I think AM gets overwhelmed emotionally when she tries to write down memories of her dad, so I am posting the life sketch given by AM's brother at the funeral. I have redacted the names and some dates for privacy. For me, I remember her dad most for his infectious laughter and love of life, his devoted loyalty to his family, and his love of sports. He was a humble and gentle guy, despite having been successful at many things.
"Born Hope, Kansas, the first of three children, to LBR and MHR. Hope is a small rural Kansas town of less than 500 people. They lived on the edge of town on about 5 acres of land, enough room for a vegetable garden, corn patch, and potato patch. There was a pasture for a calf or two to be raised as beef, a milk cow, roughly 50 chickens and 12 to 15 pigs they raised, sold, and butchered. J---, as he was called by all who knew him, had a wonderful childhood. He was free to roam the area fishing, playing, and riding his bike. It was a different world from the one we experience now. He was active in everything in school, sports, music, and school productions. He attended and graduated from Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in February, 1952, while in college to assure he would be able to graduate as the Korean War was ongoing. While in school he met the love of his life, CN, and they were married in the First Baptist Church, Ottawa, Kansas in 1954.
Upon graduation J---- was assigned to attend the Marine Corps Officers Candidate School, Quantico, Virginia. After completing OCS he served for more than 20 years on active duty giving him 24 years of total service, which included three 13 month tours of duty overseas in Okinawa and Vietnam, of which a portion of his final tour in 1972 he was a POW in Vietnam. During that time the family moved from place to place staying within the United States as dad had concerns about living overseas. After Quantico, there were stops in Jacksonville, North Carolina ( where J--- and C joined the LDS church in 1958 ), Fort Scott, Kansas, Albany, Georgia, Pitman, New Jersey, Woodbury, New Jersey, back for a short time to Albany, Georgia, then Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Brookhaven, Pennsylvania.
Upon retirement from the corps as a Major in 1975 the family moved to Tempe, Arizona to adjust to civilian life. While living there he and C were sealed for time and eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Later that year the family moved to Lehi, Utah, where he enjoyed two more successful careers. First he worked for the State Tax Commission starting as an entry level employee and eventually becoming the Assistant Director of Operations responsible for processing of all filed tax returns. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Business Management and a PhD in Economics he was made the Director of the Economics Unit of the State Tax Commission. He served a little over 16 years with the state. He then embarked on his last professional career of teaching as an adjunct professor of management and later of economics at several colleges in the Salt Lake area. He spent over 12 years teaching economics at Salt Lake Community College before retiring again. He spent the remaining portion of his life working and volunteering his services wherever he could make a contribution. He passed away after complications from hip replacement surgery."
One of the things we learned from the viewing and funeral was that AM's dad had been a POW in Vietnam. I am not sure that any of AM's siblings ever knew this until her dad had had a special family fireside a few months ago and bore his testimony of various things that had happened in his life that testified to him that God lived and loved him. I am including the text below of that experience, that was he had written down for that occasion.
"This event took place in Vietnam in the fall of 1972. I was assigned to Camp Butler Okinawa. The 1
st Marine division had been reassigned from Vietnam to Camp Pendleton, the 3
rd Marine division had for the most part had been reassigned to Okinawa. They had left a lot of plant property in Vietnam and we were trying to account for what could be sent back to Okinawa, was worn out, or lost. I was sent to Denang, the headquarters of the Marine Expeditionary Force still left in Vietnam. In September, I was in the communications tent at the ammo dump at Denang. They had a mess hall, a club, and quite a bit of property left there that was going to be turned over the Vietnamese. The tent flaps were open as it was a warm day, when I heard a few shots discharged outside. I was on the telephone with the Force Supply Officer making a report on the findings. He had become a friend of mine when I was stationed at 29 Palms, CA. Anyway, into the front of the tent walked 2 or 3 VC in black pajamas. I kept talking to the Col. and told him what was going on, so they knew what was happening as soon as it happened. I kept talking to him until they pulled the wires out of the telephone. There was from 15 to 18 of the VC and they had rounded up the Marine contingent that was there. That proved to be 15 of us. The Army of Vietnam soldiers that were security for the ammo dump had all dispersed and went into the jungle outside of the camp. I am certain they knew what was happening and just left. It was a terrible time then for we really had no security, unbeknownst to us. They bound us with our hands in front and then all together into a tether line and marched us off into the jungle. We followed the same creek/river the whole time. I think the VC were all locals and lived in the villages close by, and had no real destination in mind. I think they were really on their own. We crossed the same creek/river several times and the VC would change. Some times there would be about a dozen and at other times almost 20. We moved around in the elephant grass and woods at night, staying under cover in the day time.
Now I mentioned I had been on the phone when it all went down. I think I mentioned to him to contact my friend at Albany, Col. Douglass. I knew he knew Col. Douglass and that if he could get word to him, C--- would not have some stupid messenger arrive at the door or be put in any kind of unnecessary stress. Anyway, Col. Douglass was informed and he and the Col. in Vietnam contacted the Aviation unit and they put up helicopters that we could hear overhead most days. I don’t think they knew where we were until we left on the final day.
The worst part of all of it was the terrible boiled rice we were fed and drinking out of the creek/river. Dysentery set in and got to several of the guys. It ended up doing in 2 Marines and really did get to me. My bottom end was never the same after that. On day 63 I knew that I was getting in not good shape, and I had a strong feeling to act. What happened from then on was all the Lord’s work. I knew that I had not been as faithful a Priesthood holder as I could have been. I had been less than faithful in all things and was not the best vessel for the Lord to use, but I was it. I was the only Priesthood holder in the group, I was the only church member in the group. We were at the edge of the tree line that opened out into a field of elephant grass about 4 ft tall. I heard the choppers close. I put my hand to the square and said “In the name of Jesus Christ, and with the authority of the Holy Priesthood, set us free!” I took off with hands tied in the front and they all followed. We ran about 100 yards into the grass and were spotted. There were 3 choppers: one gun ship and two troop ships. NOT ONE SHOT WAS FIRED AS WE RAN TO THE CHOPPERS AND LOADED UP. That was all the work of the Lord. I know that the Priesthood is real, and I know that God lives and knows us personally. I know that, not just believe it!!!! The purpose of this little document is to pass on that I know that God lives, that the Priesthood of God is real, and that he does look after us even when maybe we are not doing everything that we should be doing.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen, Dad."
