Greetings Fellow Compatriots, Associates and Friends,
Utah SAR President Trent Grandy
As we come to the close of another year and the start of a new one, I have been reflecting on all of the great things that we have accomplished. Just look at what has taken place in the last six months since our last newsletter. It’s an important era to be alive. I truly believe that we were each assigned to be on this earth at this important juncture in time to sustain our ancestors whose DNA that we bear, and who sacrificed so much so that we could continue to be a bastion of freedom in this world. We owe it to them and to future generations to continue to carry on the struggle. It seems that we are losing a little ground every day. But all is not lost. Fortunately, there are still people willing to make sure America’s true history is retold and our holidays celebrated. We just need to take those occasions and use them as teaching lessons. With the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of our country, and the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on Dec 16, 1773, we have a wonderful opportunity. We need to take this time to remind those around us. Whether by direct action and speaking out verbally, indirectly such as with banners, buttons, or flags, or in passive ways just being examples of patriotism with our actions!
I am also excited to see that our Red Cliffs of Zion chapter has been busy reorganizing for their new chapter executive board. There are some terrific compatriots who will be continuing in their various positions, and some new faces that will be joining in. We are excited for their continued success in the southern regions of our state! In addition, I am aware that they will be looking for new volunteers to help them continue to advance their amazing chapter. We in the state society are looking for volunteers as well. Some service opportunities include: New Wasatch Front Chapter Leadership, ROTC/JROTC Contest and Awards committee members; Eagle Scout Contest committee members; Color Guard Service members; Flag Flyers Committee members; 250th 1776-2026 Anniversary committee members; Utah SAR Commemorative Source Book committee members; Financial Fundraising committee members; as well as this Semi-annual Newsletter – “The Utah Patriot” committee members and article contributors. Should you feel that you can volunteer and assist with any of these positions that may be of interest or where your talents may align, please contact a member of your state society or local chapter leadership.
In our recent past we had our amazing Red Cliffs of Zion Chapter President Jeff McKenna, who authored a book and gave us a presentation of one of the great lost patriots of history, Dr. Joseph Warren. What an incredible amount of research and time it took to share this very important patriot with the world. I recently read another article about an outstanding little-known patriot from the Revolution who has been lost to many of us. The author is O. E. McDougal, and the title of the article is “An American Patriot You Never Heard Of: Haym Salomon”. Haym was a Jewish businessman who immigrated from Poland to New York. He became a broker and joined the Sons of Liberty later in the war. He was instrumental in persuading many of the Red Coats and Hessian soldiers to join the patriot cause. He also helped many of the American and French prisoners of war to escape and was arrested himself and sentenced to death in 1778 but was able to escape from his jailers.
Later, he was instrumental in finding financing for much of the war. General Washington relied heavily on him for this aid, particularly in being able to keep the troops that had not been paid in months from quitting just prior to marching on Yorktown held by Lord Cornwallis. It was this battle that was eventually the turning point in the war. Haym, had put up much of his own money in these financing endeavors, but was never reimbursed. He ended up dying almost penniless.
It is stories like these, laced with many miracles, that I feel are an important part of our history. Many of these stories have already been lost or are being revised. Probably, we will never know even a tiny fraction of the amazing feats that happened, possibly even to those of our own ancestors. My hope is that one day we will be able to meet them and hear these stories from their own mouths. But when and if we do, let’s not let them down. May we be able to tell them how we kept their sacrifices from being lost! We owe it to these brave patriot ancestors and our future generations to continue the fight!
Thank you as always for your participation and continued support of this worthy cause. And as always may the Lord bless and keep you and our nation in the coming year!
As always, may the Lord bless and keep you and our nation!
Yours in Liberty,
Trent Grandy
President, Utah SAR
