r y per sonne l were in a t tendance . At the end, a l l s tood and sa luted h im.” Schow adds , “So when you ta lk o f va lor, humi l i ty and ser v ice to one’s community, Wahlen s tands a s an exemplar y o f Utah’s outs tanding se r v ice men and women.”

Utah Media Group acknowledges a l l o f our ve terans and mi l i ta r y per sonne l can ident i fy wi th the uncommon character i s t i c s o f a Medal o f Honor rec ip ient , ye t f ew rece ive such recogni t ion. We honor each of them and the i r wi l l ingness to l ay down the i r l i f e in se r v ice and sacr i f i ce for home, God and countr y.

We sa lute them.

VALORA SALUTE TO UTAH’S

VETERANS AND MIL ITARY

The “Kiss ing Couple” is the iconic image of the ending of World War I I . Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured the unknown couple in New York’s Times Square on Victory Over Japan Day — V-J Day. l i b r a ry o f c o n g r e s s p h oto / t i m e m a g a z i n e , a l f r e d e i s e n s ta e dt


T he chance to l earn f i r s thand about the sacr i f i ce s made by what we r ight ly ca l l the “Greates t Generat ion” — those who fought and won World

War I I — i s becoming increas ing ly d i f f i cu l t due to the rap id ra te a t which these men and women are pas s ing .

There have been moments throughout h i s tor y that a re inde l ib ly impr inted on the genera t ion in which they occur. Often t imes , these men and women are capable o f reca l l ing exact ly where they were and what was go ing on a t the t ime of these c r i t i ca l h i s tor ica l events . The end of Wor ld War I I was one such event .

Ser v ice members and c iv i l i ans f rom the Wor ld War I I e ra were so impacted by the end of the war that when the announcement was made , t ear s were shed and people ce lebra ted in the s t ree t s . The shared nat iona l exper ience a t the end of the war c rea ted iconic images that became a par t o f our nat iona l her i tage . In addi t ion to shaping our h i s tor y, these events shaped our present cu l ture and our overa l l wor ld v iew. The accompl i shments o f the Greates t Generat ion determined the soc io-pol i t i ca l d i rec t ion of the ent i re wor ld and se t the s tage for today’s g loba l interac t ions .

To commemorate the 70th anniver sar y o f the end of Wor ld War I I , the Utah Depar tment o f Veterans and Mi l i ta r y Af fa i r s and the Utah Sta te His tor y, a d iv i s ion of the Depar tment o f Her i tage & Ar t s , a re teaming up to co l l ec t s tor ie s o f Utah’s Wor ld War I I ve terans . More than 65,000 Utahns se r ved in the mi l i ta r y dur ing Wor ld War I I and approx imate ly 7 ,000 s t i l l ca l l Utah home.

The agenc ie s c rea ted an onl ine proces s that a sks ve terans to remember where they were when the war ended and descr ibe the i r exper ience . Fami l i e s may a l so complete the proces s for the i r ve terans . The h i s tor ica l record of indiv idua l se r v ice wi l l become a prec ious a s se t to Utah and the nat ion.

“This i s a wonder fu l oppor tuni ty for ve terans and the i r f ami l i e s to come together,” sa id Brad Westwood, d i rec tor o f Utah Sta te His tor y. “We want to ensure our ve terans rece ive the se r v ices they deser ve and we hope to fur ther document the i r war t ime ser v ice .”

The launch of the Utah Veteran His tor y Pro jec t i s making i t a pr ior i ty for Wor ld War I I ve terans to preser ve the i r memorie s o f the end of the war. We hope that these ve terans and the i r f ami l i e s and f r i ends wi l l a s s i s t us in recording these reco l l ec t ions by go ing to mymil i tar y s tor y.utah.gov and shar ing the i r remini scences .

“This i s a t e r r i f i c way to preser ve the s tor ie s o f those Utahns who ser ved in Wor ld War I I and the i r unique per spect ive on the end of that conf l i c t . We are honored to be par t o f the pro jec t ,” sa id Gary Har ter, execut ive d i rec tor o f the Depar tment o f Veterans and Mi l i ta r y Af fa i r s .

Over the next f ew year s , th i s pro jec t wi l l a sk ve terans f rom a var ie ty o f d i f f e rent e ra s to share spec i f i c memorie s o f the i r mi l i ta r y se r v ice focused on s igni f i cant h i s tor ica l events . It i s our hope and intent ion that those s tor ie s , too , wi l l be used by future genera t ions to l earn about and apprec ia te the l egacy that was l e f t for them by these grea t men and women.

REMEMBERING MY STORY

UTAH VETERAN H ISTORY PROJECT

by J im Bedingf ie ld and Er in Wynn


V-E DAY

VICTORY OVER EUROPE MAY 8 , 1945

by Robert Welsh

On Apr i l 30 , 1945, Führer und Re ichskanz l e r Ado l f Hi t l e r, and a hos t o f h i s cohor t s , commit ted su ic ide in h i s Ber l in bunker. In a mat te r o f e ight days , the war in the European Theate r o f Opera t ions would come to an end . With the Führer dead , sur render ing Germany f e l l to h i s hap le s s succe s sor (but mos t capab le Admira l ) , Re ichspra s ident Kar l Döni t z . The ac t o f mi l i t a r y sur render was ac tua l l y s i gned twice , once on May 7 in Re ims , France , and aga in on May 8 in Ber l in , Germany.

The f i r s t Ins t rument o f Sur render, s i gned a t Re ims , was so fu l l o f ho le s and cont rover sy tha t Genera l Dwight D. Ei senhower d id not a t t end . And, even though the documents had been ce r t i f i ed by the Sov ie t l i a i son o f f i ce r, Sta l in prote s t ed tha t the sur render t e rms were not those which had been prev ious ly pre sented to h im and endor sed by the Sov ie t Union .

The uncondi t iona l sur render o f the German a rmed force s was s igned on May 8 in Ber l in . Genera lober s t A l f red Jod l s i gned a s the repre senta t ive fo r Döni t z . Wal te r Bede l l Smi th s igned on beha l f o f the Wes te rn A l l i e s , and Genera l Sus loparov on beha l f o f the Sov ie t Union . La te r, the fo rmal sur render s ign ing would t ake p lace a t the s ea t o f the Sov ie t Mi l i t a r y Admini s t ra t ion in Ber l in .

The war in the European Theate r o f Opera t ions was o f f i c i a l l y over.

U.S. Navy sai lors celebrate Victory Over Europe with the surrender of Germany on Main Street downtown Honolulu. u.s . n ava l a i r s tat i o n f o rt l au d e r d a l e m u s e u m p h oto / f r a n k f r e z z a

valor: a salute to utah’s veterans and mil itary8

u ta h s tat e h i s to ry p h oto / s a lt l a k e t r i b u n e c o l l e c t i o n


f r o m t h e e d i t o r s : Tr y ing t o an swer the que s t i on , “ Where were you when World War I I ended?” d id no t c ome ea s y. Expe c ta t i on s were s imp l y t o ga the r re spon s e s f rom the on l ine por t i on o f th e Utah Ve t e ran s Hi s t o r y Pro j e c t .

That d idn’ t e xac t l y happen . We op t ed t o v i s i t wi th WWII ve t e ran s a t th e f our Utah Ve t e ran s Homes t o ga the r th e i r s t o r i e s in p e r s on . We f ound s e r v i c e men and women who shared the i r s t o r i e s in way s tha t were qu i e t , una s suming , vague , s t o i c , ga l l an t , c ourageou s , in sp i r ing , an imated , humorou s , d e ta i l ed , even shock ing .

For o the r s , memor i e s f a i l ed them. Some s t o r i e s f ound the i r way t o u s f rom fami l y member s — adding ye t ano the r p e r sp e c t i ve . What we f ound was eve r y one ha s a s t o r y t o t e l l , and we encourage you

t o h e lp ga the r tho s e s t o r i e s b e f o re th e y a re l o s t . Here , we share a f ew.

”I f I remember r ight, I was in th is l i tt le town in Czechoslovakia. We were guarding German soldiers . I was standing around a f i re in a 50-gal lon drum try ing to keep warm. I imagine there was some rel ief knowing i t was over but I d idn’ t celebrate — there was nothing to celebrate. I was in the infantry and when we landed on the beach, we walked every step of the way across Europe.”

— Vern Weather s t one , Army, 1942-45, Pac i f i c Thea t e r, Hometown: Ogden , In t e r v i ew a t Ogden VA Home

“I sure do remember. I was down in Santa Anna, Cal i f. , doing rehabi l i tat ion and one of the guys and I went down to one of the beaches. Anyway, I was on a Ferr is wheel when they announced the end of the war. But when they made the announcement, we were a l ready r ight in the middle of a celebrat ion, everybody was, so we just kept celebrat ing. Every t ime we went around and got to the top we took a dr ink of whiskey.

— Manley Abbo t t , Army Ai r Forc e , European Thea t e r, Hometown: De l ta , In t e r v i ew a t Home

“I was in Okinawa, Japan, when the surrender was announced. We weren’t sure what was going on with al l the noise — cannons going off, machine gun f i re — we thought the invasion was start ing. But i t was just everyone celebrat ing. I was a Quartermaster working with munit ions. A week later I was reclass i f ied and sent to Korea as a baker. One week I was handl ing bombs, the next I was making bread.”

— Lee Cur t i s , Army In fantr y, 1944-46, Pac i f i c Theate r, Hometown: Pendl e ton , Ore . , In t e r v i ewed a t Pay son VA Home

“I was a deckhand passing ammunit ion. Served in Sic i ly, went to Europe and then on to the Paci f ic . My ship was alongside an aircraft carr ier that was on f i re after a jet dropped a bomb on it . When the war ended, I was in the hospital — they wouldn’t let us go to town. Didn’t real ly celebrate. We were al l happy about i t [the war ending]. Discharged as soon as I was out of the hospital . I celebrated when I came home. Went to a few beer joints.”

— Alton Nie l s on , Navy, 1942-45, European and Pac i f i c thea t e r s , Hometown: Maple ton , In t e r v i ew a t Pay son VA Home




“ I was in China to help invade Japan when the war ended. I was dr iv ing a truck with suppl ies at the t ime. I d idn’ t have t ime to celebrate, we just kept going. I d idn’ t come home for about s ix months after the war ended.”

— Richard “Dick” Wes twood , Army In fan t r y, 1944-46 , Burma-China- Ind ia , Hometown: Ci rc l ev i l l e , In t e r v i ewed a t Iv in s VA Home

“We heard the war was over through the radio. I was e lated but I don’ t remember celebrat ing. I t was just day-to-day.”

— Eve l yn Hudson , Navy, 29 year s , Sta t e s id e : Grea t Lake s a rea , Hometown: Redd ing , Penns y l van ia , In t e r v i ew a t Pay son VA Home

“As a dent ist we made sure our boys had the best dental care we could give them before they left . I spent my serv ice in Key West, F la . , Tucson, Ar iz . , and f ina l ly in Las Vegas surrounding by c itrus trees, b looming gardens and country c lubs. When the war ended, I went out to dinner with my wife and went back to work the next day. Nothing glamorous.” (A couple days later, daughter Joyce Rencher contacted us and added to her father ’s story. “Dad’s a humble, quiet man. He remembered every serv ice member he worked with, thei r names and faces. He wouldn’ t te l l you but he a lso ident i f ied remains f rom denta l records. And often he recognized soldier remains he had worked with previous ly. He worked hard to return soldiers to thei r fami l ies . Dad wanted them to go home with dignity.” )

— Rober t Hi ldebrand , Army Ai r Corp . , 1942-45 , Sta t e s id e , Hometown: Sa l t Lake Ci t y, In t e r v i ew a t Iv in s VA Home

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“We drove convoys into China f rom Burma. We ran blockades a l l the t ime. The Chinese were thankfu l for anything we brought in . I remember when the war ended, I was dr iv ing a truck out in the jungles pick ing up parachutes. They used to send out l i tt le pr inted pamphlets and that ’s how I heard the news. Al l I could remember th ink ing was they were going to try real ly hard to keep us over there, but they didn’ t . I was home in s ix months. Once I remember coming in f rom a long convoy. There I was s i tt ing in my tent and an off icer came in and told me I was wanted up at headquarters and to br ing my bugle. When you were wanted at HQ , you ran. The head guy asked me i f I could play ‘ that th ing.’ He had me run through Taps a few t imes to prove i t . He then told me I had the job. He sa id FDR had just died and we were going to do a tr ibute. There’s 10,000 troops standing at attent ion and you’re going to play Taps. That was the toughest job I ever did.”

