The 1457th almost didn't come home on time. After they'd finished the year they'd signed on for and packed up their equipment, they were told they would have to stay longer. Psychologically, Colonel Burton knew his men, who had done all that was asked of them, were whipped. "If you weren't a manic-depressive," he says, "this was the kind of place that would make you one — incredible highs interspersed with equally incredible lows."

The commander went to bat for the soldiers who had gone to bat for him. He wrote a letter to Martin Dempsey of the U.S. Army First Armored Division. Dempsey, a two-star general, forwarded a letter of his own to Ricardo Sanchez, the three-star general in charge of all troops in Iraq. The letter said, in essence, these guys did their duty and they did it well, it's time to send them home with honor.

So the U.S. Army did.

They're back now, except for the final 50 who are scheduled to arrive in Salt Lake City this week. Then they'll all be accounted for, all 443 of the Mormon Miracles. Not a perfect battalion, but close enough for government work.

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.