COMMANDER’S COMMENTS
--Col. Clayton Fairbourn
Nearly three years ago, when my wife and I visited the cities of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, Russia, I had a strong feeling that whispered, "You will be back here soon." Our mission call has come and I accept it as an inspired call. I have regrets at leaving the Battalion, but I know that faithful men and women will continue to strengthen existing companies and create new ones. We have achieved much in these past years in keeping the Battalion "in honorable remembrance" before the Saints, as Brigham Young promised. Please continue to share one another's burdens and work together to accomplish our goals. Let no spirit of animosity or jealousy enter your minds, but strive positively to succeed. As the men of the Battalion went back to aid a fallen comrade, so must we continue to aid those who have difficulties to overcome. Rosemary and I look forward to the time when we renew our relationship with this great Battalion.
PRESIDENT'S PRESENTATION
--Pres. Shirley Maynes
As I read the histories of the men and women of the Mormon Battalion, I find an overall theme in their lives: They cared for and displayed mutual respect for one another. Both the men and women who marched to California and those who remained on the plains of Iowa and Nebraska exhibited love, charity, and respect for their fellow Saints. They cared and assisted those in need. Even if there were misunderstandings and conflicts, this principle of mutual respect was evident. I thought what a wonderful way to live! This quality of mutual respect can be found in the hearts of great people today. One of the great commandments is, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." This should be a motto for us to live by, today. As Easter approaches, may we remember the love Jesus has for us and strive to live as HE would have us do.
LOYALTY
The story is told of two men, brothers in the Gospel, who entered military service together. They pledged to be true to the Gospel and to each other. They were assigned to the same company, and in an engagement with the enemy, one of the men was injured. He lay in his foxhole, praying for help, when he heard someone crawling towards him. Thinking it was one of the enemy, he prepared to defend himself, even though he was badly injured. Then he heard a soft humming, to the tune of "Come, Come Ye Saints." As his brother slid into his foxhole beside him, the injured man murmured, "I knew you would come."
Today, many such stories testify of the Loyalty of one man for another in war time. But it is, and should be, just as true for us in the Mormon Battalion today. The thoughtfulness of each of us for the blessing of another should be a trait we all cultivate regularly. That it is necessary is all too evident. We are not growing in numbers; we obviously need to support one another.
A fishing story illustrates this idea.
(continued on page 3)
Page 2 Valiant March 1999
COMPANY NEWS
Company "B" Sandy Capt. Don Shurtz, C.O.
Company "B" monthly meeting for February was an unusual one. Maj. Paul had twelve invited guests with him, most of them from the Ogden area. Col. Fairbourn swore in Robert Paul and Brian Paul as new members, and awarded Life memberships to Robert Paul, Sherron Despain, and Don Schurtz. Our special guest, Oral Birch, a former B17 navigator in WWII, recounted his experiences on his second and seventeenth missions over Germany. David Paul, a descendant of David Pettegrew, displayed a leather-bound copy of the Book of Mormon, first printing, which belonged to Father David Pettegrew, who carried it to California as a member of the Mormon Battalion. Maj. Paul also showed a first copy of Tyler's book, A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War, which he now owns.
Company A" Capt. Grant Wood., C.O.
Under the capable leadership of Maj. Allen Jameson, the monthly meeting of Company "A" combined several "last minute" requests from the National Staff with his planned business meeting.
First, the summer's treks were approved and scheduled. Then, Ltc. Bascom swore in four new members: George Ashen back, Thomas E. Judd, Vincent Chiodo, and Dewey McMurdie. Each man expressed his desire to support the Battalion and its purposes. Maj. Paul exhibited a musket of that period, and gave an inspiring talk on fulfilling the promises of Brigham Young. He introduced his guest, Edward Fraughton, the sculptor of "Battalion Charlie,"
the 9-foot statue on Promontory Point in San Diego. Edward gave us a brief explanation of how he came to make this famous statue,
and promised to come back and tell us more. All in all, it was a full evening, after the Ladies Auxiliary dinner which was well planned and delicious. We thank our Ladies for our successes!
We are sorry to learn that Joseph Brimhall, an active member of Kane Company, is in a local rest home as the result of a stroke. Joe always came with Ltc. Roberts to Mormon Battalion Day, and showed his loyalty in many ways. We all wish him success in overcoming the effects of this stroke, and pray for his return to health.
Santa Clara-St. George Cadre Lt. Reynolds Bluemel, Rep.
On 12 March, an organizational dinner meeting will be held at the Santa Clara meeting house, 1795 Desert Dawn Dr., to discuss the formation of a "Dixie Company" in the St. George/Santa Clara area. Ltc. Howard Roberts, Utah South area commander, will be present, together with some of the National Staff. It is hoped that many interested people will attend. Let's publicize it!
DEADLINE FOR MATERIAL FOR MAY EDITION OF THE VALIANT IS APRIL 15. PLEASE: SEND IN YOUR COMPANY NEWS!
