Journal of the U.S. Mormon Battalion, Inc. Vol. 4 Issue 6 November 1999

--Col. George Bascom

    In a quiet moment of introspection, have you ever asked yourself, "Why am I doing this?" Such a question calls for some soul searching to justify or rationalize your vital answer: "Because I want to." or "It is expected of me." or "Because it makes me feel good." or "Because it is a commandment." All good answers, of course. As you apply this thought to your participation in the activities of the Mormon Battalion, may you gain an insight into the eternal ramifications of your actions. If only you could read the letters we receive from grateful people, expressing their sincere gratitude for the bronze marker on a forgotten ancestor's grave, or for the inspired counsel encouraging a new Eagle Scout, or the tears of pride as the men of the Battalion form an honor guard at the funeral of a fallen comrade. May you never tire in changing the lives of your fellow men and women!

PRESIDENT'S PRESENTATION

--Pres. Shirley Maynes

    Now that the beautiful autumn season is upon us, may we take the time to gather a harvest of the worthwhile things in life. Our baskets might include: The process of nurturing faith and love in behalf of others; trying carefully not to criticize others; showing genuine real interest in others by becoming good listeners, both with our hearts and minds; resolving to bring out the good in others, thus becoming a truer friend; and, finally, by placing our trust in each other. When we do this, we can then interject our feelings and desires and allow others to express themselves openly, too. Surely, our harvest will reap that important fruit of life that makes it so full and rich.

    During this holiday season, I sincerely wish all members of the Mormon Battalion and Ladies Auxiliary much happiness with family and friends, and a wonderful millennial New Year!

PASSING ON--THE HERITAGE OF GOOD WORKS

    On Tuesday, October 19, memorial services were held for Col. Grant Dalton, a former commanding officer of this Battalion. Born in Utah, he grew up in Arizona, and became a well-liked educator in the Salt Lake City schools. He earned his B.A., M.A., and Ed.SP. degrees at University of Utah. He served in the Air Force in WWII, then served a mission in the British Isles, before marrying Alice Brasher in the Salt Lake Temple. They are parents of 5 children and 20 grandchildren. He loved history and was at his best when, dressed as Brigham Young, he held his audiences spell-bound as he told historically-true stories while he whittled at the General Store in Old Deseret at Pioneer Trails State Park. It was with a profound sense of loss that members of the Mormon Battalion were permitted to serve as honor guard at his funeral, and with deep gratitude to stand at attention at his grave as "his flag" was folded and presented to his widow at grave side. This obituary is an introduction and a tribute to one of the great men of today's Battalion. He took command of the Battalion at a very critical time. His leadership did much to save this organization.

    The former commander of the Battalion had initiated a plan to increase the number of commissioned officers in the Battalion by creating "generals." Qualifications were minimized---a college degree merited a "Colonel," commission, for instance. A fake "Presidio at San Francisco" issued a soldier his "commission" which measured 18x24 inches, and was highly embossed. Some members were thrilled to receive such an exalted commission; others (who had not graduated from a college) were hurt to not be recognized for effort and loyalty. Most of us were bewildered and angered with these new, and unauthorized, innovations. New ideas were being introduced, e.g. "raising $200,000 to purchase a helicopter for service in search and rescue operations." Finally, a special meeting was called by the National Staff, and the "general" was asked to resign. Having heard of the impending request, he read a prepared letter asking to be "retired," which request was granted, not knowing that he had already joined with a relative (who was the "presidio") and had chartered the "United States Mormon Battalion," at the State Capitol. Col. Dalton, who was the Executive Officer and, therefore, second in command, stepped into the breach at this critical moment. He could have "bowed out" of the situation; perhaps a man of lesser character would have done so, but instead he went up to the Capital and learned of the perfidy. When he questioned why a rival organization had been chartered, the official told him that he had been told that "U. S." could stand for "Uncle Sam" or "Utah State," or any number of similar word combinations, and had allowed the group to charter. It was Col. Dalton that got us back on track with our former and present organizational set-up. "A Battalion is led by a colonel, not a general!" he proclaimed. Today, we pay tribute to this brave and great man, an efficient colonel, and a fine brother in Christ. While there were individuals who preferred to hold their exalted rank, it was the adamant stand of Col. Dalton that this must not be! His reasoning restored order and perspective to the Battalion. He brought us together at that critical moment when men of strong will could have broken our harmony and dissolved the National Staff. Later, due to his failing health, and his commitments at Pioneer Trails State Park, where he and Alice were the heart of the pioneer presentation there (especially in the summer months), he reluctantly relinquished his commission, but not his love for the Battalion.

His example is a reminder to us all, that when we are engaged in fulfilling prophecy and striving to perpetuate the memory of the great men and women of the Battalion (and that is our inspired mission), Satan will do all he can to discourage us and destroy our organization. Even now, there are rumblings of discontent and threats of going AWOL; this is a sure sign that we are doing what Heaven approves, and it will bless us for our continued and dedicated efforts. Obviously, we of the National Staff are not perfect. This we freely acknowledge and ask for your patience and understanding. We love the Battalion; we are striving to do what is right by it and by you. Please forgive us our short comings, and continue to serve with your hearts in the work. Let us REMAIN UNITED!

