Perfection and Truth
Dear Family and Friends,
Welcome to this week's "Thoughtlet."
These words are my personal diary and a weekly review of ideas,
beliefs, thoughts, or words that will hopefully be of some
benefit to you: my children, my family, and my friends.
"I feel like I'm getting caught up with these thoughtlets
(my diary), and then I find myself behind three weeks again.
Oh well! At least I can confirm, as was stated in Thoughtlet 0451,
that the week before last the Thoughtlet will be titled `Peckham
Park Fishing' (0503.html), followed by `Andrea's 50th
Birthday Party' (0504.html), and next week's will be
`NAPE 2005' (0505.html, followed by `Xing Jiang Oilfield
Training' (0506.html). I'm not sure I like things being
so predictable. Oh well! They are, and it is better than
the alternative, which unpredictability has often not been good.
On Monday, Carlos Venegas asked if I would like to car pool.
And so Tuesday through Friday were my first experiences in a
carpool with Carlos and Lizabeth Reyes, who does the front
desk, answers the phones, and works on getting my business
cards caught up. On Thursday, I rode a Metro Bus for the
first time, from the Highway 6 Park and Ride to the Kingsland
Park and Ride. Lizabeth has a job as a waitress on Thursday
and Friday nights, and so she drops Carlos off at the Highway
6 Park and Ride. On Friday, I called Andrea and she picked
us up over by the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza and gave us a ride
to our cars. I sure like riding in a car being driven in the
HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane, more than sitting in my
car and waiting for traffic to move. It is a hassle to wait
for everyone to arrive and to get into the car, and it is still
so much better than sitting in rush hour traffic. I expect
this will become more and more of a norm, as long as I stay at
GDC. Oh well! Every day I wonder why I have never been able
to see my ideas about attacking sprawl see any progress. If
only we could have implemented the Barker Intelligent Habitat
Project on Maudeen's place, and turned the Katy Freeway
Railroad track into a commuter train like we planned back in
1989. Oh well!
As far as work, it was a pretty slow week. I figured out a
system for filing my e-mail. It will probably take me six
months to catch up with e-mail's collected over the last
9 months. Oh well! I also got through a lot of the reading
and piles of stuff that had found it's way onto my desk. It
is just like my home office. Things seem to accumulate
faster than I am able to get rid of them. It was nice those
years I could afford to have Sherry Sump or Rhonda Hartman
working for me and taking care of the filing and organizing.
Maybe someday I will get the finances in shape and be able
to hire someone to do this type of stuff for me again. But
realistically, probably not. Oh well!
Wednesday January 5th Rick Hawthone sent me a Christmas update
on his family. He has taken a new job and has moved just outside
of Orlando. They have a 4 bedroom house and are empty nesters
now, and invited us to come and stay with them and go to Disney
World. I'm ready. Hope I can get some sales to close in China
so I can get some of this commission money my contract calls
for, specifically I would like to do this before Matt graduates
so I could take Rachel and Matt and Andrea to Disney World. It
is definitely one of those things time will tell about.
Melanie also sent me the following on Wednesday:
<![CDATA[ `Hey dad,
As I was laying in bed last night - my thoughts were just
wondering off. I began an internal dialogue that I would
be interested in knowing your thoughts on. I thought it
might be an interesting thoughtlet topic.
I'm sure you've heard or used the phrase, "The church is
perfect. Only the people in the church are not perfect."
I am curious what your thoughts are on this saying. I kind
of think that saying is dangerous. I don't think the church
is perfect or the people are perfect. I think that if you
believe the church is and always has been perfect, you will
set yourself up for disappointment. If you base your
testimony on perfection, then you could be in danger of
losing that testimony when you learn that the church is not
perfect. So what I want to do is define the difference
between truth and perfection. Something can be true without
being perfect. Is it true that Joseph Smith was a prophet
of God? Yes. Did he ever make a mistake? Yes. Anyway,
you are so much more knowledgeable about church history. I
am most interested in a discussion on the difference between
truth and perfection.
Interested in your thoughts. (Not necessarily this week -
but in the future)
Love ya,
Melanie']]>
Wednesday evening I called Jeff Jurinak while I was at
Intercontinental Airport to pick up Matt and Andrea, and he
told me I have a new family, or at least individual, to
Home Teach: Malinda Wall. I was stuck at the airport for
a couple of hours and they would not let me park in the
waiting area. The flight was late. Oh well!
Thursday Beckie Morales sent the following e-mail:
<![CDATA[ `Spread the Word - The New Movie "The Work and the Glory"
Opens Nationally January 21st! It will be at the Cinemark
Tinseltown on the 21st of January.']]>
I really did enjoy this movie (0501.html),
and I hope any of
you who take the time to read these Thoughtlets will make the
effort to see it. The message behind the movie is so important.
On Thursday evening I watched TV and saw a couple of specials
about Tsunamis, which included data about how often they strike
and which data I put into the Thoughtlet on Tsunamis (0501.html).
Friday Ruth Henderson sent the following note, showing how much
things are changing, starting with the Fry Road Overpass:
<![CDATA[ `Happy New Year, all! Here's the latest Scoop on the Fry Road
overpass CLOSING from one of our good neighbors - thanks, Tom!
This'll be an interesting THREE MONTHS!!
Subject: FRY/I-10 INTERSECTION CLOSES
Effective 9 AM, January 10, 2005 the I-10 overpass structure
at Fry Road will be closed for reconstruction. The intersection
is being rebuilt as an at-grade intersection as a part of the
Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program. Closure of Fry Road over
I-10 will mark the beginning of the contractor's next major
milestone for the SH 99 to SH 6 contract (Contract B). The
contractor has been allocated a maximum of 109 working days to
complete and open the new Fry Road intersection and has a
$50,000 per/day incentive to get the work done early with a
maximum bonus of $1.5 million. Likewise, the contractor will
be subject to penalties of $50,000 per/day (with no maximum)
if he exceeds the 109 days.
