In December of 1944, Dean, two years younger than Farr, was informed by the local draft board that his call-up was imminent, and true to their word Dean was drafted in February of 1945 and was assigned to Camp Maxey, Texas, for basic training. Then we received the news that hit our home like a bombshell: Dean wrote home to inform Dad and Mother that he had volunteered for the Airborne. It was inevitable that airborne operations would play the same critical role there as they had at Normandyand with estimates of even higher casualty rates. The news of Dean's decision was received in our home with great ambivalence. Dad and Mother were scared to death at the prospect of their son jumping out of an airplane, let alone jumping out and then landing in a raging combat situation. For my part, my 10-year-old innocence had me oblivious to the inherent dangers of Dean's decision. I just knew that I was extremely proud that my big brother was going to be a paratrooper. I couldn't wait to tell my friends. The Hurst household was once again anxious as the single blue star hanging in the front window had been replaced with a two-star version. And, it looked like either or both of the stars might represent sons who would be in harms way. The rumors of the 509th deployment overseas came to fruition in May of 1945. Their departure was shrouded in secrecy. Farr and the other men in his unit had no idea where they were going. It didn't help my parents' anxiety level when Farr's first letter after departing Wendover arrived having been heavily censored with all references to place, time and circumstances cut out with a razor blade. From May until August, all Farr's letters were extensively censored in that manner. There were times the letters looked like they had been sent through a paper shredder before being stuffed back in an envelope. Because the APO location was San Francisco we assumed that he was somewhere in the Pacific, but had no idea where, or what the mission of the 509th Composite Bomb Group entailed. And then, on August 6, 1945, in the most dramatic fashion, we learned why all the secrecy had surrounded Farr's whereabouts. The day had dawned as a typical hot August day here in Utah, but the news from the Pacific was anything but routine in nature. The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, essentially destroying the entire city. The B-29, the Enola Gay, was from the 509th Composite Bomb Group, which was located on the Island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands. With that news flash we knew not only where Farr was stationed, but what the mission of the 509tn had been. The world waited for a response from Japan to the demand for unconditional surrender. Japan was silent. August 9 and another news flash: a second atomic bomb had been dropped by the B-29 Bockscar, also from the 509th, on the city of Nagasaki. Finally, the Japanese capitulated and the war was over! Oh, the joy! All the tension and anxiety concerning the welfare of Farr and Dean turned to happiness and gratitude that the terrible conflict had come to an end with Japan forced to surrender in the face of the daunting devastation of the atomic bombs. Farr would be returning from the Pacific unscathed, and Dean, in the midst of training with the 82nd Airborne Division for the inevitable combat jump on the Japanese mainland, would be spared the horrors of all that such an invasion promised to deliver. In the ensuing months Farr did return from Tinian and was stationed at Roswell, New Mexico until he was discharged in March of 1946. Dean, with the 82 Airborne Division, marched in the national victory parades in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston. He continued to jump out of airplanes until his discharge in the fall of 1946 and his return to Weber College to continue his education, which had been disrupted by the war. Finally, the Hurst household returned to normal. The two blue stars were removed from the front window, but the satisfaction and pride that goes with family members having stepped forward to do their part for our nation remains a legacy in the family to this day. The most important part of that family legacy is the belief that Farr, as he worked at his lathe fashioning the shackles and other parts necessary for the modifications to the bomb bays of the