SSG R. DENZEL HUNT CLASSROOM OF EXCELLENCE

Because I do Elder Hunt's blog each week, I sometimes simply run out of time to do everything I would like to.  Imagine that!  However, there are some things that should NOT be left unrecorded, so, here goes!!


Up until Denzel's death, he worked as an instructor at Camp Williams alongside his very close friend, Ssg. Shaun Tucker.  Since Denzel's death, there was a push at the base to name each classroom after a noteworthy military individual.

Due to the impact Denzel had had on the base and a lot of the training he was involved in, the program changes he improved and implemented, and due to the work that Ssg Shaun Tucker put into it to make this a reality, the classroom that Ssg Tucker currently teaches in was designated and named the R. Denzel Hunt Classroom of Excellence.

What a special tribute and honor!!  It was very thoughtful and meaningful to Rod and I just to know that they would think to do something like this.  We also appreciated the efforts Dan and Janet Barton put in to making the large poster-sized photograph and write-up used in the classroom!




On Friday, September 13th, Rod and I drove up to Camp Williams in Draper.  We had been invited by Ssg Shaun Tucker.  He's an instructor there and  as part of the course he teaches, he requires each student to do a 5 minute presentation on a deceased military personnel, worthy of emulation.

During this particular cycle, Shaun has had a particularly "on-the-ball" student that he has been very impressed with, and he allowed him (Sgg. Durrant) to do his presentation on Denzel. Rod and I were honored to be invited to the classroom presentation.  Even though it meant Rod took a day off of work to be at the base in Draper by 2:00 p.m., there was no way we would have missed this!

Ssg Tucker met us outside the building on the base, and we walked upstairs together and into the classroom.



The students were just returning from a break, and we were warmly greeted by people we had met at Denzel's funeral as well as the students in the class.

 Before things got started, a picture of Denzel was put up on the screen, and when I looked up and saw my son there, it instantly brought tears to my eyes.  I was quickly reaching for my purse and my stash of tissues as I mentioned to no one and yet everyone with a joking tone, "Oh this is NOT a good sign!!"  It was very emotional for both Rod and I, but in a good way.  What a special honor it was for us to be there and to share our son and his military career with these students and many other military personnel who crowded into the classroom.

  When Ssg. Durrant  finished the presentation, which was VERY well done, Ssg. Tucker asked if Rod and I had anything we'd like to add.  (I wasn't sure if we would be asked to contribute, but I had grabbed a couple of pictures, "just in case."  I'm glad I did.)

 I passed around our "last family picture" with Denzel in it.  I wanted each person there to know very clearly that Denzel was an important part of our family.  He was (and is) loved more than can be expressed.

I next held up, then passed around,  our "marathon picture," showing Denzel, Brandon, Kristy, Amelia and me running the 2007 St. George Marathon.  (Denzel had only run one 5-mile training run as his prep for the marathon.)  Amazingly, we all finished together, hands interlaced with each other's as  we all crossed the

finish line together.  I related how there were times that the girls wanted to go ahead, because they had trained, but  we managed to stay together and helped pace each other.  Just like our very close family, the military family sticks together, pushes each other onward and helps achieve excellence together.

I then related a few incidents from Denzel's first deployment to Iraq, the accuracy of their fire missions, and how the Marines would specifically request their fire missions to be given to the 222nd because of their extreme accuracy. At first I couldn't quite grasp how "firing the gun" could be that difficult.  So Denz putting it in terms that I could relate to.  He said, "Mom, imagine that our gun [looked like a TANK to me, but it's called a GUN] was parked at our house.  Now you aim it north towards Pine Valley.  Your mission is to hit the Veyo pool, which is approximately 30 miles away.  You fire, and come within 10 yards of the pool, obliterating it!!  That's basically what we do."  And that's how I started to understand just how well-trained Denzel was in his military responsibilities.  Like he said to me, "You KNOW you're good when the MARINES request you!!"

After a few of these personal stories, I related a bit about how Denzel died.  Due to substance abuse, and the wrong set of circumstances combining into "the perfect storm," he ended his life.  I briefly suggested to these young men and women that any substance that changes the way you think, and takes control of your mind and body, is NOT the way to go.  "And IF you have a problem in this area, GET HELP NOW!!!  Do NOT put it off.  You never know when it may be too late!"

Then Rod spoke briefly, thanking everyone for their love and support and our appreciation for the great respect we have felt from everyone.

Talking with Ssg. Durrant afterward

Denzel's former office...it was a bit emotional for us to see where Denzel was sitting so many times when we would call and talk to him when he was at "work."  Could almost feel him right there with us!!

It was a memorable, emotional, good, and a little difficult experience.  Thank you SO MUCH Shaun Tucker!!!  Thank you for loving and respecting our son in such a way as to honor him with a Classroom of Excellence in his name.  No matter what changes may be made in the future, WE will never forget it!

Camping at Kolob Reservoir!

Dad and I were invited to join the Sand Hollow Yacht Club on an overnight sailing expedition at Kolob Reservoir.  It sounded like a fun get-away so as soon as Dad got home from school, and I stopped whining about the 3 questions I missed on my first psychology quiz (22/25...), we headed northward...into the great billowing cloud covered mountains to the northeast of St. George.  It was incredibly beautiful, and we figured we might be in for a downpour.  We were!!  And we had a GREAT adventure!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTROSPECTION. . .

This month has been a busy one, lots of different things going on, but that never seems to stop my brain from kicking into gear about lots of different things.

