My Helmet Was ‘Blowed’ Off

Earl was a quiet man of dignity, born in Ogden, Utah in 1891.  Not surprisingly, in 1918 he received a letter from Uncle Sam ordering him to report to the 37th Ohio Division for active military service. He was sent to Europe as part of the United States Army Infantry where he fought in France and Belgium.

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Just before the Armistice, he was fighting in Belgium and was shot in the back but didn’t realize it and continued fighting. It wasn’t until he got back to camp that some of his friends noticed he had been shot. He didn’t feel pain so he was surprised when he took off his pack and found that a bullet had gone through his pack, overcoat, blouse, and shirt. It stopped at his undershirt. Earl was a man of faith and attributed his life being saved to divine protection.

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Earl had a friend in his unit, Elmer, who claimed that there was no God. One day they fought together in a skirmish and Earl described the events this way, “a bomb came over and lit right in front of me … picked me up, tossed and threw me, dirt flying all over and [my] helmet blowed off. … I turned to Elmer and … he was hollering … ‘Oh God, oh God, help us!’ So in just about two hours, he acknowledged God like most of us do when we’re in trouble.”

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Earl Cazier from Afton, Wyoming was my grandfather and when he returned to his home after the war had ended lived his life on his farm in Star Valley with devotion to his family, his faith, and his country. He taught his children about his belief in God but didn’t force it on them. As they developed their own spirituality, he accepted their right to believe as they chose. 

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There is no right way to worship or live our spiritual beliefs, but research has shown that spirituality is an important and effective resiliency tool that we should use to help our children develop and use for their benefit and growth. Spirituality doesn’t have to be in the form of organized religion, but it can be something as simple as an individual’s search for meaning and purpose in their life. Our children can benefit greatly from being taught to search for their own meaning and purpose so they can live their life in a way that will prepare and strengthen them through their life’s journey.



Happy Failing Forward,

Calvert


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