July 31, 2011

What impact did those wars have on your life? Did you support or oppose those wars?

As I mentioned in the last entry I had a cousin who lost his life in the Viet Nam war and I also had friends who served there and came back with things that have effected their lives ever since with nightmares and horrible dreams. I still supported those wars because of the freedoms that were being fought for in them. I had a very good friend that came from Viet Nam as a refugee from that war who would have been killed had he stayed there after the US pulled out. Khoi Gnoc Vu worked with me at American Television and Signetics. We became very good friend and I really enjoyed his family as well.

July 30, 2011

What wars have been fought during your lifetime?

One major war was ended just days before my birth. The Koren War was ended on July 27, 1953 just before I was born on Aug 13, 1953. I mention this as one of the wars since I have very vivid memories of two Uncles that fought in that war and one of whom lost his legs in it.

The other major wars and I say major because if you were to count all the wars going on in the world during my life there have been hundreds. However the United States has been mostly involved in the Viet Nam war, Iraq and Pakistan wars. These are wars where I have been most effected by either brothers, cousins, or friends that have fought in those wars. One of my cousins was killed in the Viet Nam war. I have been grateful to those who have served and yet thankful that I have not had to be there.

July 29, 2011

What were some other important historical events of your lifetime? What do you recall about them? Where were you when they occurred?

The introduction of the space shuttle program has also been very significant since it was a very important part of the continuing space program. Ships could now go into space and then return, land and go up again. However I was at work at Signetics when the space shuttle Discovery exploded shortly after takeoff and was a setback in the program as they searched for evidence of what went wrong. I was in the Fab 9 area when the front office people came in and told us what had happened, we then went to the offices and watched the news reports of the event.

It was the second major problem for the space program. The Apollo 13 failed mission of 1970 was the first major one to hit the news where the crew had to abort their mission to walk on the moon and only orbited the moon then returned. It was a very major testimony to me that our Heavenly Father is involved in everything that occurs in this life of ours.

Another major event in the last few years was the flying of planes into the Pentagon, and the twin towers in New York. It was on 9/11/2001. I was at work in a cabinet shop and we stopped everything as we listened to the radio reports as the events continued to unfold. I remember the sickening feelings that I had as I thought about the lives being lost not only in the planes but the buildings as well. There was also a fourth place that went down in a Pennsylvania field due to some very selfless men on board who tried to stop the pilots that were trying to fly that plane into the nations capitol building.

Well there been many notable events including Vietnam and Iraq wars, earthquakes and other natural disasters, etc. that have happened during my life and they have been in direct fulfillment of prophesies concerning the latter days.

July 28,2011

Later adulthood 65 to present

Personal reflections.

Since I am not yet 65 this section may not apply however I will answer applicable questions.

What do you consider to be the most important historical event of your lifetime? What do you recall about it? Where were you when it occurred?

I have a hard time answering this one since there have been some major events of historical significance during my short life. President John Kennedy’s assassination in Nov of 1963 was a very major event.

However the moon landing in July of 1969 probably has been the most significant since the space program has been the catalyst for so many of the inventions of these last days. Products of all sorts now used in the home and workplace are a direct result of  the experiments and research that have been done for the space program. We have had significant wars during my life even though I came along after the world wars, which spawned a lot of development in products, but I think the space program has had the most impact. I could be wrong but that is my take on it.

I remember watching the landing and Armstrong walking on the moon and was at home watching it. We talked a lot about it in school as well however and I was a sophomore in high school at the time. 

When Kennedy was assassinated I heard about it as someone threw open the door of our elementary school and shouted to us what had happened. I was playing marbles on the sidewalk of the school at that moment with one of my classmates.

July 27, 2011

Has anyone ever saved your life? Who? What were the circumstances?

Well I am uncertain of any specific times that anyone has specifically saved my life but I can truly testify that my Heavenly Father has always been there and protected me throughout my life when I could have needed someone to save my life had He not been there to assist me and change my course of action. I have been in several auto accidents and been near being in several others but He has always protected me in those times. I also drowned in a swimming pool when I was quite young but He was there to pull me to safety.

July 26, 2011

What memories do you have with your experiences together?

Many of the scouting experiences that I have had include Doug as an integral part of them. We began by being on Hobble Creek District scout leader training for 4 or 5 years. I then was asked to serve on a Timberline Staff with Mark Poulson, a cousin, and Doug was also on staff. We served together on numerous staffs through te years and when he and I were not on the same staff he and I would visit the others course and assist with various presentations or them. We were also asked to serve together on the Council Timberline staff for several years and later he asked me to serve with him on our regional Junior Leader training staff where we would travel to Idaho for meetings with about 7 council staff members for their Junior Leader training. Then I was asked by Ren Smith, who was blind, to be on staff with him at woodbadge and Doug was the senior patrol leader of that course then Doug the following year was the SM and asked me to be the Senior patrol leader.  Since that time I have been less active on those courses due to photographing Silver Beaver recipients but we still try to get together as couples and do things together. I have also photographed each of his children’s weddings and the week before Hayden and Cheyenne’s wedding when Loren was diagnosed with diabetes Doug took over planning the wedding luncheon for us. He has always been there when needed to help us out and is a true friend.

There are hundreds of experiences that I could tell but not room enough to tell them. It was under his leadership however that the Mountain Top experience became a part of Timberline in the Utah National Parks council specifically in the Hobble Creek, Diamond Fork and Palmyra Districts.

July 25, 2011

What do you admire most about that person?

I have always admired his ability to put a gospel spin into the training without it becoming overbearing and intrusive. It has made teaching scouting principles much easier and still useable with a non-lds set of trainees. He has a deep testimony of the gospel and it is reflected in his love for the persons with whom he is working.

July 24, 2011

Which of your good friends have you known the longest?

Other than Marie I would probably have to put Doug Binks next on the list since he and Julie and Marie and I have been good friends for many years now due to scouting. I first started working with him on the district level through scoutmaster training, then later on Timberline staffs and after that on woodbadge staffs.

July 23, 2011

Are there any family heirlooms that have been passed from one generation to another?

I had a lot of cousins and family and there are very few heirlooms that remain. I do have a lot of pictures of old pictures that I have taken through the years and the one heirloom from my father’s side is an old zenith radio that sits in our front porch.

July 22, 2011

Did your grandparents or great-grandparents relate important world events they experienced?

None that I remember. There are accounts of grandpas mission for six months after he had two or three children. He went to the Eastern States Mission and grandma and the girls took care of the farm while he was gone.