Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
There is wonderful entertainment available in Provo. I especially loved the Cambridge King's College Singers, the BYU folk ensemble and Christmas Around the World performances.
We enjoyed a beautiful creche exhibit at their church building, reminding me of the 34 (?) year tradition in Palo Alto, which has been virtual the last two years during the Pandemic. The village tradition comes from Italy, but shared throughout the world today. Here is a brief history: During the French Revolution, Christianity was under attack. Specifically Catholicism. All symbols of Christian worship were banned. In Provence, France, the people got around that by making small replicas of the townspeople and setting them up in their homes in small vignettes. Then at Christmas, they would hide the baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph amongst the little village scene. The devotion and faith of these people was truly courageous. Here are a few samples from Russia, Africa,and Europe.
I continued my holiday open house tradition on December 18. So many fond memories of my 49 year (minus mission and pandemic Christmases) tradition and of all my friends and students who used to come. I got so busy talking and hostessing that I neglected to take many photos. Here are just a few of my wonderful old and new friends:
Aaron is trying to decide whether to steal a gift or pick one still wrapped in the center.
Eighty years ago this month, a surprise attack by Japanese forces occurred at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack killed more than 2,000, injured 1,178, and led to America’s entry into WWII. During the attack, six U.S. battleships were sunk, and more than a dozen others were damaged. The Japanese also destroyed 300 airplanes. The attack lasted less than two hours, and the following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.
The volunteers at Stories Behind the Stars are working on an ambitious project to tell the story of each Pearl Harbor casualty. As we mark the 80th anniversary of that fateful day, here are a few stories they’ve gathered:
Radioman 3rd Class Theodore Q. Jensen was born in a small Utah farming town. His father was an immigrant from Denmark and instilled a love of country and patriotism in his children. After graduating from high school, Theo and seven other young men from his tiny community enlisted together. Theo served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Oklahoma. On the morning of December 7th, he was granted a day pass and was gathering his gear aboard the ship when it was hit by several torpedoes and capsized. Theo was among those killed. There were mass casualties that day, and many of the fallen were buried without proper identification, including Theo. Back home, Theo’s family and the entire community mourned his death. They named the local American Legion post in his honor. In 2015, Congress authorized an initiative to exhume unidentified remains, and properly identify them through DNA analysis. On December 17, 2020, Theo’s remains were identified, and last June, he was reinterred in Delta, Utah.
Jack G. Smalley grew up in Toledo, Ohio, in a family that had a love for the sea. All four Smalley brothers served in the U.S. Navy. One died of an illness in 1932 during active service, but the tragedy did not keep Jack from enlisting. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Jack enlisted in the Navy in Detroit, Michigan. For a time, both Jack and his brother Bud served on the USS Arizona. Their reunion lasted nearly a year until Bud was reassigned to a ship in the Atlantic. Jack stayed on the Arizona and was near the portside anti-aircraft gun when the Japanese attacked. Eight armor-piercing bombs penetrated the ship. One fell on the deck near turret No. 2, causing a large explosion that sent Jack into the rolling waters of Pearl Harbor. News of his death did not reach his parents for five days. Jack’s body was recovered, and he was laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Jack’s mother, Gladys Smalley, channeled her grief by immersing herself in wartime efforts. She sold war bonds, stitched chevrons on sailors’ uniforms, served sandwiches at the USO, and knit blankets for servicemen. She was also the director of a mother’s club that provided money for poor sailors to buy basic provisions. Her husband, Vern Smalley, said, “I guess that doing all the work she can for servicemen and organizations, and for the bond drives, is her way of showing how she feels about Jack.”