— Clem Hancock , Army, 1942-45 , China-Burma-India , Hometown: Pangui t ch , In t e r v i ew a t Pay son VA Home

“ I was down in Santa Anna, Cal i f. , for some reason. I was with my wife dr iv ing around, probably looking for a place to l ive. Heard the news on the radio. We were in the middle of a big group of people in the Los Angeles area. You could hardly move your car, you know, they were running around celebrat ing. But we weren’ t with them, we were try ing to get out of there. I was glad i t was over because we took plenty of f lak when we were f ly ing our miss ions. Crew of n ine, f lew 35 miss ions with no losses. We were lucky we didn’ t get wounded.”

— John Udy, Army Ai r Forc e , 1942-45 , European Thea t e r, Hometown: P l ymouth , In t e r v i ew a t Ogden VA Home

valor: a salute to utah’s veterans and mil itary 1 1

“ I was on a ship on the way to Japan when the war ended. We heard about the war ending f rom our commanding off icer. I t was business as usual unt i l we got home.”

— Jim Slade , Navy, 1943-45 , Pac i f i c Thea t e r, Hometown: Orem, In t e r v i ew a t Iv in s VA Home

“ I was on Pier 91 in Seatt le wait ing for t ransport . I was del ighted but I d idn’ t go bananas or berserk. I remember that day very wel l . Some places they were e lated beyond express ion. There were several of us together when we found out . I was on l imited duty when the war ended because of a bul let wound in my knee I p icked up f rom a sniper in the invas ion of Guam. Had I been with my unit I would have been responsible for helping to invade Iwo J ima. They’re the ones that took the a i rport . I t was an incredible batt le . They [Japan] had years to bui ld up their defenses on that is land and they were l i tt le guys compared to us. I was discharged r ight away.”

— Haro ld Germaine , Mar ine s , 1941-46 , Pac i f i c Thea t e r, Hometown: Tuc son , Ar izona , In t e r v i ew a t Pay son VA Home



“At Coronado we did amphibious tra in ing, watched over German POWs, did shore patrol and played in the band. I was part of the Drum & Bugle Corps and part of an off -base dance band for off icers . My trumpet playing kept me out of combat. When I was in l ine to ship out , my name was cal led over the loud speaker to report to the barracks. They needed someone to play revelry in the morning among other th ings. The night the war ended, we were doing shore patrol in San Diego making sure th ings didn’ t get out of hand. I t was a wi ld party — throwing people in the pool , screaming, hol ler ing, ur inat ing out second-story windows. Glad I was on duty. Glad the war was over.”

— Jo s eph Barney, Navy, 1944-46 , Sta t e s id e : Coronado I s l and , Ca l i f . , Hometown: Mant i , In t e r v i ew a t Pay son VA Home


“ I was in Salzbury, Austr ia , when Germany surrendered. At 12 o’c lock midnight every art i l lery gun in Europe — American and i ts a l l ies — f i red one sa lvo of those big guns. I t seemed l ike the whole world had l i t up with those big guns. Talk about a celebrat ion. We were elated. The cooks were organized to fo l low us into batt le so they were c lose by. At that t ime we only had water in our canteens to celebrate. We got a hold of German beer, which is a l i tt le di fferent than American beer. We were told not to dr ink anything that was not U.S. made out of fear of being poisoned even though the war was over. However, we had. I don’ t know where i t came from but one cook sa id he was a beer taster in that he had made beer at home. He tasted the beer and sa id, ‘good, th is is good beer.’ That ’s how we celebrated. The next day approximately 15,000 soldiers , pr ivates and off icers were a l l put into trucks and trucked to France to be shipped back to the states to tra in to invade Japan.”

— Bob Ramos , Army, European Thea t e r, Hometown: San Anton io , Texa s , In t e r v i ew a t Ogden VA Home




“ I was on a ship somewhere on the ocean. We were headed to Japan for the invas ion, we didn’ t know exact ly where we were. As the helmsman on duty, I was steer ing the ship when the war ended. I couldn’ t even ra ise my hands to say ‘hal le lu jah’. We were a l l happy and apprehensive, because we didn’ t know what would happen next .”

— Max Hawkin s , Navy, 1943-45 , Pac i f i c Thea t e r, Hometown: Nephi , In t e r v i ew a t Iv in s VA Home

“My ship was docked at Everette, Wash. , at the t ime the Japanese surrendered. I d idn’ t have l iberty so I attended to my ship’s dut ies as a Quartermaster.”

— Jack Gibbon s , Navy Re s e r ve s , 1944-46 , Pac i f i c Thea t e r, Onl ine Ent r y



“ I worked at a receiv ing stat ion in Cal i fornia . I t was lunch t ime and I was the only one on the f loor. My captain burst through the door and sa id the war was over but i t wasn’ t off ic ia l yet so I had to keep i t a secret . Boy, was that hard. I was discharged immediately. Fr iends and I went up to San Francisco and danced the n ight away. Next morning we went shopping. When we got back to the apartment, the MPs were wait ing. They gathered up me and my suitcase and took me to headquarters where they del ivered me to my brother. Al l he sa id was ‘mom wants you home.’ He rented a car, took t ime off, drove me home and del ivered me into my mom’s arms. Then he went back to serv ice. Momma just wanted her gir ls home.”

— Ros e Ben t , Navy, 1943-44 , Sta t e s id e : Ca l i f o rn ia , Hometown: Trop i c , In t e r v i ew a t Iv in s VA Home

“ I was tra in ing as a sonar technic ian in San Diego, when the surrender of the Japanese was announced. The news was received with jubi lat ion among my fe l low tra inees and instructors . L iberty was immediately granted and I h i tchhiked up to Los Angeles to jo in in the fest iv i t ies .”

— Wes l e y Cra ig J r. , Navy Re s e r ve s , 1945-46 , Pac i f i c Thea t e r, Onl ine Ent r y

“ I was an a i rcraft mechanic and in charge of pi lot t ra in ing. My crew kept the planes f ly ing and the serv ice pool operat ing. I volunteered as a l ibrar ian and that ’s where I was when I heard the news on the radio. I was very re l ieved i t was over. I was happy to do my part to keep th ings going.”

— Lloyd Morr i s , A i r Forc e , two year s , Sta t e s id e : Waco, Texa s , Hometown: Smi th f i e ld , In t e r v i ew a t Sa l t Lake VA Home


On Dec. 2 , 1942, Enr ico Fermi , an Ita l i an re fugee , produced the f i r s t s e l f - sus ta ined, contro l l ed , nuc lear cha in reac t ion in Chicago. Thus , to ensure that the United Sta te s deve loped a bomb before Germany could , the secre t $2 b i l l ion Manhat tan Pro jec t was begun. On Ju ly 16, 1945, in the New Mexico deser t , the Manhat tan Pro jec t’s sc i ent i s t s exp loded the f i r s t a tomic bomb.

It was dur ing the Potsdam negot ia t ions that Pres ident Truman learned that the sc ient i s t s had te s ted the f i r s t a tomic bomb. Things moved rap id ly therea f te r. On Aug. 6 , 1945, the B-29 Super for t re s s Enola Gay re leased an a tomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. In a mat ter o f seconds , some 80,000 to 140,000 people were k i l l ed or fa ta l ly wounded. When the Japanese s t i l l re fused to surrender, a second bomb was re leased over Nagasak i three days l a te r. Approx imate ly 35,000 people were k i l l ed ins tant ly. The fo l lowing day Japan sued for peace .

Pres ident Truman’s dec i s ion, though debated by some, ended the war for good and avoided the neces s i ty o f a cos t ly invas ion and the probable los s o f t ens o f thousands o f Amer ican l ive s and hundreds o f thousands o f Japanese l ive s .

The of f i c ia l s igning ceremony aboard the deck of the USS Mis sour i on Sept . 2 , 1945, l a s ted a l l o f about 25 minutes and was heard by mi l l ions a round the wor ld .

Wor ld War I I was over.

Americans celebrate in T imes Square, New York City, on V-J Day at announcement of Japanese surrender. l i b r a ry o f c o n g r e s s p h oto / wo r l d-t e l e g r a m, d i c k d e m a r s i c o

V-J DAY

VICTORY OVER JAPAN SEPT. 2 , 1945

by Robert Welsh


I t ’s been seven decades s ince Wor ld War I I ended yet many of the men and women who ser ved dur ing that t ime have never seen the memoria l bui l t for them in

the nat ion’s cap i ta l . Manley Abbott o f Del ta i s one of these .

That i s unt i l th i s l a s t yea r when Abbot t was among 24 Utah ve te rans to embark on a t r ip to Wash ington D.C. on a Utah Honor Fl ight (UHF) g iv ing them a chance to pay the i r re spec t s to the i r comrades lo s t in ba t t l e . The exper i ence o f f e r s the se men and women the oppor tuni ty to s ee “the i r memor ia l ,” bu i l t in honor o f the i r s e r v i ce and sac r i f i ce to the countr y.

The Nat iona l WWII Memor ia l was f in i shed ju s t 10 yea r s ago and wi th the ve te rans o f the s ame e ra r ang ing in age f rom 87 to 98 , many a re unab le to t r ave l on the i r own to s ee i t .

“ The t r ip was wor th eve r y b i t o f i t and I sure t r y to encourage some o f the se guys tha t a re s t i l l ab l e to go to do i t . They say, ‘we l l I can’t , I ’m too o ld . ’ I s ay, ‘Oh ba loney, they won’t l e t you f a l l down. ’ And they don’t , they t ake tha t good ca re o f you . Noth ing cou ld have gone wrong . We were t rea ted be t t e r than any roya l ty eve r was — espec ia l l y by our s t a f f ,” s a id Manley Abbot t , who f l ew 25 combat mi s s ions a s a be l l y gunner on a B-17 bomber be fore be ing in jured in the war.

A guard ian , u sua l l y a f ami ly member or f r i end , accompanie s each ve te ran on the three -day t r ip, where in add i t ion to the WWII Memor ia l , the ve te rans a l so v i s i t

the Korean War Memor ia l , the A i r Force and Mar ine memor ia l s and Ar l ington Nat iona l Cemete r y.

In Abbot t ’s ca se , who i s 89 yea r s o ld , h i s son Dan Abbot t was h i s guard ian . Abbot t ’s daughte r, Wendy Pearce , who wanted to go wi th her dad , vo luntee red a s a guard ian . She was pa i red up wi th 96-year -o ld Frances A l l en f rom Sa l t Lake Ci ty, who jo ined the Navy in 1943 in her home s t a t e o f Iowa .

The v i s i t to the memor ia l was one o f the mos t de f in ing moments o f the t r ip fo r A l l en who sa id she wi l l a lways remember how she f e l t s ee ing the 4 ,048 go ld s t a r s on the wa l l , e ach one repre sent ing 100 dead or mi s s ing s e r v i ce men and women f rom the war.

“ When we saw the Wor ld War I I Memor ia l , a lo t o f u s c r i ed . It was amaz ing ,” s a id A l l en , whose jobs in the Navy inc luded keep ing records and g iv ing medica l a s s i s t ance a s a pharmac i s t ’s mate a t a rece iv ing hosp i ta l in Bos ton .

Often re f e r red to a s the “Grea te s t Genera t ion ,” a t e rm co ined by journa l i s t Tom Brokaw, the ve te rans o f th i s t ime never sought pra i s e a f t e r re turn ing home f rom war.

“ I th ink today we t ake our f reedom for g ranted and th i s t r ip ju s t re i t e ra ted the f ac t tha t th i s rea l l y was the g rea te s t genera t ion ,” Pearce s a id . “ They d idn’t s e r ve ju s t because i t was the i r duty but because o f the i r pa t r io t i sm and love o f count r y. They d idn’t want anyone a t t ack ing our countr y.”

