Sleeping Giants

by Nathan Mellor

  Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), Oklahoma—Public Affairs Committee

  Executive Service Corps—Consultant

  Ex-Prisoners of War in Oklahoma, Commander (Local and State)

  Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge—National Spirit of ’76 Award for Patriotic Service

  Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Oklahoma City Chapter—Board Member and Vice President

  Junior Achievement—Volunteer

  Jaycees, Oklahoma Junior Chamber of Commerce—Outstanding Young Man Award in 1953, Received the First Ever Lifetime Membership Award in 1959, International Director

  Kappa Sigma Fraternity, University of Arkansas—Commissioner of Chapter Publications, Editor of The Caduceus from 1979 to 1985

  Keep Oklahoma Beautiful—President

  Keep Oklahoma Beautiful—Named their Lifetime Achievement Award the Pendleton Woods Lifetime Achievement Award

  KOCO-TV—“Five Who Care” Award, 1994

  Korean War Veterans Association

  Military Academy at West Point—Oklahoma Liaison Officer

  Military Order of the World Wars, Colonel Pendleton Woods Chapter—National Staff, Oklahoma State Commander, Regional Commander and Oklahoma City Commander (The Oklahoma City Chapter of MOWW was named the Colonel Pendleton Woods Chapter in his honor. It was the only chapter in the nation that was named after someone while they were living.)

  Military Order World Wars—Silver and Gold Patrick Henry Patriotism Medals

  Museum of Unassigned Lands—Chairman

  National Association of Area Agencies on Aging—Community Champion Award, 2012

  National Cowboy Hall of Fame—Chairman of the Western Heritage Award, Volunteered in the efforts to bring the National Cowboy Hall of Fame to Oklahoma City

  National Eagle Scout Association—Chairman, Outstanding Eagle Award

  MetLife Foundation—Older Volunteers Enrich America Award

  Oklahoma—Older Worker of the Year, 2007

  Oklahoma Centennial Celebration, 2007—Volunteer

  Oklahoma Centennial Celebration (Semi), 1957—Volunteer

  Oklahoma Christian University—The Pendleton Woods Tree Grove

  Oklahoma Christian University—Honorary Doctorate, 2005

  Oklahoma City Advertising Club—President, Honorary Lifetime Member

  Oklahoma City Mental Health Association—Board Member

  Oklahoma City Beautiful—Founder

  Oklahoma City Bicentennial Commission (1974-1976)—Executive Director

  Oklahoma City Clean and Green Coalition

  Oklahoma City History Preservation Commission

  Oklahoma City Independence Day Parade—Chairman

  Oklahoma City Mental Health Clinic—President

  Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater—Board Member

  Oklahoma County Historical Society—Founding Member

  Oklahoma County Senior Nutrition Foundation—Board Member, Secretary

  Oklahoma Distinguished Service Medal—The State’s Highest Military Honor

  State of Oklahoma Directional Signage Task Force—Chairman

  Oklahoma Epilepsy Association—Founder and President

  Oklahoma Genealogical Society

  Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame—2007

  Oklahoma Historical Society—Editor of the Oklahoma Historical Society Newsletter, Mistletoe Leaves

  Oklahoma Junior Symphony—Board Member, President

  Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame—2001

  Oklahoma Library for the Blind—Volunteer Reader

  Oklahoma Lung Association—Public Relations Committee

  Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame—2002

  Oklahoma National Guard—State Historian

  Oklahoma Safety Council

  Oklahoma Travel Industries Association

  Oklahoma Veterans Council—Chairman

  Oklahoma Veterans Medical Research Foundation—Charter Director

  Oklahoma Zoological Society—President

  Oklahomans for Resource Preservation—Board Member

  Points of Light Foundation—Daily Award for September 14, 2006

  Senior Nutrition Program—Board Member

  Sigma Delta Chi (now the Society for Professional Journalists)

  Sons of the American Revolution—Member

  State of Oklahoma—Recognized December 18 as Pendleton Woods Day

  Tree Bank Foundation—Founding Board Member

  Tree Bank Foundation and The Oklahoma Prairies Chapter of OSDAR—Planted a tree and dedicated a plaque in memory of Pen Woods at the 45th Infantry Museum, 2015

  University of Arkansas Alumni Association, Oklahoma City Chapter—President

  Variety Health Center—Honorary Lifetime Director

  Veterans Administration Hospital (Oklahoma City)—Volunteered in excess of 7,000 hours. Set-up equipment and handed out newspapers every Sunday from 1983-2012

  Veterans of Foreign Wars

  Will Rogers Centennial Commission—Board Member

  Words of Jesus Foundation - President

  The Edmond Outlook, POW Makes The Great Escape

  There is an African proverb that states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Pen went far because he understood there are no shortcuts when building a life that matters. A life that matters is built upon meaningful relationships, which take time to build and grow. Pen found his purpose in serving others. Because his actions and values were in alignment, he was constantly learning and being transformed. As a result, he never stopped and never plateaued. Even at the age of 90, when his life was coming to a close, he was still advancing.

  What are your goals?

  Who are you serving?