Drivers will have access to and from the north side of Fry
via the westbound frontage. From the north side of Fry
Road, drivers will need to travel west to the newly
reconstructed intersection at Westgreen to make a u-turn
to access the south side of Fry from the eastbound frontage
road. From the south side of Fry Road, drivers will need
to travel east to the newly constructed Greenhouse intersection
to make a u-turn to access the north side of Fry from the
westbound frontage road. The access lanes/bell curve along
the eastbound frontage road will remain open throughout the
Fry Road intersection reconstruction, only cross corridor
traffic will be impacted. To view the Katy Freeway website
graphic depicting the closure and the designated detours go to:]]>
http://www.katyfreeway.org/Fry_Detour/Fry_Road_Closure.html
<![CDATA[ The contractor will immediately begin reconstruction and is
scheduled to demolish the bridge above the westbound frontage
road the night of January 10. Accordingly Monday night only,
the westbound frontage road at Fry will be closed from 9 PM to
5 AM. Access to the north side of Fry from I-10 west will be
maintained during this closure; however westbound travelers
should utilize the I-10 main lanes and exit Mason and make a
u-turn to access the south side of Fry. (This detour is for
the January 10, 9 PM to 5 AM closure only.) For more
information on the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program including
up-to-date information regarding lane closures along the I-10
corridor, please visit the Katy Freeway website at:]]>
www.katyfreeway.org
<![CDATA[ or contact the Katy Freeway Public Information Office at
281-589-5924. SO . . . now you know! I also hear there are
signs up about this but I haven't been across Fry Road in the
last week or so! Good luck to us all during this madness!
It sure will be nice when it's done, though, won't it??!!
Ruth
Happy New Year!
Ruth Henderson']]>
Andrea came back from Utah with a hardcopy of an e-mail with
the title `Our Modern Day Stripling Warriors,' which it appears
was written by a Phil Summerhays, starting off quoting his friend,
whom he gives the pseudonym of Pete, and then at places
interjects his own comments. I was touched when Andrea read it,
and so I typed it out to be part of the permanent Thoughtlet
record:
<![CDATA[ `June 13, 2004
My oldest son, Jack, just returned from Iraq. He is a sergeant
with the 1457th Engineer Battalion. They have a most interesting
recent history. They were the first National Guard Combat
Engineer Battalion to be called up to fight in Iraq. They are
one of only two combat engineer battalions in the nation that
are national guard units. The reason they had to go was because
the eleven regular army combat engineer units were too badly
depleted during the Clinton Administration to be combat ready.
Just in case you did not know, there are only five types of
fighters who really go and get into a fight with the enemy.
Assault Marines, Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Delta Force, and
Combat Engineers. Engineers are sometimes called `sacrifice
troops,' since they must engage the enemy with only small arms,
ahead of the main battle force. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, most of
the casualties were combat engineers. Jack and his family were
shocked with a message they received when he was first called up.
They were told to prepare messages and letters to their family
and to plan their funerals, since the majority of them would not
be coming back.
The President wrote a letter of apology to them. Combat
engineers always go first. Never before in American military
history has any assault engineer unit gone into war and not
suffered heavy casualties - until now.
The 1457th engaged the enemy every step of the way from Kuwait
to the liberation of Baghdad. Every one of them came home alive.
Prior to every attack, assault engineers were dropped into enemy
territory at night by helicopter, or sent in by day on foot,
blowing up berms and strategic facilities, taking out sentries
or in other ways going hand to hand with an enemy, then radioing
that the way was clear for the main force.
Nobody ever heard of the 1457th because they didn't fight as a
unit. Once deployed, they were divided up among other units.
They became the 3rd Marines, 7th Marines, Rangers, Special
Forces, 101st Airborne, Big Red One and others. When a unit
went into action, they took with them as many combat engineers
as they needed to get the job done. Jack served with the 101st
Airborne as they fought through central Iraq and for the
liberation of Baghdad itself. It was not a coincidence that a
Utah boy found Saddam.
It was also Utah Guardsmen who threw a rope around Saddam's
statue and pulled it down with the world watching. The Special
Forces in the North who worked and fought with the Kurds were
more Utah Guardsmen. The Utah "rangers" who rescued the first
prisoners were there early to do it because they were ahead of
the main force. Jack was able to send an e-mail ever week or so.
Every time, he wrote that he and the other Utah troops seemed to
be on TV every night. Their job led them to take on the enemy
first, and then to hold while the heavy force came in to clean up.
With the cleanup came the media, shooting tape to send home of
the soldiers they found there. Nearly every time, the soldiers
greeting them were Utah Guardsmen assigned to whatever unit had
had that assignment. More than once Jack came out alive,
unscathed, from a destroyed Humvee. He did not tell me this,
and was shocked that I knew, but confirmed it. When a squad took
casualties, the ones walking away from it always included the
combat engineers they had with them. As that oddity continued
during the past year, many times soldiers insisted that they
wanted a "chaplain" with them when they went on missions. A
chaplain? Does that sound confusing? As time went on,
everyone noticed the guys with the castle patch (Engineer patch)
were always holding prayer circles or knew how to pray or
something else that took religious training. In time many in
their units thought the patch represented a church and not a
battlement, the engineer symbol. When asked if they were
Priests, they said, "well, ... I was years ago, I am an Elder
now." Uh-explain that one.
Our engineers always held Sunday worship for everybody wherever
they were. Our guardsmen cleaned out Saddam's huge residence,
because it was the only building available big enough to hold
meeting in on Sunday. Week in and week out they held "volunteer
type" Sunday meetings. Thousands of U.S. Soldiers wrote home
that they liked the way the army held Sunday worship, everybody
just taking turns giving a talk, praying, and leading the singing.
Just that only "those fighting chaplains" were ordained to bless
and pass the sacrament for everyone. Returning engineers said
they never told others that it was a `Mormon' meeting. Everyone
was welcome, and in war, there are no atheists. Sometimes after
being prompted to just "say what you're grateful for," a soldier
new to praying would repeat in his prayer, "Say What You're
Grateful For!" One soldier praying did not move as his prayer
ended. All waited in silence as he remained with his arms folded
and head down, eyes still closed. After a while, the man told
his comrades, "Sorry, I had to tell God I was sorry I never
talked to Him before, and promised I would again." Everyone
understood.
A big smile comes from the fact that on the first Sunday that
meetings were held in Saddam's palace, standing room only
meetings were held every hour on the hour from 7AM to 9PM. At
one afternoon service, as they were about to say the closing
prayer, a voice called out from the side. It was one of the
commanding officers. He wanted to thank the chaplain for holding
such a wonderful worship service. A regular army chaplain's
voice form the middle of the room spoke up, "sorry general, I
had nothing to do with this, the guys from Utah do it. I just
come and do my part, like the rest."
