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Dallin Bunn: Local Hero (And also: "Thanks for the memories, boys!")
In the aftermath of 9/11, and the war that followed, most Americans were forced to examine their view of our country’s place in the world. There is little doubt that our nation is no longer immune to attack, if it ever truly was in the first place. This is true despite our military’s strength and the resolve of our people to maintain our freedom and way of life.
The events of that infamous date in our history, September 11, 2001, remain forever burned into the collective memories of our people and resolutely written about in our history books. It has also lead to many changes involving our security and the precautions taken to help preserve it, which are simply now just a part of our own daily lives.
Another such change has been to our vernacular, the way in which we use the English language to describe life in America, as we now know it. There was a time when the term “hero” was used a little too casually by many people, often when discussing the positive qualities of a popular athlete, a politician or some other celebrated cultural icon of the day.
Members of the police and fire departments, who had previously often toiled in relative obscurity, are now justly recognized as heroes in our country. This is true of our emergency workers and all of the men and women who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect us on a regular basis. It has almost become cliché now, but it remains important to recognize these brave souls as often as is possible. Our freedom is no longer a foregone conclusion and it continues to be fought for by thousands of anonymous heroes every single day.
No matter what the current political climate is or what our individual views are on the war in Iraq and the ongoing U.S. military activities in Afghanistan and the rest of the world, there is no denying that all of the people involved, both here in the U.S. and overseas, are all true American heroes. There is no longer a draft in the U.S., of course, so everyone in each branch of our armed services is there willingly, as volunteers, in one way or another. And one such American hero is United States Marine Corps recruit Dallin Bunn, from Garland, Utah, USA.
Those of us who have seen the young ballplayers of the now defunct Bear River Rage competitive traveling team play baseball over the years already know Dallin well. We watched with pride as Dallin and the rest of the boys on that team slowly matured into the young men who would eventually represent Bear River High School’s baseball team so well. That was always the plan. With help and guidance from coaches Kasey Thompson, Brad Gardner and John Fronk, and sponsored (and pampered a bit) by Bambi and Kris Thompson of Bob’s Body Shop, they definitely got the job done.
Later, when lead by Head Coach Clay Chournos, Assistant Coach Don Hawes, and the rest of the Bears’ fine coaching staff (as well as plenty of support from Bambi, Kris and the booster club), the Bear River Bears took the Region 11 baseball title in 2007 and 2008, and then played their guts out during the State tournament both seasons, coming up just short each time. A typical (although completely made-up) Bear River team mantra might be: “Respect the game. Respect your teammates and your opponents. Play the game hard, the way it’s supposed to be played. And play to win.” This approach speaks as much about “attitude” as it does “athleticism”, which certainly has helped forge a long-running tradition of success for Bear River’s baseball program. Kudos to Clay and the coaching staff, as well as the most loyal and vocal fans as you’ll find anywhere.
As a young ballplayer, Dallin Bunn eventually overcame what appeared to be an early (and some would say healthy) aversion to being hit by fastballs while batting for the Rage, to quickly become a productive hitter and player for the team. Even though he would still occasionally bail-out on some inside pitches, when he did get a pitch that he liked (up in the zone, eye-level or higher, out over the plate), he'd usually hit it hard somewhere.
By the time a spot opened up on the high school varsity team years later, and Dallin finally got the chance to start as a senior in 2008, it didn’t matter where the pitch was, he hit the ball hard somewhere all season long. Dallin Bunn, the baseball player, finally got his chance in the spotlight, and he took full advantage of the opportunity, finishing his career with an outstanding season for the 2008 region champs. Nobody was more reliable and came through in the clutch more often than Dallin. Finally, some respect for the soft-spoken, easygoing young man…
Obviously, Dallin’s mom and dad, Treva and Temp Bunn, have done a fine job with their son, as they have with his brother and now with his sister, in helping to prepare them for the rest of their lives. And his parents knew something about their son that many Bear River fans did not know; Dallin had already made a very important decision about his future prior to his final season of high school baseball. Dallin planned on enlisting in the United States Marine Corps immediately after graduation.
About three weeks ago, Dallin did just that, leaving home for boot camp in San Diego, following a small get-together with his family and friends, including Coach Chournos in the group. The decision to enlist alone was a brave one by Dallin, but it is what follows his graduation from basic training in October which requires the kind of courage which most of us have never had to find in ourselves.
Here is an excerpt from a recent note written by Temp:
“There is a good possibility that Dallin will be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan in December, but nothing is certain yet. His graduation date is October 17th and it depends on the completion of his training. If he is ill or injured somehow, it could be delayed. He does still plan on serving on a mission but it may be after a short tour of duty. They told him it would probably be 7 months if he is deployed. I did receive a phone call from a church leader on base, who mentioned that Dallin had gone to church on Sunday, and he said that Dallin looked great and had a great attitude. As usual, he had a smile on his face, so that tells me he is doing well and he is doing what he wants to be doing. Since you asked, I think it would be great if you did include his address in the story, he would appreciate any support. I know they don’t have a lot of time to write letters but I’m sure he will do his best to answer any communication. Thanks for everything and it means a great deal to us to know that people care about Dallin so much."
Thanks again,
Temp
Last Saturday, a letter arrived from Marine Recruit Dallin Bunn, and it read, in part:
“Hey, everybody! It’s Dallin, man! I hope everybody is doing good. Things are even harder here than I expected, but I’m having a really good time and I’ve met a lot of really good people. Let all my team mates and friends know that they should never let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything. If someone does, use that as motivation to prove them wrong. When 5 people are yelling at you and spitting in your face, saying you can’t do anything, use that as motivation to prove them wrong. I’ve learned to use that to help me keep going, to prove them wrong…
Well, we don’t have much free time here so thanks for everything, guys, it’s been a blast growing up with you! Hope to hear from you soon!"
Dallin Bunn
If anyone is interested in writing to him, here is the address for a true local hero:
Recruit Dallin Bunn
2nd Training Battalion
F Company, Platoon 2122
36001 Midway Avenue
San Diego Ca. 92140-2122
And lastly, a final thought from the website "staff":
Ever since the 2008 baseball season ended for Bear River this past May, we at the website have been trying to find the right words to say goodbye to our little baseball team. Grand recollections of past exploits detailing every clutch hit, pitching performance or diving catch by each and every one of our boys would be the only way to properly do so. Of course, this became an impossibly daunting task! In our case, our youngest child has graduated. It really was the end of a great chapter in a longer story for our son, and for us as well. Yet all this time has passed, and still, we had no send-off!
And then suddenly, it finally became obvious... Dallin’s story says it all! So now we can finally say “so long” to Bear River High School! Thanks to everyone for all of you support over the years! And don’t ever let anybody tell you that you can’t do ANYTHING! We’ll try and let everybody know how you are doing, Dallin. Thank you for everything, man!
And thanks for all of the great memories, boys!
From Donna, Steve and the rest of the Smith family.
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