Robyn Buttars

I was raised in a family where gratitude for the United States of America and service to this country were taught by example.

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As a young girl, I recall my Grandma Butterfield displaying her love of this land through pictures, stories, and supporting soldiers, including those very dear to her.

 

Her husband, my Grandpa Butterfield, was drafted to serve in WWI five months after their marriage.

 

On Thanksgiving Day 1918, while stationed near Flanders Field, Belgium, Grandpa received notice that he was a father. His son, my father, had been born three months before the happy news made its way across the battlefield.

 

My grandparents were blessed with eight sons, four of whom served in WWII. Herbert, their second son, made the ultimate sacrifice while aiding injured soldiers as a medic in France. He was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. Hope for his safe return was shattered when his remains were found.

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My father continued his service to our country through the Utah National Guard. This included deployment to Korea, which required leaving behind my mother and three older siblings. After years of service, my father retired with the rank of Colonel in the United States Army Reserve.

 

My brothers, father-in-law, and several brothers-in-law are included in those whom I consider heroes for their service in defending the United States of America.

 

These are just some of the reasons why I feel an immense, sacred gratitude for those that have served our county.

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—Robyn Butterfield Buttars, Songwriter of "These Are the Stars: A Tribute to America's Heroes"