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Show When Two Generations Meet An Address by Dr. Adam S. Bennion delivered over Radio Station KSL on Thursday, November 11, 1943 I rp WENTY-FIVE years ago a happy I world thrilled to the bells of peace. ' The curtain was rung down on World War I. The bells of World War II haven't yet pealed forth the message of peace, but the allied soldiers Russian, British, Chinese Chi-nese and American now aided by a fateful fate-ful Italian force have hold of the ropes in the belfries of the world. It is fitting that for a brief moment we pay honor to the heroic men of a quarter of a century ago men living and dead who tumbled the haughty Hun and cracked his crafty design to tyrannize the world. Villainous, Vil-lainous, that twice in our day, an arrogant and impious nation should blacken the horizon of civilization with an unrighteous ambition to conquer and to dominate for their own selfish purposes. The proud cry "Deutschland Uber Alles" has earned for ' Germany the mistrust and hatred of the world. Herr Hitler has only intensified that hatred as he has brutalized the aspirations aspira-tions of what otherwise might be a praiseworthy praise-worthy people. t Tonight we bring a wreath of memory for the men of the Argonne, of the Meuse, of the Marne and Chateau Thierry. In fancy we lay that wreath on Flanders Field. May the men now living who honored themselves and all of us in that great conflict con-flict accept our deep appreciation for their heroic service. We salute the American Legion! And now as our forces are hewing out the paths that shall lead to another Armistice Armi-stice it is fitting that we bring to them our tribute of affection and appreciation. Nine million men the pride of our nation deserve de-serve our unbounded gratitude. They are living up to the best traditions of their fathers. On every battle front they are writing writ-ing in crimson the glory of another generation. gen-eration. f But those men do not fight alone. They not only have "God as their Co-Pilot" they are wonderfully sustained by the men and women back home. It is to them I pay tribute tonight: To all of them in mill, factory, shop, on the farm, in the cab of the locomotive, in the mine, and in the great productive plants of America who so wonderfully are supplying the sinews of war. To one of those plants I especially invite your attention tonight. The Parachute Company of Utah at Manti is a unique institution. No one can visit it and not be impressed. One who has a son in the Air Forces of our country is thrilled. I could wish that every citizen in Utah could look in on this remarkable institution. in-stitution. As you drive into Manti you never would suspect that so meaningful an operation oper-ation is being carried forward. Here 400 workers in two shifts are turning out parachutes para-chutes for the protection of our flyers from six o'clock in the morning to 11:15 at night. The building itself is a delightful place in which to work; spacious, well lighted, clean, well equipped. Fine facilities are provided, including rest rooms, shower rooms and cafeteria. But the building constitutes con-stitutes only an introduction to the project. The purpose is so worthy. Some jobs take on a meaning far beyond the mere processes involved. That's true in a parachute factory. fac-tory. The purpose is more than to put together strips of nylon. It is to perfect a safety device which will bring boys safely out of the sky. There are no placards and no evident preachments in the place. But somehow a strange sanctity attaches to it. You recall the observations of the three men working as stone cutter in a quarry. I quote from Brown's "Why I Believe in Religion." "Here were three men busily en-. en-. gaged with mallet and chisel in a stone quarry! There came a man who had a head on his shoulders and two good eyes in it. He said to the first man, 'What are you doing?' The man replied, re-plied, T arn working here for five dollars a day.' He passed on to the second, and said 'What are you doing?' do-ing?' The man replied, T am cutting stone.' He passed on to the third, 'What are you doing?' This man also had a head on his shoulders he looked up and said, T am building a ; cathedral.' " And so here is a plant with a wonderful purpose: to construct temporary tents of the sky. In those tents men may live to be restored re-stored again to earth. If the purpose of this plant is significant the process is equally fascinating. Time forbids a complete detailing of all that goes on, but from the moment you step into the plant you become intrigued. Fancy seeing 300 layers of beautiful white nylon stretched out along a table 165 feet long. Then follow fol-low to see this nylon cut into strips, 24 of which are to go into each parachute. Girls, expert in the operation of machines, do stitching which is classic in its artistic finesse. fin-esse. Not only are you impressed with the care and accuracy of operations, but the checking and double checking is most assuring. as-suring. Having seen