COMPANY NEWS

Company "B" Sandy Capt. Don Shurtz, C.O.

    At a company meeting, the new company staff was installed by Col. Bascom. They are: Capt. Don Schurtz, retained; Lt. Terry Wirth, executive officer; Ltc. Reed Nelson, chaplain; Lt. William Smith, memorializations; and Sgt. Raymond Shuman, Quartermaster; and these former officers were retained: Lt. David Childs, finance; Maj. Robert Cole, Electronic media; and Capt. Jerry Anderson, program. We look forward to a very productive year!

Company "A" Salt Lake City Capt. Grant Wood, C.O.

    Col. Bascom installed the following to their respective offices: Capt. Thomas Judd, C.O.; Lt. Vincent Chiodo, executive officer; Lt. Don Draper, enlistment; and retained: Lt. Kirk Jameson, finance; Maj. Doug Williams, Quartermaster; Lt. Jay Bowen, chaplain. Released were Capt. Grant Wood, C.O., and Ltc. Allen Jameson, executive. Their wives were honored for their devoted work in the Auxiliary.

Company "D" Logan Maj. Brent Bryner, C.O.

    Maj. Bryner, re-elected as company commander, says he will be emphasizing the development of leadership in this term. The company program in September was presented by a couple, Boyd and Charilla Brown, who were Restoration Missionaries at the town of Chesterfield, ID, which was settled in about 1890 by 12 LDS families sent to homestead there and established a town. It was abandoned after WWI, when the Depression hit. The town was left intact and has now been restored with help from the Church. Incidentally, Boyd is a descendant of Sgt. Ebenezer Brown, Co. "A". Co. "D" made their annual trek --this time to Chesterfield, under the leadership of Merlin and Sharlene Kendrick. Also, Maj. Bryner announces the passing of Clifford Spence, life member.

Dixie Company, Santa Clara/St. George Reynold Bluemel, C.O.

    We have been busy! Campfire presentations to Scouts for their Trail patch; Eagle Scout ceremonies for the Buffalo Skull award; and we participated with Kanab Company in their 4th of July parade. In August we were the color guard for the Washington County Fair, and in September, we were the color guard for Santa Clara Swiss Days parade--winning top honors. We organized as a company on September 24 with 13 members. You all are invited to visit Dixie Company!

Company "B" San Diego

    Sister Candida Cange has notified us that Sgt. Harry Hennessey has passed away. He was educated in Catholic schools as an orphan and served in the Navy for four years. He married Mary Lowe in San Diego, but it was several years later, after he had joined the Church, that they were sealed. In his later life, he was an avid veil worker in the San Diego Temple. He is survived by his wife, 5 children, 15 grandchildren, and 5 great grands. One of his outstanding qualities was his thoughtfulness of others--going the extra mile to do something for others. He was much loved.

UTAH HISTORIC TRAILS EXCURSION

    September 18th was a red-letter day for members of the Mormon Battalion, as they accepted the invitation to join with the Utah Historic Trails Consortium for "A Day of History--the Last 50 Miles into the Salt Lake Valley." Organized by members of the UHTC, under the direction of George Ivory, those who participated were divided into "caravans" of about 10 cars/vans, with one bus for those who preferred it. Each vehicle in a caravan was required to have a CB radio to hear historical presentations enroute. Each caravan left at 30-minute intervals and each point-of-interest stop was for 30 minutes. There were 10 points of interest stops, which made for a long day. At each stop, an informed person gave the history of that site. The sites were: Lamb's Canyon, Castle Rock, Emory Stage Station, Echo Canyon Breastworks, Echo town, Henefer City and Park (lunch), Mormon Flat, Donner Park, and First Camp. At this last site, interested members could walk the short distance to Wilford Woodruff's home and summer house. The Mormon Battalion was asked to participate in this tour; Col. Bascom represented the Battalion at Henefer where he told the story of the Mississippi Saints/Mormon Battalion group who came into the Valley 3 days after Brigham Young's party. The National Staff feel that this tour could be repeated by the Battalion, using those who went on the tour as presenters, and the informative booklet that could be purchased. We will notify you later if this proves to be a feasible outing for, perhaps, one of our Mormon Battalion Day celebrations. We are grateful to the UHTC for inviting the Battalion to join them. We have arrived!

HISTORY BUFFS, ATTENTION!!

ajor Clyde and Dayle White, our National Historians, were present at the Layton Heritage Museum, on Friday, August 13, where a bust of Christopher Layton was unveiled, and was dedicated by Pres. Thomas Monson. The museum is looking for artifacts of Mormon Battalion origin that could be used in a planned display on Christopher Layton. This emphasizes the need for our own collecting of artifacts which the Battalion could exhibit in our "home" some day. At present, our library has a copy of the book, "Christopher Layton: Colonizer, Statesman, Leader," published by the Christopher Layton Family Organization. We also have a brochure, "Exchange at the Presidio" which details the events surrounding the placing of this monument in Tucson by the Tucson Mormon Battalion Monument Foundation, marking the 150th anniversary of the entry of the Battalion into Tucson.

