Vickie Singer Story

Vickie Singer Story - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 24th Dec, 2007 - 3:28am

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24th Dec, 2007 - 2:46am / Post ID: #
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Vickie Singer Story

Vickie Singer Story

Supposedly a film was made about Vickie Singer that was inaccurate and she seeks to clear it up here.

QUOTE
                                Vickie Singer

                                    Tells

                                  Her Story


                                  March 1992


                                  Contents

    Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

    Early Years  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2

    Home School  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4

    John's Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9

    Nine Years of Harassment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14

    Before the Bombing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19

    Church Bombing and 13-Day Siege  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22

    The Arrest and Prison Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29

    Response to the Television Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33

    Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  37


    Appendix A: Vickie's Letter to the Governor  . . . . . . . . . .  44

    Appendix B: Chronology of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  50

    Appendix C: Ensign of the Kingdom of God . . . . . . . . . . . .  53

                                  * * * * *


                              In Appreciation

A very special note of thanks and appreciation to the attorneys who
represented me and my family in our legal battles, especially Gerry Spence,
Bob Schuster, and Ed Moriarity (Jackson Hole, Wyoming); Kathryn Collard, Bill
Downes, Steve Kuhnhausen, and Steve Russell (Salt Lake City); also, Earl
Spafford (Salt Lake City) has been of great legal assistance.

My family and I also extend our warmest love and appreciation to those
who have been a comfort and blessing to our family during these times of great
trial and sacrifice. May God bless each of you forevermore.


[1]                    Vickie Singer Tells Her Story

Introduction

This printed statement is written mainly to dispel the rumors and
"labels" that have been attributed to our family over the past several years.
On the evening of February 10, 1992, a television movie was shown nationwide
entitled, "The Siege at Marion". We were amazed that such a film could be
shown about our family without the producer or actors ever contacting us in an
effort to get to know us and hear our side of the story. In fact, one of the
directors had been invited to come to our home, but he was not given
permission to do so by his superiors. The members of our family sat by the
television set in sadness and disbelief as we watched ourselves being
portrayed in such an inaccurate and hateful way.

A few days later, February 13, I spoke for nearly two hours before a
large psychology class at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. I had
been invited to share some of our experiences and answer questions from the
students. Their comments and questions were further confirmation to me that
the public had indeed been very misinformed about our family.

So I feel it would be wrong for me to not speak out in our defense. Even
though I would much prefer to remain silent and try to put the past behind us,
I feel I have a responsibility to tell our side of the story. This pamphlet is
a brief summary of events that have transpired over the past 30 years.

[2] Early Years

By way of a brief family background--I was born in San Francisco,
California on April 26, 1943. My parents, Grant Everett Lemon and Marjorie
Brimhall, had been raised in the Kamas Valley area, where they returned to
raise their family of three children: myself, younger brother Carlo Grant, and
younger sister Susan.

I attended school at South Summit Elementary and South Summit High
School, except for grades 8 through 10, when I attended school in Blackfoot,
Idaho, where my father worked as a boiler maker.

I was in the high school Twirlerettes baton and marching drill team in
Idaho, and enjoyed performing during half-times, marching in parades, etc. I
also took dancing lessons. When I returned to Utah, I organized a Twirlerettes
drill team at South Summit and led the team in marching and twirling routines
at games and in parades. I also taught tap dancing and baton twirling to about
50 students the summer after graduating from high school.

I met John Singer shortly after my graduation, during the summer of 1961.
I was in the Kamas Drug Store, looking over the counter and waiting for an ice
cream cone. I had always had long hair in high school (not as long as I have
it now), but I had recently cut it in a shorter style. From behind me I heard
this male voice say, "You've ruined yourself. You cut your hair." I quickly
turned around and saw this red-faced guy just beaming at me, and thought, who
in the heck is that? It was John Singer, sunburned from all his work as a
farmer. I had never noticed him nor met him before, and thought he was very
forward to talk to me that way.

That night I was very surprised when he called me and asked for a date. I
readily accepted, but when I got off the phone, I wondered what was the matter
with me--I didn't even [3] know this guy. But we got along very well and dated
a few times that summer.

I had been born into the LDS Church, and even though my parents were
inactive, they sent us children to church, and I was an active member. It
wasn't until after meeting John Singer (a recent LDS convert), however, that I
really began studying the Book of Mormon and looking at life more seriously. I
felt that I needed to have my own testimony concerning God's will in my life,
and especially regarding whom I should marry. No one taught me this; it just
was within me that I had to know for myself before taking such an important
step.

I had learned about fasting and praying while attending church. Even
though church meetings were mostly a social outlet for me, many of the
teachings impressed me and helped with my religious foundation. I was
prayerful and sincerely wanted to do what was right.

John asked me to marry him during that summer of 1961, but I was not
ready to settle down quite yet, as I planned to enroll at the University of
Utah that fall. I was a student there for one year and one quarter, majoring
in ballet.

I spent more and more time reading the Bible and attending LDS Seminary
classes. I became more interested in learning the things of God than in taking
academic classes. About this time I began having health problems which left me
feeling too weak to perform well in my ballet classes.

I saw John intermittently for a couple of years, and during the summer of
1963 he once again asked me to marry him. After much serious prayer and
dedicated fasting, I received a testimony that he was the one I should marry,
so I consented.

[4] I could write pages about what happened after I received my engagement
ring, some of which has been written in the book Death of An American by
Fleisher and Freedman. Suffice it to say, "All hell broke loose," and so began
the trials of my life. My parents were definitely not pleased with my choice
and tried very hard to prevent the marriage.

Ever since John and I got to know each other very well, one of our
favorite pastimes was studying the Gospel together. I was an avid reader of
LDS Church history and the standard works, and soon discovered discrepancies
between the early Gospel and the modern church. John was already a great
student of the Gospel and had made the same observations, but he never pushed
me or "brainwashed" me into believing as he did. So our religious inclination
became that of a Fundamentalist Mormon, each of us coming to this conclusion
on our own.

John and I had seven little Singers: Heidi (1964), Suzanne (1965),
Timothy (1966), Charlotte (1968), Joseph (1970), Benjamin (1972), and Israel
(1975). We received each child into our family with great joy, as we never
believed in any form of birth control. These children were our priceless
inheritances from the Lord, and we took our stewardship over them very
seriously. That is why we feel our decision to teach our children at home was
justified.

Home School

When John and I decided to take our three oldest children out of the
public school system in 1973, we never dreamed it would cause so much trouble.
John was very well-informed regarding his Constitutional and God-given rights,
and was not a "lawbreaker" per se. He went to the elementary school and told
the principal why he was withdrawing the children, the main reasons being:

[5] (1) One of the children had brought home a textbook with a picture of
George Washington and Martin Luther King side by side, and stating that Martin
Luther King was a great patriot. John had some very strong feelings about that
and had some different beliefs concerning the civil rights leader. He did not
believe he should be compared to the great and noble father of our country.
John believed there were some significant political differences, and it was
not because Martin Luther King was black. (The media picked up on this and
labeled John a "racist".)

(2) We didn't condone sex education, as we felt this sacred subject
should be dealt with at home. Also, we could see that immoral practices were
becoming more and more common in the schools.

(3) My girls dressed somewhat differently. They wore dresses a little
longer and their hair was braided. They were teased often, and some little
boys looked up their dresses. Other tales of unacceptable behavior were
brought home to us. Our children were looked down on because they didn't go to
Church and Primary. (We had been excommunicated from the LDS Church in 1972.)
There were hurtful comments made by some of the school children because of
this.

(4) Our oldest daughter, Heidi, wasn't doing very well in school (not
really applying herself), and I had to help her a great deal with her reading;
Suzanne also needed extra help. Their needs were just not being met in the
public schools.

(5) We wanted to protect our children from the many vices that we could
see creeping into the public schools, such as smoking, pornography, drinking,
drugs, disrespect for parents, etc.

(6) There were so many things that we felt were offensive in the school
system. We felt that we had the responsibility to do something more for our
children. We [6] believed in the Doctrine and Covenants passage where it
states that it is the parents' responsibility to bring the child up in light
and truth.

After John explained some of these reasons to the principal, he then
proceeded to each class to get Heidi, Suzanne, and Timothy from third, second,
and kindergarten respectively.

John built a schoolhouse, and we began teaching our children at home.
Trouble escalated from that point.

I should say here that I feel that academics are very necessary, but
along with those academics, I believe children should be provided with a
practical education as well. John taught them farming and construction; I
instructed the girls in cooking, sewing, taking care of the house and younger
children, etc. Music was also an important part of their education. We tried
to provide our children with a balance of both academic and practical.

For about six years, we had all kinds of harassment from the school
board, close family and relatives, and eventually even the courts. The book
Death of an American, The Killing of John Singer (mentioned previously) goes
into much of the subsequent history. I will just briefly touch upon the main
points.

After the South Summit Superintendent of Schools turned us over to the
Juvenile Court, we incorporated our own private school (High Uintah Academy).
This was at the suggestion of a Mr. Keith Steck (state school official), who
was at one of the court proceedings. He advised us that this was a legal way
to by-pass the troubles being brought against us.