UTAH

THEIR MEMORIAL,OUR MISSION

ANSWERING THE CALL

UTAH HONOR FL IGHT: THE IR MEMORIAL , OUR MISS ION

by Tracie Sul l ivan


Utah Honor F l ight part ic ipants attend the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Ar l ington National Cemetery. u ta h h o n o r f l i g h t p h oto

World War I I veterans perform a f lag ret ir ing ceremony at Camp McHenry as part of their Utah Honor F l ight act iv it ies .u ta h h o n o r f l i g h t p h oto

A delegation of Utah’s Honor F l ight — veterans, guardians, volunteers and organizers — board a charter f l ight to Washington D.C. to vis it the World War I I Memorial and other s ites.u ta h h o n o r f l i g h t p h oto / d e s e r e t n e ws, j e f f e ry a l l r e d


On th i s t r ip however, the se men and women f ina l l y rece ived the honor and recogni t ion they have a lways de se r ved for the i r s e r v i ce to a count r y s t i l l reap ing the bene f i t s o f the i r e f fo r t s even 70 yea r s l a t e r.

“ It was an amaz ing exper i ence ,” Dan Abbot t s a id . “ They were t rea ted so we l l eve r ywhere we went . They dese r ved eve r y b i t o f recogni t ion they rece ived on tha t t r ip. You can’t put a va lue on tha t and the oppor tuni ty they had to go back there .”

Dres sed in b lue Honor Fl ight T- sh i r t s and caps , the tour s t a r t ed wi th a morn ing s end o f f a t the Utah Ai r Nat iona l Guard pos t . A bra s s qu inte t p l ayed pa t r io t i c songs whi l e f ami ly and f r i ends cheered and waved f l ag s a s the ve te rans wa lked on a red ca rpe t to a bus tha t took them to the Sa l t Lake Ci ty Inte rna t iona l A i rpor t .

From there , the i r a r r i va l a t the t e rmina l was met wi th the Utah Pipe Band who l ed a mov ing proce s s ion o f whee lcha i r s to the depar ture ga te . A long the s ide l ine s , a i r l ine pa s senger s and schoo l ch i ldren s tood and c l apped a s the ve te rans pa s sed them. St ranger s s topped to shake hands and thank them for the i r s e r v i ce . Those in un i form sa lu ted the se men and women who had prev ious ly paved the way, s e t t ing an example o f in tegr i ty and courage .

“ It was such a thr i l l to s ee how the peop le accepted us . The congra tu la t ions and thanks and eve r y th ing e l s e a s we went down tha t cor r idor f rom one end to the o ther,” Manley Abbot t s a id . “And then when our p lane was ready,

they had us ve te rans a l l ge t on the p lane f i r s t be fore they loaded any o ther pa s senger s so we got the f ront s ea t s .”

Tr ip organ ize r s a l so surpr i s ed the ve te rans wi th a “mai l ca l l ,” made up o f l e t t e r s f rom fami ly member s — ch i ldren , g randchi ldren and grea t -g randchi ldren — expre s s ing the i r g ra t i tude and thanks to the i r loved one . A l so par t o f the packe t i s a l e t t e r f rom Gov. Gar y R. Herber t convey ing the g ra t i tude o f the s t a t e o f Utah for the i r s e r v i ce .

For Judy Lemmons , who vo luntee r s a s the organ iza t ion’s pub l i c re l a t ions coord ina tor, pa r t i c ipa t ing in the program i s ve r y emot iona l . “ To see what i t does fo r the se guys i s ju s t inc red ib l e . They go a s o ld men, f r a i l and f r ag i l e . But once we s t a r t do ing the mai l ca l l , s ing ing wi th them, t a lk ing wi th them, the c lo se r we ge t to Wash ington D.C. , we have 17- and 18-year -o lds we’re chas ing a round. It i s an amaz ing t r ans format ion ,” she s ay s .

Back in Wash ington D.C. , the ve te rans rece ived rep l i ca WWII v i c tor y meda l s . These meda l s were on ly g iven to 800 ,000 ve te rans o f the 16 mi l l ion tha t s e r ved in tha t t ime .

From s ta r t to f in i sh , the ent i re event was an exper i ence none o f the se ve te rans and the i r f ami l i e s w i l l eve r fo rge t . And whi l e the se ve te rans a ren’t known to brag or share the i r war s to r i e s on th i s t r ip, they were f i l l ed wi th g ra t i tude fo r the e f fo r t s put fo r ward f rom the Utah Honor Fl ight .

“ It was touch ing to s ee the f ace s o f those ve te rans when we were there a t the memor ia l and to under s tand

Utah veterans take part in a group “salute” whi le vis it ing “their monument” — the National World War I I Memorial — in Washington D.C. as the highl ight their tr ip. u ta h h o n o r f l i g h t p h oto


Son and father, Dan and Manely Abbott. i n s e t : Young Manely Abbott. u ta h h o n o r f l i g h t p h oto s

Veteran Frances Al len and Guardian Wendy Pearce.i n s e t : Young Frances Al len. u ta h h o n o r f l i g h t p h oto s

the i r pa t r io t i sm and the s ac r i f i ce they made ,” Pearce s a id . “Some o f them had tha t f a r -away look when we were there , tha t in t rospec t ion .”

UHF, a non-pro f i t o rgan iza t ion opera te s so l e ly on pr iva te donat ions . Lemmons exp la ins the 2014 f l i ght was pos s ib l e wi th the back ing o f Bonnev i l l e In te rna t iona l and KSL a s the main sponsor. “ When you have a company o f tha t ca l ibe r, w i th the reach o f the i r media re source s , we were ab le to r a i s e the money to go ,” she s ay s . “And wi th the i r cont inu ing suppor t , companie s and ind iv idua l s a re cont r ibut ing to th i s wor thy cause .”

Dur ing th i s pa s t Utah l eg i s l a t i ve s e s s ion , s eve ra l repre senta t ive s answered the cha l l enge f rom Rep. Brad Dee , R-Ogden, to donate f rom per sona l funds — ra i s ing enough to f inance a lmos t an ent i re f l i ght . And Cameron Buck ley, 12 , o f Wes t Haven , ha s made i t a pe r sona l goa l to r a i s e funds — f rom bak ing goodie s to c l ean ing ch icken coops — to s end a ve te ran on a f l i ght . Hi s e f fo r t s w i l l s end two ve te rans .

Learn more about the Utah Honor Fl ight , how to vo luntee r o r to make a donat ion a t utahhonor f l i gh t .org


FLY ING HIGHCELEBRATING 75 YEARS,

H ILL A IR FORCE BASE CONTINUES TO IMPACT UTAH

by Sarah Rythan Francom


H ill Air Force Base i s spread across near ly 7,000 acres in Davis and Weber counties , but

i t s reach extends far beyond i ts borders . Now celebrat ing i t s 75th year, Hi l l AFB has played an increas ingly v i ta l ro le in our nat ion’s defense and securi ty. As the United States Air Force’s third-largest base , Hi l l AFB is an integra l maintenance depot that keeps the Air Force f ly ing high. But beyond i ts ro le in

protect ing the nat ion and our a l l ies , Hi l l AFB has great ly enhanced the s tate of Utah. From serving as the s tate’s largest s ingle-s i te employer to par tnering with c iv ic and business leaders in severa l areas , Hi l l AFB has become ingrained within the Utah community. As we look back and ce lebrate a l l that Hil l AFB has accomplished during i t s 75 years , i t i s c lear that Utah i s lucky to c la im Hil l AFB as ours .

Pi lots from the 388th Fighter Wing, stat ioned at Hi l l AFB, perform a four-ship f lyover. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / ja m e s a r r owo o d


Hil l Ai r Force Base has a long l egacy in Utah. It s ear l i e s t or ig ins t race back to 1928, when c iv ic l eader s and av ia t ion enthus ia s t s worked to c rea te an a i rmai l center a t the Ogden a i rpor t . Af te r 12 year s o f s t ra teg ic p lanning and e f for t , Ogden was l i s t ed a s a potent ia l s i t e for the Army Air Corps’ permanent wes tern a i r depot . Ogden was o f f i c ia l ly se l ec ted in 1939, when Congres s appropr ia ted $8 mi l l ion for the e s tab l i shment and const ruct ion of the Ogden Air Depot . Ground broke in 1940, and the s i t e was named Hi l l Fie ld in honor o f Major Ployer “Pete” Hi l l .

Hi l l Fi e ld qu ick ly became in tegra l to na t iona l de fense and secur i ty. Dur ing Wor ld War I I , Hi l l Fi e ld s e r ved a s a v i t a l ma intenance and supply ba se , w i th round- the-c lock opera t ions suppor t ing the war e f fo r t . By 1943, Hi l l Fi e ld had more than 22 ,000 mi l i t a r y and c iv i l i an per sonne l who repa i red thousands o f ba t t l e -wear y a i rc ra f t . And by 1947, the ba se was re spons ib l e fo r the long- te rm s torage o f a i rc ra f t and suppor t equ ipment amount ing to more than $200 mi l l ion .

Dur ing the decades tha t fo l lowed, Hi l l AFB’s ro l e a s a ma intenance and suppor t depot became increa s ing ly e s s ent i a l to the A i r Force . Dur ing the Korean War, Hi l l ’s pe r sonne l were t a sked to re furb i sh B-26s and B-29s a t a record- se t t ing pace . At the s ame t ime , the Ogden Ai r Mate r i a l Area began suppor t ing j e t a i rc ra f t and mis s i l e ma intenance . Soon therea f t e r, Hi l l AFB began sy s t ems management dut i e s fo r the F-4 Phantom I I , Ti tan mis s i l e s and Maver i ck mi s s i l e .

By 1971, Hi l l AFB began manag ing the F-15 Eag le , a s we l l a s t e s t ing the UH-1H Iroquoi s he l i copte r. The fo l lowing yea r, Hi l l AFB saw the product ion o f the f i r s t ve r s ion o f the Shor t Range At tack Mis s i l e (SRAM). By 1980, Hi l l AFB had the bus i e s t s ing l e runway o f any a i r f i e ld in the wor ld , w i th t r a f f i c to ta l ing more than 145 ,200 takeof f s and l and ings .

Dur ing the 1990s , the U.S . A i r Force conso l ida ted i t s opera t ions , and Hi l l AFB ga ined addi t iona l re spons ib i l i t i e s tha t have cont inued to increa se over the yea r s . Today, Hi l l AFB cont inues i t s c r i t i ca l de fense ro l e . The Ogden Ai r Log i s t i c s Cente r prov ides wor ldwide eng ineer ing and log i s t i c s management fo r the F-16 Fight ing Fa lcon , A-10 Thunderbo l t I I and the Minuteman I I I in te rcont inenta l ba l l i s t i c mi s s i l e . The base a l so per forms depot maintenance on the F-16 , A-10 , C-130 and F-22 . In 2013, Hi l l AFB was named the f i r s t A i r Force s i t e to rece ive the F-35A L ight ing I I .

( con t inued on page 26)

TAKING FL IGHT

Keystone B-3A bomber being loaded with mai l . The Army Air Corps f lew the mai l f rom February to June 1934 . u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

Ogden Air Depot, Hi l l F ie ld, November 1940, looking northeast . Depot construction is v is ible at r ight; Weber Canyon is v is ible at top r ight (east) .u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto


On Oct. 30, 1935, P loyer “Pete” Hi l l took off in the Boeing exper imental a i rcraft Model 299, a prototype of what would become the famous B-17 F ly ing Fortress . Serv ing as a test pi lot for the F ly ing Branch of the Mater ie l Div is ion of the Army Air Corps, Hi l l was charged with the dangerous but essent ia l task of f ly ing th is and other exper imental a i rcraft . On that t ragic day, Hi l l ’s p lane c l imbed to 100 feet before crashing suddenly, k i l l ing Hi l l and Boeing’s chief test pi lot , Les l ie Tower. Br igadier General A .W. Robins sa id Hi l l ’s sacr i f ice, “was as great as though he had been lost on the f ie ld of batt le .”

In 1939, the War Department named i ts newest a i r depot “Hi l l F ie ld” in honor of P loyer Hi l l ’s dedicat ion and ult imate sacr i f ice. Today, Hi l l A i r Force Base has grown into the Air Force’s th i rd- largest base, serv ing a v i ta l ro le in our nat ion’s defense and secur i ty.

