Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II
Page 10
It’s true that when you see death approaching your past life passes before your eyes. I remembered my boyhood, the day I joined the Royal Marines. I could see my mother clearly. And the girl who would have been my wife in a few short days. In my trouser-pocket there had been a little leather case in which I always carried a picture of my parents and my girl. I felt about me with a frozen hand. The case was still there. I took it out while I floated, intent on bidding them goodbye. But I couldn’t. The faces were too real. The sodden photographs smiled up at me and I knew I couldn’t die without seeing those three people again. I thrust the wallet back in my pocket and struck out again with fresh strength.101
A friend once told me a similar story of survival in a Vietnamese rice paddy. He decided that in spite of his wounds and “hopeless” situation, he was just not going to die in that place. He reached down within himself for the strength to keep going and somehow got to a safe place. These stories are a reminder of how precious life is and how strong we can be once we make the decision to move ahead. God stands ready to reach out to us when we choose to go forward in spite of our difficulties and when we turn to him for help. In him there is truly no hopeless situation.
But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
—Psalm 22:19
March 17
One More Round
“Gentleman Jim” Corbett became heavyweight boxing champion by defeating the great John L. Sullivan in 1892. One of his famous remarks was quoted to give the crew of an American battleship inspiration to perform their duties under the difficult conditions of wartime:
Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round—remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.102
It may be difficult for many to identify with boxing as a metaphor for living. These days our struggles are usually not of such an intensely physical nature. However, even our everyday problems relating to work and family often require great patience and at times even a degree of dogged determination. Then there are our spiritual struggles, which are on a different plane altogether. Our efforts in this sphere have eternal consequences and are worthy of our utmost perseverance. Scripture exhorts us to, “Fight the good fight”(1 Timothy 6:12) and “Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong”(1 Corinthians 16:13). When we are discouraged or tempted to give up, standing up in faith to fight ‘one more round’ may make all the difference.
Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.
—James 5:10–11
March 18
Staring at a Bomb
The battle off the coast of Norway went on for twenty hours. Seaman Robert Case was firing his anti-aircraft gun at real targets for the first time. He quickly became a veteran. His ship, the SS Steel Worker, had several near-misses as enemy aircraft darted over and through the convoy. Suddenly, two Messerschmitts bore in from an altitude of about 2,000 feet, their wings thin black lines in the distance. As Case stared through his sights, those wings grew thicker and flames began to erupt from them. Keeping his eyes to the sights and hand on the trigger he opened fire. The empty shell casings started clattering over the deck under his feet. Then, time seemed to stand still:
The aftermost plane peeled off… The other kept on, right into our fire, smack for us. Then he dropped it, a 550pounder. He was gone, away from our fire, and… all we could do was look up at that bomb. It fell, slanting with the pull of the plane’s speed. It whirled, screaming and howling in the air directly over-head. We could very clearly see the cylindrical khaki shape, the fins, even the white blur that was the serial markings on the side. This was for us, we thought. This was death… the sound of it seemed to possess all sound.103
Then, according to Case, the bomb “veered a bit.” It struck the sea twenty feet astern of the Steel Worker, lifting the ship in the water and splitting deck plates. Case and his shipmates were water-soaked from the blast, but alive.
No one would ever fault a man for looking death in the face and fighting to survive, as Case and his shipmates did. When Christ looked death in the face, however, he didn’t fight. He allowed himself to be crucified, even though he knew the anguish that horrible death would bring. His resurrection spelled victory both for him and for all of us who accept the gift of salvation he offers to us. (JG)
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
—1 Corinthians 15:55
March 19
Evacuated to America
When war came to England, families faced difficult decisions. Concerned about the safety of their children during the bombing, many parents in industrial areas chose to send them to rural towns to keep them from harm. Marion Hunt’s father went to even greater lengths. After considerable effort he was able to arrange for his two children and his wife to go to America to live with relatives in Boston for an indefinite period. They left England in 1940 on a hazardous journey. While crossing the Atlantic in a large convoy, they watched two ships go down after being attacked by U-boats. Eventually, they made their way to Boston and a new life.
