My grandpa, William (Billy) White McCormack, served in World War I as a signaler in the 14th Royal Irish Rifles. Signalers were in charge of laying telegraph wire in the trenches to ensure continuous communication during battle. His agility, combined with his speed, suited him perfectly for his role in that awful war. Grandpa endured four long years in France and Belgium fighting with the Rifles, part of the 36th Ulster Division, British Expeditionary Force. He was involved in some of the most heated battles of that conflict.
Contrary to policy, he regularly recorded his experiences in diaries, which were preserved and cherished. Over fifty years later, they were transcribed and distributed to all his posterity. Reading his entries, it is obvious that his almost-daily writing was a large part of how he coped with the horrors of war that surrounded him. His eternal optimism through all of this continues to inspire his posterity today.
At the end of many of those entries, he concluded with what became his life mantra: “Keep Smiling!” Reading his journals (and reading between the lines), we know Billy McCormack was courageous, determined, loyal, and remarkably resilient in the face of such adversity. “Keep Smiling” kept him going!
Many Died For Us, All Were Willing To
In the spring of 2017, a special celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge was organized by Veterans Affairs Canada. Because of my grandpa’s service in WWI, my husband Richard and I planned a trip to France and Belgium that involved reading and rereading Grandpa’s war diaries. We carefully plotted on maps where he had marched, camped, and marched some more.
As we studied battles he had fought in, we were amazed that he had survived. He wrote about going “up and over,” and on a few occasions, he was in the first or second wave of attackers advancing on the German lines. He described how men on either side of him were being mowed down like hay, but somehow, he miraculously survived. Though not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he attributed his protection to divine providence.
The Lord is in Charge of our Lives
As a family, we feel the Lord spared him for a greater purpose, knowing that he would later join the Church. He would thus raise a posterity that would become covenant keepers and family history experts, helping to form a covenant bridge between his ancestors and the blessings of the temple. Richard and I, along with our children and grandchildren, are all part of that covenant bridge. It is our solemn responsibility to make and keep these sacred covenants that will not only save us but also bind our family and all of Grandpa McCormack’s posterity together throughout the eternities.
While touring many of those World War I battlefields and sacred cemeteries, we learned more about the horrors of war, especially this war. We were moved to tears on many occasions, realizing so many had died to preserve the freedom and democracy we have in the Western World (Europe and North America).
It was certainly a sobering experience for both of us as we visited dozens of immaculate cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Acres of tombstones with the words “Unknown soldier, known unto God” were engraved on the gleaming white marble.
A Voice From the Dust Speaks
Richard recorded this unforgettable experience as we visited the Battle of the Somme Memorial at Thiepval, France: “On this very ground on July 1, 1916, Grandpa McCormack was with the first wave of attackers to start this epic battle, one of the bloodiest ever fought in the history of mankind. He survived. Many did not. On that majestic memorial, the names of 72,000 who were not so fortunate and who had no known graves were engraved. The losses on both sides over several months were approximately a million men.
“As I sat there on that battlefield, I had the most powerful feeling come over me- that from this great tragedy, and the death of so many, came a message to me from these valiant spirits who had passed on. Their message was simple: “LIVE WELL! Appreciate your life. Use every waking, breathing moment to do as much good to others as possible.”
I felt peace and a greater resolve to follow what I felt these spirits were communicating to me. That night, I had a dream in which I saw these men, busy in the spirit world, occupied, happy and fulfilled. They were fine. Death was the beginning of another existence for them. The resurrection is real. After these experiences, I actually looked forward to seeing more war memorials and more gravesites, because I felt that by our presence, we were validating the faith and courage of those brave men and women. They were aware of that validation and appreciated it.
Richard wrote; “War is still hell; war is still something to be avoided at all costs. But when the freedom of a country or of the world is at stake, blood must be spilled. We laud the courage of those who step up to fight, knowing they will be blessed for their sacrifice, even if they are prematurely killed and pass into the Spirit World.”
Salvation and Exaltation Come Through the Atonement
Richard continued; “On Sunday, we attended church in Arras, France. The people were abuzz with excitement about the Paris France Temple, to be dedicated that very month! And then it hit me again: A temple in France, where so many have died in the two great wars. Freedom! Spiritual freedom! The blessings of the covenant will come to all those fallen men, and the dedication of a temple on French soil will accelerate that happening. I felt great peace again.
“Everything in our mortal life, which from a purely mortal perspective doesn’t make sense (death, sickness, trials, adversity, wickedness, evil) is reconciled and overcome through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the blessings and promises of the temple. I am so grateful I have this knowledge in my life.”
This experience in France taught me the power of remembering the sacrifice of others to preserve our freedom. I learned that any situation, including war, can be overcome through the tender mercies of the Lord and the comfort provided by the gospel of Jesus Christ.