For music the most popular songs were "Onward Christian Soldiers,"
Give Said The Little Stream," and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam."
A strange favorite that most managed to learn by the winter of
2004 was "I am a child of God." Interesting how that one got to
be so well known in Iraq.
Jack's most important message to our family was that he knew more
than anything that all men are brothers. As they fought across
Iraq, prior to going in to fight, one could see the desert
covered with men in prayer circles, arms wrapped around each
other's shoulders. And many times the prayer circles, arms
wrapped around each other's shoulders. And many times the prayer
was not just about protecting them from harm, but to allow them
to find a way to let enemy soldiers be able to go home to their
loved ones. Only the true spirit would let men to say such
great things.
I sent Pete an e-mail back to tell him how special this was to me,
because in the '60's, when I served in the Utah National Guard,
my unit was the Group Headquarters of the 115th Engineers, and
the 1457th was one of our battalions. Pete e-mailed me back. It
seems that in his work as a technical services vendor to the Utah
National Guard headquarters in Draper, Utah. He has contact with
many of the senior people there. He told me something I didn't
know - that much of the intelligence for the war comes out of
Draper. The translation and analysis comes out of the linguistics
group there. They know what is going on - that's how he found out
about the humvee incidents.
Pete wrote that his relationship with the guard leaders in Draper
changed when he asked if he was related to one of the noncoms of
the 1457th, and he told them that sergeant is his eldest son.
After that they followed what Jack was doing, and kept Pete up
to date. He told me, "It was as if they needed someone outside
the military to talk to about their strange boys. I don't
remember how many times I have been alone with a senior officer
who would break down in tears and ask, `What kind of people are
we commanding anyway?' They knew all these faith-promoting
stories. Oddly enough, they knew so much because it was being
reported to them by the Inspector General. The Pentagon had
ordered the IG to investigate every small thing about particular
groups of soldiers, trying to figure out what was different
about them - why they were so special.
The more they reported, the stranger it got. "Mid way through
the war, Senator Hatch had complained to the Joint Chiefs,
asking if they were trying to kill off his Utah guardsmen, and
reminded them that we are a small state, too small to have so
many people in harm's way and to have so many of the dangerous
missions staffed from one small state. The Senator was reacting
to parents writing him to complain about only Guardsmen going out
to do all the dangerous stuff. Not only that, many of the
dangerous patrols were being manned not just by the 1457th, but
some of their numbers were Utah linguistic soldiers who were not
supposed to fight at all - whose job was supposed to be
intelligence. Well, the shock was that it was all true, but
for what are rather strange reasons. As the fighting progressed,
the commanders in Qatar were keeping track of who was doing what
and with what success. They had no idea the superior soldiers
the kept hearing about were Utah Guardsmen. All they knew was
that certain squads were hot.
The Airborne, Marines, and Rangers asked for the best men they
could get to carry out important missions. Nobody knew that
those squads, spread all over the military, were from the same
place. Stranger still, some of the engineers would get orders
cut to take `specialists' with them - nobody questioned who
these specialists were. But they turned out to be friends of
theirs who were in the other Utah Guard unit - the linguistics
boys - translated, "returned missionaries."
One story Pete told me was that when the first attacks were
made on Iraqi, logistics people came back behind the lines, a
group of Attack Military Police was sent to take out the Iraqis
attacking the highway. For hardened support, they asked for
the most experienced fighters from the 101st to assist them.
Jack's platoon was chosen, and he hand-picked his men. (Want
to guess who he put together? Uh, people he knew and trusted?)
The 101st Airborne received a citation for that one. The 101st
sent the same group in to rescue captives later on. The whole
world did not know that they were all just Utah Guardsmen. Even
his 101st Airborne Company Commander did not realize they were
not the Special Ops people he thought they were. He assumed
that a group like that had to have special training to pull of
the things they kept doing - succeed under really tough odds
and all come back unhurt. When the Joint Chiefs verified, to
their shock, that what Senator Hatch was complaining about was
true, but for very strange reasons, the questions became why
these guys were so good?
It prompted a full-scale investigation into the, without even
their knowledge. Jack told me they had no idea. Now regular
army spooks were following them around everywhere they went and
reporting on every small thing they did, and asking other
soldiers about them. The general story coming back was that
they were essentially extremely religious guys who had close
friends everywhere and all of them were afraid of nothing.
They must have some kind of unexplained charmed life. There
was no logic at all in the way they cam back unharmed over and
over again. In time, a whole story unfolded. It began with
private prayer circles at camp in which others soldiers wanted
to join. In time the prayer circles began to include more and
more soldiers, and it spread to prayer circles even in battle.
As time went on, the prayer circles were held after lights out
in tents all over Iraq.
As you can imagine, these reports coming back were odd indeed.
Here were tiger fighters who organized prayer circles every day
and worship services every Sunday, then would go out on Monday
and fight hard again. It was when they were in Kuwait waiting
to go home, reassembled from al their temporary units, that the
army saw them in one place for who they are, the 1457th Engineer
Battalion from Utah. No longer Special Ops, Marines, Rangers,
Attack MPs, or Airborne. One Battalion, with no casualties,
and made up of a majority of the most individually decorated
fighters in the whole campaign.
The word was shock. The whole army was in shock. Not one
killed? They had been the spearheads of the Third Marines and
the 101st and Rangers? All those Sunday volunteer chaplains?
The prayer circle guys? All those men are the same people?
How can that be??? They wore different uniforms with many
different unit patches on their arms when the got together to
go home. One patch they all wore - the engineer battlement
patch. The patch many thought must be a church. The rest of
the army will now have to find chaplains with a Cross or Star
of David on his lapel. The church patch boys are going home.
Comb at engineers are not used to mop up, just to take the
fighting.
Another interesting story, my last. You many recall from our
local news the controversy about them being extended just
before they were about to come home? Remember that? And how
within two weeks they came home anyway? It all began with
Fallujah, a major city in Iraq, becoming belligerent and
needing experienced troops to go in and retake it. Orders
went out for an assembly of the best fighting units to go in
and clean the insurgents out. On paper, the commanders in
Qatar assembled successful units to go do it. One at a time,
these orders filtered down - to the men in Kuwait, waiting to
go home!!! They were not Marine or Ranger squads anymore, but
a bunch of Utah Guardsmen who had served with those units.