We tried to comply with "the system" as much as we could and legalize our
home school, but when we took our private school incorporation papers to the
judge, he just [7] "pooh-poohed" them. We were taken into his chambers and
told in no uncertain terms that if we didn't meet specific demands, that he
would "be forced to take away our children and we would never see them again."
Among these demands made at this time or in earlier court proceedings, were
that we would be appointed a state attorney and would be forced to comply with
a rigid schedule in the home, for example, certain hours for classwork, a
stipulated lunch hour, a controlled selection of classes, etc. With this much
control, we would have felt like slaves in our own home.

We did try this for a while, but it just didn't work with our family,
with all the other obligations and activities we had. This threat by the judge
was made about the sixth time we went to court when he also provided us with
another unacceptable alternative--enrolling the children in a private school
many miles from home. Since we could not comply with their demands, we knew we
couldn't appear at the next hearing as they would then have to carry out their
threat to remove the children from our home.

John and I believed there were U.S. Supreme Court decisions that gave us
the liberty to teach our own children. In order to learn of our rights, we
read a great deal about the responsibility for education. But it was very
difficult to represent these issues and rights in court. They were not
listened to. Earlier in our court proceedings one of the judges, a very decent
man who was retired shortly thereafter, told John that he knew we were
standing on our rights, but that we wouldn't be able to secure them in a court
of law.



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24th Dec, 2007 - 3:15am / Post ID: #
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Story Singer Vickie

Continue...

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These were very trying times for John and me in court, with tremendous
pressures upon us. On one occasion officers were behind us ready to take us to
jail at the judge's signal. Cold sweat beaded upon John's brow. I felt similar
to the early Saints when they had to "put it all on the line" because of their
beliefs.

[8] In the earlier part of our troubles, I became very ill, and John had the
full responsibility of taking care of the children for a few months. The older
ones were tested during this time by the school district and were found to be
below their peer group level. John argued before the court that it was partly
because of my sickness that the children scored below their level, but that
they were learning in more practical areas. However, the court stated that
that didn't qualify as education, etc., and actually decided--as if we weren't
even there--what should be done with OUR children. It was a while afterward
that John finally affirmed that he was not going to bend under their
regulations any longer.

So because of the threat that the judge "would be forced to take away our
children and we'd never see them again", we knew we couldn't appear at the
following court. We sent a legally accepted statement with friends to the
court on the appointed day, wherein we stated that we felt that our
Constitutional rights were being ignored and that under the circumstances we
could not appear in court. (Later on, during court depositions taken by Gerry
Spence, he said that we were not legally in contempt of court because we had
sent this statement. )

We believe the reason the school district was pushing for us to be under
their jurisdiction was so they could continue to receive government funds.
They had benefited illegally from $9,000 over a three-year period when our
children were not even enrolled in the public schools. This information was
revealed one time on Channel 4 news by Martha Radditz who got it "right from
the horse's mouth"-- the superintendent of South Summit School District.

I sometimes feel badly that my children didn't get the academics that
perhaps they should have, but too many interruptions and harassments beyond
our control prevented us from giving them a proper education at home.

[9] But learning and education never really cease. For example, my son,
Timothy, who is at Terminal Island, is very intelligent even though he has
only a fifth-grade education. He is now studying algebra, physics, science,
and electronics on his own, since he is not able to go to classes in prison;
he can't get upstairs in his wheelchair.

We taught the children to read, write, and do basic mathematics, and have
tried to plant in them an incentive to learn things that pertained to their
particular interests and talents. Plus we have tried to instill in them a
respect and love for their fellow men and a knowledge and love of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.

I think my children are blooming beautifully; I wouldn't trade them for
anything. I feel that they have developed in beneficial ways that many young
people have not. Unfortunately, the younger children have had some problems
because of being deprived of both father and mother at such impressionable
ages.

We are all unique individuals with varied capabilities and talents. I
feel we should seek divine guidance for the fulfilling of our life's
accomplishments and purposes.

John's Death

Because John and I did not modernize our Gospel beliefs, but developed a
testimony of the same religious principles that were restored through the
Prophet Joseph Smith, we have received a great deal of criticism from family,
friends and neighbors. Among those principles is plural marriage, which of
course the LDS Church gave up in 1890.

Believing in and practicing this eternal principle is a very
soul-searching and soul-trying experience, even though I know it is true. Both
John and I had a testimony that we were to live plural marriage, and had
received revelation that we were to go [10] forward in this principle, as did
also the woman who came into our family. She had to "put her all on the line"
to take this serious step. Because this occurred in the heat of our conflict
with the courts (just six months before John was killed), the timing seemed
very strange to most people, who thought this would only compound our
problems. But we remained true to what had been revealed to us, no matter how
bad it looked. It was later proved that had John waited until a "more
convenient time", he would not have been able to live plural marriage at all
because of his sudden death.

To return to our legal struggles--because we did not show up in court on
December 16, 1977, there was a misdemeanor bench warrant issued for John's
arrest. Efforts were made during the next 13 months to forcefully remove him
from his property, but the Lord protected him and they were unsuccessful.

One such attempt was made by police officers under the guise of newspaper
reporters from the L.A. Times. John resisted their attack, and because of this
had a felony warrant put out for his arrest. Up until this time, he had been
charged with only a misdemeanor; so there were no legal grounds to use "deadly
force" in effecting his arrest. Neither did the police officers identify
themselves when first trying to apprehend John. Therefore, this felony warrant
was really illegal.

We were under close surveillance during those months, culminating on
January 18, 1979. That was the day when John was shot and killed while running
toward our home after going down the lane to get the mail. The surveillance
had become constant during the two weeks prior to his death. The Swat team had
rented a neighbor's house as their base, and used snowmobiles to circle around
our property day and night.

John had told the media, and his brother, Harald, had told the Governor,
that John would arm himself while on his property for protection of his life,
liberty, and property, but [11] that he would never be the aggressor or fire
the first shot. He felt he definitely had the right to stay on his land and to
protect his family's liberties.

But worse came to worse, and a hit team was sent to get John.
Ten-year-old Charlotte was watching her dad through binoculars and saw him go
down to get the mail. Suddenly five snowmobiles with two officers each,
approached John from behind. Charlotte yelled, "Mom, they're getting Dad!" I
rushed to the window and saw a semicircle of about eight to ten men in what
appeared to be black, unmarked snowsuits. They were confronting John, and he
was standing there with his pistol, like a Mexican standoff.

At that moment I keenly felt his feelings, because he and I were so
close. I know I felt exactly what he was feeling. He wasn't violent; he was
not like that. He stood there as if to say, "Leave me alone!" I immediately
went to get my boots so I could run out to him and be of some help and
support. I knew he was in trouble, and I had to be there with him.

Charlotte continued looking through the binoculars, and later described
what she saw. John made a full turn, and at that time Charlotte saw no gun; he
must have put the pistol in his pocket. He began to run full force toward
home. He had taken only three or four steps when suddenly he reared back with
his arms thrown back and his back arched, and blood gushed out of his mouth.
He fell on his face in the snow! I heard one shot, but the children who were
outside heard two. Later findings disclosed that two different weapons had
been used. John had nine holes in his back.

Family members rushed to get their boots on and ran outside and down the
lane toward John. But the officers must have worked quickly, because by the
time we got to the lane, they had thrown John's body in a pickup truck and had
driven away. When we got down the road, there was no one there--just a large
pool of blood with John's hat closeby. It was [12] devastating! We noticed the
last of the officers just ducking into the neighbor's house.

Very shortly I was whisked off to the Salt Lake County Jail, and my
children were taken to a foster home. It is interesting to point out here that
this whole event was planned so thoroughly that the foster parents had been
notified a few days prior to expect the Singer children. And stories began
circulating that the law officers had been instructed to kill John Singer, not
just arrest him.

I was sentenced to 30 days without bail without even being told what the
charges were. (I was later informed it was because I was a material witness.)
I had first been told that John was only wounded, but later a jail guard came
and told me that John had been killed. My heart was totally broken when I
learned that they had also told the news to our seven children in the foster
home and I was unable to be with them. My little babies and children needed
me, and I needed them desperately. I couldn't believe my pain. I had to give
it all to God. I couldn't bear it. I cried all night--alone in that dark and
hellish jail cell.



24th Dec, 2007 - 3:21am / Post ID: #
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Vickie Singer Story Studies Doctrine Mormon

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Apparently there was such a public outcry about my being put in jail
after the way my husband was killed, and so many people demanded that I be
allowed to be reunited with my children, that I was released at 11:00 a.m. the
following day and was permitted to stay in the foster home with them for about
two weeks. The foster parents were so kind and good to us; we became very
close. We were allowed to attend John's funeral under close supervision, and
at the end of nine days, we returned to our home in Marion.

A while after John's death I brought a wrongful death suit against the
State of Utah, listing many involved individuals from both church and state. I
am certainly not a vindictive person (my close friends will attest to that),
but I felt the truth needed to be revealed. I did not feel bitterness nor [13]
hatred at John's death, but I felt a sense of duty to tell the true story.

Gerry Spence from Wyoming, one of the nation's best lawyers, agreed to
take the case. To make a long story short, we were not able to go to trial, as
the case was thrown out for lack of evidence--according to Judge Winder. But
Mr. Spence is a very intelligent man, and he wouldn't have taken a case that
didn't have sufficient evidence. He was charging that there was conspiratorial
involvement in John's death.