Dr. L ia Winf ie ld, who studied Ployer Hi l l extensively for the Hi l l Aerospace Museum, descr ibes Hi l l as a pioneer aviator. “He pi loted near ly every Army Air Corps a i rcraft between 1918 and 1935 dur ing his h ighly successfu l career as an engineer, aer ia l photographer and test pi lot ,” she wrote in an Air Force commentary. “As we celebrate the base’s 75th anniversary, let us remember that Hi l l demonstrated excel lence and bravery in every aspect of h is career and sacr i f iced his l i fe in the serv ice of h is country.”

In commemorat ion of Hi l l A i r Force Base’s 75th anniversary, Hi l l Aerospace Museum unvei led a specia l exhibit honor ing Ployer Hi l l , celebrat ing his l i fe and accompl ishments.

REMEMBERING BASE NAMESAKE

Maj. Ployer “Pete” Hi l l


Legendary B-17 “Suzy-Q” undergoing depot maintenance at Hi l l F ie ld. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

During WWII , l ights were kept on in Hi l l F ie ld bui ldings as the swing-shift contr ibuted to around-the-clock operat ions. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto


Wendover F ie ld has a stor ied legacy in United States h istory, part icular ly dur ing World War I I .

In 1944 , the Army Air Force act ivated the 509th composite group and ass igned i t nuclear weapons tra in ing and duty. Commanded by L ieutenant Colonel Paul T ibbits , the group tra ined at Wendover F ie ld, f ly ing the renowned Si lverplate B-29 for a miss ion that would go down in h istory. After met iculously tra in ing, the group f lew from Wendover F ie ld to T in ian, one of the Mar iana Is lands in the Paci f ic Ocean, and began dropping pumpkin bombs on Japanese targets . On Aug. 6 , 1945, T ibbits f lew the B-29 Enola Gay, which was named for h is mother, over Japan and dropped the world’s f i rst atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, Major Char les Sweeney pi loted the B-29 Bockscar and dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki . Japan surrendered on Sept. 2 , 1945.

After the war, Wendover F ie ld was used for t ra in ing exercises, gunnery range and as a research faci l i ty unt i l i t c losed in 1969. In 1998, Tooele County assumed ownership of the a i rport and base bui ld ings, and later began operat ing the Tooele County Wendover Airport , which is the world’s only remaining, fu l ly operat ional a i rport of the World War I I era .

WENDOVER F IELD AND THE

S ILVERPLATES

PT-13 Stearman trainer a ircraft in storage on Hi l l Air Force Base after WWII . u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

F-86 maintenance l ine, Hi l l Air Force Base. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

B-29 strategic bomber aircrews also trained at Wendover F ield on the remote UtahNevada border. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto


Throughout i t s 75-year h i s tor y, pa r tner sh ips among c iv i c , bus ine s s and communi ty l eader s have been key to Hi l l ’s cont inued growth and succe s s . But there were many ups and downs a long the way. Desp i t e the many accompl i shment s the ba se exper i enced , Hi l l ha s f aced and conquered s eve ra l cha l l enges .

Steve Rich , v i ce pre s ident o f the Utah Defense A l l i ance (UDA) , remember s when Hi l l was threa tened wi th l and encroachment in the ea r ly 1990s . Par tner sh ips , R ich say s , were e s s ent i a l to Hi l l ove rcoming tha t cha l l enge . UDA, which i s compr i s ed o f concerned c i t i zens and bus ines se s , worked wi th the Utah Leg i s l a ture who appropr ia t ed funds to purchase the l and sur rounding the ba se .

“ The s t a t e prov ided $15 mi l l ion to protec t the proper t i e s a round the ba se , which would protec t Hi l l ’s runway and f l y ing mis s ions fo r yea r s ,” s ay s R ich , who be l i eve s tha t ac t ions f rom pas t l eader s he lped Hi l l s ecure the F-35A. “Because we kept encroachment a t bay and

had t remendous suppor t f rom the communi ty, Hi l l was the log ica l cho ice fo r the F-35A.”

In 2005, Hi l l f aced another notab le cha l l enge when i t was threa tened wi th mi l i t a r y ba se rea l i gnment and c lo sure (BRAC) ac t iv i ty, which would have re su l t ed in the lo s s o f thousands o f jobs . Loca l government and bus ines s l eader s , inc lud ing the UDA, aga in ra l l i ed to suppor t the ba se . Not on ly d id Hi l l e s cape BRAC cut s , but the Depar tment o f Defense expanded Hi l l and moved more than 4 ,000 employee s to the ba se .

“ It a l l comes back to communi ty suppor t ,” s ay s R ich . “ The Ai r Force embrace s the Utah communi ty because our communi ty embrace s Hi l l .”

Hi l l AFB cont inues to f ace cha l l enges today, such a s the recent s eques t ra t ion budget cut s . But loca l l eader s a re conf ident tha t wi th fo r ward- th ink ing and s t r a t eg i c p l anning , Hi l l AFB wi l l cont inue to be a ma jor p l aye r in the na t ion’s de fense and secur i ty.

CONQUERING CHALLENGES

Since its inception in the 1940s, Hi l l Air Force Base has, on average, employed a substantia l workforce to support the warf ighter. This picture clear ly depicts this fact as a smal l segment of base personnel head to work in ear ly 1950s. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto


UTAH TEST AND TRAINING

RANGESpanning thousands of mi les across

Utah’s West Desert is the Utah Test and Tra in ing Range (UTTR). This h istor ic tra in ing s i te was formed in 1940 to prepare mi l i tary personnel for batt le dur ing World War I I .

Today, UTTR remains as a v i ta l t ra in ing s i te for pi lots and serv ice men and women from not just the United States, but f rom around the world. UTTR contains the nat ion’s largest block of over land cont iguous specia l use a i rspace, cover ing 12,574 square naut ical mi les . The a i rspace is s i tuated over 2 ,624 square mi les or 2 .3 mi l l ion acres of DOD land. The s i te provides a vast area of real ist ic terra in for wor ld-c lass test and tra in ing scenar ios — including l i fe- l ike c it ies — to ensure those tra in ing are expert ly prepared. I t i s used in a tra in ing capacity for a i r - to-a i r combat, a i r - to-ground combat, l ive pract ice bombing and gunnery tra in ing, and is the nat ion’s only locat ion capable of support ing over land test ing of cru ise miss i les .

Ass igned to the 388th F ighter Wing at Hi l l A i r Force Base, UTTR has helped pi lots and serv ice men and women from around the world conquer the chal lenges of combat.

WWII Mechanic Learner Training Class , Ogden . u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

First Advanced Minuteman I I Miss i le produced on Hi l l AFB through a partnership with Boeing in 1965. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

Hil l Air Force Base’s F l ight Operations Bui lding was the center of instal lat ion activ ity in the 1950s. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

F-16s ass igned to Hi l l AFB, as wel l as many other a ircraft f rom around the world, f ly over the UTTR to receive a unique training experience where l ive munit ions are tested. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto


While Hi l l AFB p lay s a c ruc ia l na t iona l de fense ro l e , i t i s a l so a dynamic component o f Utah’s economy. Hi l l AFB i s Utah’s l a rge s t s ing l e - s i t e employer wi th near ly 25 ,000 mi l i t a r y and c iv i l i an per sonne l , genera t ing approx imate ly $1 .23 b i l l ion in annua l income. Moreover, Hi l l AFB c rea te s near ly 30 ,000 ind i rec t jobs and pumps more than $3 .3 b i l l ion in to the s t a t e’s economy each yea r.

Jim Smith , Dav i s County commis s ioner, de sc r ibe s Hi l l AFB a s an economic eng ine , d r iv ing g rowth throughout the sur rounding communi t i e s . “Most o f the 20 ,000-p lus employee s on the ba se a re loca l re s ident s and the i r s a l a r i e s r ipp le through the ent i re economy,” he s ay s . “Many companie s who have ind i rec t t i e s to Hi l l a re loca ted here and employ thousands more o f our c i t i zens . Because o f the impact o f a l l those d i rec t and ind i rec t s a l a r i e s , our communi t i e s a re ab le to suppor t more re ta i l shops , ente r ta inment opt ions , pub l i c parks and o ther impor tant in f ra s t ruc ture tha t we a l l en joy.”

Hi l l AFB i s an economic deve lopment magnet . It s p re sence has he lped Utah — par t i cu la r ly nor thern Utah — become a l ead ing ae rospace and de fense indus t r y hub. Companie s l ike ATK, Nor throp-Grumman, Boe ing and Lockheed Mar t in , a s we l l a s hundreds o f sma l l cont rac tor s and suppl i e r s , ca l l Utah home. The Governor’s Of f i ce o f Economic Deve lopment (GOED) desc r ibe s Utah’s ae rospace and de fense indus t r y a s e s s ent i a l to the s t a t e’s economy, employ ing more than 21 ,000 ind iv idua l s w i th incomes tha t exceed 157 percent o f Utah wages .

Utah’s ae rospace and de fense indus t r y i s cont inu ing to expand wi th the cons t ruc t ion o f Fa l con Hi l l , a commerc ia l deve lopment c rea ted in par tner sh ip wi th Hi l l AFB. Aaron Cla rk , Hi l l AFB h i s tor i an , de sc r ibe s Fa l con Hi l l a s a win-win for Hi l l AFB and the communi ty.

“ We have bu i ld ings on base tha t a re over 70 yea r s o ld and [ the A i r Force ] i sn’t ab l e to rep lace them,” s ay s Cla rk . “Fa lcon Hi l l i s a wonder fu l par tner sh ip where Hi l l i s l e a s ing 550 ac re s to be deve loped . Once commerc ia l ent i t i e s go in to the proper ty, we ge t payment - in-k ind tha t wi l l go toward bu i ld ing new fac i l i t i e s . It ’s a p re t ty phenomena l par tner sh ip.”

Hi l l AFB has a l so he lped Utah’s c i t i zens and bus ines se s by inve s t ing in and deve lop ing a sk i l l ed workforce . Throughout i t s 75-year h i s tor y, Hi l l ha s par tnered wi th the s t a t e’s un ive r s i t i e s and co l l ege s to c rea te cus tom-t ra in ing programs tha t meet indus t r y

PROPELL ING UTAH’S ECONOMY

Base, c iv ic , business and community leaders part ic ipating in groundbreaking ceremony for the f i rst Falcon Hi l l faci l i ty on Hi l l AFB. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / k i m c o o k


F-35A LANDS AT H ILL AFB

In December 2013, the United States Air Force announced that Hi l l AFB would be home to the serv ice’s f i rst operat ional F-35A L ightning I Is . Scheduled to arr ive in September 2015, the F-35A is s lated to be the Air Force’s main str ike a i rcraft through the f i rst hal f of the 21st Century. The F-35A wi l l replace the Air Force’s aging f leet of F-16 F ight ing Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt I Is , which have been the pr imary f ighter a i rcraft for more than 20 years .

Manufactured by Lockheed Mart in , the revolut ionary F-35A was designed to operate in an advanced-threat environment. With i ts aerodynamic performance and advanced integrated avionics , the F-35A wi l l provide next-generat ion stealth, enhanced s i tuat ional awareness, and reduced vulnerabi l i ty for the United States and a l l ied nat ions.

Hi l l A i r Force Base has undergone renovat ions and modif icat ions to prepare for the F-35A , and wi l l serve as the a i rcraft ’s pr imary maintenance base. Hi l l ’s 388th and 419th F ighter Wings wi l l be the f i rst Air Force units to f ly the cutt ing-edge jet .

Arr ival of the f i rst F-35A to receive depot maintenance on Hi l l AFB. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / a l e x r . l l oy d

Pictured are just several of the many weapon systems the OO-ALC maintains for the U.S. Armed Forces at Hi l l AFB. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto

Colonel Ron Jol ly, Sr. , 75th Air Base Wing Commander, and Utah Gov. Gary R . Herbert at Hi l l AFB. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / a l e x r . l l oy d


F-16 Fighting Falcons from both the 35th and 80th Fighter Squadrons of the 8th Fighter Wing, as wel l as from the 46th Fighter Squadron of the 419th Fighter Wing at Hi l l AFB, Utah, demonstrate an elephant walk at Kunsan Air Base, Republ ic of Korea. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / s ta f f s g t . r a s h e e n d o u g l a s


needs , c rea t ing a sk i l l ed and ready workforce nece s sa r y fo r ae rospace organ iza t ions to opera te .