When the realization hit the commanders in Qatar, the orders
were changed. The miracle men would go home after all.
Field commanders had interceded en mass, reporting back to
headquarters that the men Qatar HQ was calling back to fight
again had seen more dangerous action already than anyone else
in the theater. But the messages coming back were as odd as
the whole situation. Commanders didn't even know each other
made similar comments. "Send them home. Tell them we can
fight and pray on our own now!"
Jack was humbly surprised when I recounted what the people in
Draper were telling me. "We all agreed we would keep all that
to ourselves," he told me. Then he continued. "You see, Dad,
it wasn't just the President sent us there, at least not the
national kind. The Lord sent us to Iraq to start something
for Him. Not since the days of Abraham has there been any
significant Melchizedek Priesthood presence in Babylon. We
talked about it a lot among ourselves. We all knew that the
Lord was doing something special, and decided we would keep
our mouths shut and get on with it." Jack shook his head in
amazement when I told him about the military having all of
them studied. There were unexplainable things happening - at
least unexplainable in ordinary terms.
No wonder the administrative regular army officers in Draper
wanted to know, "What kind of people are these?" But how does
one answer without putting it in spiritual terms? Any attempt
to respond in any other way only meets with oddity and confusion,
and now confusion is the state of the army in trying to understand
what they observed. A few, who were in tune, got the message.
But along with the 1457th itself, even they cannot tell the
world what they saw. Who would believe them!? Yesterday my
friend Dave, who sent me the pictures, called me. He had just
returned home from the priesthood session of a regional
conference in Utah Valley. The general authorities at the
conference were President Faust and Elder Maxwell. President
Faust told them that five senior generals had recently met
with the Brethren, thanking them for the fine young men from
Utah who had served in Iraq, and wanting to know more about
them.
I wonder if the Brethren read them the Book of Mormon account
of the stripling warriors? Now what do we take away from this?
For me,
1. First, I think, greater appreciation for our blessings.
2. Greater understanding of the words, "The Lord works in
mysterious ways, his wonders to perform."
3. A hope that the "Holy Priesthood after the Order of the
Son of God" has begun to work in the Land of Islam. It is
my hope that we will all be greatly impressed by and committed
to the marvelous things that the Lord is working to do in the
world today; that we, each of us, will take to our hearts and
minds this realization, and put our faith, prayers, actions,
and the Holy Priesthood that we bear, more fully behind Him
in His work. (June 13, 2004)']]>
As I started to put together my thoughts for this Thoughtlet,
my mind was consumed with Melanie's question about the relationship
between truth and perfection. After all, as I said at the
beginning of the above quote, my eyes teared up when I heard
Andrea read it, and it made me feel good and proud. After I had
typed the above story, I decided to look on the web and see if
there were any other references to it. There were, specifically at: http://www.shields-research.org/Hoaxes/Modern_Day_Stripling_Warriors.htm where it tells us:
<![CDATA[ `HOAXES:
"Modern Day Stripling Warriors"
An item passing around on the Internet purports to be a report
of a number of incidents related to the 1457th Engineer Combat
Battalion by a member of that unit. We have verified information
relating to this item. Parts are true and parts are relating to
this item. Parts are true and parts are not. Below is a
discussion.
Please read the entire discussion. The conclusion is that
while some parts are true, most of the e-mail is a hoax.
Special addition from commander Lieutenant Colonel Jefferson
S. Burton, appended 30 Nov 2004
Original e-mail:
Text of a High Priests Group lesson given June 13th, 2004, in
the Ensign 1st Ward, Salt Lake Ensign Stake. I take no credit
for this lesson. I am thankful that it was delivered to me.---
Phil Summerhays
Caution: If you share this with others, please be careful.
Not everyone will understand or appreciate. Our Modern Day
Stripling Warriors - Recently I sent several friends an e-mail
on the history of our military bugle remembrance, "Taps," and
one of them, a friend I will call Pete, e-mailed me back. His
report is so extraordinarily special that Bro. Thomson, our
group leader, agreed that I should share it with you as
today's lesson on the Melchizedek Priesthood.
----Pete's words can speak for themselves.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Words seemed to be the same as I typed them above.
--------------------------------------------------------------
`We have not been able to verify this follow-up e-mail, which
arrived a few days later, but the e-mail that follows it, from
the LDS Church's Military Relations Department, tells the tale.
Dear Brother and all others who may read this, I recently
received a copy of the following e-mail that recounts some of
the activities of the 1457th Engineer Combat Battalion during
Operation Iraqi Freedom. While I do appreciate the obvious
desire to recognize the wondrous power of our Heavenly Father
in protecting our soldiers as well as the worthwhile work that
the 1457th performed in Iraq, I feel that I need to comment on
the significant amount of inaccuracy that it contains.
By way of introduction, my name is James Montoya. I am the
Chaplain for the 1457th. I was with them in Iraq. First, I
wish to state that I am certain that the author(s) had no
intention of deceiving anyone by sharing our story. Second,
I am very quick to recognize the hand of Heavenly Father in
all the good that occurred to our unit in Iraq. It was
miraculous that we had no serious combat injuries or
fatalities, considering our missions and the many dangers
in and around Baghdad. Third, I can see some accuracy in
the stories but there is so much that is misleading that it
can't be called the truth. Fourth, I don't have time to
clarify every point. I have included a few comments below.
The explanation of Combat Engineers and their distinguished
history is true. However, the 1457th did not participate in
war as was portrayed in this e-mail. We were delayed in Fort
Lewis, Washington until late April because the 4th ID was
delayed from going into Iraq through Turkey. We watched the
news with the rest of the nation as the major combat
operations happened--yes, it was frustrating not to
participate in the ground war as we had been mobilized to do.
We arrived in Iraq after major operations had ceased.
Most of the time we were not separated into other units as
is mentioned. We did have platoons or squads go with a unit
for 2 to 8 weeks to assist them in their various missions.
But for the most part, we were all together.