We appealed to the Tenth Circuit Court in Denver, but they just rubber
stamped what Judge Winder had decided. They didn't even review it, and Gerry
was very upset at that.

And then it was taken to the Supreme Court, but they just followed suit
with the two lower courts. So I was never allowed my day in court! It was just
conveniently brushed aside to protect the participating state, federal and
Church officials.

In my lawsuit against the State, I witnessed the depositions taken by my
attorney, Gerry Spence. I was appalled at some of the people in high positions
that were ashamed of God. Gerry questioned them and asked, "If you were to
have to make a decision in a courtroom, would you uphold the laws of man or
the laws of God?" Their answer was a disappointing, "We would uphold man's
law," and acted as if it would be ridiculous to uphold God's law over man's
law. In fact, it seemed they were embarrassed to be asked such a ridiculous
question--and I say this emphatically. I can't believe how ashamed some high
state officials are to talk about God.

I was amazed at the ignorance and irresponsibility of those holding "high
and holy callings". Some of these men were Priesthood holders. Gerry Spence
read from the Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon to provide a proper
background for John's beliefs. Then he [14] confronted those people involved
in the depositions and asked if they believed in the Doctrine and Covenants.
"Do you believe in Section 98? Do you believe in the Book of Mormon?" They
would answer yes; then Gerry would say, "Well, here is what John Singer stood
for." Then he would read right out of the scriptures. Afterward they didn't
know what to say because they just hadn't done their homework. They didn't
know that John was very intelligent and well-read in the scriptures, and knew
what he was standing upon. He was not a law breaker!

When we read the scriptures, we learn that there are principles that we
should stand upon if we claim to believe in God, and He will try us to see if
we will do as He says. For those of you who are LDS, it would be well for you
to read (or re-read) Section 98; then think seriously about its message.

Suffice it to say that John's death was an extremely painful experience
for me and the children. His loss has been keenly felt by each of us, and we
have suffered greatly for the lack of a husband and father over the years that
have passed. While with us, John was a wonderful comfort and strength.

Nine Years of Harassment

During the lonely years that followed, I did my best in trying to raise
my family. But the heartache of John's loss was compounded with harassment
from neighbors and community.

During the time that depositions were being taken by Gerry Spence, one
neighborhood family was trying to have me evicted from my home. There had been
only a verbal agreement between John and his uncle, with no written deed or
title drawn up. Since both John and his uncle had now died, the descendants
tried to get our piece of land back, in addition to the very large amount that
they already had. This resulted in a grueling three-day court trial, for which
Kathryn Collard was [15] my legal counsel. Most of the time I felt like crying
my heart out, as it was so hard to believe that neighbors could be so
heartless in trying to chase us off our property--a widow and seven children,
who had no place else to go. This was our home. John had worked very hard for
this 2-1/2 acres for 17 years.

Fortunately some of John's German friends testified that John had
honestly earned the property and that his uncle had given him the land where
he had built his home. At the end of the trial, Judge Ronald Hyde legally
awarded me the property and title to the spring.

There was a time, too, when our neighbors even tried to stop us from
using the lane that John had built and graded himself. This was ridiculous as
they knew we had no other access to get to our property.

Since these efforts to remove our family from the area didn't work, the
next tactic was to take away our water. Years before we were even married,
John pioneered irrigation water to that whole farm area. He dug by hand about
a mile-long trench to lay pipe bringing water down from the canyon. After we
were married, John helped lay pipe leading from our spring so the neighbors
below us could get water. Because of all the work he did to bring water to
this area, it seems ironic that the very people he had helped to get water
were now trying to take it away from us.

In the spring of 1985, Marion Water Works went up above our property and
put in a collector system that undermined our spring, and the following three
years we had very, very limited amounts of water. In fact, toward the latter
part of the summer, muddy water and even small swimming bugs would come out of
the faucets because of the low and stagnant water level in our headhouse.

[16] A short while after Addam Swapp had married our two daughters, Heidi and
Charlotte, and was helping us a great deal at the Marion farm, he got in
trouble with the law because he had taken back some of the water that was
rightfully ours. We had tried the legal route and had gone to the Water Board
meetings (which ironically were held at the Stake Center--the same building
that Addam later bombed), and had also gone before a hearing at the State
Water Rights Division in Salt Lake--but all to no avail. The same attorney
that had represented my neighbors in my eviction trial now represented Marion
Water Works in the undermining of my spring. These same neighbors had sold the
parcel of land above my springhouse to Marion Water Works.

It was devastating to watch our place just drying up while the
surrounding neighborhood properties were green and beautiful. Some of their
irrigation water even overflowed and ran down the street because their ground
was so saturated. I would go to the trench where they laid the pipe and see
the drinking water just running wastefully down the ditch. It was very hard to
bear; but nobody listened to me, and my repeated pleas just fell on deaf ears.

It was similar to the situation where you don't really understand your
neighbor's hunger pains because your stomach is full. It seemed to us that the
neighbors were thinking, "Why should we help the Singers get water when we
have all we need?"

Finally, Marion Water Works said that if I got certain people's
permission for them to help us, they would do this and that. I had difficulty
believing them because they hadn't kept their word before, but I did as they
recommended. I approached a particular neighbor and asked for his cooperation
in restoring some of our water that had been cut off. He said he would "get
back to me". I hadn't heard from him in two weeks, so a family friend went to
talk to this neighbor to [17] emphasize how critical our situation was. He
asked if he would allow me to dig a collector system so I could get water, but
he emphatically said, "No, I talked to the other members of the family, and we
don't want this wickedness in our midst." They refused to cooperate in any
way.

The "wickedness in their midst" that they referred to was the fact that
we believed in and practiced plural marriage (a divine principle lived by the
Biblical prophets and the early leaders of the LDS Church). Addam had married
two of my daughters, and they each had a small home on our property.

Our next step was to go before the State Water Rights Board, and my
attorney, Kathryn Collard, presented our grievances to them, but they
responded with the usual, "We'll get back to you." I waited very patiently for
a long ten months, and they sent me a statement that they had awarded water
rights to the people that had put in the new headhouse above ours. They didn't
award me a drop of water, nor compensate me for any losses.

I later learned that the Regional Water Director said, however, that
these people had not even filed a claim, and we definitely would have to be
compensated for our water. But it never happened!

Because of the filthy and stagnant condition of our water, some of the
children got sick with diarrhea. Finally the water stream was capped, and
since it wasn't being used at one point, Addam went up and rigged an inner
tube somehow and brought it into a little one-inch pvc pipe leading into our
headhouse. How thankful we were to have water at last, and we thanked the Lord
for such a great blessing. But soon the sheriff came up and asked what we were
doing. Addam told him that he was just taking back the water that was
rightfully ours and explained the situation to him. The sheriff inquired if he
had the right to do this, and Addam responded that, yes, we had the title to
our spring. The sheriff [18] then asked if we had kept a written record of
what had been taking place regarding the water situation. Addam told him about
the journal we had been keeping in accordance with instructions from the
Regional Water representative--a man who was released from his position and
sent to another district shortly after telling us to keep such a journal.

I faithfully kept this journal, which we took into the sheriff's office
to be copied on his copy machine. This was a record of events and
conversations over the past two or three years and amounted to a stack of
papers about an inch high. The entries showed that we had definitely been
deprived of our water and the futility of our pleas for compensation. But
nothing ever came of that avenue either.

The president of Marion Water Works was also a Summit County
Commissioner, and his actions were not at all consistent during the time of
the water rights dispute. There was evidence that no one, not even the State,
was really interested in my being compensated when it would have taken very
little effort to restore our water at that time. My grievances, humble pleas,
and many evidences (pictures, records, etc.) were just "yawned at".

We tried and tried our very best to get results from someone in
authority, but to no avail. Ultimately it came to a point that we had to have
water! We had watched our fruit trees wither up and our lawns turn brown. We
had to take our laundry a few miles away to the laundromat. We flushed our
toilets only when absolutely necessary, and bathing in the tub was a luxury.

So Addam went up again and diverted part of the stream--and that's when
the real trouble started.



24th Dec, 2007 - 3:22am / Post ID: #
Quote

Story Singer Vickie

QUOTE
Along with the eviction and water problems, we also suffered other
harassments. For example, a couple of times a neighborhood driver
intentionally tried to run my boys off the [19] road when they were riding
their bikes. Luckily they were not seriously hurt.

In mentioning all these incidents, in all fairness I have to admit that
our neighbors had to put up with some disturbances from us, too. While growing
up without a father, my boys were quite rambunctious with their motorbikes and
vehicles in going up and down the lane, creating noise and dust in front of
the neighbor's houses. I definitely did not approve of this behavior and had
my hands full in trying to control it. But boys have a way of not considering
other's inconveniences at the expense of their own fun.

And, of course, the neighbors were inconvenienced at the time of the
siege, but we had no control over the treatment they received from the
officers. But none of that would have happened if we had been compensated for
our water.

During our troubles, we were shunned by some in the community, made to
feel unwelcome when we went to town, and the children were sometimes ridiculed
by the neighbors. All we wanted was to live quietly on our property with what
was rightfully ours, but many people in this LDS community did not even
display basic Christian attributes of compassion and charity because we were
"different" and were looked upon by some as apostates and sinners, etc.