Enola Gay and Bockscar to accommodate the atomic bombs, was engaged in the project that made the invasion of Japan unnecessary and in all likelihood preserved the life of our brother Dean. Epilogue: August 15, 1945, had Leo, lone, Bonnie Lee and Jimmy Hurst on a fishing trip at Forsyth reservoir in southern Utah. Upon learning from a radio broadcast of the Japanese surrender and the declaration of peace, there was whooping and hollering as expressions of relief and joy. A boat came trolling by and Dad yelled out the good news that the war was over. Surprisingly, the boats occupants remained silent. Finally a woman, obviously a mother, yelled back, 'You all go ahead and celebrate. We don't feel much like it today. Our son won't be coming home.' 'And that's the way it was, on home fronts across the United States, on the 15th day of August, 1945.' Submitted by James (Jim) C. Hurst, brother 200 Wall of Honor The following Weber alumni/ae served their country during WWII: Bert Jay Adams Joseph B. Adams Raymond Adams Samuel L. Adams Arthur Albertson Howard Albrechtsen Robert C. Aldous Merle Allen Norman Allen Warren Allen Claire J. Allred Lee James Andelin Ingar Andersen Carl Norman Anderson Dee R. Anderson Edward P. Anderson Lawrence Roland Anderson Vaughn Anderson Woodrow Anderson Walter F. Andrew Dominick Antonietti Dan Arnold Frank Delwin Arnold Gene Arnold Harold Clyde Austin Jay Gainer Bachman Harold W. Badger Dan Bailey Lavelle Bair Richard C. Baird Walter Baker Robert Balagna W. Ben Ball David Robinson Ballantyne Wayne Ballantyne Ivan Bambrough Lee Barber Rex Clyde Barber Glen Ririe Barlow Ralph E. Barnard Ray C. Barnard Gordon Barney Charles H. Barrett Eugene H. Barrett Keith Barton Jim S. Bateman Robert G. Bateman Robert Beck Taylor Becraft Henry T. Becroft Laurence Wayne Bell Ted Basil Bell Donald E. Belnap Erol Reuben Benson Carl R. Berg Milt Bergland Ray Bernard Elwood David (Red) Berrett Reed J. Berrett Richard L. Berry Frank Berryessa Max Joseph Berryessa Richard Bevan Richard Bills Bartley F. Bingham Delbert John Bingham Gerald Bingham Golden A. Bingham Paul James Bingham Walter E. Bingham Robert Keith Birkin Robert Henry Bischoff Charles Seal Bishop Dean K. Bitton Sanford Fife Blackburn James Blaes Cloyd D. Blain Edward L. Blair Jim Clifford Blair Robert Preston Blair Fred Thomas Blakeley Robert Simpson Blakeley Robert Wilson Blakeley Fern Blasko Julias "Duke" Blasko William J. Bobolis Bettie Blair Bond John Bott George J. Bowman Fay Wilde Boyer William Ensign Boyington Daniel W. Bradshaw Wilbur Braithwaite Ray J. Bramwell Jack M. Bride Don S. Brimhall A. Lynn Brower William "Bill" Brown Clarence Daniels Brown Dale Brown Darrell Z. Brown Dee L. Brown Herbert E. Brown Lewis Thomas Brown Loa Virgil Brown Norman R. Brown Ralph Brown William Dean Brown Dean "Dude" Browne DaleT. Browning Allen H. Brueckner Fay W. Bryner Ray F. Bryner Thomas G. Buchanan Lloyd Buckley E. LaMar Buckner Russell W. Buhler E. Wayne Bundy LaMar Burnett Richard Spencer Burrows Allen C. Burt F. Earl Burton Laurence J. Burton Don Averett Buswell D. Gene Butler Robert J. Butler Dale Butterfield Allen J. Butters Calvin Reid Bybee Lewis Call Ralph Call Arthur Farr Campbell Garn Glade Campbell Lyle Kenneth Campbell Reed Winfield Campbell Robert E. Campbell Sterling Hugh Campbell Albert L. Capson William J. Capson George Wilford Cardwell Norman Carlson Robert E. Carney David Bruce Carr Frank Branch Carruth Russell W. Carruth Alvin R. Carter Everett Vaughn Carter Floyd Carter John Webster Carter Harold Murray Carver Norman Carver Wayne Carver Wayne Edward Casey Carlos Daniel Cerna Don L. Chadwick Keith W. Chadwick Leland Chambers Lionel Joseph Chambers William J. Chambers Carrol Champneys Floyd (Buzz) Champneys Thomas D. Champneys Adele Hughes Chandler Calvin Shaw Chandler LaMar Thomas Chard Norman V. Chatfield Phillip Clark Cheney Glen Cherry Clyde Child Lewis R. Child Rawson D. Child Alan R. Christensen Wayne J. Christensen John Junior Christiansen Robert E. Christofferson Edward D. Cisowski Charles Clark Jerry M. Clark Robert Clark Robert B. Clarke John R. Clawson Robert Blaine Clay Dean N. Clayton Mathis E. Cleveland Dale Clifford Cyril B. Cluff, Jr. Leslie A. Cole Robert Coleman Farrell R. Collett William L. Collins Don Colvin Charles A. Combe Fred B. Comer, Jr. Lane Compton Merlin Compton 201