Many did hear about us. We were on the BBC, CNN, Fox news,
ABC, CBS, and NBC. We were written about or had our pictures
in the Washington Post, Time Magazine, and many other
newspapers and magazines, both at the international and
local levels. Most didn't mention our unit by name, they only
said the Army or the Army National Guard was doing something.'
It is true that Utah guardsmen were working with many units in
central and northern Iraq. Between the military intelligence
soldiers and the engineers we worked with a lot of people. But
to infer that we were doing most of the work or were involved
with most of the great things that happened is untrue. We were
a small part who excelled in our responsibilities, but there
were also many others doing the work. We did have a few
individuals we detained and we did have a few fire fights with
the enemy, but we didn't free prisoners or engage in large
battles. There are other things mentioned that are similar in
that they are true but they are embellished to a point that I
almost don't recognize the story. I lack the time to clarify
the stories.
We did pray and our group leaders did hold services for LDS
soldiers and any visitors wherever they went. But for the most
part it was LDS soldiers who attended. Groups of soldiers did
not flock to our LDS soldiers to pray with them, but some of
our 1457th soldiers of other faiths did pray with our members.
At the same time there were many instances of others seeing
our soldiers and being impressed by their examples of
faithfulness and their miraculous protection. We did hold
regular sacrament meetings at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. We were
willing and did on occasion hold spot services as requested.
Also, the military intelligence did hold sacrament meeting
in a palace for a while, but our unit had sacrament meeting
in a large maintenance tent.
Regarding the Army making special inquiries about our unit, I
haven't heard anything on that. From my biased opinion I would
say that the soldiers of the Utah National Guard did exceptional
work and were the most capable group of soldiers in Iraq. Many
would grudgingly agree with me but I am certain there wasn't a
special inquiry made about the 1457th, at least not regarding
the items mentioned.
Many of the stories have a truthful base but the facts are so
far from what transpired as to make the whole story unrelateable
as the truth. The facts do show a miracle of protection and tell
a wonderful story of dedication and greatness by our soldiers;
they are just not as extravagant. I would appreciate it if you
could send my response to anyone who received the original
text--especially to the individual who gave it to you.
To all that receive this, I send my profound thanks for your
prayers and support while we were deployed. I witness that
your prayers were answered and that we were protected and
strengthened by the power of our Lord. Please continue your
prayers for our brothers and sisters still in harm's way. God
bless you and God bless America!
Respectfully,
James A. Montoya Battalion Chaplain 1457th Engineer Combat Chaplain
Follow-up from the Church's Military Relations Dept.:
Attached is the real story regarding the 1457th Engineering
Battalion. The original article is misleading and doesn't
recognize the wonderful contributions of many brave men and
women in other units plus much of the information is not
factual.
Regarding the question about the meeting of 5 military Generals
with President Faust. The meeting involved the Commanding
General from the 96th Regional Readiness Command at Fort Douglas
and other general officers (two were retired) who presented a
plaque recognizing the outstanding support for the Army Reserves
from the Church and its members. There was no specific
discussion regarding the 1457th Engineering Battalion. The
Reserves Officers Association was holding their National
Convention in Salt Lake City and they wanted to make this
presentation to the Brethren in recognition of the long-standing
support for the military by the Church and its members. It was
a warm gesture of appreciation. It is my understanding that
they made similar presentations to the Governor and others.
Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Brother Clawson
Military Relations
Attachment to the above e-mail:]]>
http://www.ut.ngb.army.mil/html/pao/news/10nov04.htm
<![CDATA[ FICTIONAL E-MAIL DOES DISSERVICE TO MERITORIOUS DEPLOYMENT
Written by Maj. Lorraine Januzelli - Published - Nov. 10, 2004
An e-mail fictionalizing the 1457th Engineer Battalion's deployment
to Iraq has been circulating across the nation in recent months.
While embellishments are endemic to war stories the e-mail
in-question far exceeds the limits of acceptable exaggeration.
Its content is primarily fantasy. It tells an astonishing story
about combat engineers who single-handedly won the war in Iraq,
captured Saddam Hussein, and taught the Army how to pray.
Although seemingly harmless, the widely disseminated story
undermines the genuine accomplishments of the Soldiers who
honorably but humbly fought to preserve our freedom and liberty.
The e-mail originated in Utah, but traveled fast across the
country popping up as far east as New York, and perhaps beyond.
Since its first appearance in the spring of this year, thousands
of unsuspecting internet-users may have read its erroneous content.
The leadership of the 1457th has diligently worked to diffuse
distribution of the e-mail and set the record straight, but it
continues to flourish via the internet. This article officially
refutes a tale spun out of control and clarifies the experiences
of a unit that needs no overstatement.
The e-mail contains a few scant facts. The 1457th is part of
the Utah National Guard. The Soldiers are indeed "combat"
engineers with a distinguished heritage. They verifiably
deployed to Iraq for a year and returned home in May 2004.
And every single 1457th Soldier came home in one piece. Beyond
this, truth and the e-mail part company.
The narrative below juxtaposes erroneous excerpts from the
e-mail with the real story of the 1457th Engineer Battalion
and their experiences in Iraq.
Myth 1: "Engineers are sometimes called 'sacrifice troops'
since they must engage the Army with only small arms, ahead of
the main battle force."
Truth: Combat engineers are called "Sappers," a nickname they
earned in medieval Europe for destroying rival fortifications.
In modern-day battle, they fight alongside the infantry and
armor, going forward to clear any obstacles blocking the way.
When they go, they are well-armed and well-protected by their
fellow combat arms Soldiers. They can reasonably be called
the first cousins of the infantry.
Myth 2: The 1457th engaged the enemy every step of the way
from Kuwait to the Liberation of Baghdad.?
Truth: The battalion traveled to Baghdad in late May; three
weeks after Pres. Bush declared that major combat operations
were over.
Myth 3: "Nobody ever heard of the 1457th because they didn't
fight as a unit. Once deployed, they were divided up among
other units. They became 3rd Marines, 7th Marines, Rangers,
Special Forces, 101st Airborne, Big Red One, and others."
Truth: The 1457th deployed to Iraq together as a complete
battalion. They were assigned to the 1st Armor Division,
the infamous Old Ironsides, and operated nearly exclusively
in the Baghdad region. The Baghdad International Airport
served as their base camp. The unit slept and ate together
as a battalion but typically performed missions as platoons.