There was finally a point reached where we could take it no longer.

Before the Bombing

By way of introduction to Addam Swapp--he was a native of Fairview, Utah,
where he had lived with his parents, six brothers and one sister. He was born
and raised as a member of the LDS Church and was a student of scripture and
Church history. He had seen my husband, John, and other Singer family members
on television while we were having our trouble [20] with the State over home
school. He was sympathetic to our cause and had a strong desire to come to
Marion and meet us. However, he did not make the trip until after John's
death.

One day he and his cousin drove up to meet our family, and we immediately
became good friends. He was especially interested in Heidi, and after a period
of semi-courtship, they were married in September of 1980. Three years later
he married another of my daughters, Charlotte.

We had explained to Addam the hardships that we had suffered without
John's help and support, and told him about the prejudice against our family.
After his marriage to Heidi, he witnessed the eviction trial and the problems
over insufficient water, and wanted to help us in our fight for water. He
appealed to those involved for compensation; he wrote letters calling
attention to the fact that our water had been taken away--but his efforts,
too, were fruitless.

For many reasons, among which was the treatment we had been receiving
from supposedly good members of the LDS Church, Addam decided he wanted his
name removed from Church records and notified them of such. He and his
brother, Jonathan, were called to go to the Stake Center for a hearing before
the Bishop's Council.

It is interesting to interject here that the bishop at this time was the
same man who had turned John and me over to the Juvenile Court when we
withdrew our children from public school. He was the same man whose son John
had saved from drowning years earlier, at the risk of his own life. He was the
same man who, on Halloween 1987, had a bizarre display on his front lawn, with
an old car that had hit a pedestrian who was lying dead under the front wheel
of the car. We had to pass his house often to get to our home, and thought it
was in extremely poor taste. It appeared to us that he was depicting the
killing of John Singer, as we knew his negative feelings toward us. Addam said
that he was prompted to write upon [21] this old car, "_________ murdered John
Singer," as we felt this man had played a definite part in my husband's death.

So this was the type of bishop that Addam and Jonathan and my son,
Timothy, went to see at the Stake Center--and, of course, there were other
brethren there who had also had a hand in our on-going troubles. Addam felt
strongly compelled to now confront these individuals with an account of their
participation in the serious troubles against us, as some of these men had
also been involved in John's death. As a result, pandemonium broke out, and
the three of them were physically forced out of the church. It was this
building that Addam bombed several weeks later.

About this same time, Addam also spray painted two nearby garage doors
with messages similar to what he had painted on the old car. The neighbors
reported this was reported to the sheriff, and so he and his deputy came up to
our place--without a warrant--and boldly came on our property after Addam
warned them to stay off--that he would talk with them at the gate. However,
the two law officers ignored him, climbed over the gate where a "No
Trespassing" sign was posted, and started walking toward Addam. He yelled at
them to stop and not take another step, but the sheriff proceeded, mockingly
counting his steps-- "One..., two..., three..." Addam raised his gun and shot
into the air saying, "I said not to take another step. Get off this property,"
which they then did.

Because of Addam's actions, there was now a warrant out for his arrest,
as he had shot a gun in the presence of two law officers. Now he was under
siege--a prisoner on his own property.

A few days later, he started working on a cedar pole, but wouldn't say
what it was for. He seemed in good spirits, but somewhat solemn and reposed. I
didn't see anything out of the ordinary except for this pole he was making. We
certainly didn't sit around the table and plan the events that were soon [22]
to transpire. I was not informed that there was going to be a bomb, but I did
hear talk of some dynamite.

Church Bombing and 13-Day Siege

After such a long series of events where we had been ignored or
mistreated, Addam made preparations to carry out what he had been commanded to
do. However, he never discussed his plans with me prior to the bombing. He did
mention that the situation was becoming very serious and was coming to a head,
but explained no further. I prayed that anything that was not God's will would
be stopped.

Addam never denied the bombing; in fact, he left the symbolic pole with
nine feathers by the Church that night, knowing it would be traced back to
him. The bomb was actually assembled at the Stake Center.

In Addam's words, he gives this explanation for his actions: "It was like
a parable--using that building to symbolize that there would be a cleansing."
He made sure, however, that there would be no one in the church at the time of
the 3:00 a.m. explosion. He placed the bomb in the middle or core of the
Church building, symbolizing that it would be cleansed from the inside out.
Addam said in court that it was like a shot being heard around the world,
declaring that something was wrong here.

The first day after the bombing was probably the worst. We didn't know
from one minute to the next what might happen. Law enforcement officers flew
low over our house in a helicopter with something big hanging in a net
underneath. We thought they were going to drop a bomb of some kind on us.
There were many police cars in the area, also.

The thought came to us to put up our flag--the flag of the Kingdom of God
that Brigham Young had flown from Ensign Peak shortly after the Saints entered
Salt Lake Valley. We had [23] a flagpole on top of our roof, and for years had
put it up for special occasions. It had been draped over John's casket; we
flew it annually on April 6th, and on every anniversary of John's death. It
symbolized our Gospel ideals and goals, and brought us hope as we watched it
waving above our home. (See Appendix C for illustration and description of
this flag.)

From that point on, however, it seemed to us that the men in the planes
were trying to knock it down, they would fly so close to the flagpole. When
the 13-day siege had ended, the officers went up on our roof and took down the
flag, as if they felt threatened by it. During the siege, there was a spirit
of great love and close family solidarity in our home. We felt the Spirit of
God comfort us despite the tremendous pressures. We were crowded but
comfortable.

We took good care of the children and kept everything as peaceful as
possible. We kept the home clean, though it did get somewhat cluttered at
times because of the crowded conditions. Afterwards, when the officers came in
to the house, they tore it to pieces, ransacking everything as they tried to
find some kind of evidence. Then they took pictures that made us look as if we
were filthy slobs and released them to the media.

We sang hymns in the evening to give us peace and comfort, and prayed
together continually. We ate three meals a day, and had to heat our food and
water (for bathing and washing our clothes) on a wood-burning stove. We put up
clothes lines in the house. We were very busy.

The law officers kept saying that they were concerned about the
children's welfare and safety. No one was more concerned about their welfare
than we were. If they had really been concerned about the children, they would
never have used those piercing sirens and the blinding lights. It was just
devastating torture!

[24] They flew planes as close as possible to our house, and the whole
building would shake. I guess they were trying to scare us. And at night they
shot such bright flares that they would light up the whole sky around our
house. We couldn't believe their tactics. The huge arc lights that glared
through our windows were blinding to our family and potentially damaging to
our eyesight, especially to the children. It was unreal!

But the hardest to bear were the sirens. My son, Timothy's bedroom was in
a lean-to part of the house and it wasn't insulated as well as the rest of our
log home. The noise penetrated through his thin walls and was extremely hard
on his ears and nearly drove him crazy. That's one reason why Addam and
Jonathan tried to shoot out the speakers, being careful not to shoot at a
person. Since that didn't stop the noise, they went outside and pulled down
the big speakers.

The media reported that there was a large store of guns and ammunition in
our home. I'm not very familiar with guns, but I do know that some of them
were guns that John had from years back, and a couple of them even had mold on
them. I was appalled when I saw the picture in the Salt Lake Tribune
portraying me as some kind of Ma Barker with a rifle. The children did not
have access to the guns. Addam, John, and Timothy were the only ones that had
rifles.

Another terrible misrepresentation by the media was when they showed a
picture of Addam's three-year-old son, Hans, with a gun on his high chair,
leading people to think it was a real gun. It was really a plastic gun that
was given as a birthday present from one of his brothers. When our home was
ransacked by the officers after our arrest, they went through our photo albums
and everything in the house, trying to find any kind of evidence against us.
They found this picture of Hans with the toy gun, and broadcast it all over
the nation. So, of course, the recent television movie picked up on this and
depicted it as an authentic M-16 rifle.

[25] Going back to the first part of the siege, the officials in charge cut
off our regular phone service and hooked up a private phone line that went
only to their headquarters. They kept calling us and trying to get us to
compromise and come out. It got so annoying that we finally refused to answer
the phone. We just couldn't come out. I had been through this before, after
John was killed, and I was thrown in jail and separated from my children. I
couldn't bear the thoughts of going through that separation again. We just had
to stand.

On the 10th, 11th, and 12th days of the siege, a family friend, Ogden
Kraut, was sent in by the FBI to negotiate with us. On his second of the three
visits, he brought us a letter from Governor Bangerter, asking us to give up.
(This letter is reprinted on the following page.)

Addam and I each wrote a separate response to the Governor, and Ogden
came up the third time to pick them up and delivered them to the officials
waiting at their headquarters about a mile away. We did not consult one
another as to what each would say; it came from our individual hearts. I
reiterated the long train of abuses that our family had experienced and quoted
from the "Declaration of Independence". My bosom burned within me as I wrote.
(See Appendix A for a copy of my letter.)

The morning of the 13th day of the siege, Addam and Jonathan went down
the path to milk the goat. On their return, Addam had the pail of milk in one
hand and his gun slung over his other shoulder. None of us had any idea that
during the night, officers had sneaked into the empty house down by the goat
pen. Timothy was sitting in his wheelchair by his bedroom window, watching out
for Addam and Jonathan. Suddenly two dogs came from the direction of the
"empty" house, and Timothy screamed something like, "Addam, dogs! Watch out
for the dogs!" And in his effort to protect his two brothers-in-law from
attack by the dogs, he shot his rifle at them. On a radio talk show recently,
someone [27] said they had heard that one of the dogs had been nicked by a
bullet.

