Prisoner of War: A Glimpse into an Unseen World (8)

Before starting my next paper I was to do, the Issue Paper, I thought about what sort of topic I wanted to write on. I died just a little when Sister Steadman said that this paper had to be between 8-10 pages of research and analysis. Wow, that sounded like a whole barrel of fun. I have been back from my mission for about 3 months now, and I'm not gonna lie, my vocabulary seems to have declined, as well as my ability to write in correct form. 
Anyway, needless to say, I was a little bit worried about this paper. When Sister Steadman said we could write about our ancestor, immediately, the name Forrest LeRoy Packard popped into my head. Forrest is my great-grandfather on my mom's side. All I knew of this man is that he had 18 children altogether and that he was a prisoner of war on Wake Island who survived to tell the tale. This is all I knew. But I knew there was a lot more to the story, so I dove in. It all started actually at the library here on campus at BYU. This lady was teaching us how to research and find valid sources to use in our writing. 
As I was searching the internet, I found articles about my great-grandfather written in the Ensign, periodicals, records, pictures, all sorts of information I didn't even know existed. I went on to familysearch.org and found that someone in the Packard line had uploaded journal entries, letters, and poems that Forrest had written. All of this had been uploaded in the last 4 months. There were pictures and descriptions. I called my grandfather, Floyd Packard, who was the son of Forrest, and had an interview with him. I learned how hard it was for my great-grandmother to raise 11 of the 17 children alone for 4 years. In fact, when Wake Island was attacked, it took over a year for my great-grandmother to find out that her husband was still alive. I just learned so much about my own family that I didn't know.

As far as writing this paper is concerned, the most amazing thing happened. Page length was not an issue at all. In fact, I didn't even look at how many pages I had written until I was done with my final draft. (Most times, I am just adding any little bit of information just to get the page requirements) I totally enjoyed being able to share my story and the things I was learning with my reader. It was actually enjoyable to analyze because I got to put myself in the head of Forrest and try to think as he would.

Great Grandpa Packard sitting the chair surrounded by his sons

I think most important to me, I learned about what kind of heritage I come from. My great-grandfather and grandmother were faithful members of the church with burning testimonies. They set the stage for generations. All 17 kids were married in the temple, and I guess you can imagine how big our family line is and what an impact faithful examples have made. I loved coming to know my family on a very personal level. I feel some sort of deeper connection and understanding, most specifically to my great-grandfather, Forrest Packard. I imagine that God often allows our ancestors to be our angels and helpers. I know Forrest knows all about my life, and how neat that I now know more about his and we now have a better understanding of each other.