A few times, individuals with specialized skills, such as
electricians, engineers, or construction planners, were
selected for missions away from the unit. Capt. Mike Turley
flew with a team of such specialists to Baghdad ahead of the
battalion to set-up the 1st Armor Division headquarters.
Capt. Mel Anderson and Sgt. Scott Neil worked separately from
the unit to manage the construction of the Iraqi Civil
Defense Corps facilities. No matter what the assignment,
though, the 1457th worked for the 1st Armor Division for all
their time in Iraq. The only place they joined the Marines
was in the chow hall.
Myth 4: It was not a coincidence that a Utah boy found Saddam.
Truth: The Utahns involved in Saddam's take-down were not
from the 1457th. However, the battalions' missions were of
equal importance. Some were high-profile such as rescue
operations at U.N. building bomb site. Others were routine,
like constructing building security barriers, but no less
essential to the lives those barriers saved.
Their missions varied tremendously. The 1457th traveled into
the heart of Baghdad and built security barriers for Iraq's
newly minted and oft-targeted police force. They cleared and
mapped a series of interconnected tunnels and bunker complexes
beneath the Baghdad Airport. They constructed a rifle range
so coalition forces could continue to train while deployed.
Typically, the battalion worked numerous missions concurrently,
responding to each with meticulous planning and execution. It
was not long before the 1457th was dubbed the `911 battalion.'
The 1st Armor Division's Engineer Brigade Commander, Lt. Col.
Don Young supervised the battalion while in Iraq and had
first-hand knowledge of their accomplishments. He formally
recognized the battalions' meritorious performance in a
memorandum to Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet, the Utah National Guard
Adjutant General.
In the memo, he states, "They quickly became my `Go To' unit.
I assigned my toughest high-visibility missions to this
battalion knowing that they would always succeed in a timely
and efficient manner.' (A copy of the memo can be obtained
from the Utah National Guard Public Affairs Office.)
Myth 5: "A big smile comes from the fact that on the first
Sunday that meetings were held in Saddam's palace,
standing-room-only meetings were held every hour on the
hour, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM."
Truth: Many faiths are represented in the 1457th. In the
immediate battalion area, LDS group leaders held at two
services a day on Sundays. Protestant and Catholic services
were held nearby with neighboring units. Most services were
well-attended and lasted an hour or so. 1457th Soldiers only
went inside Saddam's Palaces as tourists.
1457th Commander, Lt. Col. Jeff Burton, is especially frustrated
by the content and tenaciousness of the referenced e-mail, but
he believes he understands the motivation behind its enduring
popularity.
"People want to believe in heroes," said Burton. "They pine
for good news. And they are anesthetized by Hollywood about
the true, more humble nature of heroism. The e-mail tells a
story they want to hear. So they forward it along without
reflecting on how it takes away from the actual performance
of 1457th during their year in Iraq."
"The Soldiers of the 1457th did a remarkable job in Iraq, just
like thousands of other units fighting in the war on terror,"
Burton continued. "Our service was not particularly unique,
but it was honest and dedicated. Our reputation with those
that know us is a positive one. We gave our best to every
mission. Sadly, the lies and sanctimony expressed in the
fictional e-mail cheapens the dedicated service of honest
service members everywhere."
Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Soldiers - from the 1457th or
elsewhere - don't need a fictional exaggeration to validate
their service. They raised their right-hand to serve our
country and protect our ideals. At the end of day, that is
enough. They are all our heroes.
On the 24th of November, 2004, we received an e-mail from a
reader who knows the commander of the 1457th, Lieutenant
Colonel Jefferson S. Burton. The e-mail seems to be the
clearest refutation to date of this hoax. We have contacted
Commander Burton to verify the e-mail and he replied with
the same information, but also included a link to their
military web site. Below is Commander Burton's response:
Rebuttal to the e-mail "Modern Day Stripling Warriors"
attached below:
It has recently come to my attention that an e-mail describing
the service of the 1457th Engineer Combat Battalion as
"Modern Day Stripling Warriors" in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom has been mass mailed to many people of faith
via the internet. Let me introduce myself. My name is
Lieutenant Colonel Jefferson S. Burton. I am the Battalion
Commander of the 1457th, and spent a 15 month deployment
leading the great soldiers of this unit. The `article'
listed below [see original e-mail above] is a fabrication.
To date, my efforts to find the author have produced
negative results.
I will refute the lies told in this fabrication point by point:
We were NOT "sacrifice troops."
The President DID NOT send us letters of apology as asserted.
SGT Jack DOES NOT EXIST anywhere, but in the mind of the author.
The 1457th DID NOT "engage the enemy from Kuwait to Baghdad."
We DID fight as a unit, and were NOT "divided up among other units."
We DID NOT serve with the "3rd Marines, 7th Marines, Rangers,
Special Forces, or 101st Airborne."
We DID NOT engage in "hand to hand combat with the enemy."
We DID NOT "find Saddam Hussein? (That was the 4th Infantry
Division).
We DID NOT "rescue the first prisoners."
We DID NOT "fight ahead of the main force."
We were NOT considered "Chaplains" by other soldiers.
We held church services in a TENT, NOT in "Saddam's Palace."
We had few, if any "visitors" at our Sunday church services.
NO "General Officers" attended our church services.
We held NO "Prayer Circles."
"Pete", the so called technical services vendor for the Utah
Guard, EXISTS ONLY in the mind of the author.
Senator Hatch DID NOT complain to the Joint Chiefs asking them
"if they were trying to kill his Utah Guardsmen."
We are NOT responsible for the combat operations performed
by any other units!
We were NOT the "spearheads for the 3rd Marines, or the 101st
Airborne."
We DID NOT "teach the Army how to pray", because they already
knew!
I am proud of the actual performance of the soldiers of the
1457th in the field. The 1457th Engineer Combat Battalion
DID receive the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their
outstanding performance in a combat zone For their performance
in Baghdad, C Company of the 1457th DID receive the Itchner
Award in recognition as the finest Engineer Company in the
entire National Guard for 2003. These are the facts. The
1457th did a remarkable job in Iraq, just like thousands of
other units fighting in the war on terror. Our service was
not particularly unique, but it was honest and dedicated.
Our reputation with those that know of us is a positive one.