[26]                  Governor Releases Copy of Letter

Gov. Norm Bangerter Wednesday afternoon released copies of his letter to
Addam Swapp and Vickie Singer and reiterated while he's deeply concerned over
the standoff he remains confident about the state's tactics.
The six-paragraph letter was delivered to the Singer family Tuesday by
family friend Ogden Kraut.
Following is the complete text of the governor's letter:

Vickie Singer
Addam Swapp
Singer Ranch
Marion, Utah
Dear Vickie and Addam:
I a writing to you privately and personally in hopes that you may
understand my sincerity in doing what I can to resolve the situation in which
we all find ourselves embroiled.
Please understand that my position as governor compels me to assure that
the laws are obeyed and enforced, but I am also anxious to see that all
citizens of Utah are treated fairly in all their dealings.
I earnestly urge and plead with you to bring this incident to a
conclusion by surrendering to the authorities. If you will do this, I assure
you that you may do so to the immediate custody of your attorneys and that no
harm will come to you or any other member of your family.
To the best of my ability I assure fair treatment in the courts where you
will have the opportunity to present a defense and have your views publicly
aired.
I have great concern for the children there with you. In addition to
being governor, I am a father and a grandfather and have great compassion and
understanding for families. The children are the real victims of this standoff
and for their sake this incident should be ended immediately. You can do that.
If so, I will use my influence to see that the children remain with their
natural mothers.
I plead with you to consider this letter carefully. I will have every
hope that you will do so and that this incident will be resolved as soon as
possible.
Sincerely,
Norman H. Bangerter
Governor



24th Dec, 2007 - 3:24am / Post ID: #
Quote

Story Singer Vickie

QUOTE
[return to 27]
Simultaneously, shots came from the officers stationed in the other
house, in an effort to get Addam and Jonathan. Inside our house we heard the
shots, and Heidi ran outside and saw Addam bleeding and started screaming. We
went into Tim's room and asked him what had happened, and he said he didn't
really know. Then Addam came staggering into the house, bleeding terribly. He
had a hole in his chest and the artery in his wrist was blow out.

In court, one of the prosecuting attorneys tried to bring out that Addam
had aimed his gun at the law officers, but Tim said that there was no way this
could have happened. Addam got shot without even knowing what was happening.
They shot him first in the wrist, and when he whirled around, he was shot in
the chest. That bullet is still in his lungs to this day since it is
inoperable. He thought he was a dead man for sure.

Regarding the shooting of Fred House, the state law officer who released
the dogs--none of us knew that anyone else beside Addam had been shot until
after we were arrested and were taken away. We had no idea that officers had
broken into the house on the western part of our property. There was a snow
laden pine tree just outside Tim's bedroom window, and it blocked a clear view
of that house. He did not see anyone when he shot at the attacking dogs. We
were shocked when we heard that someone had been killed.

Serious questions have surfaced as to whether or not it was really
Timothy's bullet that killed Fred House. There is reason to believe that the
bullet could have come from the gun of a fellow officer. In fact, the results
of an investigation by one of the attorneys (made during the state trial)
showed that there is reasonable doubt that the shot could actually have come
from Tim's gun.

[28] When Addam came back into the house after being shot, he sat down on the
couch and we tried to stop the bleeding as well as we could. He was given a
Priesthood blessing, and then taking a light-colored towel, Addam left the
house to wave it in surrender, in order to save himself and the rest of the
family.

When he stumbled down the path and gave himself up, he was told to lie
down in the snow and stay there. One officer booted him with his foot and
turned him over, calling him a "dog". Another guy came a couple of minutes
later and asked if he was dead yet. He was bleeding profusely and fading in
and out of consciousness.

Then a very kind officer, Richard Ryboldt, came over to Addam and said,
"This man is dying." He put a tourniquet on his arm to stop the bleeding and
remained with him, giving encouragement until Addam was taken away in a
helicopter, which was about an hour after he gave himself up to the
authorities. We feel sure that Addam would have bled to death if Richard
Ryboldt hadn't have helped him. May God bless him forever for his
consideration and charity.

Concerning the news media's constant reiterating that we were making this
stand to bring about John's resurrection--that came from some family members
who were off the property at the time of the bombing and subsequent siege. We
were very surprised to hear this declared on television. No one really knew
what the outcome would be. Yes, we've had testimonies of John's return and
that he will stand again on this earth as a resurrected being, but we don't
know when this will be. We also believe that hosts of others will be
resurrected at the time of the Second Coming of Christ as recorded in the book
of Revelations.

As a matter of interest, John's patriarchal blessing, given to him in New
York when he was a very young man, mentions his mission yet to be fulfilled.
During the blessing the patriarch paused for a few moments; his voice became
more serious and emphatic, and he talked about the time just before [29] the
Second Coming of the Lord and that John would be instrumental in helping
prepare the way.

The Arrest/Prison Time

The anguish of being removed from our home, separated as a family, and
arrested and imprisoned is indescribable.

After Addam had been shot, we sensed automatically that the siege was
over. Two large white armored personnel carriers (APC's) came crashing through
our large iron-bar gate, ran over shrubbery and small trees, and pulled up to
the side of our house. Loud speakers roared for all of us to come out.

Israel, my 12-year-old son, was crying hysterically and holding on to me
exclaiming, "Mom, mom, they're going to take you away from me!" My heart could
hardly bear the hurt I felt. I had to summon all the courage and strength I
could muster, and I said to him, "Can you trust in God?" Israel said, "Yes."
Then I said, "That's what we have to do." I tried with every ounce of ability
I had to sound strong for him--all the while my heart was just breaking.

As we walked out of our house, each of my boys, as well as the adults,
was handcuffed and taken away separately. My son, Joseph, stood there
handcuffed as they drove me away, and he called, "I love you, mom." Pain
beyond words welled up within me. To this day it is very difficult for me to
talk about this separation from my children.

I was taken to the Salt Lake County Jail, where I had been taken after
John's death. To make this story as brief as possible, I spent about seven
months in that jail and about two months in San Diego MCI where Judge Bruce
Jenkins sent us for evaluation. Then I was sent to Dublin, California, to
serve the remainder of my 3-1/2-year term. The filthy language, loud pounding
music, and strong smell of cigarette smoke were very offensive to me--and the
immorality was awful in the [30] San Diego MCI. Many of the prisoners were
vulgar and crude. Some, however, were very decent people, and I became friends
with many of them.

Because I have a friendly disposition, I tried to make the best of my
situation, though the deep heartache in being separated from my children never
really subsided. I treated others as I wanted to be treated, trying to be as
respectful and helpful as possible. Each prisoner was experiencing a traumatic
time of her life, so I tried to offer a kind or comforting word whenever
possible.

I remember the deep anguish of a black woman who rocked to and fro,
crying because her babies had been taken from her. I held her in my arms,
shedding some tears along with her. I remember praying for her outloud as I
tried to comfort her.

Many of the other women prisoners could see my character and prayerful
nature, and would ask me to pray with them and help them through some
difficult times. We would read the Bible together, and find passages that
comforted us. Most of the women were kind to me and sympathetic to my plight.
Even the officers who seemed to dislike me at first soon became my friends.

I prayed constantly for strength and comfort. Many times I wondered if my
heart would be able to take it. I was blessed with wonderful roommates, who
stood up for me against other prisoners and helped me adjust to prison life. I
attended non-denominational Christian meetings, and we prayed for each other
to be able to overcome various problems.

I worked for three months in the kitchen and then was assigned to the Cut
`n' Sew factory where we made draperies. Since FCI Pleasanton (Dublin) was a
coed prison, men and women worked side by side in the factories. I sat next to
a man by the name of Jim Stewart, and over the next few months we [31] became
very good friends. We began walking together and talked about our families and
the heartache each of us was experiencing. We became a comfort to each other.
I found myself becoming more and more fond of him, and tried to fight these
feelings growing in my heart, as I had thought I could never remarry after
John's death.

When my friend, Cheryl, told me that he had mentioned to her he wanted to
marry me, I thought, "This is going too far." So I let him know I had no
interest in remarrying. But in spite of the struggle I had to try to overcome
my feelings for him, they only grew stronger. I felt such a comfort and
strength when I was with him, and he took the edge off the heartache for my
family. In fact, when I was with Jim, it felt as if he were my family!

After praying for a few months about my feelings for Jim, I received a
testimony that he was indeed a blessing in my difficult life. One morning
after praying so much, I was standing before the wash basin in my cramped
little cell, and as I looked into the mirror, it just flowed into my being
that the Lord and John had given me this great comforting blessing. I felt
their love for me, and received the testimony that Jim and I were to be
married. He had received the same testimony a few months earlier, but I could
not accept it at that time. I had not even looked at another man with interest
in that way since John had died.

Jim was in prison on the charge of bringing illegal aliens into the
country. These immigrants were having difficulties in other countries; some
were depressed or not able to make a living; or they wanted to be here with
their loved ones who had immigrated earlier. Some were even in some kind of
danger in their country. Jim was sentenced to 28 months for helping these
people.