George Hunt, Marion’s father, had been a merchant marine since the last days of World War I and had spent most of his life at sea. He knew that in this war he had a very uncertain future. Above all else, he wanted his family to be safe. Marion’s last memory of him was haunting. “I will always remember his leaving, watching him walking down the road and out of sight, and we never saw him again.”104 He was killed when his ship, the SS Congolian, was sunk in 1944. Her story is another poignant illustration of the tragedy and sacrifice endured by so many families touched by this war. Her father gave up everything, his wife, his children, and his life, trying to do his best for his country and his family.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.
—Psalm 51:16–17
March 20
Nearer to Thee
After years of declining health, Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, of a massive cerebral hemorrhage, tragically ending his unprecedented fourth term of office as president. He was buried with full military honors at his home in Hyde Park, New York, with his long-time pastor, the Reverend George Anthony, officiating. After gun salutes, aircraft flyovers, and the final bugle call, the burial ceremony started promptly at 10:30 a.m. The words came from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” There were no words of eulogy. The Reverend Anthony quoted an old hymn:105
Now the laborer’s task is o’er; now the battle day is past;
Now upon the farther shore lands the voyager at last.
Father, in Thy gracious keeping, leave we now Thy servant sleeping.
Also prominent in the event was another old and familiar hymn, “Nearer My God to Thee,” played at the funeral of President James Garfield and quoted by William McKinley on his deathbed:
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.
There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee.
There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,
There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest;
&n
bsp; Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee.106
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.
—John 6:39–40
March 21
Picking Friends
Anyone who has served in the military has learned some hard lessons. Associating with the wrong people has led to the downfall of many well-intentioned young soldiers and sailors. One wizened veteran wrote to his son, who had recently been assigned to the USS Washington, with some strong advice on this subject:
You will no doubt find a few things not to your liking. Everything will be new and strange; you will get homesick that is natural. You will also become lonesome and disgusted and you will want for sympathy. There are always a few fellows who expect to get the world for nothing, and they are chronic kickers. So my advice to you is, to cultivate the acquaintance of the boys who are satisfied with the Navy and who appreciate what the Navy is doing for them, who are trying to make themselves better, physically, morally, and mentally, so they will be fitted to step into a position in civilian life. So try and make the Navy and incidentally yourself better for having been a part of it.107
Suggesting that someone associate with others who focus on the positive aspects of life is good advice for a person of any age or position. It is especially important for us as Christians to seek out a few close friends who will be positive influences during the ups and downs of our spiritual journey. These friends should share our desire to grow constantly closer to God. True Christian friends of this kind will feel empowered to hold us accountable and will want us to hold them accountable as well. Such friendships don’t just happen. It takes time and energy to build relationships of this depth, and such effort is notoriously difficult for men. Small groups have been a great answer to this need for many. Prayer and Bible study with a small circle of Christian friends is a sure path over time to a stronger relationship with those friends and, even more importantly, to God.
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
—Proverbs 13:20
March 22
Eric’s Knife
Wooden boats made good minesweepers because they were invulnerable to magnetic mines. HMS Cloughton Wyke was a deep sea fishing trawler converted to this use early in the war. The little ship also came with her civilian crew. One of the members was a young man named Eric, noted for his large blue eyes and baby face. Eric’s pride and joy was a standard issue pocketknife, which he spent hours honing to a fine edge. He got a lot of ribbing over this little ritual, but kept to his self-appointed task every day.
In early 1942 the Cloughton Wyke was working with a group of other minesweepers in the English Channel on a rough winter day. Suddenly, out of the clouds a German bomber bore in on the small ship. One of several bombs exploded beneath the hull, breaking the ship in two and sending the crew scrambling for the lifeboat. Eric made it, but was knocked unconscious. The other crewmen realized they were in great danger when they found the lifeboat still lashed to the sinking ship. As they tried frantically to loosen the ropes, someone remembered Eric’s knife. Digging through the unconscious man’s pockets, a sailor found the knife and was able to slice through the large ropes as if they were butter. The lifeboat was free, thanks to Eric and his diligence in keeping a sharp blade.108
A long time ago, there was a mother who was diligent in taking care of her duty. When her son went off for the day, she packed him a lunch of five small barley loaves and two small fish. This was her simple, self-appointed task that she performed joyfully and with no expectation of reward. Little did she know that her small offering would be used by the Son of God in performing one of his greatest miracles. Jesus would take those loaves and fishes and make them into a feast to feed five thousand hungry followers. We never know how God will use our efforts to glorify him. It is up to us to faithfully and diligently perform the tasks, no matter how simple, that he puts before us.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
—Ephesians 2:10
Survivors of torpedoed ship being rescued. (National Archives)
Arctic ice coats ship. (U. S. Naval Historical Center)
March 23
Quarter Inch of Steel
Sam Hakam was radio operator on the SS Lehigh when she was torpedoed off the coast of Africa in October 1941. He vividly recalled a shipmate running around the deck shouting, “They can’t do this to us!” due to the fact that the United States was not then at war. Fortunately, most of the crew made it to one of the four lifeboats before the ship went under. Within a few days conditions on Hakam’s boat worsened due to the extreme tropical conditions. Water was scarce and the days were hot. Dehydration set in as parched throats and swollen tongues plagued each man.