We gave our best to every mission. The fiction expressed in
the article below simply serves to cheapen the dedicated
service of honest Soldiers, and Marines everywhere.
Sincerely,
Jeff
JEFFERSON S. BURTON
Lieutenant Colonel, Engineer
1457th Engineer Combat Battalion
Commanding Office phone: (801) 523-4517]]>
e-mail: jefferson.burton@ut.ngb.army.mil
Sad, isn't it? I expect the person or people who wrote the
original e-mail had good intentions. I expect they did not
feel like they were streatching the truth too much. I expect
they just wanted to stress how perfect the church is, and how
perfect we can be if we live the gospel. Oh well! Remember
what Pilate asked Jesus:
<![CDATA[ `What is truth?' John 18:38]]>
The D&C teaches us:
<![CDATA[ `And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were,
and as they are to come; And whatsoever is more or less than
this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the
beginning. The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit
of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a
fullness of truth, yea, even of all truth; And no man receiveth
a fullness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that
keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he
is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.' D&C 93:24-28]]>
It is interesting to me that John is the only gospel that uses
the word truth, and truth is referenced in 13 verses in the
Gospel of John, according to the Topical Guide.
Given this context for truth, consider the following in Saturday's
Houston Chronicle, page F1:
<![CDATA[ `Prophet or Pretender?
Bicentennial of Mormon church founder's birth renews debate
by Richard N. Ostling Associated Press
To loyal Mormons, Joseph Smith Jr. was an American prophet
whose creed is preparing for Christ's Second Coming. To
skeptics, he was a reprobate impostor - if a remarkably
successful one.
As Smith's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints marks
the bicentennial year of his birth (Dec. 23,1805), the
occasion will certainly renew debate over one of America's
most important - and woolliest - religious careers.
Smith was often persecuted and found himself hounded out of
New York, Ohio and Missouri, tarred and feathered, jailed
and accused of serious crimes. He repeatedly alienated
close associates.
In Illinois, he ruled a theocratic city-state as prophet,
mayor, chief judge and commander of a 5,000-man militia.
In 1844, he was secretly anointed an earthly king while
campaigning for the U.S. presidency. When Smith had
officers pillage an opposition newspaper, he was arrested,
then murdered by a mob.
Smith's prophethood was founded upon his report that, in
1827, an angel gave him golden plates inscribed in an unknown
language and buried near Palmyra, N.Y. the plates told the
history of American Indians' ancient ancestors, who had
migrated from Israel and were visited by Jesus. Smith said
God miraculously empowered him to understand the language
and dictate the Book of Mormon, after which the angel
retrieved the plates.
Employing similar means, Smith revised - and in his view
corrected - large sections of the Bible. He also produced
writings attributed to the biblical Abraham and 134
revelations of his own as latter-day scripture.
Both Mormons and non-Mormons still argue over Smith's
authenticity.
Just last month, a church tribunal in Utah disfellowshipped
Grant Palmer, a retired teacher and executive for classes
the church provides to high school and college students,
because his `An Insider's View of Mormon Origins' says
evidence for Smith's claims is "either nonexistent or
problematic."
Anniversary publications
Palmer's publisher, Signature Books, marked the bicentennial
with Dan Vogel's equally skeptical `Joseph Smith: The Making
of a Prophet,' which contends that Smith wrote the Book of
Mormon from his imagination and life experiences.
Church bicentennial doings include an authorized Book of
Mormon publication by secular Doubleday, through 2003's
University of Illinois Press "reader's edition" is more
useful for non-Mormons. Other upcoming events: a Library
of Congress symposium; Volume 1 in the vast `Joseph Smith
Papers' series; and a new Smith film for visitors to the
church's Salt Lake City headquarters.
The landmark, however, will be Richard Bushman's biography
`Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling,' due in October.
Bushman, a professor emeritus at Columbia University, is
the leading historian of America among devout Mormons.
Bushman observed in an interview that the hostility Smith
suffered in his lifetime is hardly surprising, given that
his theological views were alien, even abhorrent, to most
Christians.
For example Smith's position on God the Father "is
incredibly heretical" by orthodox Christian standards,
Bushman said.
Smith said matter is eternal, so "God is the master of the
universe, not the creator," Bushman explained, and humans
"are all gods in embryo." Smith also taught that God was
not always God but "was once as we are now, and is an
exalted man."
Mormons "are just driven to continually exalt" Smith,
Bushman said. "What I say will run against this idealized
version."
Another major controversy is Smith's practice of polygamy,
which the church abandoned under federal government pressure
in 1890. Smith felt that God commanded polygamy, Bushman
said, but he needed to hide his involvement in the practice
because he knew it was illegal. But Bushman finds it
unsettling that 10 of Smith's 28 or so wives were already
married to other men.
The biography also treats the now-established fact that,
before he reported unearthing the golden tablets, Smith was
active in searches for buried treasure by gazing into
so-called magic peep stones.
Another perennial issue is whether Smith's unconventional
creed is Christian, particularly since he said God regarded
teachings of all other churches as "an abomination." Jan
Shipps, a non-Mormon historian and professor emeritus at
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, terms
Mormonism a "new religious tradition" that emerged from
Christianity, the way Christianity did from Judaism.
Ships said 19th-century America had many prophets claiming
to speak for God, but the "absolutely critical" factor that
set Smith apart was that so many believed in his
reconstitution of priesthood authority, primitive
Christianity and, literally, the people of Israel.
Though Mormons often stress Smith's singularity, scholars
increasingly recognize that he was "connected in a savvy
and uncanny way to the religious and cultural trends" of
his era, said Mormon historian Grant Underwood of Brigham
Young University.
Established with a handful of disciples in 1830, the Mormon
church is America's fifth largest denomination, with 12
million adherents worldwide.']]>
I did not do extensive research on this article, nor the author.
However, I found it interesting that in Ostling's book `Mormon
America: The Power and the Promise' he writes: `when the U.S.
Army had 8,000 men, Joseph Smith commanded an army of 5,000 men
in Nauvoo.' According to amazon.com Ostling also wrote `Secrecy
in the Church: A Reporter's case for Christian's right to know,'
`Americans facing toward Mecca: The fast-growing Muslim community
is invisible no longer,' `The Intermarriage Quandary,' and
`Luther, giant of his time and ours.' There are at least 639
references in Google for the combination of the words `Richard
Ostling Joseph Smith.' In one I checked, Encyclopedia.com,
Ostling writes a biography of Joseph Smith with the only
reference I recognized being the discredited historian Fawn M.
