My War for Me

I didn't know how to tackle this chapter at first. I could come at it from any number of angles. But I can tell you that its author wanted to create a work of art. Forrest Fenn worked on this story for years. And of course the incidents herein and the meditations on the significance of events was decades in the making. He speaks from the heart. He bares his soul. For this reason, I decided not to let the part of my brain devoted to critical thinking be in the driver's seat the entire time. I wanted to experience this creative achievement, to feel it. There's analysis here; but I'm more concerned with stepping back and taking in the whole of it, in all its unique, spiritual, unbelievable grandeur. And I decided to begin in the middle, with the most cinematic and marvelous story in the memoir--and to tell it like a movie, doing the best I could with the tools available to me. The remainder of the video is more in line with what I've done elsewhere. However, again, I tried to remember that an artist was at work here, raw and vulnerable, sharing the most profound experiences of his life, and trying to tie all the strands together to create something more than just another rule to live by. I think he wanted to create ONE rule, a personal "theory of everything." And lo and behold he somehow did it.
I wish I could have incorporated these photos into the section of my video where I briefly describe Forrest's failed stint as a college student: / some_photos_of_ff_from...

[@meh937]

Matt, you have an exceptional talent for using detail to draw your audience towards a deeper insight. Forrest’s message to us in this chapter is so heartfelt, and so strongly expressed, that I cannot help but see it as the central theme of his Chase. Well done.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

MEH Thanks, Mike. A fighter pilot with a tender poet’s heart. It’s remarkable stuff.

[@tonyrusi1978]

I am sure you must have listened to this at some point. kzbin.info/www/bejne/epfYgYiwiM9mmrs Thanks for fleshing out Fenn’s story with stunning visuals. Life’s like science, an onion you keep peeling, just to find another layer of unknowns. I am reminded of the Joni Mitchell song, “It’s life’s illusions I recall, I really don’t know life, at all.” I’d like to know who the Military was bombing in China at the 25 minute mark in Fenn’s remembrance above? I wonder if Fenn ever found out the truth? Probably not. So is Fenn telling us to try and leave a positive mark on human history? I hope so. There’s a scene in the David Bowie film, “Man Who Fell To Earth” where Bowie is playing an alien who can look out over an empty meadow, and see back in time, even 150 years or much longer, and see the people who passed this way before. I think Fenn has this kind of imagination. Why are we here? What is Humanity’s “higher purpose”? I think it’s just to survive, and keep the circle of intelligent life from extinguishing from this universe. I think that’s why we should go to the moon and terraform it into a garden. And why we should do that for Mars, and even Venus. Life will find a way. It’s hard to say what’s impossible for a positive Humanity to accomplish, for the dream of yesterday, is the hope of today, and the reality of tomorrow. That’s paraphrasing Robert Goddard. But this furtherance of a positive Humanity is the task that has been taken up by Elon Musk now. It won’t be long now, till we have whole new frontiers to explore in space. And I hope Forrest and Peggy decide to stick around for thirty more years and see what happens. Very few humans have stuck it out for 120 years in the modern era. But we all can. I hope the Fenn’s do! It’s funny to me that Fenn talks about spices, and almost nobody even mentions that chapter. But it’s almost identical to Dr. Gundry’s Longevity Diet recommendations! Of course, Gundry likes not eating much meat, at least six days a week, which was the way Fenn grew up in Yellowstone. And wild caught fish! Suzanne Somers is a friend of Fenn’s and Dr. Gundry. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Maybe the real treasure isn’t gold in a box, near the top of a pine tree, under a beautiful waterfall, in a park with Buffalo in the meadowlands, and Brown Trout in the creekbeds. Maybe the real treasure, is how we treat each other.

[@3dbronze]

We are lucky to have such a talented filmmaker in our community. Very well done!

[@smellthesunshine4425]

That's a very nice thing to say. Thank you. It helps that I have good stories to tell.

