FRANCIS, MALIN E
GALBRAITH, WILLIAM LYLE
GARDNER, DAVID BOYD
GOWERS, JAY E
HALTERMAN, AUSTIN
HALVERSON, MAX B
As I begin this project, I feel enthusiastic. I'm excited to watch the miles fly by. As the mile count gets higher and higher, I become more and more proud of how far I have run. However, I need to stop every once in a while and recognize that each mile, each name represents a life. A life full of hope and promise, a life full of bravery and fear, a life full of joy and pain. Each number represents a life built up by the hundreds who cared for him. So much love, care, sacrifice, instruction, and work was put into each person. These lives were tragically cut short and cut down in their prime. All of these losses are tragic, they are all regrettable and almost seem unnecessary. Here are some of their stories:
David Boyd Gardner and Jay Earl Gowers were tragically killed in unrelated plane crashes. Both were in the United States and both were completing routine training. Lieutenant Gardner enlisted after his first year at BYU. He graduated pilot training at Luke Air Force Base and was completing a tour there as an instructor when his plane crashed into the ground.
Austin Halterman and Max B Halverson were both taken as Prisoners of War by the Japanese. Both survived the infamous Bataan Death March. During a prisoner transport by the Japanese, their transport-the Arisan Maru- was misidentified and torpedoed by an American submarine on October 24, 1944. They, along with hundreds of other POW's, perished in the action.
When I run, I write all of their initials on my wrist and mutter or gasp a thanks to each name. These men paid the ultimate sacrifice. I can't imagine explaining to a family that their son's death was due to friendly fire, or faulty equipment, or a simple mistake. What was the point of their death? Were their lives wasted? If I'm killed in a car accident or plane crash will my life be wasted? I'm tempted to say yes.
What these men have taught me though, is that the answer is no. No life is wasted that is spent doing good. No life is wasted that eases the pain of others, or that teaches or inspires another. When Austin Halterman was a POW, he made friends with and inspired a fellow POW. John Shadoan, touched by the faith and courage of Austin, survived the war, married and provided for Austin's widow and child, and later joined the LDS church. Here is just one example of the countless lives that were touched by these men.
I'm inspired by their faith. I'm inspired by their sacrifice. What matters much more than the cause of death is the cause that they stood for in life. In the end, we won't be defined by the brief chain of events that causes our death, but by the flowing and never-ending ripples that we create throughout our lives.
David Boyd Gardner and Jay Earl Gowers were tragically killed in unrelated plane crashes. Both were in the United States and both were completing routine training. Lieutenant Gardner enlisted after his first year at BYU. He graduated pilot training at Luke Air Force Base and was completing a tour there as an instructor when his plane crashed into the ground.
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| Lt. Gardner |
When I run, I write all of their initials on my wrist and mutter or gasp a thanks to each name. These men paid the ultimate sacrifice. I can't imagine explaining to a family that their son's death was due to friendly fire, or faulty equipment, or a simple mistake. What was the point of their death? Were their lives wasted? If I'm killed in a car accident or plane crash will my life be wasted? I'm tempted to say yes.
What these men have taught me though, is that the answer is no. No life is wasted that is spent doing good. No life is wasted that eases the pain of others, or that teaches or inspires another. When Austin Halterman was a POW, he made friends with and inspired a fellow POW. John Shadoan, touched by the faith and courage of Austin, survived the war, married and provided for Austin's widow and child, and later joined the LDS church. Here is just one example of the countless lives that were touched by these men.
I'm inspired by their faith. I'm inspired by their sacrifice. What matters much more than the cause of death is the cause that they stood for in life. In the end, we won't be defined by the brief chain of events that causes our death, but by the flowing and never-ending ripples that we create throughout our lives.
Well said, Brett. Keep up the sacrifice--it makes a difference. Very proud of you, son.
ReplyDeleteThank you for running in memory of my grandfather, Austin Halterman, who played basketball for BYU. He never met his own daughter, my mother, because she was born while he was at war. I think about him often and am grateful for the life he lived, no matter how short it was. War changed him and brought him to the Lord in ways he hadn't been before and in ways that have allowed others to be blessed. When I was a BYU student, I used to sit in the Memorial Lounge and look at my grandfather's name, just wondering about who he was and looking forward to meeting him someday.
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ReplyDeleteAs another of Austin Halterman's Grandchildren I want to express my thanks as well. This is a great thing you are doing and we appreciate your thoughtfulness and example. While Austin died too soon, he left a legacy. He has one daughter, 6 grandkids, 30 great grandkids and 3 great-great grandchildren. Thank you for not only doing this, but sharing a little about each person you honor.
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