Brodie. In the last reference I checked it says `Mormon LDS
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley Dissembles In TIME ...
President Gordon B. Hinckley seemed to dodge and dissemble in
an August 4, 1997 Time cover story when veteran religion writer
Richard N. Ostling asked him ...' My conclusion is that Mr.
Ostling has an anti-mormon agenda, and he has built a very
nice career out of his agenda. And I do not believe agenda can
be based on truth.
So how do all of these stories relate to Melanie's e-mail and
to truth and perfection? In my mind they are related to truth,
or more specifically to half-truths or agenda. As soon as
something is a half-truth or an agenda, it is no longer a
truth. And yet we all find ourselves telling half-truths and
having an agenda. I certainly have an agenda in writing these
Thoughtlets. I do not recall trying to verbalize or state the
agenda. However, it is my hope that these words will provide
strength to some (all) of my my descendants, step-children, and
their descendents, when they are faced with a problem they feel
is overwhelming.
Of course, in my mind, the key strength in life is a testimony
of Jesus Christ and of the restoration of His true and perfect
church. Because I have an agenda, does this mean my words are
not truthful? I can only say, they are as truthful as I know
how to make them. And, since truth is `the knowledge of things
as they were, as they are, and as they will be,' I am assured
that anything which I have written, which is not seen with the
same meaning in the future or in the past, will be recognized
as not being truthful by those who have the additional data
supporting a meaning different than what I write. However,
given my context, although there may be stories like `The
Modern Day Strippling Warriors' story which turn out to be a
hoax, it will be recognized by seekers of truth, that it was
never my intention to perpetuate a hoax.
Am I saying I'm perfect? Certainly not! Am I saying I speak
the truth? Probably not always! However, I always strive to
speak the truth, and in this effort, as with paying tithing,
or living the word of wisdom, or doing my Home Teaching, I
have achieved a state approaching perfection.
So what is the church? Is the church the buildings? No.
Is the church the people? No. Is the church the programs
the people do in the buildings? No. Is the church the
priesthood, or the power to seal in heaven that which is
sealed on earth? Yes. Is the priesthood the same yesterday,
today, and forever? Yes. So is the priesthood truth? Yes.
Is this sealing power perfect? Yes. Although, I recognize
there is good reason, in the minds of too many, to question
the perfection of the sealing power. Take my divorce and
remarriage for instance. I do not understand the implications
this has for those born in the covenant. But I firmly believe
that Heavenly Father will work it out in a satisfactory and
perfect way. For example, take a person who was baptized by
a new convert who later went inactive. This new convert was
not perfect in fulfilling the obligations he took on as a
priesthood holder. So was the baptismal ordinance invalid?
No. This new convert was an authorized minister at the time
of the baptism, and baptism is an eternal and perfect principle.
The baptism was sealed on earth and sealed in heaven. However,
an individual who has been baptized can break, or undo, this
sealing through their own very personal and very individual
choices. There is tremendous power in free agency.
Are we disappointed because of the imperfection of the church?
Yes, if we think the church is a building, and the building
has a structural problem and falls down and kills one of our
loved ones. Yes, if we think the church is the people in the
building, and one of those people has a bad morning and says
something which offends us. Yes, if we think the church is
the programs the people do in the church, and one of those
programs does not include our child and this child becomes
very angry at the church and refuses to have anything to do
with the church. No, we are not disappointed in the church,
nor do we see imperfections in the church, if we recognize
that the church is those covenants and ordinances and powers
and the priesthood, which are available to help us to return
to live again with our heavenly parents.
And what is perfection, if it is not a knowledge of things
as they were, as they are, and as they will be, and then the
proper use of this knowledge to prepare us and our families
to live again with hour heavenly parents. Melanie, you make
the statement that something can be true, without being
perfect. I can not think of an example. For example, going
to the negative end of the spectrum, think about knowledge of
Satan. The devil was a liar from the beginning, he is a liar
now, and he will always be a liar. This is truth. Is Satan
perfect? No. However, our knowledge of Satan can be perfect,
and this knowledge can be of great assistance to us in our
personal struggles in life. And, Melanie, does this discussion
answer your question? Probably not. However, I hope the tone
of my response provides you with an alternative way to look at
the relationship between truth and perfection, as well as the
relationship between the church and the people who are involved
in the church.
Sunday we had High Councilors speak in Sacrament Meeting. I
wrote the following possible stanza for Prime Words based on
comments one of them made in Priesthood Opening Exercises:
<![CDATA[ `Callings are only
All about service
To our class, group
And to our Savior' (a)
(a) Elder Ramerit, High Council Representative, Priesthood
Opening Exercises, Notthingham Country Ward]]>
Melanie, thank you so much for your question! When it comes
down to the tire hitting the road, or to our lives interacting
with other people and organizations, it makes sense to me for
all of us to put some serious thought into the relationships
between perfection and truth."
Since the 38th week of 1996 I have written a weekly "Thoughtlet"
(little statements of big thoughts which mean a lot to me).
Until the 43rd week of 2004 I sent these out as an e-mail. They
were intended to be big thoughts which mean a lot to me.
Over time the process evolved into a personal diary. These notes
were shared with my family because I know how important the
written word can be. Concerned about how easy it is to drift and
forget our roots and our potential among all of distractions of
daily life, I thought this was a good way to reach those I love.
It no longer feels right to send out an e-mail and "force" my kids
and my family to be aware of my life and struggles.
Everyone has their own life to lead, and their own struggles to
work through. I will continue this effort, and will continue to
make my notes publicly accessible (unless I learn of
misuse by someone who finds out about them, and then will
aggressively
pursue a legal remedy to copyright infringement and I will put the Thoughtlets
behind a password).
The index to download any of these Thoughtlets is at
http://www.walden3d.com/thoughtlets,
or you can e-mail me with
questions or requests at
rnelson@walden3d.com
(note if you are not on my e-mail "whitelist" you must send 2 e-mails
within 24 hours of each other in order for your e-mail to not be trashed).
With all my love,
Dad
(H. Roice Nelson, Jr.)