“ When Hi l l s t a r t ed and WWII began , the ba se d idn’t have the workforce needed to s t a r t th i s huge machine tha t would become Hi l l ,” s ay s Cla rk . “Dur ing tha t t ime , the l eader sh ip o f the ba se s t a r t ed par tner ing wi th loca l un ive r s i t i e s to t r a in peop le .”

Over the yea r s , the par tner sh ips be tween Hi l l AFB and the s t a t e’s h igher educa t ion organ iza t ions have on ly g rown s t ronger. “Between Weber Sta te Univer s i ty’s eng ineer ing programs and the Dav i s Appl i ed Technolgy Col l ege’s compos i t e t r a in ing programs , we a re ab le to suppor t the a i rc ra f t - re l a t ed indus t r i e s tha t want to re loca te c lo se r to Hi l l ,” s ay s Smi th . “Al l o f th i s adds va lue to the educa t ion sy s t em for a l l o f our c i t i zens .”

SOARING AHEADAs Hi l l reaches i t s 75th annive r sa r y, i t i s c l ea r tha t

Utah has much to ce l ebra te . From Hi l l ’s ea r l i e s t days a s an a i r depot to i t s g rowth in to a de fense and maintenance f ac i l i t y ent rus ted wi th immense re spons ib i l i t y, Hi l l ha s deve loped in to a corner s tone o f our communi ty. But i t s impact ex tends f a r beyond the Beeh ive Sta te .

“ The 20 ,000-p lus peop le who wa lk through the ga te s eve r y day don’t ju s t suppor t Utah’s economy and communi ty, they suppor t our na t ion’s de fense ,” s ay s Cla rk . “ Whether they’re f l y ing a i rc ra f t o r in a ma intenance g roup, they he lp protec t our so ld i e r s , our a i rman and our democracy.”


TA K E A F L I G H T T H R O U G H H I S T O RY

H ill Air Force Base has a r i ch h i s tor y f i l l ed wi th event s and peop le who grea t ly enhanced the wor ld we l i ve in . The Hi l l Aerospace Museum

br ings those event s and peop le to l i f e , a l lowing v i s i to r s to re l i ve the many mi l i t a r y endeavor s o f the 20th centur y.

The museum opened in 1987 a s par t o f the Uni ted Sta te s A i r Force Her i t age Program. Since tha t t ime , i t ha s g rown to exh ib i t near ly 100 mi l i t a r y a i rc ra f t , mi s s i l e s and ae rospace veh ic l e s , a l l o f which requ i re cons tant maintenance and conse r va t ion . The museum’s co l l ec t ion a l so inc ludes a wide va r i e ty o f o rdnance and muni t ions , mi l i t a r y veh ic l e s , un i forms and thousands o f h i s tor i ca l a r t i f ac t s .

The museum’s exh ib i t s ex tend back to the beg inning o f f l i ght , showcas ing a Wright 1903 Flye r, Burgre s s -

Wright Flye r F Mode l and Cur t i s s JN-4D Jenny, a s we l l a s the f i r s t mi l i t a r y mascot s and ea r ly av i a t ion workshops . The Wor ld War I I exh ib i t showcase s more than 30 a i rc ra f t and h i s tor i ca l a r t i f ac t s , inc lud ing the B-17G Fly ing For t re s s , C-54G Skymas te r and P-51D Mustang . Vi s i to r s a re t aken through the event s o f the Cold War, a s we l l a s the dawn o f the j e t age .

And in ce l ebra t ion o f Hi l l ’s 75th annive r sa r y, the museum recent ly unve i l ed the P loyer “Pe te” Hi l l exh ib i t in honor o f the ba se’s namesake . A v i s i t to the Hi l l Aerospace Museum i s an educa t iona l and memorab le exper i ence fo r a l l , h igh l ight ing the be s t o f the wor ld’s av i a t ion h i s tor y.

Hi l l Aerospace Museum i s loca ted on the nor thwes t corner o f Hi l l A i r Force Base , about f i ve mi l e s south o f Ogden. The museum i s open f rom 9 a .m. to 4 :30 p.m. ,

Hil l Aerospace Museum, Hi l l Air Force Base. a e r o s pa c e h e r i ta g e f o u n d at i o n o f u ta h / r o b b a l e x a n d e r


HILL F IELD CHAPEL AND

MEMORIAL PARKIn 1942, the or iginal Hi l l F ie ld Chapel was

bui l t in honor of the many men and women in the U.S. mi l i tary who served our country in war and in peacetime. For many years, i t served as a place for sol i tude, as wel l as an educational s ite. In the 1980s, the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah funded the chapel ’s renovation, which restored the structure back to i ts World War I I appearance. In 1989, the chapel was rededicated and moved to the Hi l l Aerospace Museum’s Memorial Park.

The chapel has s ince become a prominent f igure at the museum, housing several h istor ical art i facts, including the 384th Bomb Group memorial stained glass window. This window is an exact repl icate of a memorial stained glass window donated by the 384th Bomb Group to the Par is Church of St . James the Apost le in the vi l lage of Grafton Underwood, near Ketter ing, England. The chapel is a lso home to a bronze bel l that is an exact repl icate of the bel l hanging in the Par ish Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Ketter ing, England. Both bel ls were donated by the 384th Bomb Group.

The Memorial Park that surrounds the chapel is a lso home to several h istor ical monuments, including the Mi l i tary Order of the Purple Heart . Managed by the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah, the Hi l l F ie ld Chapel is open for v iewing every Fr iday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday through Sa turday. A ga te pa s s onto Hi l l AFB i s not requ i red to v i s i t the museum. Simply t ake ex i t 338 o f f In te r s t a t e 15 in Roy, and ente r the museum grounds through the ga te . Admis s ion i s f ree , but moneta r y donat ions a re g ra te fu l l y accepted .

Nose of the restored P-51 “Audrey” at the Hi l l Aerospace Museum. a e r o s pa c e h e r i ta g e f o u n d at i o n o f u ta h / r o b b a l e x a n d e r

Mazer Memorial Chapel . a e r o s pa c e h e r i ta g e f o u n d at i o n o f u ta h


Firef ighting aircraft support f i re f ighters on the ground by performing water drops over a wi ld land f i re at Camp Wil l iams, 2012. Aircraft can access steep, rocky or unsafe areas before ground forces are able to gain entry. u.s . a i r f o r c e p h oto / s ta f f s g t . s ta c i m i l l e r


T he Utah National Guard i s r i fe with history and tradit ion, and has answered the ca l l to serve their s tate

and nat ion s ince i t s incept ion. The Utah Guard i s recognized as one of the f inest nat ional guard organizat ions in the nat ion, and the reason for such a qual i ty force can be found in the make-up of Utah’s c i t izens , as the va lues and dedicat ion to serv ice found within i t s own ranks i s a ref lect ion of those found within our own community.

The Utah National Guard’s roots go back to the Nauvoo Legion organized in I l l inois in 1841. After Mormon sett lers came west in 1847, they formed a mil i t ia of veterans f rom the Legion and Mormon Batta l ion members who served during the Mexican War. This hardy group of Cit izen Soldiers reta ined the Nauvoo Legion name, and for the next 40 years they ensured peace and protect ion for Utah Terri tory res idents .

The Utah Guard was formal ly organized in 1894, just two years before Utah became the 45th state in the union. The Utah Air National Guard was created in 1946, short ly af ter the c lose of World War II .

Soldiers and Airmen from the Utah National Guard have par t ic ipated in every armed conf l ict involv ing the United States f rom the Spanish-American War in 1898 to the most recent conf l icts in Iraq, Afghanistan and e lsewhere . Units of the Utah Guard have been act ivated for federa l serv ice in every one of these conf l icts except the Vietnam War. In that conf l ict , indiv idual Utah Soldiers and Airmen did serve , but no units were mobi l ized.

Current ly, the Utah National Guard has 5,600 Soldiers and 1,400 Airmen serving and ready for duty.

HOMEGROWN HEROES

THE UTAH NAT IONAL GUARD SERVES AT HOME AND ABROAD

by [Ret. ] Lt . Col . Hank McInt i re and Capt. Ryan Suther land


Gov. Gary R . Herbert act ivated the Utah National Guard to ass ist Davis County emergency response with debris c lean-up from high wind storm, 2011. Nearly 200 personnel supported clean-up efforts . u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / c a p t . rya n s u t h e r l a n d

A Utah National Guard UH60 Blackhawk hel icopter transports one-ton sand bags to the scene of the levee in support of f lood response efforts in Weber County, 2011. u ta h d i v i s i o n o f e m e r g e n cy m a n a g e m e n t p h oto

Amry combat engieers move debris dur ing a s imulated casualty rescue during annual training in Magna, 2012. Engineers are using mechanical advantage with pul leys, levers and ramps to move a 2,700-pound piece of debris . u.s . a i r p o r c e p h oto / s ta f f s g t . r e n a e s ay l o c k

Members of the Chemical , Biological , Radiological , Nuclear (CBRN), Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) and Homeland Response Force (HRF) extracted and treated mock casulat ies from a s imulated rubble pi le , 2014 . u.s . a i r n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / a n n i e e dwa r d s , u ta h a i r n at i o n a l g ua r d

Utah National Guard members put out a s imulated f i re dur ing Vigi lant Guard, 2014 . The f i re was a product of a s imulated earthquake that struck along the Wasatch Front. u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / s g t . c h r i s to p h e r l e n n ox

Utah National Guard soldiers jo in Red Cross to unload s imulated suppl ies from a Blackhawk hel icopter, 2014 . The exercise trains mult iagencies to ass ist with emergency operat ions. u.s . a r m y r e s e rv e p h oto / s g t . m i c h a e l h a rv i e


As we exe rc i s e our dua l mi s s ion , our g rea te s t succe s s in suppor t ing the c i t i zens o f Utah in the event o f a na tura l o r man-made d i sa s t e r can be found in the count l e s s hour s work ing wi th s t a t e and loca l o f f i c i a l s , f i r s t re sponder s and the innumerab le vo luntee r s found wi th in our communi t i e s . Dur ing the se types o f emergenc ie s , the Utah Guard p lay s a suppor t ing ro l e to s t a t e and loca l emergency management pro fe s s iona l s , and the i r l eader sh ip over the yea r s ha s p l ayed a c ruc ia l ro l e in d i rec t ing the r ight Guard re source s to the r ight loca t ion a t the r ight t ime .

Utah f i e ld s the FEMA Reg ion VII I Homeland Response Force (HRF) , a un i t cons i s t ing o f near ly 600 So ld ie r s and Ai rmen wi th the mi s s ion to dea l w i th chemica l , b io log ica l , r ad io log ica l and nuc lea r event s ; the 85th Civ i l Suppor t Team (CST) cons i s t ing o f 22 fu l l - t ime Utah Nat iona l Guardsmen whose mi s s ion i s to suppor t c iv i l au thor i t i e s

in ca se o f a CBRN inc ident ; a s we l l a s eng ineer, av i a t ion and o ther log i s t i ca l a s s e t s .

In the l a s t 12 yea r s , he re a re some h igh l ight s o f Utah Nat iona l Guard Domes t i c Opera t ions (DOMOPS) :

• Act iva t ions in re sponse to na tura l d i s a s t e r s and c iv i l emergenc ie s invo lv ing f loods , f i re s , snow and winds torms

• Hurr i canes Kat r ina and Ri ta in 2005, when the Utah Guard sent un i t s to the Gul f Coas t and housed evacuees a t Camp Wi l l i ams

• Search and Rescue e f fo r t s

• Sta te Emergency Management As s i s t ance Compact (EMAC) reques t s

DOMEST IC OPERAT IONS

A Blackhawk hel icopter from the Utah National Guard hovers over an Alpine City i rr igat ion water pond to ref i l l i ts water bucket whi le f ighting a f i re above Alpine, 2012. u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / s g t 1s t c l a s s b r o c k j o n e s


Fol lowing 9/11 , mov ing f rom a peace -t ime to war - t ime force was a momentous t r ans i t ion for the Utah Guard .