[@mickbuchholz1559]

I give you a total Emmy award for all your documentary shows! I've never seen anything quite like it. Your videos are far better than any shows I have ever seen on youtube or on television...I am totally addicted! God bless, from Dawna, Logan and Mick!

[@TheSchmidt62]

Your eloquence on this subject is quite touching. Another seriously well done job.

[@dac6332]

I believe as time goes on we will value Forrest as a simple, kind, and also insightful and inspiring man of honor!

[@mikenodine6713]

I ran out of words of praise worthy of your last video StS. I was just too stunned to comment and too embarrassed to say so. I have never had to deal with running out of words before. And this video stunned me even more! I am as stunned and moved emotionally right now as I have ever been watching any of my favorite mega-budget Hollywood blockbuster movies on the big screen or IMAX, when they first debuted. And I have seen more than a few of those. Some that come to mind are Jaws in 1975, Rocky in 1976, Star Wars in 1977, Apocalypse Now in 1979, The Terminator in 1984, Platoon in 1986, Predator 1987, Jurassic Park 1993, Saving Private Ryan 1998, The Lord of the Rings in 2001, and The Mist in 2007. These were all movies that moved me emotionally in some way. Some made me feel good, or triumphant, or victorious. Others scared the crap out of me. And one scarred me for life after it took a couple of days to wash the ick off. I never tire of rewatching any of these movies. This video is no different to me. Perhaps knowing the story made some kind of difference to me, like when I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey on TV in the 1970's I was glad I didn't waste money seeing that stupid movie in the theater! And I went around saying so at school until one of my really smart friends told me to read the book and then go rewatch the movie and handed me the paperback from his locker. After reading the book, I was amazed by that movie! It was a completely different experience because I knew the story I was watching. The movie Dune in 1984 was the same way for me, -had to read the book to understand the story. I don't think that will be the case exactly with this video for those who have not read TTOTC, I think they will like it and learn a lot from your amazing work. But I don't think they will have quite as intense of an experience as those who have read the book. Your pics and clips were just amazing, and the details you have sprinkled in are even more amazing! But I think above all, it is your pacing and sense of timing that is as much an important "secret ingredient" as any other factor. And once I recognized this, I realized that your videos are not just great videos with great imagery and a great message, but they are also like great music! To those who appreciate music, music has a certain magic quality that transcends musical notation notes on paper. It's not about singing or playing the notes perfectly in tune that makes a traditional song special, it's the inflection and the ever so slightly off timing and slightly imprecise notes played in what seems to be a repeating pattern, but is slightly different each time that pattern is repeated. Just hearing an old favorite song that was special the first time you heard it can bring back a flood of memories about everything going on in your life when that song was popular. I mean how do you describe that, other than it's some kind of magic? All of your TTOTC videos, and especially this one in particular, are loaded with that kind of magic. Some people just don't like or appreciate good music you know. I feel bad for them because that's their loss and I'd rather lose my off-hand than to trade places with people suffering that horrible affliction. But hey, that's what the thumbs down button is for... so those kinds of people can let the rest of us know what they are missing in life. It's a good thing you can only click the thumbs up button once or I would wear out the clicker on my mouse clicking it for this video. Thanks StS! You, my friend, have definitely NOT wasted your turn!

[@blazelooker5917]

Incredible! Thoroughly enjoy your insight. Well done.

[@cynthiameachum1309]

This is Oscar worthy... I wanted it to continue for another hour or two or three. Absolutely incredible!

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thanks a lot, Cynthia. I had a lot of fun making it. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Davio22]

Matt, You are a clever guy. Right place rite time. You are smart enough to see this through to a legendary conclusion. Memoir into a movie. box back in it's place.

[@wayneross3924]

Another great contribution to our understanding of Forrest. You can tell by the many comments below and who they are from that you have made your impression on us and made us all smile.

[@lekistick1013]

"I Am what I Am and that's all I ever will be". Thank you for reaching out Forrest!

[@AllenKelly]

Awesome video! 👍 You are beyond great at what you do and I appreciate the time and effort you put into teaching and entertaining us 🌲✌️🏔

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thanks, Allen. I appreciate it.