(Continued from p.1)
lobster fisherman, making the rounds of his lobster traps is happy to find a lobster in one of them, but he is much happier to find another one very soon. Not that it means more money, but that he can keep the first lobster. It is a fact that no lobster will allow another lobster to escape the basket. It simply reaches out with one claw and pulls the other lobster back into the basket. The lobster fisherman no longer needs to keep his eye on his catch.
Do I keep a watchful eye on my fellow Battalion member? Am I aware of his needs, his challenges? Could I be the means of lightening his burden by just a word of comfort, reassurance, brotherly love? Could I be the one to pull him back into a comfort zone of safety from temptation or indecision?
And what of my acquaintances? Would they find life more fulfilling if they were in the Battalion? Do they need an outlet for their desire to be of service to others? True, as members of the Church, we seldom want for "something to do." But while service in the Church is one way to satisfy this need, the Battalion can be a second way. There is a reason for this:
Scripture must be fulfilled; this is a truth. And that which a prophet pronounces as a prophet is TRUTH--we all agree. So, how are we to fulfill this prophetic announcement by Pres. Brigham Young, speaking to the surviving members of the Battalion, "As the Lord lives, if you will but live up to your privileges, you will never be forgotten, worlds without end, but you will be had in honorable remembrance, forever and ever." Who will do it? Every ward has men who are capable of fulfilling scripture and who have the time to do so, if they are willing to give up some of their earthly pursuits. Sometimes, all it would take to gain a new recruit would be an invitation from YOU, from ME, to attend one of our meetings. A casual conversation in which you or I recount one or some of the adventures of the Mormon Battalion may create the interest. But WE MUST OPEN OUR MOUTHS, as the scripture states. If we are to increase membership in the Battalion, we must do these two things:
Be loyal to the Battalion, to the fulfilling of prophecy, to the memorializing of our ancestors (if we are descendants of Mormon Battalion men and women), and to our enlistment promise that we will sustain one another and the leadership elected by us. This will require giving up other offers/temptations that seem appealing, but are distracting to our dedicated purpose.
If we are to fulfill scripture, we should expect others to be as dedicated as we are. But if others do not know about the sacred nature of the Battalion's enlistment, march, and success, it behooves us to publicize it--to tell someone about it. There are several ways to achieve this: By building on our friendship with others, by telling them of our purpose and our need of their support. Another method is to interest those whom we do not know. This means putting a notice in the local paper, inviting them to our next dinner meeting (Emphasize that DINNER part--it will get results!). Get into a conversation with a neighbor whom you would be happy to have in the Battalion. Ask a question: Would you be willing to come to a dinner next ____ night and listen to an interesting speaker? Please, let EACH of us recruit!
Page 4 Valiant March 1999
THE "SPIRIT OF FATHER PETTEGREW" COMES ABOARD
The National Staff is pleased to welcome our newest member of the Staff, Enlistment Director Major Robert Paul. Maj. Paul comes to us from a distinguished career in international business. His desire to be a part of the Battalion stems from his close relationship with "Father" David Pettegrew, the counselor to Pres. Levi W. Hancock, of the First Council of the Seventy, who was in charge of the Priesthood in the original Battalion. Robert is his great grandson and proud of it. Later, in Salt Lake, Sgt. Daniel Tyler was a counselor to Bishop Pettegrew. Major Paul was sworn in by Col. Fairbourn at the Co. "B" meeting in February and given his life membership pin. His wife, Helen, also was presented with her life membership by Pres. Shirley Maynes at the same time.
Maj. Paul had several guests at the meeting, including: Brother Edward Fraughton, the sculptor of "Battalion Charlie," and his wife, Anne. Also present were Dr. Norman and Anne Paul Erekson, Jill and Kent Erekson, and Daniel Tyler and JoeAnn Polati, all former missionaries in Australia; Brian Paul and his father, Howard Paul, and cousins David and Charles Paul, and Vaughn and Penny Paul; Dr. Dick and Kay Randel; Doug and Helen Howard; Gov and Wilma Holt. All of these have ties with Daniel Tyler or David Pettegrew. We hope to see them ALL join the Battalion!
Major Paul gave a talk on Father Pettegrew, in which he brought out these points:
From the Journal of "Father" David Pettegrew, he quoted the following: "The first general festivities of the far-famed Mormon Battalion came off on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 6 and 7, 1855, in the magnificent Social Hall, Great Salt Lake. The meeting opened at 2:00 p.m. Presidents Young, Kimball, and Grant honored the Battalion with their presence the first day, which added greatly to the interest of the celebration. President Young said, among many expressions of gratitude, "The Battalion went on and performed their duties and fulfilled their mission, and every person who has the spirit of revelation can see that to all human appearance this people must have perished had not these men gone into the service of their country. So far as human nature can discern, I say that these men now before me were the saviors of this people and did save them from carnage and death. I have always felt a special interest in their welfare and the Lord knows it, and my feelings towards them has always been good, and I do not know that I ever thought of them but that the feeling burst into my heart, "God bless them!" I bless you now and pray every good being to bless you, for I have always felt to bless you from morning till evening and from evening till morning."