Due to some events that will go unnamed I have thought a lot about myself...kinda second-guessing...which isn't necessarily a good thing, or a bad thing.  I guess it just depends on where it takes you.  Of late I have thought that in a few different situations I may have said or done the wrong thing.  And that has caused some sore contemplation.


 I have said aloud a few times, "I feel like a blundering idiot!"  I know that isn't necessarily true or productive, but it is a statement of my feelings.  And the verbalization that: I don't KNOW, from an educational point of view, things I wish I knew.    Or perhaps I do, and just don't know that I know it.  Either way I have felt a bit inept, psychologically speaking.

Maybe none of this makes sense to anyone else (other than my husband, who has always been a good sounding board), but I suddenly felt inspired to "take a psychology class."  I just wish the inspiration could have come ONE DAY EARLIER...then I wouldn't have had to pay the $50 late fee that began the day I registered!  Rats!!!  Oh well, at least I'm doing it.  I won't go into all the details of the sections of class I went to the first couple of days, and changing of classes, to find the ONE class I should be taking this semester.   But I did find it, and I'm enjoying the academic educational process.  If for no other reason than discovering through book learning the many things I have learned through life living!!  It's amazing!  The things I just "know."  But my professor is VERY good at explaining things and helping piece everything together!

I guess the thing I've learned, continue to learn, through this is that it's okay...it's IMPORTANT...to look inside ourselves and see what needs to be changed.  Maybe it's nothing BAD or a sin...but still some growth that needs to take place.  Maybe there have been lots of people praying that someday I'll "get it" and perhaps that day is coming.  Until then, I continue to stumble along, with everyone else, and try to do the best I can.

SAILING, SAILING!!

Our "first timers" date with the Sand Hollow Yacht Club finally arrived...August 3, 2013!!  Dad and I drove out to Sand Hollow and we were grateful for our annual pass to all the Utah State Parks!!  We drove to the designated area, but weren't sure if we were in the right place...only one sailboat was sitting on a truck trailer WAAAAAYYY off over a bunch of sand...at least from where we could park our car.  We drove around a bit and didn't see any other sailboats anywhere, so we went back and walked across the very hot sand to the lone sailboat.  We met Hal Stead, who said we were in the right place.  Hooray!!

We helped him get his sailboat set up, and just as we finished, Raul Hevia, his wife Lori, and their son, Rocco pulled up with there THREE sailboats!  Soon enough we were ready to go out on the water!!  Hal did a great job of making us feel comfortable, and teaching us some things about sailing.  After awhile, we came back to shore, ate some food, then headed back out with Raul, since the wind was pretty good!  Raul taught us some more, and gave us a chance to try things out, which was fun.  When we came back to shore the second time, Raul suggested we take his smaller boat out by ourselves and see what we could do.  Rod and I were both excited, and a little nervous, but really wanted to try it by ourselves.  So we went out!

 What a blast!!!  I guess it's like most other stuff...there's nothing quite like trying it yourself to learn how to do something!!  We paid attention to the stuff Hal and Raul had taught us and we felt very comfortable sailing across the lake!  It was beautiful.  We turned around at one point, passed Hal just as he flipped his catamaran over (trying to video AND sail at the same time...a gust came up and dumped him over!)  We circled him twice (which isn't the easiest thing to do, but we did it!!) and it was cool to watch how he flipped the catamaran back upright.

It was a GREAT time!!  Hope you kids will come with us to Kolob Reservoir for our next outing...a campout and sailing Friday and Saturday!!   (I hope the horses don't feel neglected!!)   

Stake Girls Camp...After 26 Years!!

Wow!  We're not quite sure what our own bed looks like, let alone feels like, since we've been on the go so much!  I thought it was called "summer vacation" so we could RELAX!!  Ha!!  But I must say, it has been fun in spite of the constant state of flux...

We arrived home from the 4th of July week, and had ONE DAY to get packed and ready for our Girls Camp experience.  In a nutshell: The whole week was GREAT!!

I was called to be the Stake Camp Cook, which meant I planned the menu, bought the groceries, and cooked all the meals the stake youth leaders and stake adult leaders ate, which meals started on Tuesday evening, and ended Saturday morning.  There was NO WAY I could have done this without Rod.  He helped me every step of the way!!

And talk about things going well. . .
Everyone loved what was cooked.
It was easy only having ONE THING to be in charge of. . . the cooking.
Rod was there...and even though he was a HUGE help, his PRESENCE was so very beneficial to me.
I got to interact with many of the girls at camp, and the leaders.  (Hiking, singing, skits, testimony meeting)
We were in the mountains, and it was beautiful and refreshing!!  The large amounts of rain we received were enjoyable, too, because we had a HUGE fire within a covered pavilion!  (I felt badly for our ward leaders and girls, because they didn't have this luxury!!)

It had been 26 years since my last Girls Camp excursion.  And it was to the same location!!  26 years earlier I had gone with Kristy (she was 2 months old!) for the entire week of camp.  During that week so long ago, we had hiked the mountain across from our campground, and Heidi Graf (then 15) taught us "The Zulu King" song...yep, kids, that's where one of our "family favorite" songs came from!!  Little did I know that during this camp in 2013, there would be three girls who needed this association in their lives, and asked if we could hike the mountain together and would I teach them The Zulu King.  We did and now that song will be passed down for another generation or two!!

And I am continually amazed at how our Heavenly Father directs us to people's lives and how we help to lift and strengthen one another!!

Although this camp was a LOT of work, it was very memorable, and life-changing in many ways!