[@AllenKelly]

Smell the Sunshine @29:00 you speak about “a second death in not being remembered” - so the question begs: How does Forrest not remember the French soldier’s name? Except that it had an X in it, per Forrest. 🤔

[@smellthesunshine4425]

@@AllenKelly Even if he remembered the name, he thinks they deserve much more than that: a proper burial, remembrance from family and country, tribute, honor. And even if they get all that, they still eventually end up forgotten, like the rest of us. Their problem is humanity's problem. Don't you think?

[@AllenKelly]

Smell the Sunshine - I think he had a proper burial under that secret waterfall; I wouldn’t mind a resting place like that! And his hometown may have thrown a parade in his honor for all we know. I agree that we don’t know anything about that fallen soldier, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t, at one time, stand tall and bloom like the yellow and purple flowers. (just my opinion of course ✌️)

[@TheeJamber]

You’ve done Forrest some real justice here. I imagine he’s seen this himself. Very well done mate.

[@KSilentfilm]

You present an excellent, intriguing narrative. I have been following your videos. As a searcher for over 4 years your vlogs have given me a different interpretation, a different theory. Thank you for posting! You have another subscriber.🌟

[@smellthesunshine4425]

K Silentfilm1920 Sounds like I get a cut if you find the chest! ;) Many thanks.

[@KSilentfilm]

@@smellthesunshine4425 "Sounds like" is actually a way the poem can be interpreted, imho. I'd consider a cut! One of Charlie Chaplin's quotes says it all; "Simplicity of approach is always best" 🎬

[@dabear7335]

such story telling. Outstanding

[@schatzk9treasurehunter719]

Spot on!!

[@mariomarturano6720]

Bravo and Encore; probably the best words a artist of the stage will hear! The world is a stage and your audience love you. You are respected by many, though it should be many more. Thanks. The other words... take a bow my son...

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thanks so much for your kind words.

[@mariomarturano6720]

@@smellthesunshine4425 Thank you. The truth is not always kind. Your efforts made the statement kind; I merely made a true statement.

[@dennisschultz9180]

Thank you so much that was a great gift .For me it comes down to one thing one word LOVE

[@mybubblyheartshay8428]

Wow !!! Thank you for this!! Your story telling & sound effects truly took me there~~~> 🌈 Absolutely wonderful movie!! 💡 ⭐️ Keep up the great work☀️☀️☀️

[@kurthensley3733]

Absolutely brilliant! This is bar-none my favorite video on Forrest Fenn! I absolutely love it!

[@arthurvandol]

Outstanding video. You brought A War For Me to life in a chilling way. Thank you for this.

[@repetewreck]

Matt, your observations on forget-me-nots held special significance to me as they are everywhere during my walks one month into Spring. The way you incorporate disparate sources to focus your interpretation of the text is sublime. I am in awe of Nature, of history, of Forrest & of your willingness to share your amazing analysis. Brilliant 🙏🏽

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thank you so much. I first saw those precious little flowers in Rocky Mountain National Park on my first visit there (1980 or thereabouts). I associate them with elevations above treeline, where the ptarmigans and chipmunks scurry about. But are you seeing them elsewhere?

[@repetewreck]

Smell the Sunshine They are quite abundant in the Pacific NW perhaps cultivated by people in their gardens to signify a memory or to remind them of our connection to the mountains which sustain our watersheds. As a perennial wildflower I like to think that they are distributed randomly by the wind and it is a choice to let them bloom in your garden when they take root. Their ideal habit is in a shady wooded area which helps to promote moisture retention needed for these flowers to thrive. 😉

[@smellthesunshine4425]

karmaneckwe Wonderful. Maybe people have applied this term to two different species, technically. But I’ve always had a soft spot for them.