Major Paul added, "In keeping with this prayerful blessing, I feel the enormous duty and associated responsibility to help the Battalion with the following needs: Increased membership--five companies of 100 men each. Second, a Home! We need a home where we can hold our meetings with pride, with a library to house all the books and personal histories written about the Battalion, memorabilia and artifacts." We welcome Maj. Paul to our ranks.
WOMEN'S WRITES
NEWS LETTER OF THE LADIES AUXILIARY, U.S.M.B.
SHIRLEY MAYNES , President
Our special thanks goes to Merle Schurtz who has made a beautiful banner for the use of the Auxiliary. The colors, like those in the Mormon Battalion flag, display a blue background, with yellow and orange letters bordered in gold fringe. It measures 60-inches by 40-inches, and has two faces of a Mormon Battalion woman outlined. It has five bars, representing the five companies of the original Battalion. We hope to use it in parades, booths, and other special events. It took many hours of tedious labor to complete this beautiful banner, so we are thrilled with the finished project and, again, extend our THANKS AND APPRECIATION to Merle.
MICHELLE TEEPLES, Vice-President
As I sat at my computer, trying to formulate something great to say to you, I glanced out the window and saw a wondrous sight: Boy Scouts putting America's flag on the front lawns of my neighbors. (This is a project which our ward Scouts, including my two sons, do on every major holiday.) With all the flags waving in the breeze all up and down the street, it is a stirring sight! But some houses are not represented. I wonder if those occupants know what great sacrifices were made, at different times in our history, to make sure that those flags fly over a free nation? I am personally thankful for my Mormon Battalion ancestors' great courage to stand up for freedom, so that their families--and my family-- could live in peace, and have a flag flying freely in my yard. And my sons are helping to make my neighborhood a little more beautiful. We each can try to keep the history of our Mormon Battalion ancestors alive by serving valiantly in the Ladies Auxiliary and the Battalion. We NEED to keep our heritage alive and not let our ancestors be forgotten.
MARGARET LARSON Memorialization Officer
We appreciate all the good that is being done by way of memorializing graves. This is an on-going campaign by the members of the Battalion--as it should be. A number of graves have been memorialized this year, and we appreciate the efforts of those who have been involved. In carrying out the process of the graves memorialization program, however, we sometimes lose track of the proper order of business. If you are involved in planning a memorialization, please notify me, Margaret Larson, 623 So. 1700 E., Spanish Fork, Ut 84660, (tel. 801-798-3661). As chairwoman of the memorialization program, I need to be kept informed of the progress for any woman's grave, so that proper records can be kept, and so that I can give authorization for the release of the grave marker. Currently, we are aware of the memorialization of the grave of Sarah Ann Bean Casper, on June 12, at the Elysian Gardens, 1075 E. 4580 So., in Salt Lake City. We encourage all to attend, but if there are other memorializations being planned, PLEASE let me know, so that I can give you the necessary assistance, and keep my records accurate.
MERLE SCHURTZ Life Membership
W
e cherish each of you as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary. We would like to become better acquainted with each of you. Please contact me, so that we can publish your story in The Valiant. Send your biographical resume to me at 7254 Dorset Circle, Salt Lake City, 84121. We are anxious to get to know ALL of you.
SHIRLEY ANDERSON Enlistment
The Ladies Auxiliary is happy to have Shirley join our Staff and be in charge of this important position. Enlistment is a necessary part of our organization. Hopefully, those of you who are life members will now make Shirley happy by encouraging your acquaintances and neighbors to join. She will be saying more in a future edition of The Valiant, and we will feature her bio later.
HELEN PAUL
We welcome our newest member of the Auxiliary, Helen Paul, wife of our Enlistment Officer, Major Robert Paul. Helen is already known throughout America for her watercolors. While she possesses a background in Interior Design, she is best known for her paintings. She gains her inspiration for her designs from a varied life style. She and Robert have traveled extensively all over the world, but especially important to her has been her opportunity to "pause awhile" and paint in Japan, China, Mexico, Israel, and several European countries. Her fresh, impressionistic style lends itself perfectly to the medium of watercolor. Even though she has "seen the world," Helen finds her subject material wherever she is, including right at home. Her vast and varied collection of pottery, which graces various nooks and cornices of her home, is one. Another, is her own flower garden. Her antique furniture, reflecting their extensive travels, also is featured in her paintings. Her work is featured in many exhibits in galleries and professional establishments, on posters, note cards, and gift bags, and in such publications as "Better Homes and Gardens" and "Decorating and Craft Ideas Magazine." President Shirley Maynes presented Helen with her Life membership at a recent company meeting.
We welcome Helen and look forward to enjoying her artistry as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary.
LADIES AUXILIARY UP-DATE
Contrary to anything you have heard, the annual dues for the Auxiliary remain the same: $10 for National dues; local news is according to company policy, but usually $5 to $10, payable any time after October l, but due January 1--the same pay schedule as the men of the Battalion.
Also, please let your friends know that we have books for sale:
WOMEN OF THE BATTALION...$10.
MORMON BATTALION COOK BOOK (By today's Ladies of the BN)...$7.50
Tyler's CONCISE HISTORY OF THE MORMON BATTALION...$15.