  How are you growing?

  Chapter 6

  “Catching Caterpillars”

  Setting Goals

  Although significant changes were happening within the Soviet Union throughout the 1980s, there were few who would have predicted the entire system would collapse. When the politburo elected Mikhail Gorbachev as general secretary on Sunday, March 10, 1985, there was a mixed response. Some felt the conservative nature of the U.S.S.R. would not allow change to happen quickly, while others saw his appointment as the opportunity for sweeping reforms.1 When he was elected at the age of 54, he was the youngest member of the politburo.2

  As General Secretary Gorbachev took the reins of power, the political and economic systems of the Soviet Union were in crisis. Although the U.S.S.R. was a superpower, their status was based largely on the strength of their military and not on the strength of their overall economy. To preserve the Soviet Union, Gorbachev would need to change it from within, while simultaneously managing the pressures being placed on the system by the West, especially the United States.

  Upon his appointment, Gorbachev began to make immediate changes in reshaping the politburo and establishing new expectations. By taking a more hands-on approach to leadership, he sought to provide a clear path forward.3 In a nationally televised speech given on Friday, May 17, 1985, Gorbachev used a very different approach than his predecessors. Instead of force, he used charm and directness. He acknowledged both the slowed economic development and inadequate living standards throughout the Soviet Union. After stating that the strategies adopted in the past were no longer effective, he launched dual programs intended to provide greater freedom and stimulate economic growth. In the speech, he pledged a new path forward that would correct the mistakes of the past. He said, “We have to travel a long road now but in a short span of time.” With this speech, the era of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) had begun.4

  Among the challenges facing the leader of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union were the efforts of the United States to modernize its military, ex
pand its nuclear arsenal, and explore space-based technologies capable of eliminating the threat of nuclear attack by ballistic missiles. To keep up with a renewed arms race required a stronger economy, and there were numerous reasons why this was unlikely to happen. To retain its position as a global leader, the Soviet Union was in a race against time, and it was losing.

  It took an incredible amount of resources and effort to maintain unity among the 15 republics that comprised the U.S.S.R. As the Soviet system shuttered and the fissures began to grow the republics demanded freedom. The first to declare its independence was Estonia on Wednesday, November 16, 1988.

  I was in high school when the Berlin Wall fell on Thursday, November 9, 1989, and I was fascinated by its implications. Our family did not get the daily paper, but I stopped off at a gas station and purchased one because I wanted to be able to read what happened. I also wanted to keep it for history. Looking back on it, it may have been the only newspaper I obtained solely for its historic value. I was amazed by the idea that the world could change so dramatically and so quickly.

  It was on Wednesday, March 12, 1947, that the Truman Doctrine, which made the Cold War official, was enacted. Consequently, the Cold War had been a constant throughout both my parents’ and my lifetime. None of us had ever lived in a time when the Soviet Union was not considered a threat to democracy. I was relieved by the idea that the Cold War was seemingly coming to a close.

  As the existence of the Soviet Union hung in the balance, I was sitting in the Benson Auditorium on the campus of Harding University. It was the fall semester of 1991, and Harding’s President Dr. David Burks was making announcements to the student body about campus events that week. He then highlighted a few international opportunities that were being planned for the summer of 1992. He said, “There is an opportunity for students to go to Russia this summer to teach English.” He continued, “There is someone sitting here this morning who needs to go to Russia, and if you would like to go, I would encourage you to go to the informational meeting.”

  I am not sure why, but I thought, He is talking to me. I had never met anyone from Russia, and I could not speak or read Russian. Based on the challenges I had in the past with English grammar, I was not sure if I was even qualified. Nonetheless, I went back to my dorm room, called my parents, told them what happened, and said, “I think I am supposed to go to Russia.” In retrospect, they handled it much better than I think I would have if one of my children called me to share they felt they were supposed to travel 6,000 miles to spend a month teaching English in a country that had been our official enemy for the past 44 years.

  On December 26, 1991, not long after signing up for the trip, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved. The day before the dissolution, on Christmas day, Gorbachev resigned, and Boris Yeltsin was named the president of Russia. When I heard the news about the changes happening, it did not dawn on me that perhaps this was not the best time to be planning a trip there.

  Our group would be teaching in the city of Rostov-on-Don. As the name suggests, Rostov is a port city built on the Don River, about 600 miles southeast from Moscow. A city of over one million inhabitants, it is at the northern tip of the Black Sea. At the time, there had been travel advisories issued warning against travel to Russia in general and Rostov-on-Don specifically. In addition to the relative political instability, there were concerns about the growing role of organized crime in the area. When I connected with the other people going on the trip, who were much more experienced travelers than I, they did not seem too concerned about the warnings, and I followed their lead.

