GALLERY: VIDEO: Ferron American Legion dedicates new Veterans monument

By Patsy Stoddard

Ferron has worked towards a Veteran’s Monument for some time and during the Peach Days celebration the new monument was unveiled.
Clifford Snow, post commander conducted the dedication ceremonies. The flag in place at the new monument spent time flying over Bagram in Afghanistan. “I would like to thank everyone for their support. All of the donations and support have been appreciated. Thanks to the Veterans for your service. My grandson was in Iraq in 2007 and spent a tour of duty in Italy. He then flew with the white tops and flew with Presidents Bush and Obama. We appreciate all the veterans, they all have a story and we appreciate their service,” said Snow.
Kent Petersen said the list of veterans grew as they started gathering names for the project. The list grew from 193 names to the 552 names which are on the monument. Petersen thanked Ferron City and their workers for their help. The city helped line up the financing for the project. Evelyn Huntsman helped gather names for the monument. She also helped with the spelling of each name. The late Debbie Huntsman, the grandmother of Evelyn’s husband kept a list of all the young men in the service from Ferron until 1960. This list was very helpful. Petersen said Ferron was well represented in World War II with a soldier Floyd Nielson being there when it started and he went down with the Arizona, to Grant Nielson being on a ship in Tokyo Bay when the surrender took place.
Shelly Barton helped out and Suzanne Larsen with the Emery County Archives provided a list of names of World War I soldiers.
Gary Price the mayor of Clawson helped with names not originally on the list. Red Hess laid out the cement for the project in a pentagon. Cliff Snow, the post commander, John Healy went through the cemetery several times to make sure no one was left off the list. Petersen said Michael Furner helped design the monument.
Mayor Gary Price of Clawson addressed the audience. He thanked the committee for including Clawson on the monument. He attended a couple of meetings and enjoyed the small part he played in helping the monument along. “The number of people who served from our small communities is quite amazing. These little communities require a special type of people. These communities produce the kind of people who make good soldiers. They make heroes. My dad was in Korea. I look up to these people on the monument. Thank those who serve and God bless these communities,” said Mayor Price.
Ferron Mayor Adele Justice took quotes from the Declaration of Independence. “Freedom is the theme of our nation. It distinguishes us. We have privacy, security and the consideration of our person. We have the freedom to be, but this freedom isn’t free. John Adams said of the Declaration of Independence. ‘I am well aware of the toil and blood it will take to protect this Declaration of Independence.’
“Everything we do speaks to freedom. The men and women who risk their lives to support freedom. I am so proud to be the mayor of Ferron. When I first started working at city hall 20 years ago, we had a beautiful hand written list of veterans names. I typed up that list and hung them up in photo frames. This is the thing we need to bring us together. I am so proud of our veterans and our American Legion. You could not find a more wonderful group than our Ferron American Legion. They are the most amazing people,” said Mayor Justice.
Mike Mower, Ferron native and the chief of staff at the Governor’s Office spoke next sending the congratulations of Gov. Herbert. He said he grew up on Canyon Road and at the time he didn’t realize his life was being blessed by heroes. He had good friends whose fathers had served. But, no one talked about it or bragged about it. “Little did we realize we had a hero from World War II, Lamond Smith, so many people who served and continued to serve when they came home. I entered the American Legion speech contest and I won. The American Legion helps kids learn about our country. I will never forget Sam Singleton, he was our principal at the junior high, he started a Veteran’s Day program to honor our Veterans.
“Always remember those who fought and served our country. Thank you for this monument and never forget those who served,” said Mower.
Governor Herbert sent a letter in which he thanks all the veterans for their service and thanks to Robert Riley, Lamond Smith and Grant Nielson, the World War II veterans. All will be memorialized with this monument.’
“Ferron veterans have served all around the world and in all conflicts. I hope you continue to pay homage to these great veterans.,” said Mower.
Sarah Swasey sang a song from World War I. Commander Snow said Swasey accompanies them as they go to funerals and other legion events.
Gordon Ewell, veteran was next to speak. He said he has one prosthetic eye and he can’t see well out of the other eye “If I get to yapping, you can just sneak off and I won’t know you’re gone. Everyone has a story. I’m proud to be from Ferron.”
Ewell said he learned hard work in Ferron. He gained strong friendships that carried him through the hard times. “There are great people in Ferron and in this county.”
Ewell served in Iraq where he was injured. He said there are 33 million people in Iraq. The terrorists strike with roadside bombs. They are everywhere. The people in Iraq wanted them there. The troops from the coalition numbered 200,000 soldiers with 33 million Iraqis. Soldiers from 29 countries were able to keep the peace.
“There are 10 million in Baghdad alone, if the soldiers weren’t wanted they would have been run out of the country.
 “We did some good things there. People in the military do two things. They go where they’re told and they do the best they can when they get there. We train hard, people die in training. Those who die in training are just as much heroes as those who die in combat.
“War changes people, there’s a saying, you never step in the same river twice. You are never the same. You’re not the same man and the rivers not the same. No one job is more important than another. You can not go to war and not be changed. I am grateful for the time I had in the military.
“Every morning, two/thirds of the world wonders where they will get food for the day and where they will get water. That’s their life. Iraq is an old country, they should be advanced. Our country has become a world leader in a few hundred years. Manufacturing, science, the Wright brothers, America leads the way. The Wright Brothers had a dream. People may have laughed at them, but they were allowed to follow their dream. Now look where we are 60 short years later, people are flying all over the world. Our country is young, all these things happened because we have freedom. We’ve been allowed to dream.
“The best teachers I’ve had in my life have been right here in Emery County. We’ve had choices. In America we can chase our dreams. We can make our dreams come true. We can come up with inventions and machines. One country in less than a hundred years, went from flying with boards on their arms (Wright brothers) to the moon. Where are we going to be in the next 100 years?
“Soldiers train hard for war but hope they never have to go to one. There’s never been anyone whose goal was to be awarded the Purple Heart. No one wants to be injured or die in battle. You don’t want it, but over 2 million have got it. That person kept going forward, no matter how bleak, how cold, hungry or tired. They kept going and didn’t give up. You might have been in a firefight and got injured.
“The rest of the people were in the exact same environment as you. But, you wear the purple heart for this. Others may not have been injured that day, but due to your actions you saved them. All are together as a team. Gen. George Washington referred to his men as a band of brothers who respected each other and were willing to die for each other.
“You can hate war, but don’t hate the soldier. They fight for America and the people here. Give them your support. You are all patriots. America needs patriots to keep freedom and dreams alive. It’s a beautiful memorial to help us remember those who gave so much,” said Ewell.
The program concluded with Sam Wilbanks offering the dedicatory prayer where he asked the monument grounds be blessed as a place to honor veterans. A place to come together to realize we are one nation under God and a place to unite in service to this country.