Faced wi th an unprecedented l eve l o f dep loyment s , Utah was the ea r l i e s t s t a t e to have the l eve l o f a l e r t ed and mobi l i zed So ld ie r s and Ai rmen, peak ing a t an 80-percent dep loyment ra t e in 2003, the h ighes t l eve l in the na t ion . More than 14 ,000 Ai rmen and So ld ie r s have dep loyed over sea s s ince 9/11 . A l a rge number o f Utah Guard member s have dep loyed a t l ea s t twice , and many have dep loyed up to f i ve t imes .

The qua l i ty o f A i rmen and So ld ie r s who have jo ined the ranks , knowing they wi l l be dep loyed and tha t they a re go ing to go in to harm’s way, i s a t e s t ament to the qua l i ty o f c i t i zenr y found in th i s g rea t s t a t e . As Ci t i zen So ld ie r s , we have much l e f t to do , both in un i form and out . . .

In the l a s t 12 yea r s , he re a re some h igh l ight s o f Utah Nat iona l Guard s e r v i ce :

• Suppor t to Opera t ion Endur ing Freedom f rom 2003 to pre sent

• Suppor t to Opera t ions Iraq i Freedom and New Dawn f rom 2003 to 2011

• Suppor t to the 2002 Sa l t Lake Olympic Winte r Games , fu l f i l l ing s ecur i ty, log i s t i c s , medica l and av ia t ion funct ions

• Deployments to the U.S . /Mex ico border in 2006-07 in suppor t o f Cus toms and Border Protec t ion opera t ions

• Sta te Par tner sh ip Program a f f i l i a t ion wi th Morocco s ince 2003

• Bui ld ing a comprehens ive Fami ly Suppor t program to meet the needs o f Utah Guard spouse s , ch i ldren and f ami l i e s

We wi l l never fo rge t the s e r v i ce and sac r i f i ce o f our f a l l en s e r v i ce member s . We have lo s t e ight Utah Nat iona l Guard member s s ince 9/11 in the l ine o f duty. Our f a l l en So ld ie r s , who have s tood shou lder -to - shou lder wi th us in the se many yea r s o f war, w i l l a lways be in our hear t s .

POST 9/1 1

Utah National Guard engineers , representing several units work with the fence-bui lding crew on the U.S./Mexico border, 2006. u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g ua r d / [r e t . ] lt . c o l . h a n k m c i n t i r e

Utah National Guard soldiers stage at a traff ic control point in Afganistan, 2014 . The unit was covering a humanitar ian aid miss ion. u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g ua r d / s ta f f 1s t lt . j e f f r e y l e e


A NATO E-3A AWACS aircraft approaches a Utah Air National Guard KC-135R Stratotanker for a ir refuel ing during a training f l ight over Germany, 2015. u.s . a i r n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / s ta f f s g t a n n i e e dwa r d s

Approximately 120 soldiers of the Utah Guard’s Engineer Sapper Company departed Utah, 2010, for a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan. u ta h n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / c a p t . rya n s u t h e r l a n d


A s a young man growing up in a sma l l communi ty in Idaho , Va l Pe te r son knew tha t a l i f e o f pub l i c s e r v i ce was h i s ca l l ing . Se r v i ce was a f ami ly

prac t i ce . Pe te r son’s f a ther was invo lved in congre s s iona l campa igns , and h i s mother was a prec inc t e l ec t ions per son . The i r invo lvement in the communi ty cente red on church and publ i c s e r v i ce .

Pe te r son’s own a sp i ra t ions were ev idenced ea r ly, a s he sought out vo luntee r and l eader sh ip-based oppor tuni t i e s , mos t notab ly s e r v ing a s a page in the Idaho l eg i s l a ture whi l e in h igh schoo l .

“ I he lped campa ign for a s t a t e repre senta t ive in Idaho , and tha t ’s how I rece ived tha t appointment ,” s a id Pe te r son . “ I en joyed tha t exper i ence , and I a lways knew tha t a t some po int in my l i f e , I wanted to be ab le to s e r ve in the l eg i s l a ture , to he lp make pub l i c po l i cy, and to make our communi t i e s a be t t e r p l ace to l i ve .”

Pe te r son would l a t e r go on to s e r ve a LDS mis s ion in Colombia , which he c red i t s fo r t each ing h im l i f e long l e s sons o f d i s c ip l ine , be ing menta l l y tough , and o f put t ing s e r v i ce be fore your se l f . Hi s t ime on h i s mi s s ion a l so , pe rhaps unexpec ted ly, l ed h im towards h i s pa th o f s e r v i ce wi th the Utah Nat iona l Guard .

“ It was a lways impres sed upon me whi l e I s e r ved in Colombia tha t a l l o f the se peop le had to s e r ve in the i r mi l i t a r y, even though they had so much l e s s than we d id in the Uni ted Sta te s to de fend ,” he s a id . “ That made a b ig impres s ion upon me.”

Upon re turn home f rom h i s mi s s ion , Pe te r son en l i s t ed wi th a l ingu i s t ba t ta l ion wi th the Utah Nat iona l Guard , sh ipp ing out to Bas i c Tra in ing a mere three months l a t e r.

“ I found Bas i c Tra in ing , in compar i son to my mis s ion exper i ence , re l a t i ve ly ea sy,” s a id Pe te r son . “ I had a l ready l ea rned a lo t about d i s c ip l ine , about ge t t ing up, be ing menta l l y tough , and so the Bas i c Tra in ing exper i ence was rea l l y fo r me about l ea rn ing those ba s i c mi l i t a r y sk i l l s tha t you needed , and be ing ab le to do those sk i l l s w i th your eye s c lo sed .”

Af te r comple t ing Bas i c Tra in ing and Advanced Ind iv idua l Tra in ing (AIT) , Pe te r son pur sued a bache lor’s degree a t Br igham Young Univer s i ty. Upon comple t ion o f h i s degree , he was h i red by Utah Technica l Col l ege (now known a s Utah Va l l ey Univer s i ty ) where he cont inues to work to th i s day, s e r v ing a s the Vice Pre s ident o f Finance and Admini s t ra t ion .

At 52 yea r s o ld , Pe te r son has more than reached the ca l l ing o f h i s youth . He i s a b r igad ie r genera l , s e r v ing a s the Land Component Commander fo r the Utah Guard , and he i s a repre senta t ive a t the Sta te House o f Repre senta t ive s , where he s e r ve s the peop le o f Di s t r i c t 59 . And whi l e he i s l i v ing h i s l i f e - long dream of s e r v ing h i s count r y and loca l communi ty, he s t re s s e s tha t none o f th i s would be pos s ib l e wi thout the suppor t o f h i s w i f e , h i s f ami ly and h i s employer s .

“One o f the th ings tha t ha s made i t a l l pos s ib l e i s the f ac t tha t I have had ve r y suppor t ive employer s , and most impor tant ly, a suppor t ive wi f e and f ami ly,” s a id Pe te r son . “Fi r s t and foremost , I cou ld not do th i s w i thout the suppor t o f my wi fe . She has been the bedrock for our f ami ly. At the Univer s i ty, Pre s ident Mat t Hol l and has been ve r y good about work ing wi th my schedule . Maj . Gen. Bur ton has been ve r y suppor t ive o f my e f fo r t s , and c l ea r ly, when i t comes t ime to go to the s t a t e house , those 45 days each yea r, rea l l y a re ded ica ted to do ing the peop le’s bus ine s s and repre sent ing the peop le o f Di s t r i c t 59 .”

“Clea r ly, the rea son you want to be invo lved in communi ty s e r v i ce and publ i c s e r v i ce i s to g ive back to your communi ty,” he added . “ I th ink my exper i ence s throughout my l i f e , the example s o f my parent s , my grandfa ther, a l l cont r ibuted to the f ac t tha t we a l l have a re spons ib i l i t y to make our countr y a be t t e r p l ace . We can do tha t through publ i c s e r v i ce , through making our communi ty be t t e r. I rea l l y have a lways f e l t one o f the rea sons I jo ined the Nat iona l Guard i s the dua l -mi s s ion i t ha s . It i s a re spons ib i l i t y to your s t a t e , to your communi ty, and a l so to the na t iona l de fense .”

BRIG. GEN. VAL PETERSONUTAH STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTAT IVES, D IST. 59

by Capt. Ryan Suther land

u ta h n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / m a j . s c ot t c h a l m e r s

at l e f t : Members of the Utah National Guard stand in formation during the annual Governor’s Day at the Univers ity of Utah’s Rice Eccles Stadium, 2009. u ta h a i r n at i o n a l g ua r d p h oto / t e c h s g t . m i c h a e l d . e va n s


C apt. Brent Tay lor, l ike many Amer icans , was compe l l ed to mi l i t a r y s e r v i ce a f t e r the event s o f Sept . 11 , 2001. For Tay lor, tha t t r ag i c moment

in Amer ican h i s tor y was the beg inning o f a t r a j ec tor y o f pe r sona l change tha t would a l t e r h i s l i f e’s pa th .

And l ike many o f those pos t 9 /11 en l i s t ee s , he has s een h i s share o f dep loyment s : Three to be exac t . That i s a heavy sac r i f i ce fo r any So ld ie r o r the i r f ami ly to have to bear. For the Tay lor f ami ly, tha t s ac r i f i ce runs deep. Tay lor i s one o f s i x brother s , a l l o f whom en l i s t ed in the Uni ted Sta te s mi l i t a r y pos t 9 /11 .

“ I cur rent ly have f i ve brother s and a s i s t e r - in - l aw in the Army,” s a id Tay lor. “My mother was ve r y pa t r io t i c and taught us to love our countr y and to be prepared to s e r ve . I l ea rned a s a young boy tha t s e r v i ce to countr y and communi ty i s a c r i t i ca l pa r t o f our l i ve s and have t r i ed to implement tha t in my l i f e .”

The Army has a sked much f rom the Tay lor f ami ly. Perhaps no one knows tha t be t t e r than Tay lor’s w i f e , Jennie , who got a sma l l t a s t e o f th ings to come when Brent en l i s t ed in the Guard a day a f t e r h i s p roposa l to her.

“Mi l i t a r y l i f e ha s de f ined our ent i re marr i age ,” s a id Tay lor. “My wi fe ha s been our f ami ly’s rock dur ing dep loyment s and o ther per iods o f s e r v i ce . She has spent more than four yea r s o f our marr i ed l i f e r a i s ing our ch i ldren s ing le handed ly whi l e I have been away f rom

u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g u a r d p h o t o / c a p t . s c o t t s l a u g h

CAPT. BRENT TAYLORMAYOR OF NORTH OGDEN C ITY


home. The Army a sks a lo t f rom the ent i re f ami ly : So ld ie r, spouse , and ch i ldren .”

Tay lor’s s e r v i ce to h i s communi ty ex tends beyond h i s mi l i t a r y ca ree r a s he cur rent ly s e r ve s a s the mayor o f Nor th Ogden Ci ty, manag ing a s t a f f o f about 150 fu l l - and par t - t ime employee s . He a l so s e r ve s on the Weber -Morgan County Board o f Hea l th , the Cent ra l Weber Sewer Di s t r i c t , i s a Cha i rman o f the Nor th Ogden Redeve lopment Agency, and a s a member o f the Ogden-Weber Chamber o f Commerce . He cur rent ly s e r ve s a s the Utah Nat iona l Guard’s Se l ec t i ve Se r v i ce Of f i ce r fo r the s t a t e o f Utah . He c red i t s h i s exper i ence wi th the Guard for he lp ing to shape h im into the l eader tha t he i s today.

“My bes t l e s sons on l eader sh ip have a l l come through the Nat iona l Guard , in par t i cu la r on dep loyment s ,” he s a id . “ There i s someth ing about the in tens i ty and impor tance o f a dep loyment tha t prov ides incred ib l e l e s sons and oppor tuni t i e s fo r s e l f - improvement . I have l ea rned f rom my exper i ence s and ac t ions , good and bad , and have g rown a s a l eader.”