Please note: The Mormon Battalion Library is also in the process of putting together a list of all known published material on the Mormon Battalion. We want books, titles of, periodicals, articles, family histories, "Iowa Volunteers," and anything printed about the Mormon Battalion. Let us really get behind this endeavor. The Mormon Battalion should be the base receptacle for information on the Battalion and its accomplishments, and the histories of these men and women who did so much to settle the West and establish the Kingdom of God in the Utah Territory.

Pres. Shirley Maynes

At the recent company elections held in September, the following women were elected president of their Auxiliary:

Company "A" Salt Lake--Kathleen Chiodo

Company "B" Midvale--Becky Bitton

Company "C" Roy--Ann Erekson (not yet a company)

Company "D" Logan--Arlene Miller

    We, the National Auxiliary Staff, congratulate these women and welcome them and their other officers into their new positions.

    The modern-day Ladies Auxiliary, like the men of the Battalion, is part of a historical organization. Ladies, please take your presidency seriously! There is so much to do! We should continue to memorialize the graves of the women who were in the Battalion, but also the wives who remained behind on the Iowa prairie. These women should be remembered and honored for their sacrifices and hardships as well as those women who marched with the men. Also, seek out and find as many diaries, journals, and histories of and by these women as you can. Keep good minutes, accurate financial records, and auxiliary histories. Enlist new members. Remember those who have suffered personal illness or loss of loved ones. We know that, if you will do these selfless acts, personal gratification will come to you, and you will be blessed immeasurably.

NOTE: We are sending, to each president, packets of the necessary forms to help you. PLEASE USE THEM! If we can be of assistance to you, you only have to ask. We send our best wishes to each of you. May we work together and unite our efforts for the well being and success of the Mormon Battalion!

NOTE 2: We have filled out the necessary forms and sent them to our attorney to have our logos, both the Battalion and the Auxiliary, copyrighted by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Our women's logo is the face of the woman found on the book, "Women of the Battalion." This copyright covers our books, pins, stationery, etc. It will be necessary to receive written permission for anyone to use these logos, from now on.

Dayle White, Historian

My daughter, Holly Platt, and I have put together a "clip and color" paper-doll book for the Auxiliary. It consists of a Mormon Battalion man with three outfits of clothing and a Mormon Battalion woman, also with three outfits. One of the Battalion outfits is the one the man wore when he went with the Battalion. The woman's outfits consist of a best dress, every day clothes, and her nightgown. Sales for the book are now going on; the asking price is a donation of $2.50 for each book. These would make nice Christmas stocking stuffers. If interested, please contact a member of the National Auxiliary Staff or call Shirley Maynes at 801-255-3197 (E-mail= maynes5(at)earthlink.net) or Dayle White at 801-583-0643 (E-mail= clwl937(at)juno.com).

Michelle Teeples, V-President

The Art of Thanksgiving is Thanksliving. It is gratitude in action...
It is applying Albert Swchweitzer's philosophy...
"In gratitude for your own good fortune, you must render in
return some sacrifice of your life for other life."
It is thanking God for the gift of life by living triumphantly.
It is thanking God for your talents and abilities, by accepting
them as obligations to be invested for the common good.
It is thanking God for opportunities, by accepting them as a
challenge to achievement.
It is thanking God for happiness, by striving to make others happy.
It is thanking God for inspirations, by trying to be an inspiration to others.
It is thanking God for health and strength, by the care and
reverence you show your own body.
It is thanking God for each new day, by living it to the fullest.
It is thanking God by giving hands, arms, legs, and voice to your thankful spirit.
It is adding, to your prayers of thanksgiving, actions of thanksliving. --Wilford A. Peterson

At this time of year, may we be thankful for all that we have been given, and keep the memories of the Mormon Battalion alive. We need to thank those who give so much of their time to the Battalion, and try to do better ourselves.

THE SALE OF BOOKS

We remind you that one of our ways of getting necessary funds is by the sale of books. NO ONE makes a profit on the sales; all moneys go into our treasury. Please continue to make our books available to interested individuals, without pressure.

Tyler, Daniel. A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE MORMON BATTALION..$15.

Maynes, Shirley & Larson, Carl. WOMEN OF THE BATTALION..$12.

Maynes, Shirley. MORMON BATTALION COOK BOOK..$7.50

TIDBITS

    Researchers have just confirmed something that every health food addict has known all along. Honey is healthier than sugar, and dark honey is healthier than light. The flavor of honey has always depended on the source of the nectar, gathered by bees. Sugar is condensed carbohydrates and contains very little anti-oxidants, even though it comes from a plant (cane or beets). Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report that they analyzed 19 samples of honey from 14 different sources. They found that honey from Illinois buckwheat flowers contained 20 times more anti-oxidants than honey from California sage flowers. Anti-oxidants are the tiny chemical agents of health more usually associated with fresh fruit and vegetables; they are nature's counter to other chemicals, called free radicals, which are blamed for arthritis, strokes, and cancer. The more "natural" sweetener, honey, is more healthful than the man-made sweetener, sugar. I just thought you might like to know this!