One night a storm came up, promising rain and blessed relief. All that came, however, were high winds and crashing waves. Hakam later described his thoughts: “Our small boat was tossed about wildly. Good seamanship kept us afloat. It finally passed. I lay exhausted on the bottom of the boat and reflected there was only about one quarter inch of steel thickness between myself and hell.”109
Hopefully, each of us can comprehend the fragile nature of life without being in a lifeboat at night threatened by stormy seas. Sam Hakam’s experience only dramatizes the obvious. Since we are not guaranteed any specific amount of time on this earth, we should use the time we have wisely. We do this when we focus daily on the purpose of our lives: finding and nourishing a relationship with God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question: “What is the chief end of man?” Every day we should meditate on the answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”110
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
—Genesis 3:8–9
March 24
A Sharp Tongue
Life is never easy aboard a navy ship. The quarters are cramped, the days and nights are long, and wartime deployments can seem unending. In addition to regular duties, everyone stands watches at ever-changing hours, interrupting any sense of a normal routine. Fear, frustration, fatigue, and the virtual absence of alone time make friction among crew members inevitable. One sailor’s advice to his shipmates was published in his ship’s newsletter to remind everyone to: “Be kind! It’s so easy to make a sarcastic remark that may hurt a shipmate. Besides, sometimes a man is not being so brilliant as he thinks.”111
There are times when every one of us gets frustrated with other people. I am especially guilty of voicing displeasure at clerks and service workers who don’t seem to be as conscientious as I think they should be. There is very specific biblical instruction in both the Old and New Testaments advising us to be careful of what we say. Proverbs tells us, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing”(Proverbs 12:18), and “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity”(Proverbs 21:23). These are words to remember when feeling impatient toward others.
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
—James 1:19
March 25
The Gear That Saved His Life
The Arctic weather was at its worst. The air temperature was thirty degrees below zero, and the entire ship was caked with ice. Gale force winds had dispersed the convoy after leaving Murmansk, leaving the SS Puerto Rican steaming alone, under radio silence. At 10:00 p.m. on March 9, 1943, a violent explosion rocked the ship.
August Wallenhaupt was awakened in his bunk and knew immediately what had happened. He had experienced being torpedoed before. H
e didn’t panic. He had the gear on hand for this disaster, and he knew how to use it. One journalist recounted his actions: “Wallenhaupt took time to dress warmly; he slipped on his rubber lifesaving suit, put on his life jacket over the suit and then put on a knee-length woolen seaman’s coat with a hood to protect his head. This is the gear that saved his life.”112
Due to the heavy ice, the Puerto Rican ’s lifeboats couldn’t be launched. Wallenhaupt found himself in the water and, unable to swim, managed to stay afloat just long enough to find a small doughnut shaped raft. After getting into the raft, he helped seven others aboard. On the morning of the third day a destroyer discovered the tiny raft. All were frozen to death except August Wallenhaupt. The young seaman survived because he was able, in the chaos of a sinking ship, to calmly prepare for the worst. By doing the right thing first, all his subsequent actions paid off in his survival.
This story dramatically illustrates the importance of taking care of life’s most important tasks first. Our relationship to God should be at the top of the list. When this relationship is solid, every other part of our lives will make sense. This spiritual preparation will ensure our ultimate and eternal survival and should be our first priority in normal times, before we come face to face with a crisis.