[@repetewreck]

I agree that it is wise to appreciate the diversity found in Nature. It is true that eritrichum howardii may represent the tenacity required to survive in the rocky substrate of the alpine meadows. I’ve found that GNP is best experienced at a specific time of year when these beauties reveal their humble majesty. Though I would like to wish it to be true, the path defined in a good map suggests otherwise. Listening to Forrest describe his special place reminds me to appreciate the beauty of all species equally. Only then will I be able to accept his wisdom. I am his student.

[@davidl2047]

The way you put this all together is a blessing to the chase. I hope to see every chapter. You should ask Forrest if he will let you read the thrill for an audio recording we can all listen to. I'd love that.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

David L Thanks, David. I’d love an audio book, but I’d rather see someone a little older, with a bit of a drawl, read the stories. Rumor has it FF isn’t interested in an audio book, however.

[@davidl2047]

@@smellthesunshine4425 I guess I'm going to have to make my own and keep it to myself. 🤣

[@smellthesunshine4425]

David L I’ve had the same thought. Great for road trips to the Rockies.

[@mustlistengood3346]

Wow. I am speechless. Thank you. Honestly, after reading Forrest's book, I struggled a bit to really understanding the philosophy of life he has settled upon, but your video is like a clarifying filter. It is really impressive. The detail really helps me live Forrest's life again vicariously and it is immensely satisfying. I've almost come to think of him as a father, since my father died when I was a teenager but Forrest reminds me so much of him, being born in central Texas in the same time frame.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Must Listengood Thank you very much. My Dad was born around the time Forrest was, and served in the Navy. He reminds me of my Dad too.

[@amberkillough]

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Your videos are like a breath of fresh air in this chase!

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Pillow with a K! Thank you for watching, and for your nice words. Hope you're doing well.

[@jeffausk6019]

Amazing stuff. An ethereal reminder of the intention of the chase. I know I took a moment to reflect on what’s important to me. Thank you for the hard work you’ve put in and for sharing your passion.

[@michaeloconnell8779]

Tremendous job. Great educational video!!! Thank you...

[@Shadow_Kaster]

Yet another fantastic video. Exquisite production and very informative. Bravo!

[@axleroy]

I think this chapter can be summed up by its title My war ....... for me . It has very little to do with the treasure with the possible exceptions of the water fall and the granite cliff. When I read this chapter I always picture Lt Dan swimming along side the Jenny in Forrest Gump. When Forrest says “I think Lt Dan finally made his piece with god “ Although not god in the mainstream Christian sense but Forrest’s beliefs in spirituality and philosophies.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

It's interesting. You have folks saying this chapter has little to do with the chase, and you have others saying it has everything to do with the chase--that this is the most crucial place to look for hints and symbols and so forth. If the latter group is right, then Forrest is either a time traveler, or he's twice as brilliant as any of us have surmised, telling a factual account of what took place in late '68 in Vietnam, while also embedding clues to a treasure hunt in 2010. How does one do that?

[@axleroy]

My war .....for me brother just Forrest reconciling his experiences in the war. My oldest brother Danny did two tours in the nam without a scratch. Died two years later on the 4th of July in a bike wreck.Came home messed up wasn’t the same person that left for war. I pray he made his peace with god .

[@smellthesunshine4425]

@@axleroy That's so unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that. Very few men came back unchanged.

[@wrongwaycorrigan2492]

Meticulously composed. Your ability to bring the story to life is bar none :D Thoroughly enjoyed watching out of my minds limitations. Appreciate your invested time.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thank you! I just want to give you some more material to invade your dreams at night ;)

[@wrongwaycorrigan2492]

Smell the Sunshine 😁

[@joesheeran2400]

Forrest Fenn is going to love this. I know I did. Thank you, Professor.

[@tomwalker1268]

Very well done! I didn't want it to end!

[@mariongouge9587]

Truth is a funny animal, the solution is simple per F. Whats really amazing is the ending is such no one would believe it , the true genius of F. Remember when he said he was very visual? Every thing ties together.

[@damenjacobs]

Buckle up!!! Watching now.

[@flashfordham7630]

Huzzah!!

