results in a decision to use machinery cooperatively rather than in small groups , with two dissenting votes . 19
The final two minutes of the film begin with a flock of turkeys , with one large bird fading to Amanda carrying a cooked turkey to the Thanksgiving table . The final 90 seconds depict a lengthy Thanksgiving prayer by Zimmerman as head of the household . His grandchildren insist that the length and language of the prayer were typical of Moses Zimmerman . In fact , the prayer does not appear in the script for the movie in OWI files . Seated at the family dinner table with his wife Amanda , nephew Ray , and his grandson Donald Hershey , Zimmerman prays for the safety and health of those engaged in “ fighting for freedom .” He specifically prays for “ our boys , the marines , the sailor boys , the soldiers ,” a significant list since two of Amanda ’ s brothers were ignoring Mennonite teachings and serving in the US Navy during the war .
To Donald Hershey and the other surviving Zimmerman grandchildren , their grandfather ’ s participation in the film and the words of his prayer do not stand in contradiction to Zimmerman ’ s religious beliefs and his commitment to preserving and sustaining life . According to his survivors , Zimmerman subscribed to the philosophy that “ people need food whether they ’ re soldiers or not .” These insights from Zimmerman ’ s descendants indicate that perhaps the government chose to focus on Moses Zimmerman as the Farmer at War not only because he was a progressive and successful small farmer but also to drive home an important argument : If even a religious non- 19
Howard R . Tolly , head of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics in the Department of Agriculture , also discussed many of these themes , such as sharing farm machinery for efficiency and to deal with shortages , in a wartime book . Howard R . Tolly , The Farmer Citizen at War ( New York : Macmillan , 1943 ), p . 22 .
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