I returned to my home in Marion, Utah, on June 8, 1991, after being
incarcerated for about 3-1/2 years. One week later [32] (June 15) Jim Stewart
and I were married in a very small family ceremony, and we are very happy
together.

Coming back home presented a lot of major adjustments. While I had been
gone, two of my daughters, Heidi and Charlotte, were in charge of the home,
property and family. Charlotte got the brunt of it and assumed most of the
responsibility, because she had only one child and Heidi had five and had her
hands full. It was very difficult for Heidi to care for these children by
herself.

They also had to supervise their three younger brothers who had already
lost their father, and now their mother had left during a very critical time
in their lives. My two youngest sons, ages 12 and 15, at the time of my
arrest, really had problems because of no parental support, love or guidance
during this traumatic time. I had left two young boys and returned to two
young men that I had to become acquainted with all over again. I felt very
awkward and timid and didn't really know how to handle the "time-warp" or
empty gap that had developed. My heart ached to hold them as my little boys
once again. I felt I had been cheated out of such important years of all my
children.

Other difficult adjustments were spread over a period of time. For
example, it took me quite a while before I got up enough courage to get my
driver's license renewed. I didn't care to drive at first, and felt I needed
to have someone take me places. Even to go shopping in a store was strange for
me, and I wanted my daughter to make all the purchases. I was amazed at all
the bright colors in the supermarkets.

It is true that you become somewhat institutionalized after being
incarcerated for any lengthy period of time, and that is a real handicap when
you are released, as far as assuming responsibility and making decisions are
concerned. It takes months of adjustment, and I could see why so many people
have to go back to prison because they aren't able to make the adjustment.

[33] After returning home, I didn't want to talk to any of the media at all. I
felt we had been badly misrepresented by them before I went to prison, and I
did not want to give them the opportunity to continue this negative
presentation. However, after watching the nationwide television movie, "Siege
at Marion" on Monday night, February 10, 1992, I felt I could no longer remain
silent and that I needed to come to the defense of our family.

Response to the Television Movie

There have been some people in both the television and movie industry who
have approached us about doing our story, but for one reason or another it has
not yet materialized. How disappointed we were that before our side of the
story could be presented, the television movie, "Siege at Marion" was shown,
presenting the opposite side of the whole episode. This was filmed without
contacting our family or their even walking around on the site where it all
took place. Apparently the information was obtained from police and court
records and from the media interpretations of what had transpired--which, of
course, does not contain information of what was actually going on inside our
home.

Charles Haid, director of the "Siege at Marion" movie, was quoted in the
Deseret News as saying, "Representatives of the LDS Church, as well as law
enforcement officials, were consulted on the script. For legal reasons, there
were no interviews with members of the Singer/Swapp family." (Des. News, C-1,
Feb. 7, 1992)

My family and I were devastated as we sat in our living room on the
evening of February 10, 1992, and watched the portrayal of our family by
people who had never even met us. I was very insulted to see how I was
dramatized by Tess Harper, who appeared to be half-crazy and melodramatic
nearly every time she opened her mouth. The words and actions of our family
members were mostly inaccurate and taken out of context, to say the least.

[34] Because of this, I have listed the most offensive elements of "Siege at
Marion", so people can at least compare our side of the story with the way it
was presented on television:

1. At the opening, there was a scene of Dean Black coming up to our
property and his children running excitedly to him, exclaiming, "Daddy,
daddy!" This never happened; in fact, it was quite the contrary. For example,
after John was killed and we were arrested and taken away, the children were
taken to a detention center. When they released Shirley's children and tried
to turn them over to their father, Dean Black, they did not want to go with
him, but they were forced to go anyway. They preferred to stay with their
mother who is a very good and honorable woman, and who for years had suffered
physical and verbal abuse from the children's father.

2. Tess Harper's hateful and "crazy" portrayal of me was very ludicrous.
Most of her speaking parts were over-dramatic and inaccurate, and didn't come
close to showing my conduct during the siege.

3. Addam did not shoot into the air behind the sheriff's back. The
sheriff and his deputy were walking toward Addam when he shot into the air to
try to enforce his demand for them to leave since they did not have a search
warrant and they were trespassing on our private property.

4. The family did not sit around loading guns, nor did all the boys have
guns--only Addam, Jonathan, and Timothy.

5. That wasn't John's vest that Heidi gave Addam. It was one she got him
as a birthday gift shortly after they were married. John's vest went to our
son, Joseph.

6. After the church was bombed I was shown as saying, "Hush, child; John
is coming home." These words were never spoken by me.

[35] 7. They said that Addam had been causing people trouble for years. In
actuality, he had only been defending our rights and trying to get our water
back.

8. No shots were fired by the boys at any officers--only at the lights
and sirens--and later at the dogs. Addam did not go out in front of the house
shooting like a maniac.

9. I never affectionately held Addam, as was shown, nor said those things
to him, nor did I brainwash him as implied. Also, Addam did not go around the
house babbling scripture.

10. Addam's parents were portrayed as a very low class, peasant-like
couple, while they are really very intelligent and nice-looking people.

11. Ogden Kraut, a respected and knowledgeable author of over 37 books on
LDS Church history and doctrine, was portrayed as being slow and rather
inarticulate. Even the name they gave him, Otto Doeffer, means "stupid" in
German.

12. Generally speaking, those who believed in the fundamental principles
of the Gospel as we do were depicted as being eccentric or stupid, while those
on the other side of the spectrum were shown as "having it all together", and
being the "good guys with the white hats."

13. The movie had Timothy stationed at an upstairs window on the last day
of the siege, which, in reality, is practically an impossibility. He hasn't
been upstairs in our house since his accident. There is no way he could have
got his wheelchair up those steep and narrow stairs. Then, too, there is no
attic window facing in the direction of the police officer who was shot.

14. I was described as saying, "There will be shooting! There will be
death!" These comments were taken out of [36] context and not said in that way
at all. During the first day of the siege, when we were under terrible
pressure with low flying planes, etc., and I thought they were going to drop a
bomb or something on us, a newsman talked with me on the phone, and I told him
I thought at that time we were about to be attacked. My heart was in my
throat.

15. At the end of the movie, one of Addam's and Heidi's sons (3-year-old
Hans) was represented in a high chair with an M-16 assault rifle in front of
him. This was blown completely out of proportion, as it was really a much
smaller toy plastic gun that had been given him as a birthday present. The
news media used it for sensationalism when the officers released this photo
that was found when going through our personal belongings.



24th Dec, 2007 - 3:26am / Post ID: #
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Vickie Singer Story

QUOTE
16. The officers, especially Fred House, were depicted as being so
patient and caring, loving family fathers, etc.; and I'm sure this is the case
with some of them. However, the treatment we received from the officers that
arrested us as we came out of the house was certainly not consistent with this
scenario. Their language was atrocious; they treated us like hardened
criminals; they yelled at Heidi and Charlotte to "throw down their babies" as
they walked down the snowy lane, some of them were very condemning as they
drove individual family members down to Salt Lake City; they ransacked our
house mercilessly and then gave out the information that we were terrible
housekeepers; etc., etc.

17. In the movie, it said that we expected John Singer to be resurrected
at that time and that Addam looked up (after he had been shot) at an officer's
feet and said faintly, "John. . ." This was a ridiculous performance.

18. There was a scene in the movie that I did appreciate, however, and
that was the flag of the Kingdom of God waving gloriously over our home, which
kingdom will once again be restored to earth in righteousness, allowing
liberty for all.

[37]                              * * * * *

By the end of the movie, I felt as if our family had been figuratively
undressed in public. How little they knew about our stand for Constitutional
rights and freedoms and what we really felt in our hearts!

Feeling that everyone--who didn't know us--who watched that movie must
surely hate us and consider us the scum of the earth, (since our characters
had been so grossly defiled), I was very grateful when the next day K-Talk
radio spent most of the morning discussing our story. They interviewed Addam,
Charlotte, myself, my husband Jim, Addam's parents, and a few others who were
familiar with what had happened. I was relieved when I heard that most of the
callers were intelligent, understanding and gracious. The additional
information they brought out made it an informative and enlightening program.
It made me feel that maybe there was hope for the truth to be revealed after
all, and that at least some people could see the biased and inaccurate
presentation of "The Siege at Marion."

  Also, I am extremely grateful to members of the news staff at Channel 4
for allowing one hour of prime time (Monday, March 9--a month after the
television movie) to be used for a call-in program, where I was able to defend
our family's side of the events, and hopefully shed a little more light on the
whole story.

Conclusion

Many questions have been asked me in recent months, and the most frequent
ones are included in this section.

Do you believe that your husband, John Singer, was a prophet?

Yes, I do, and I also believe there are many prophets who are righteous
patriarchs and receive guidance and inspiration [38] in their lives. When we
are baptized and confirmed as members of the LDS Church, we receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost, entitling us to spiritual gifts, such as the gift of
prophecy. I base my belief on such scriptural passages as the following:

      And Moses said unto him, . . . would God that all the Lord's people
    were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them! (Num.
    11:29)

      But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the
    Savior of the world. (D & C 1:20)

      Do you believe Joseph Smith, Jun., to be a Prophet? Yes, and every
    other man who has the testimony of Jesus. For the testimony of Jesus is
    the spirit of prophecy. (Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 119)

We each need to know the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for
ourselves and obtain our own testimonies. We cannot trust in the arm of flesh
nor lean upon someone else. John and I believed strongly in this--and that's
what it's all about.