[@mjinzer6881]

Thank you

[@904pickleball6]

I was hoping you could tell me where this channels intro music is from and the title? Thanks, enjoyed all of your videos

[@clafrieda]

This was really fantastic Matt. Great job!

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Christopher LaFrieda I leaned on some of your research. By the way, both times I saw Forrest, he mentioned you and the amazing thing you did for him.

[@clafrieda]

@@smellthesunshine4425 I'm glad you did. I love the video. Forrest was very generous with his compliments, but finding that plane took a great deal of luck and I think he supplied all of it.

[@delysejaeger3466]

Outstanding, thank you, thank you!

[@truthseeker0219]

Good stuff. Thank you for your hard work.

[@chasingrainbows6218]

This was fantastic thank you ❤️

[@chrisrobinson6754]

All of this is what I focused on for the last two years, It's all in Brown's Park...

[@chasingflinty2418]

Yes, yes, things of note in TTOTC. But how does it all roll together into a location? How do we find the crypt where Peggy's statue is?

[@smellthesunshine4425]

I guess people will have to go to your channel for that. Cheers.

[@exmarksthespot6696]

Wow! Awesomely done!!!!!

[@UtahTravels]

Simply sublime...

[@treasurefinder6557]

Your voice and speech pattern are spot on with the narrator on " Wonder Years." If you are not associated with 📺 you should be.

[@Huli007X]

Perfection of words and conveyance of emotion, mingled with outstanding visual and audio! Thank you for all the time, energy and thought these analysis must take; what you do is VERY much appreciated! Have you considered doing a book on Forrest Fenn's life? It seems there was a contract recently broken and there maybe an opening. Thanks Again.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

You're quite welcome. It was a labor of love. I don't know about the book. What a TON of work to get it right. I think I would need the man himself to approach me. . . .

[@Cupid213]

Fantastic!

[@jimb2692]

Awesome product you are very skilled

[@rossb2729]

Very well done. I enjoyed your story telling immensely.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thanks, Ross. Much appreciated.

[@dennisschultz9180]

Wait till you see the way Forrest sprinkled his hints and clues into his stories.

[@mikebibler6556]

Nice summary of the chapter. I like your structure. Are you able to offer opinions on connecting anything to the poem, or do you prefer to give literary analysis as unrelated to the poem? In my opinion, My War For Me was written as a trial-balloon, perhaps to see if anyone could recognize code words within a story, and then led to a robust TTOTC memoir puzzle book.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thanks, Mike. I don't intend to reveal anything about my solve, and I only speak about the poem in general terms. These videos are exclusively literary analysis; however, with this one I tried to keep front of mind that its author wanted to create a work of art. (See my description above.) You offer an interesting theory about the chapter. Do you think the original story published online for his fellow 85th friends contained these code words? If so, why?

[@mikebibler6556]

@@smellthesunshine4425 I can only assume his why is because he wanted to test his theory on embedding a treasure map into his stories using a form of steganography. Who better than his military buddies who are skilled in and used to finding ways to encode messages. It seems to me he uses synonyms, similar etymons, and/or allusions to the same poem words in each of his stories, his scrapbooks, his interviews, his newer books... He said he thought of everything. I assume he prepared.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

@@mikebibler6556 So according to this theory, it was a trial balloon and doesn't point to the treasure chest location? What does it point to then? Also, it's helpful to remember that relatively few military personnel used codes of any sort. Most didn't even know morse. They knew Air Force jargon, sure, but not codes, per se. Those with that training were a select few.

[@mikebibler6556]

@@smellthesunshine4425 What I mean to say is that the treasure map is also embedded in My War For Me using the synonyms and allusions that relate to the poem. The theory I propose is that this was released as a trial balloon to see if anyone in his test audience could recognize what he was doing with these words.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

@@mikebibler6556 Oh. Wow. Then he gave away the location in '06? Was it already hidden? Do you feel like you've cracked the code? I've never considered some of this.

[@dianaw5897]

Loved your video so much I watched it twice! Just curious, where did you get your information regarding Forrest service in the Air Force. Did he provide you with that?