this plant and its operations, oper-ations, if I ever could get up the courage to make the jump out of a plane, I could have no misgivings about the parachute itself. As I think of my own son in the air service of our country I am grateful to these workers in Manti who have given me a wonderful security of feeling in the expert-ness expert-ness and thoroughness of their workmanship. workman-ship. As you move about among these workers you watch the strips being put together, to-gether, the cords being inserted, the work being reinforced, checked and checked again, until finally the parachute is completed. com-pleted. Inspected and checked once more, and boxed for shipment. The process really cannot be described. You just have to spend an afternoon marveling at the precision of a couple of hundred people doing their full share to sustain our war effort at the front. And that leads me to the third fascinating fascinat-ing factor in this Manti plant of production. Worthy as the purpose is, and fascinating as the process is, the people are the most stimulating of all. I confess to an interest in people over and above any mechanical process. You come out of the Parachute Plant at Manti stirred to a little fuller appreciation of the fine qualities of an American at work. All but about a half dozen mechanics and supervisors in this j plant are women. I can understand why Manti was chosen for this plant. There ii a rare quality among her citizenry. At the outset you are greeted by Col. Fauntleroy in charge of the plant. He came out of the last World War in which he distinguished dis-tinguished himself as a flyer and as an experimenter ex-perimenter of parachutes. Incidentally, he I further distinguished himself in the train- I ing of Eddie Rickenbacker. Here is a aan I who, even if he didn't have them, would need no distinguished cross to label him as a hero of another war. He is gracious, dynamic, effective. Utah expresses gratitude grati-tude to him for having brought a plant into I a rural section of our State which brings I us a million dollars a year in its operations. It's a tonic to meet this man. It's a rare privilege to enjoy his fellowship. And if you ever eat one of those meals at head- I quarters, you'll remember it always. As you walk about through the plant these girls seem so thoroughly to enjoy their work. They are not only capable they are devoted. Their activity may be heightened by a bonus, but it is as if they I can see out beyond the immediate job i hand the preservation of the life of a boy I who might well have come from out their own family. I entered the plant to spend a few rnio- I utes. I stayed all afternoon. I just wish I could reflect the spirit of the place; that I ' I could tell you the full story behind the service being rendered. Two generation! really meet in that plant. There are young girls under 20; there are mothers of 40L J They join hands in a performance one of , j the most creditable I have ever been privi- j leged to watch. If you think your problems I are a little tough at times be gotd enough to remember that there are women at the Manti Plant who get up between three and Y four in the morning to set a household int II order and who leave three, four or five children while they drive across country to II report to work at 6 a. m. There are other I women who work a full shift at the plant A and then hurry home to take care of their Vk own household duties and some of them are good enough to look after the children of other mothers who then replace them on a second shift. I am sure no mere man can understand fully what a mother goes through who takes care of a family and wha I works at a factory as well. I think I could detect that some of these women were a 1 bit tired and under somewhat of a strain, I marvel that they did not show it more. I Could I speak for the men in our armed forces, whose lives may one day be saved by what these fine women are doing, I should say: "Thank you and God Bless I you. Your performance smacks of nobility. If the women in the towns surrounding j Manti could once fully catch the spirit of this institution, I am sure there would be a L waiting list beyond the force necessary to j m run the plant to full capacity. . I p As I came away I couldn't escape the I P thought that here is a great opportunity for I t some Utahn, or Utahns, to extend the use- J, fulness of this plant into some kind of L peacetime operation. Pendleton, Oregon, fi is noted for its blankets and jackets. With . j the proper vision, perhaps Manti can be- ' I come famed not only for its Temple and its wonderful .people, but for its tents, or its I coveralls, or its other denim products, or, ' K"Nl if we could keep the flow of nylon cominj " in, perhaps some silken product could bring IP new distinction to our State. Such a thought f adds a note of prosperity to the idea cf ML peace of another Armistice Day. IH The Parachute Company of Utah, Manti, Gratefully Acknowledges Permission for Reproduction of this Message I D I to tr , 6f T, - Ai to 1 - J o |