Would you change any of your actions during the past several years?

I can only say that I lived as honestly and sincerely as I possibly could
have according to my innermost beliefs and testimony. If I hadn't have had
such deep convictions, I couldn't possibly have gone through all this trauma
and heart-ache. But I believe it all happened for a reason, and I know that in
the end, I will understand the full overall purpose for the events that have
transpired.

Naturally, there are day-to-day actions in my life that can always be
improved, but as far as the major events that have taken place, I feel I had
no control over most of them, and prayed at all times that we would carry out
the Lord's wishes.

[39] What have you learned through these past experiences?

It has been like a schooling. Our family has been through college--the
"College of Hard Knocks". Each of our weaknesses and strengths has been
forcefully brought to the surface, and we have learned to better deal with
each other as a family. We have learned patience, long suffering, forgiveness,
and a deeper love for God, our family, and, in fact, for all mankind.

  I have learned that certainly things are not fair in this life, but that
at all costs, I must remain true and strong in standing for what I believe.

How have others benefited because of your stand on home school?

Many parents have told me that because of our strong stand for the home
school issue, and the tragic outcome, it has been easier for them to teach
their children at home. Time after time, first- and second-hand accounts have
come to us of the gratitude of these people, not only in the state of Utah but
in many other states, as well. I know my husband did not die in vain.

What is your present family situation?

My daughters, Heidi and Charlotte, still live at the farm with their
children. Charlotte and I are teaching home school, and the children are doing
very well. Three of the adult members of the family are studying in the
evenings. Addam's parents, Ramon and Harriet Swapp, have helped a great deal
with their grandchildren's education, and Ramon, a school teacher by
profession, has been a big influence in their school-work.

[40] My other daughter, Suzanne, and her husband and six children, live in the
eastern part of Utah.

Timothy, my oldest son, is in prison at Terminal Island, California,
trying to further his education as much as possible while he is there. Prison
life is very difficult for him, especially since he is in a wheelchair, and
his health is suffering because of this confinement.

Joseph has been a big help at home and is a very stabilizing influence
within our family. Benjamin was married while I was in prison and now has a
ten-month-old son. Israel, my youngest, (now 16), lives at home and is working
fulltime as a snowmobile mechanic, taking home school classes in the evening.

I am thankful for my husband, Jim, who is a great comfort to me. It was
very hard being alone for so many years. Jim is trained in heating, air
conditioning, and refrigeration, installation and service, and also is a real
estate/investment counselor. It is taking time to get back on our feet
financially, but we're looking forward to the prospect of getting a much
needed well and being able to once again make the property productive and
presentable.
                                  * * * * *

In conclusion, we have based our actions on our own personal testimonies
and on our knowledge and understanding of the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine
and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

In the troubled times we have experienced, we followed the pattern
outlined in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith and included
in the 98th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants. My husband, John, followed
these instructions when we were harrassed over the home school issue, sending
out these standards of peace which were rejected and ignored. [41] Then Addam
also followed this pattern when we were fighting for our water rights, and he,
too, was ignored and labeled a religious fanatic or "crazy".

Because of the importance of these scriptural verses in governing our
actions, I have included some of them here:

      Now, I speak unto you concerning your families--if men will smite
    you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not
    against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be rewarded;
      But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as
    being meted out as a just measure unto you.
      And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you
    revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall
    be an hundred-fold.
      And again, if he shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it
    patiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold;
      And these three testimonies shall stand against your enemy if he
    repent not, and shall not be blotted out.
      And now, verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my
    vengeance, that he be not brought into judgment before me, then ye shall
    see to it that ye warn him in my name, that he come no more upon you,
    neither upon your family, even your children's children unto the third
    and fourth generation.
      And then, if he shall come upon you or your children, or your
    children's children unto the third and fourth generation, I have
    delivered thine enemy into thine hands;
      And then if thou wilt spare him, thou shalt be rewarded for thy
    righteousness; and also thy children and thy children's children unto the
    third and fourth generation.
      Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest
    him according to his works thou art justified; if he has sought thy life,
    and thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou
    art justified. * * *
[42]  And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against
    them, they should first lift a standard of peace unto that people,
    nation, or tongue;
      And if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the
    second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies before the
    Lord;
      Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify
    them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people.
      And I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children's
    battles, and their children's children's, until they had avenged
    themselves on all their enemies, to the third and fourth generation.
      Behold, this is an ensample unto all people, saith the Lord your
    God, for justification before me.
      And again, verily I say unto you, if after thine enemy has come upon
    thee the first time, he repent and come unto thee praying thy
    forgiveness, thou shalt forgive him, and shalt hold it no more as a
    testimony against thine enemy--
      And so on unto the second and third time; and as oft as thine enemy
    repenteth of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against thee, thou
    shalt forgive him, until seventy times seven.
      And if he trespass against thee and repent not the first time,
    nevertheless thou shalt forgive him.
      And if he trespass against thee the second time, and repent not,
    nevertheless thou shalt forgive him.
      And if he trespass against thee the third time, and repent not, thou
    shalt also forgive him.
      But if he trespass against thee the fourth time thou shalt not
    forgive him, but shall bring these testimonies before the Lord; and they
    shall not be blotted out until he repent and reward thee four-fold in all
    things wherewith he has trespassed against thee.
      And if he do this, thou shalt forgive him with all thine heart; and
    if he do not this, I the Lord, will avenge thee of thine enemy an
    hundred-fold. (Doc. & Cov. 98:23-31, 34-45)

Concerning this passage of scripture, we felt we had gone the "extra
mile", for we forgave, and forgave, and forgave--and are still forgiving! We
most definitely are not hateful people.
[43] What happened to our family could happen to anyone who stands firm on
their religious beliefs and Constitutional rights. When our forefathers signed
the Declaration of Independence, they put their names and lives on the line,
and suffered greatly to guarantee these freedoms for us. When, through
negligence, apathy and wrong doing, these freedoms are lost, they cannot be
regained without paying the price once again. We have stood for these same
principles--and have paid a price.



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24th Dec, 2007 - 3:27am / Post ID: #
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Vickie Singer Story

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[44]                              Appendix A

                      Vickie's Letter to the Governor

          Jan. 27, 1988
To the Office of the Governor,
  State of Utah
To the News Media and All Concerned People