  I had not been in Russia long when I began to question the wisdom of my decision to travel there as an 18-year-old. One afternoon, I was walking back to the hotel from the school where we taught. Normally, we walked in groups, but on this day I was alone. As I neared the hotel, three men in their early 30s stepped toward me. Based on the fact that they were all wearing black leather coats on a warm day, I assumed they were a part of the Russian mafia. In an instant, I was surrounded. They motioned for me to go into the nightclub, which was next to the hotel. I knew I was in trouble, but I did not feel I had many options. I scanned the sidewalk for anyone who might be from our group and did not see anyone I recognized. I walked through the front door; the restaurant was dimly lit and empty. It is surprising what goes through someone’s mind in a moment like this. My actual thought was, “I cannot believe I am going to die like this. My mother won’t even know what happened to me.”

  They took me to a corner booth, and I sat down with one of my new “friends” on either side. Although we could not communicate in Russian, it was clear we were waiting on someone else to arrive. I tried to act relaxed and not show fear. A few minutes after sitting down, someone walked out from the kitchen with strawberries in a bowl, a small steak, and some potatoes. They placed the food in front of me and motioned for me to eat. It was the first time since we had been in Russia that I had seen a steak.

  It was clear that food had been given as an act of hospitality. I had not been robbed or harmed, but I could not make any sense of the situation. Although I was not hungry nor in the mood to eat, I felt it was expected. They motioned for me to eat. When given a fork and knife, I took it as a sign that they did not mean me harm. I picked up the utensils and forced myself to eat.

  It was 20 to 30 minutes later that the front door opened again and a young man entered. He was not dressed in the style of the other men. Although he was young, when he arrived, the other men, who were at least ten years older than him, seemed to relax. He smiled when he got to the table and introduced himself in English. He explained that he had been learning English, but had no one with whom he could converse. We talked for a few minutes, and I learned that his father was a local judge and that although our team of teachers was small, everyone in the city knew a group of Americans was there teaching English. Over the next few weeks, we would meet a few times to converse and would end up becoming friends.

  One of the great benefits of travel, especially international travel, is the realization that people, regardless of their country of origin, tend to have similar needs and goals. Although there were exceptions, I felt the typical Russian was doing the best they could, in a tough situation, to make life as good for themselves and their families as possible. I felt a kindred spirit with my Russian friends.

  When the program ended, even while on the return flight, I knew that I wanted to go back. It was the first time I had been in a teaching role, and I felt it was a good fit. The conditions were not too bad, and although I had lost about 15 pounds while there, due to drinking some bad water, I could avoid this in the future by using a water filter. When I got back to campus, I began researching options to return.

  The next summer, in 1993, instead of going back to Rostov, I connected with a group that was seeking English teachers in the town of Dubna, which is about 80 miles north of Moscow. Dubna is a small city that is divided in half by the Volga River. Surrounded by woods, the site where the city stands today was chosen as the location of a proton accelerator to be built for nuclear research. Following three years of construction, the accelerator was commissioned on December 13, 1949. The town of Dubna was officially recognized along with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in 1956. Designated a “City of Science,” Dubna could not be found on most maps until after the fall of the Soviet Union.

  Today, the city has slightly less than 70,000 inhabitants, and due to its relationship with JINR, it holds a place of honor within the scientific community. It is estimated that JINR employs approximately 4,500 scientists, engineers, and technicians from throughout the world. Of this remarkable group, over 1,300 hold their terminal degrees. The city of Dubna also has the distinction of having an element named in its honor. The element, Dubnium (Db) is a synthetic chemical with the atomic number 105.

  Our typical Russian students included people who had a relatively good grasp of the language but w
anted to enhance their conversational capacity. The age of the students ranged from older teenagers to senior citizens. On occasion, we would work with younger students, if they were unusually advanced. One of those advanced students was barely a teenager and was one of two people I have ever known who had a photographic memory. In addition to being younger than most of our students, he was small for his age and seemed to have trouble with one of his legs.

  When working with people in a one-on-one setting, deep friendships often emerge. During the first few sessions, we would try to get to know the students by asking questions about their interests and hobbies. When this young student was asked, “What do you like to do for fun?” he responded that he liked butterflies and collected them. When asked about which kind he liked most, he demonstrated an amazing grasp on the topic and began listing the different types he found most interesting. His passion for his hobby was contagious, and he lit up talking about the beauty of the butterflies. He said, “They can be found in the forest. But they are too fast, and I am too slow to catch them.” He smiled to himself as if he had a secret and said, “Because the butterflies are too fast for me to catch, I catch caterpillars…and then I wait.”

  I do not have a background in entomology. Consequently, I am not sure if catching caterpillars is the normal way of growing a butterfly collection, but his explanation moved me. The patience required was compelling, and his level of commitment was unexpected from such a young person. As I thought about it more, I found what he said to be profound. There are times in life to chase butterflies, and then there are times to catch caterpillars.

  The reason the student had a butterfly collection versus wishing he had a butterfly collection was due to his willingness to innovate. He knew what he wanted, but also knew that he could not realize his goal without a different way of thinking. He was honest about his situation; he did not have the ability to catch butterflies. If he followed the obvious path, he would have used a large net designed specifically for the task, but he knew this approach would not work for his situation. He could have hired someone who was faster to catch the butterflies on his behalf, but money was tight. This option was not viable. Instead of giving up, he learned to innovate. This discovery, that new paths can be created, is both a life-changing and a life-giving discovery.