“ The Nat iona l Guard i s a l l about the c i t i zen-So ld ie r and about s e r v ing our communi t i e s ,” Tay lor added . “ We a re t r a ined and ready for war, but l i ve and se r ve our communi t i e s in peace t ime too. The l eader sh ip and l i f e l e s sons I have l ea rned in the Nat iona l Guard impact how I l ead my c i ty eve r y s ing l e day.”


B y the t ime Chol i Ence l e f t fo r Afghani s t an in the spr ing o f 2014, she had a l ready spent count l e s s yea r s in s e r v i ce to her loca l communi ty and to

her count r y. Ence has 17 yea r s o f ac t i ve duty and Utah Nat iona l Guard mi l i t a r y s e r v i ce , and has worked the l a s t 10 yea r s wi th the St . George po l i ce depar tment , s even o f those yea r s a s a de tec t ive .

Ence dep loyed to Afghani s t an a s the commander o f the 128th Mobi l e Pub l i c Af fa i r s Detachment . Dur ing her dep loyment , she s e r ved a s the deputy pub l i c a f f a i r s o f f i ce r fo r Reg iona l Command (RC) South , where she was in charge o f a l l media opera t ions fo r 1 s t Cava l r y.

Towards the end o f her dep loyment , she was rea s s igned to Bagram where she s e r ved a s the pub l i c a f f a i r s o f f i ce r fo r U.S . Force s Afghani s t an . She c red i t s he r exper i ence in Bagram to expos ing her to the fu l l spec t rum of the t roop drawdown in Afghani s t an .

“ In i t i a l l y, we had ve r y minor media invo lvement but tha t qu ick ly changed because o f the draw down,” s a id Ence . “ We rece ived a lo t o f media reques t s regard ing in f ra s t ruc ture and the drawdown of t roop per sonne l and equ ipment out o f Afghani s t an to meet Pre s ident Obama’s dead l ine . It was a humbl ing exper i ence rea l i z ing tha t a Nat iona l Guard pub l i c a f f a i r s o f f i ce r f rom a sma l l town in Utah cou ld have such an impact on the overa l l mi s s ion .”

Her t ime abroad , r i f e wi th cha l l enges and new exper i ence s , s t rengthened many o f the core va lue s tha t she

u.s . a r m y n at i o n a l g u a r d p h o t o / s ta f f s g t . r i c h a r d s t o w e l l

MAJ. CHOLI ENCEPOL ICE DETECT IVE WITH ST. GEORGE C ITY


holds dear. But perhaps the va lue tha t t rumps a l l o ther s i s tha t o f s e r v i ce , which she c red i t s fo r her cont inued pur su i t o f l eader sh ip oppor tuni t i e s in both her mi l i t a r y and c iv i l i an ca ree r s .

“ I have a lways be l i eved tha t you can make a d i f f e rence ,” s a id Ence . “ I have found wi th in both my mi l i t a r y and wi th in l aw enforcement ca ree r s tha t i t ’s a l i f e o f s e r v i ce . You’re focused on eve r ybody e l s e but your se l f .”

“ In l aw enforcement , you exper i ence tha t eve r y day,” she added . “Somet imes i t ’s ju s t a s imple ac t o f l e t t ing peop le know tha t you ca re and tha t you’re wi l l ing to l i s t en to them. Be ing over sea s and work ing wi th the peop le o f Afghani s t an and the i r mi l i t a r y, those s ame pr inc ip l e s app ly. It ’s a l l about showing tha t you ca re , tha t you want a be t t e r l i f e fo r them, and tha t they de se r ve more than they cur rent ly have .”

Ref l ec t ing back on the cha l l enges o f he r t ime abroad , Ence c red i t ed her f ami ly and the St . George po l i ce depar tment fo r the s ac r i f i ce s they made to make her dep loyment pos s ib l e .

“ I th ink the th ing tha t a f f ec ted me the mos t on my dep loyment i s knowing tha t the s ac r i f i ce i s rea l l y on your f ami ly and employer s , because they have to p ick up the work tha t you normal ly do ,” s a id Ence . “ It ’s the suppor t o f the communi ty and your f ami ly and f r i ends tha t rea l l y make i t pos s ib l e fo r you to be ab le to focus on what you need to do.”


W hether i t ’s the mi l i ta r y r i tua l o f the Changing of the Guard a t the Tomb of the Unknown Sold ier a t Ar l ington Nat iona l Cemeter y, the dramat ic

natura l se t t ing of the Nat iona l Memoria l Cemeter y o f the Pac i f i c over looking Pear l Harbor or indiv idua l f l ags p laced on ever y ve teran’s heads tone a t the loca l cemeter y, monuments s tand in remembrance and recogni t ion of the fa l l en .

Dedicated in May 2014, the Utah Freedom Memoria l , located on the grounds o f Sandy’s Ci ty Hal l , i s the s ta te’s newes t monument to honor mi l i ta r y se r v ice . More than seven year s in deve lopment , the monument was or ig ina l ly based on the se r v ice o f Adam Galvez , who d ied in Iraq in 2004, and a fa ther’s wi sh to c rea te an educat iona l exper ience to l e t k ids today know why h i s son se r ved. From the beg inning , Tony Galvez , and other memoria l

DEFIN ING FREEDOM

FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER

by Michel le Br idges

Utah Freedom Memorial dedication, 2014 , Sandy City. c o l o n i a l f l a g f o u n d at i o n p h oto / p e r ry va n s c h e lt


Utah Freedom Memorial Ref lect ing Wal l . c o l o n i a l f l a g f o u n d at i o n p h oto / p e r ry va n s c h e lt

UTAH VETERANS MEMORIAL PARKAND CEMETERY

With a panoramic v iew of the Wasatch Mountains , the Utah Veterans Memoria l Park and Cemetery l ies adjacent to Camp Wil l iams in Bluffdale.

Bui l t for fami ly members to hold memoria l serv ices and funerals for loved ones who are veterans, the Park a lso provides a place for meditat ion and other veteran memoria l -re lated events .

The cemetery was recent ly expanded to include a garden where cremated remains can be scattered on a landscaped hi l l s ide. Names of those whose ashes are spread there can a lso be etched in panels on a nearby monument. The columbar ium holds urns of ashes for the deceased was bui l t at the same t ime. A k iosk near the chapel a l lows v is i tors to look up a grave’s locat ion.

The cemetery accommodates a l l veterans whose fami l ies want to bury them there, including those f rom the Vietnam era and f rom World War I I . Reservists and ret i red personnel with the Nat ional Guard who have 20 years of serv ice are a lso e l ig ible for bur ia l . Veterans f rom out of state can a lso be bur ied at the cemetery.

The Park off ice can be contacted at 801-254-9036, Monday through Fr iday between 8 a .m. and 5 p.m. More informat ion can be found at veterans.utah.gov

Chapel and columbarium at the Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park. b r i d g e p r o d u c t i o n s p h oto

committee members , put educat ion a t the hear t o f the pro jec t ; adopt ing the tag l ine “to educate Utah’s youth as to the cos t o f f reedom.”

“We wanted a l iv ing memoria l ,” says Paul Swenson, memoria l f ac i l i t a tor and founder o f the Colonia l Flag Foundat ion. “That’s why you won’t f ind names o f indiv idua l people who’ve d ied a t the memoria l , but ra ther contr ibut ions f rom those that have l ived through the i r se r v ice .”

The centerp iece o f the memoria l i s a 15- foot ta l l g rani te pentagona l obe l i sk wi th f ive l a rge bronze p laques a t i t s base . Each of the f ive s ides hos t s a corre sponding symbol for a branch of the mi l i ta r y wi th a p laque expla in ing the va lue o f f reedom, i t s cos t through the eyes o f those who have se r ved, emphas iz ing the fa l l en , wounded, d i sab led , POW / MIA and the fami l i e s that suppor t them.

Adjacent to the obe l i sk i s a doubled-wal l ed monument . One s ide bear s a Bat t l e f i e ld Cross wi th a symbol ic vau l t a t i t s base that honors a l l Utah’s f a l l en mi l i ta r y. The other s ide i s a re f l ec t ion area where not only the so ld ie r i s honored but a l so the courageous sp i r i t o f those who are l e f t behind to handle the cha l l enges o f day- to-day l i f e — a wi fe , mother, sweethear t or s igni f i cant other. “For me, the re f l ec t ion wal l p lays an integra l par t o f the memoria l . It i s a per sona l space o f reverence and int rospect ion,” says Perr y Van Sche l t , monument des igner and ar t d i rec tor.

On the southern end of the p laza i s a hero ic - s i ze bronze s ta tue o f three f i remen ra i s ing the Amer ican f l ag a t Ground Zero — “To Li f t a Nat ion” — soon a f te r the a t tacks on the Wor ld Trade Center and Pentagon.

( cont inued on page 48)


Antelope Island Special Forces Training Crash Disaster Memorial; Dedicated 1993

Antimony Veterans Memorial (World War I , World War I I) ; Located front of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building

Bear River Bear River City Veterans Memorial; Dedicated 2004; Located front Bear River City government off ices

Beaver Beaver Valley Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Located Beaver Post Off ice

Spirit of the American Doughboy Monument (World War I) ; Dedicated 1927; Located 120 S Main Street

Bluffdale Bluffdale City Cemetery Lions Club Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1962; Located 14205 S Redwood Road

Brigham City Box Elder County Veterans Flagpole (All Wars); Dedicated 2007; Located Box Elder County Courthouse

Box Elder County Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Located Box Elder County Courthouse

Bingham City Cemetery Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 2008; Located Bingham City Cemetery

Korean War Memorial; Located City Hall

World War I Memorial Dedicated 1923; Located Brigham City Cemetery

Cedar City Cedar City Veterans Memorial; Dedicated 1972; Located Cedar City Cemetery

Korean War Memorial

Memorial (Afghanistan-Iraq War); Located Veterans Memorial Park

Vietnam War Memorial; Dedicated 2008

Memorial (World War I) Dedicated 2010; Located 140 N 300 East

Coalville Honor Roll Monument/Flag (All Wars); Located 10 North Main

Copperton World War I I Memorial; Dedicated July 1946; Located Hil lcrest Street

Delta All Gave Some - Some Gave All , 422 regimental Combat Team, 100th Infantry Battalion, Mil itary Intell igence Service (World War I I) ; Dedicated 1976; Located West 4500 N Street

Topaz Interment Camp (World War I I) ; Dedicated 1976; Located West 4500 N Street

Topaz War Relocation Center (World War I I) ; Located 150 W Main Street

Draper US Marine Corps CO F 20 Battalion Memorial (Afghanistan-Iraq War); Located Draper Park

Eden Eden World War I I Memorial; Dedicated 2008; Located Eden Park

Elberta Veterans Monument (All Wars); Located site of old convenience store

Enoch Enoch City Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Located Enoch City Cemetery

Enterprise Enterprise Veterans Memorial; Dedicated 1996; Located intersection 100 North and Beryl Lane

Eureka Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1989; Located Eureka City Cemetery

Farmington Davis County Spanish-American War Memorial; Located Davis County Courthouse

Vietnam War Memorial; Dedicated 1986; Located Davis County Courthouse grounds

Fayette Honor Roll (All Wars); Located 100 East

Herriman Herriman City Cemetery Veterans Monument (All Wars); Located Herriman Cemetery

Hill Air Force Base 5th Air Forces Memorial Sundial; Located 7961 Wardleigh Road

Hinckley Honor Roll (All Wars); Located City Park

Hooper Hooper World War I I Memorial

Hurricane Hurricane Veterans Honor Roll ; Located grounds of Hurricane Valley Heritage Park and Museum

Hyrum Hyrum City Cemetery Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1948; Located Hyrum City Cemetery

Kanesville General Thomas L . Kane (Civil War); Dedicated 2000; Located behind The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building

Kearns Vietnam War Memorial; Dedicated 1984; Located Kearns Memorial Park, 4025 W 5415 South

Laketown Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 2009; Located Henry Early Park

Lemington Lemington Veterans Memorial (World War I , World War I I , Korea, Vietnam)

Loa Wayne County Korean War Veterans Memorial; Wayne County Courthouse

Wayne County Persian Gulf War Veterans Memorial; Located Wayne County Courthouse

Wayne County World War I Veterans Memorial; Located Wayne County Courthouse

Logan Cache County Veterans Kil led in Action Monument (All Wars); Dedicated 1975; Located next to Cache County Courthouse

Logan City Cemetery Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1966; Located Logan City Cemetery

Magna Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1966; Located intersection 2700 S and 8400 West

Veterans War Memorial (All Wars); Located intersection of 2700 S and 8400 West

World War I Memorial; Located Magna-Copper Park

World War I I Memorial; Located Magna-Copper Park

Mapleton Mapleton City Park Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1992; Located Maple City Park

Vietnam War Memorial; Located Mapleton City Park

World War I I Memorial; Located Mapleton City Park

Midvale Nation’s Heroes (World War I) ; Located 7360 S 700 East

Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 2002; Located Midvale Cemetery

Midway Wasatch County Memorial Hil l (War of 1812); Located Midway hil ltop

Monroe Monroe Veterans Monument (All Wars); Located town park

Morgan Korean War Veterans Memorial; Located Veterans Memorial Plaza

Monument (World War I) ; Dedicated 2001; Located Veterans Memorial Plaza

UTAH VETERAN MONUMENTSf r o m t h e e d i t o r s : For tho s e b rave and courageou s t o an swer the ca l l t o s e r ve and pro t e c t th e i r c ount r y

dur ing war o r p eac e , we honor the i r c ommitment and sa c r i f i c e . The s e monument s and memor ia l s a re bu t a t oken o f our re sp e c t . P l ea s e t ake t ime f o r a moment o f s i l enc e .