Dear Mr. Bangerter,

I know that Addam Swapp is writing you, as I am, in response to your
letter addressed to us; but I will not read the contents of his letter,
neither will he read the contents of my letter until we have finished our
individual letters to you.
We have not collaborated upon what to say to you. We write as
individuals, according to the feelings of our innermost consciences, as we are
not a "clan" as referred to, but rather deep-feeling individuals, who do
revere and honor the great patriotic spirit and the great sacrifices brought
forth by our illustrious forefathers of the great Republic, that was borne of
them through great "labor pains".
I am acquainted with the sacred feelings that stirred within the bosoms
of the father of our country and of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence. I know of the flame of truth, freedom and liberty that actually
burned in their bosoms, and I know from where came the emotions out of the
heart of Patrick Henry when he said, "Give me liberty, or give me death," and
Nathanial Hale when he said, "My only regret is that I have but one life to
give for my country."
My precious husband, John Singer, was of this same caliber of individual.
He was well read (mostly "self-educated") and had a very intelligent mind.
Truth, liberty and freedom burned within him, along with a love for his
fellowmen.
[45] He rejoiced in, and upheld and lived the Gospel of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. He had implicit faith in God, and trusted in Him with all his
heart. He knew that "cursed is the man that trusts in the arm of flesh." He
did not follow, blindly, the precepts of men, but sought diligently to know
the truth of things, and the Lord's will for himself. He was never idle, but
always engaged in work and study to better himself and his family. He was
joyful and energetic, very much alive, always seeking truth and enlightenment.
My husband came alone to this country at the young age of 14. He was a
natural citizen, as he was born in Brooklyn, New York, while his parents were
here at that time--so he was able to come to America, while the rest of his
family had to stay, at that time, in Germany. My husband had been converted to
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, much to the consternation of
his father, who tried to raise John up under Hitler's regime and cause, but in
vain.
John came to this country to gather to Zion, as the Spirit of the Lord
worked in him even at this young age. He had read the Book of Mormon, and did
receive a testimony of its truthfulness.
John found out, over the following years, (through study and experience)
that things were not quite as claimed to be; he saw that there was discrepancy
and hypocrisy in government and church. He witnessed the balance of power
being shifted more and more to heads of government and leaders of church and
less and less to the people.
He was frustrated at the fact that a lot of American people were
seemingly satisfied to follow government and church leaders without question,
as he had always felt strongly to know for himself what was truth. That was
the beginning of his real troubles (and mine, for I was of the same mind, that
I had to know for myself, also).
Seeing that morals and values have deteriorated to an alarming extent in
this country, John and I were greatly concerned for our children's welfare,
hence, the history of our case in having taken our children out of the public
school system, etc.
[46] Our religion requires that parents bring up children in light and truth.
That responsibility is strictly the parents. The state cannot do that. The
state had drastically overstepped bounds in this area in our lives.
When John and I had so much trouble just trying to follow the admonitions
of God along these lines, we sent out three standards of peace, suing for
freedom to pursue our religious beliefs, that were most sincere and sacred.
(Refer to the Doctrine and Covenants Sec. 98.)
We were ignored in these most sincere requests, and we were prosecuted
for child neglect, which charges couldn't have been further from the truth.
Our children were the "apples of our eye;" they were our "heritage of the
Lord," and I have never seen a more loving and caring father than was my
husband, John Singer.
History shows the rest of the story--My daughter, Charlotte, saw her
father gunned down while he was running home.
I was denied the right to a trial because the "powers that be" did not
want the truth known.
Gerry Spence couldn't believe it when Judge Winder threw our case out of
Court two weeks before it was scheduled to go to trial. The District Court in
Denver did not review the case, but "rubber-stamped" it with Judge Winder's
decision. And, also, did the U.S. Supreme Court. (The "powers that be" have
many long tentacles. This is not a statement of paranoia, but FACT.)
I witnessed the many depositions that were taken from those involved in
the case, from Gov. Mattheson, on down, and I was not bitter or hateful, but
literally appalled and shocked at the irresponsibility, ignorance, and
corruption in places of authority and, can very truthfully say, that these
people have no place being over a people to govern them. (How I wish that all
of you could have witnessed what I have.)
I have not been able to have my day in court. I have been persecuted by
my neighbors, in that they tried to have me thrown out of my home since my
husband was shot to death, but by the grace of God they did not succeed.
[47] Over two years ago my spring was undermined by the Wellers and Marion
Water Works. That's a long story, but Sheriff Eley has a copy of my grievances
upon that matter in his office. The proof of my grievances was so strong that
I'm sure the Marion Water Works Pres. (who is a Co. Commissioner) didn't want
that brought to light.
The irrigation water once flowing through the property, has long since
been cut off by the neighbors (Weller family).
All in all, the grievances suffered by this family in a "free" country,
can hardly be told, let alone believed. We are labeled "fanatics," "brain
washed," etc., etc., but, were never taken seriously by those in authority. We
talked until we were "blue in the face," so to speak, but could not be heard.
My son-in-law, Addam Swapp, is witness to the grievances perpetrated
against this family. He is not trying to be John, as accused by the ignorant,
but is likewise a man studied and quickened in the cause of truth, liberty,
and freedom, and has this same flame burning within his bosom that our great
forefathers had--also my dear husband, John Singer. If that's being a "clan,"
then, let it be so. (By the way, I am not married to Addam Swapp. I am John
Singer's faithful wife.)
Joseph Smith, whom we revere and know to be a prophet of God, was
persecuted and martyred because he would not compromise the truths of heaven.
We will not compromise the truths of heaven.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 101, it talks of the widow who "sued
for justice." It says, "Thus will I liken the children of Zion. . . Let them
importune at the feet of the judge, and if he heed them not, let them
importune at the feet of the governor; and if the governor heed them not, let
them importune at the feet of the president; and if the president heed them
not, then will the Lord arise and come forth out of his hiding place; and in
his fury vex the nation; and in his hot displeasure, and in his fierce anger,
in his time, will cut off those wicked, unfaithful and unjust stewards, and
appoint them their portion among hypocrites and unbelievers. . . ." (D & C
101:85-90)
[48] This is where we stand now. We have fulfilled all these things, and have
given all into God's hands. We have fulfilled all the requirements, and then
some, in bringing forth "standards of peace," both vocally and written, but to
no avail. Now the Lord will fight our battles for us.
The prophets in the Bible and Book of Mormon foretold the apostacy and
hypocrisy in government and church; and foretold the overthrow of such in this
last day; and foretold the coming of the kingdom of God, where the pure in
heart would flee, where they could enjoy the freedom of religion and
conscience. That ensign will be raised; those people will have a refuge when
the Lord brings wickedness under foot. Those destructions are at the door.
We have, more and more, had to declare our independence. As my husband,
John Singer, said in his second "Standard of Peace"--(taken out of the
Declaration of Independence)--"The Declaration of Independence also gives me
not only the right, but it is my duty, to throw off wickedness; (after
suffering a long train of abuses by usurpers of power; tyranny) and for future
security, provide new guards, rather than to bend under complete despotism; to
secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to myself and mine, which
rights have been endowed to us by our Creator."
We will not compromise our stand. The matter of the bombing of the church
was of God making bare his arm through his servant, Addam Swapp.
And now, according to the words of a prophet (Bishop Koyle), "Church,
STATE and nation will be brought up a standin' like a wild colt to a snubbin
post."
We will not give ourselves into the hands of the authorities; they will
not take our children, for they are our heritage of the Lord, and they are
children of Zion; the Covenant children of the Lord, with a promise, and the
world can't give them anything better than what the Lord has promised.
We fly the banner of the kingdom of God from our rooftop. It is the
Ensign flag that was flown by the Saints when they first entered the valley,
still living by the precepts [49] restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
It is our standard. We cannot give ourselves into the hands of the STATE
officials. We have given our lives to God, and He will decide the outcome, and
it will be a victorious one, for we trust in Him.
        Respectfully,
      and most sincerely,
      Vickie Singer

[50]                              Appendix B

                            Chronology of Events
                      (corrected copy from article in
                      Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 24, 1988)

1931. John Singer is born in Brooklyn, New York, to a father who supports
Adolf Hitler and a mother who becomes a member of the Mormon Church. First 14
years of his life are spent in Germany, where he joins the Hitler Youth
Movement and acquires a hatred of regimentation.

1951. John Singer moves to Summit County, a convert to the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and works on a farm in Marion.

1963. John Singer marries his first wife, Vickie Lemon, a Summit County
native.

1972. John Singer gets excommunicated from the LDS Church for questioning
church practices.

March 1973. John and Vickie Singer remove their children from Summit County
public schools, citing fear of exposing the children to drugs, sex and
tobacco.

February 1974. School district allows Singer to educate their own children,
with conditions.

August 1977. Child neglect charges are filed against John and Vickie Singer,
after they stop following school board's conditions.

December 1977. After six court appearances, John and Vickie Singer fail to
attend the seventh trial. Warrant is issued for John's arrest, citing contempt
of court.

[51] July 17, 1978. John Singer takes family friend, Shirley S. Black, as
second wife.

October 19, 1978. A district judge decides the polygamous arrangement at the
Singers is a bad environment for children and orders Mrs. Black's four
children returned to their natural father, Dean Black. Law enforcement
officers pose as Los Angeles newspaper reporters to arrest John Singer. The
three officers fail to overpower Singer. Aggravated assault charges are filed
against him. The Singers remain holed up at their farm.

January 18, 1979. John Singer is fatally shot while running toward his home,
after brandishing a gun at ten law enforcement officers. Vickie Singer is
jailed, and the children are placed in protective custody, then later that day
taken to a foster home.

January 19, 1979. Vickie Singer is released from jail and allowed to go to the
foster home to be with her children.

January 27, 1979. Vickie and her children return to their home in Marion,
Utah.

April 1980. Vickie Singer and lawyer, Gerry Spence, file an $110 million
wrongful death suit in federal court.

April, 1981. Eviction notice is served on Vickie Singer by a group called
Marion Park Estates, which claimed ownership of the property the Singers live
on.

July 1981. Singer family encounters legal battle over irrigation water rights
to the farm property. (There had been an irrigation ditch running through
their property, but that water had been diverted several years previously.)

April 2, 1982. Singers win dispute over ownership of Marion farm.
[52] September 1982. Federal judge dismisses Mrs. Singer's $110 million
lawsuit.

October 1982. Wrongful death lawsuit appealed to U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of
Appeals in Denver.

September 1984. Tenth Circuit Court turns down the Singer lawsuit.

October 1984. Mrs. Singer decides to appeal wrongful death suit to U.S.
Supreme Court.

March 1985. U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal, permanently ending the
legal battle over John Singer's death.

May 1985. Beginning of battle over water supply from Singer's spring, which
was undermined by Marion Water Works.

April 1987. Vickie Singer writes to Summit County treasurer, refusing to pay
property taxes

October 1987. Mrs. Singer's son-in-law, Addam Swapp, sends letter announcing
similar refusal for 1987 taxes

Early January 1988. Singer family receives videotape of John Singer's funeral
and rents video cassette player to watch the tape.

January 16, 1988. Mormon Stake Center in Kamas bombed; 15 people including
Vickie Singer, her two daughters, and Addam Swapp begin 13-day standoff on the
Marion farm property.



24th Dec, 2007 - 3:28am / Post ID: #
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[53]                              Appendix C

                      The Ensign of the Kingdom of God

  High on the mountain top, a banner is unfurled;
  Ye nations, now look up; it waves to all the world.

Brigham Young flew this flag of the Kingdom of God from Ensign Peak
shortly after the Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, and it will
again be flown when the Kingdom of God is re-established on earth.

The 13 white stars in a blue field represent Christ as the King of Kings
and His Twelve Apostles. The 13 stripes represent the 13 nations or tribes of
Israel, with Ephraim as the 13th. Royal blue and white are the colors of the
House of Israel.





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