Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said of this company:
"Some years ago, Stephen Ambrose wrote a book describing the experience of a company of paratroopers during World War II.1 The army was developing a new kind of warfare the world had not seen before. They were training men to parachute out of planes—often behind enemy lines and at immense personal peril—to attack, and to meet strategic objectives critical to the overall success of the war effort.
"Easy Company of the 506th regiment, 101st Airborne Division, was one of those groups. Formed from volunteers, the 140 men began their training in 1942. They had been told that their training would be harder than any other in the military. In fact, it was so challenging that two out of three men couldn’t make it and either dropped out or were assigned to a regular army unit.
"The night before D day, Easy Company parachuted behind enemy lines. Their assignment was to take out a battery of artillery guns. But in the chaos of the drop, only 12 of the 140 men were in position to carry out the mission. Nevertheless, they knew that if they didn’t take out those guns, the Allied soldiers storming Utah Beach would suffer heavy casualties from the artillery.
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| Major Richard Winters (Played by actor Damian Lewis) |
"To make matters worse, the guns were manned and defended by more than 50 elite enemy paratroopers who had dug a series of trenches about the battery, heavily fortifying it against any kind of assault.
"In one of the most well-executed and heroic operations of the war, 12 men of Easy Company assaulted the position, routed the enemy, and destroyed the artillery guns.
"In later action, Easy Company took part in the ill-fated Operation Market Garden, facing enemy forces in Holland and Belgium. Later they were among the forces that held Bastogne against encircling enemy panzer units during the Battle of the Bulge.
"By the time the war ended, the highly decorated Easy Company had taken heavy, heavy casualties. Forty-eight of its members had died."
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| Major Richard Winters |
I'm really touched by the stories of these men. Major Richard Winters and the men who followed him were the cream of the crop of the Army. They did it for their country, and they did it for their freedom. Richard Winters is one of the heroes of my life. I never met the man, but yet he stood for something that I really wanted to know about. He was a man of faith, and a man of courage.
Why do people do this? Why do they go and risk their lives, their time, possibly at some times their freedom? I don't really know. It takes some kind of inner faith in something better. Something pushes them to do what they need to so that they can protect their lives and their families.
In the Book of Mormon, there were others who did this same thing. Their names aren't known for each specific person, but together they are known as "The Stripling Warriors." They were led by a man named Captain Moroni, and they were led by their faith in the Holy One of Israel - the Savior, Jesus Christ. They knew that with faith in Him, and by keeping the commandments and doing the things they knew were right and true, they would be protected.
And they were. Elder Wirthlin went on to say:
"Captain Moroni lived during a time when evil men were conspiring to destroy the liberty and lives of his countrymen. How did he rally the people of his day? He rent his coat and wrote upon it, “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12). Moroni knew the power of a great cause.
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| The Stripling Warriors |
"Helaman, the oldest son of the prophet Alma, led the stripling warriors. As you remember, Helaman was the one Alma entrusted with the sacred records. I suppose Helaman was more of a scholar than a warrior. But he lived in a time of conflict and war, and when the 2,000 sons of converted Lamanites took up their weapons of war, they asked that Helaman be their leader. Every student of the Book of Mormon knows their story. These young men had great faith. They were obedient. “They never had fought, yet they did not fear death” (Alma 56:47). Their confidence in the Lord was unshakeable: “Behold our God is with us,” they said, “and he will not suffer that we should fall” (Alma 56:46).
After many battles, although every one of them had received wounds, not one soul of them perished (see Alma 57:21, 25).
"These young men knew why they were fighting. They understood the nature of their sacrifice. Helaman wrote that “they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives” (Alma 56:47). They knew the value of a great cause."
Heroes are the ones who will give their lives for liberty and justice. But there are other heroes who do every day things. The two top heroes in my life are my parents, Brad and Shawna. They both have taught me the right way, and to help me do the things I know are right. I know that there are many others who have touched my life in many ways. Each of these people leave a lasting impact on my life, and I know that all of you have your own heroes in your life. Take time to recognize and thank these people.
One other hero of mine is the Savior Jesus Christ. I don't know if that is the most appropriate term to refer to the Savior, but it is true. He died so that I could live eternally in the presence of Heavenly Father. Its the best thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind.To my parents? Thank you. To Major Winters? Thank you for your heroism. To all the others who have touched my life in various ways? Thank you.
Now to one of the biggest heroes of all time - The Prophet Joseph Smith. He is the one who gave his entire life and even died to protect the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth today. Through Joseph Smith, the Lord gave the Gospel back to the world, in all of its beauty and originality. Without the Prophet Joseph, we would not have the wonderful truths we have now. So to honor Joseph, the Nashville Tribute band wrote this song to their hero.