Vietnam War Memorial; Dedicated 2001; Located Veterans Memorial Plaza

World War I I Memorial; Dedicated 2001; Located Veterans Memorial Plaza

Moroni Moroni Cemetery Veterans Memorial Garden (All Wars); Dedicated 1993; Located Moroni Cemetery

Mount Pleasant Spirit of the American Doughboy Monument (World War I) ; Dedicated 1926; Located intersection State and Main

Murray Murray City Park Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1950; Located Garden of Freedom

Vietnam War Memorial; Located Murray City Park

Ogden Chosin Reservoir Campaign Monument (Korea); Located 1102 N 1200 West

Orem World War I I POW Camp; Dedicated December 1943; Located 950 N and 800 East

Parowan Parowan Veterans Memorial; Located Parowan Town Square

World War I Veterans Memorial; Located 50 S Main Street

Price Carbon County World War I Memorial; Dedicated 1938; Located Washington Park

Monument (World War I) ; Dedicated 1922; Located 185 E Main Street

Spirit of the American Doughboy (World War I) ; Dedicated 1922; Located Peace Garden

Provo Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1972; Located 351 W Center Street

Provo City Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 2001; Located Memorial Park

Utah County War Memorial (World War I , World War I I , Korea, Vietnam)

Randolph World War I I Memorial; Located front of Rich County Courthouse

Richfield Freedom State (All Wars); Dedicated 2003; Located City Park

Riverton POW/MIA Memorial (All Wars); Located Veteran’s Memorial Park

US Submarine Veterans Memorial (World War I I) ; Dedicated 1997; Located State Route 68

Utah’s Medal of Honor Recipients Monument (All Wars); Dedicated 2002; Located Veteran’s Memorial Park

Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 2001; Located 1400 W 12800 South

Veterans Memorial Park (All Wars); Located Riverton Veteran’s Memorial Park

Riverdale Veterans Monument (All Wars); Located outside Riverdale Civic Center

Saint George Remember Pearl Harbor (World War I I) ; Located Vernon Worthen Park

Salt Lake City Captain James B. Austin (World War I) ; Located Memory Grove Park

George Edward Wahlen, Medal of Honor Recipient (World War I I) ; Located Utah State Capitol

German World War I Memorial; Dedicated 1933; Located Wakara Way

Greek War Veterans Monument (All Wars); Dedicated 1988; Located grounds of Holy Trinity Cathedral

Heroes of the American Revolution; Dedicated 1914; Located Utah State Capitol

Liberty Park Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1922; Located Liberty Park

Medal of Honor Recipients Monument (All Wars); Located Memory Grove Park

Monument (Civil War); Dedicated 1961; Located Utah State Capitol grounds

Mormon Battalion (All Wars); Dedicated 1927; Located Utah State Capitol grounds

Patrick Edward Connor; Located Fort Douglas Cemetery

Vietnam Memorial; Located Utah State Capitol Grounds

Vietnam POW/MIA Memorial; Located Memory Grove Park

Utah World War I “Pagoda” Memorial; Dedicated 1932; Located Memory Grove

Sandy Sergeant Louis A. Slama Memorial f lag; Dedicated 2003

Utah Freedom Memorial (All Mil itary); Dedicated 2014; Located Sandy City off ices

Santaquin Santaquin Veterans Memorial; Dedicated 1903; Located front of Central School

South Jordan South Jordan Memorial Park (All Wars)

Spanish Fork Spanish Fork Veterans Memorial Monument (All Wars); Dedicated 1999; Located Spanish Fork City Cemetery entrance

Springville Victory Fountain (World War I) ; Dedicated 1920

Sterling Sterl ing Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Located entrance to Sterl ing Memorial Park

Taylorsville Freedom Shrine Veterans Memorial (World War I , World War I I) ; Dedicated 2001; Located park south side of 4500 West

Salt Lake Community College Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 1989; Located SLCC Redwood Campus

Tooele Korean War Memorial; Located center of Tooele

Middle East Wars Memorial; Dedicated 2005; Located center of Tooele

Vietnam War Memorial; Dedicated 2005; Located center of Tooele

World War I Memorial; Dedicated 2005; Located center of Tooele

World War I I Memorial; Dedicated 2005; Located center of Tooele

Toquerville Toquervil le Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Dedicated 2007; Located front of Toquervil le LDS Meetinghouse

Union Mormon Battalion Monument (Mexican-American War); Located Union Pioneer Memorial Cemetery

Vernal American Mother Veterans War Memorial (All Wars); Located Main Street, downtown

Memorial (Operation Desert Storm); Located Main Street, downtown

Men of Courage Monument (World War I I) ; Located 147 E Main Street

Spirit of the American Doughboy (World War I) ; Dedicated 1924; Located Uintah County Building

Vietnam War Memorial; Located Main Street, downtown

World War I I Memorial; Located 147 E Main Street

Washington Washington City Veterans Memorial (All Wars); Located next to city hall

West Jordan Veterans of World War I , World War I I Memorial; Located 7800 S 1300 West

Utah Air National Guard Memorial (All Wars; Located 7602 Airport Road

West Valley City Vietnam War Memorial; Dedicated 2008; Located Utah Cultural Celebration Center grounds

UTAH VETERAN MONUMENTS

source: americanmemorialsdirectory.com/utah


On the f i r s t annive r sa r y o f 9 /11 , Colonia l Fl ag Foundat ion p lanted i t s f i r s t Hea l ing Fie ld o f more than 3 ,000 Amer ican f l ag s repre sent ing each l i f e lo s t on 9/11 on the promenade south o f the Utah Freedom Memor ia l . “Ever y September we cont inue honor ing those lo s t ,” s ay s John Har tv ig sen , program adv i sor. “ We now mentor o ther o rgan iza t ions want ing to p lant the i r own f i e ld s o f hea l ing and honor ing . Thi s yea r, we’ l l work wi th 48 d i f f e rent event s a round the na t ion .”

“ The rea son we have memor ia l s i sn’t so much a s to honor those who have d ied , but to g ive those l i v ing a b i t o f gu idance so we can l ea rn f rom them,” s ay s Scot t Swa in , founder o f Root s o f Freedom, the organ iza t ion tha t admini s t e r s the Foundat ions educa t iona l component . “ What does i t mean to honor our f l ag , our founding documents , our founding f a ther s ? How do you exp la in pa t r io t i sm? How do you de f ine what i t means to be a t rue Amer ican?” a sks Swa in .

The program s t r i ve s to g ive s tudent s and educa tor s hands -on exper i ence s on be ing a t rue Amer ican . Through a s e r i e s o f s imula t ions ca l l ed Mi le s tones o f Freedom, s tudent s exper i ence be ing an immigrant on a ques t fo r c i t i zensh ip, a pa t r io t a t the s ign ing o f the Dec la ra t ion o f Independence or a convent ion de l ega te debat ing the mer i t s o f the na t ion’s Cons t i tu t ion .

“Ever y s choo l tha t ha s done th i s s imula t ion , those k ids ge t i t . They a re so enthused . The i r hear t s a re touched and they ge t the impor tance o f th i s mes sage ,” s ay s Deb

Jackson , educa t ion out reach coord ina tor wi th Root s o f Freedom. Work ing through the s t a t e’s Depar tment o f Educa t ion , the Foundat ion hopes to make the program ava i l ab l e to eve r y s tudent in the s t a t e .

Jackson va lue s memor ia l s because o f the cos t o f l i f e tha t i s g iven to s ecure the f reedoms we va lue in Amer ica . “ Without remember ing the f a l l en in a po ignant way, we lo se s ight o f the va lue o f the in tang ib l e f reedoms , mer i t s and honors tha t we sus ta in here in our countr y,” s ay s Jackson . “ The va lue to me i s to remember tha t pr i ce , which i s p r i ce l e s s .”

Regard le s s o f the approach , o lder genera t ions need to ensure younger genera t ions under s tand the meaning beh ind memor ia l s . “At v i r tua l l y eve r y cemete r y ac ros s th i s s t a t e fo r Memor ia l Day, there wi l l be ve te rans who wi l l be p lac ing f l ag s on the g rave s o f decea sed brother s ,” s ay s Ter r y Schow, fo rmer execut ive d i rec tor o f Utah’s Depar tment o f Vete rans and Mi l i t a r y Af fa i r s and a l so a member o f Amer ican Leg ion Pos t No. 9 . “And I th ink tha t ’s a s power fu l a reminder o f f reedom as any monument .”

Schow be l i eve s such exper i ence s a re a g rea t t each ing oppor tuni ty “and hope fu l l y, pa rent s and grandparent s wi l l recognize tha t and show the i r ch i ldren and grandchi ldren re spec t fo r the f l ag , reve rence fo r mi l i t a r y s ac r i f i ce and reve re pa t r io t i sm.”

Learn more about the Colonia l Fl ag Foundat ion’s Hea l ing Fie ld s (hea l ing f i e ld .org ) and i t s educa t iona l component , Root s o f Freedom ( roo t so f f re edom.com) .

A Heal ing Field with more than 3,000 American f lags planted for every individual lost during the 9/11 attacks. c o l o n i a l f l a g f o u n d at i o n p h oto

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Valor: A Salute to Utah’s Veterans and Mil itary (utahvalor.com) is a publ ication of Utah Media Group and is distr ibuted by subscription through the Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune on a biannual basis.

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We extend a thank you to our Veteran and Mil itary Affairs agencies from across the state who made this project possible, including:

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THEIR MEMORIAL,OUR MISSION

o n t h e c ov e r : American servicemen and women gather in front of Rainbow Corner Red Cross Club in Paris to celebrate the unconditional surrender of the Japanese, 1945. o n e h u n d r e d y e a r s o f p h oto g r a p h y f r o m t h e n at i o n a l a r c h i v e s

USS UTAH served f rom 1919-1931 as a batt leship conduct ing tra in ing and goodwil l miss ions to Europe and South America before being converted to a gunnery tra in ing and target ship. In 1941 she was modernized and equipped with weapons being insta l led on modern destroyers before resuming tra in ing dut ies with the f leet at Pear l Harbor. On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Utah was moored on the west s ide of Ford Is land and at colors the ship was struck by a torpedo forward and began to l ist to port . She was ordered abandoned. Whi le most of the crew was able to escape some were trapped below. Chief Water Tender Peter Tomich remained below to ensure that the boi lers were secured and his sa i lors safe ly out of the boi ler rooms. Tomich was awarded the Congress ional Medal of Honor for h is sacr i f ice. By 0812 the mooring cables had snapped and Utah lay on her beam s ink ing into the harbor her war over. S ix off icers and 58 crewmen died, the major i ty trapped in the ship. Today a monument is located on Ford Is land near the rust ing hulk of the Utah.

USS Utah and the Pacif ic Fleet in the Panama Canal . u ta h s tat e h i s to ry p h oto / s a lt l a k e t r i b u n e c o l l e c t i o n

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