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Thank you, Diana. I'm glad you asked. Forrest has given multiple interviews over the years. On June 26, 2013 he sat down with the Albuquerque Oasis Veterans History Project. Then in 2015 he met with the Air Force Association, and covered some of the same material (both of these interviews are available online). He also provided some of this material to Dal Neitzel, who has produced many outstanding videos. Also Forrest gave an interview to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal a few weeks after he got back (Jan 1969). Of course he covers a lot of this in the first two memoirs. If you're OCD and like timelines, this all paints a picture that is about 90% complete. I asked Forrest to fill in the blanks.

[@gregorycolvin-garcia3908]

Matt, its so funny, I was just starting to ask myself. I wonder why Smell the Sunshine hasn't put out a video here lately - and then I saw this! Now I know why. Thanks for filling in the gaps particularly around the Air Force relocation years. One question though. How did you find out about his direction to fly as many planes as possible? Thanks again GCG

[@smellthesunshine4425]

That's almost word-for-word from the interview Forrest gave in the summer of 2015 for the Air Force Association Interviews. They came to his home, turned on a microphone, and he told stories.

[@michellevodenik244]

How can we contact you if we wanted to ask you a question? Fantastic work, I bet you have a search partner now, lol.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

You'll find my email under my About section. Thank you so much.

[@michellevodenik244]

I didn’t see it. I will check again.....thanks

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Might be your device. I don't think the email shows up on phones and tablets. Regardless, it's [e-mail]

[@tysonmoree3915]

Just!

[@treasurefinder6557]

🇺🇸

[@sandrarannells5689]

You dig deep! I would be terrified to have you psycho analyze my writing 😂. But seriously you pulled out some good stuff. Are you going to tackle the poem the same way? Looking forward to the next video.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Hey, Sandra. Thank you. I guess the short answer (about the poem) is No. My plan is to do Gold and More and Millennium next, then the last two chapters as a unit. So two more videos. I'm not sure how I will approach the poem, but I will certainly not be giving my solve away!

[@sandrarannells5689]

@@smellthesunshine4425 Looking forward to the next two videos. I think every searcher approaches the poem in their own way. It's kinda funny but I see the poem and the Bible in a similar context as both can be open to interpretation. I can only imagine how Forrest must enjoy our efforts. I don't believe anyone should share their solve at all. You are being smart.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

@@sandrarannells5689 I forgot Flywater! Don't listen to me about my plan--it often changes once I get into the material. You're absolutely right about biblical interpretation. You have a static text, and folks approaching it with different hermeneutics, different models of interpretation. I think about that a lot.

[@sandrarannells5689]

@@smellthesunshine4425 I had to look up the definition of hermeneutics. Thanks for the added knowledge. Now I can use it in conversation and sound smarter than I am. Aaah, Flywater, my chapter of turning the page. If I could live in reverie where memories bring such sweet contentment. Looking forward to your analysis.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

@@sandrarannells5689 I think the term can apply to interpretation of any static text (e.g., the Constitution), but it's most often used re: biblical interpretation. It is kind of a 25 cent word. But it saves you from saying "pre-interpretive scheme" or something just as obnoxious. But we need terms like this to explain how folks look at the same text, and end with wildly different end-results.

[@susanbuchanan7410]

This is outstanding! Are you the narrator? The narrator is familiar to me...it reminds me of the narrator of the Jed McKenna Trilogy.

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Suzi Seemore Thank you, Suzi. Yes, I’m narrating. It’s a one-man band over here.

[@susanbuchanan7410]

Smell the Sunshine so did you narrate Jed McKenna book(s)? ( They changed my thinking BTW 😎)

[@smellthesunshine4425]

Suzi Seemore I’ve never done any voice work but I’m taking it as a compliment 🙂

[@susanbuchanan7410]

Smell the Sunshine It is. You have a great narrator voice.

[@gatespj]

Was that fens real dog tag?

[@smellthesunshine4425]

JungleCruzr Too Far to Walk, p. 107.