Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

by Larkin Spivey

  “They fight well,” he said.

  “Yes, they fight well,” I replied, “but your tanks were too powerful for us.”

  “Perhaps my men are superior to yours.”

  “You know that is not correct.”

  Although he had been fighting for over a week and was traveling in a tank, he was neat and clean, and I noticed that he had shaved before entering the battle that morning.120

  My battalion commander in Vietnam, Lt. Col. Gary Wilder, enforced a strict policy of daily shaving, whether in rear areas or in the field. When water was scarce the men did as they were told but with great complaint. For a while it seemed like a waste of time and water to me as well. In time, however, I began to appreciate the benefits of such discipline. I learned that in combat, when men are tired, afraid, and frustrated, there can be a thin line between human and animal behavior. The disciplines of personal hygiene helped keep that line in clear focus.

  Sometimes our spiritual vision can also get blurry when we allow ourselves to drift apart from God. We need certain spiritual disciplines to keep this from happening. Regular prayer and Bible study are vital to our spiritual health, but unfortunately, are easy to neglect. The simple discipline of attending to these regularly will pay great dividends in sharpening our vision of what is most important in our lives: a continuing personal relationship with our Father in heaven.

  Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”

  —2 Kings 5:13

  April 3

  Responsibility

  In early 1942 Winston Churchill faced unprecedented burdens. The home islands remained under threat of invasion. British and Axis forces were clashing in the Atlantic, Far East, and North Africa, with setbacks on every front. A steady stream of decisions had to be made on the priority of effort and the allocation of scarce resources. Churchill had to deal with all of this as well as a constant barrage of criticism from his own Parliament and press. At one point he lamented,

  “I must confess to feeling the weight of the war upon me even more than in the tremendous summer days of 1940.”121 As criticism peaked over losses in Asia and North Africa, he went before the House of Commons to address the issue of blame:

  I take the fullest personal responsibility. If we have handled our resources wrongly, no one is so much to blame as me. If we have not got large modern air forces and tanks in Burma and Malaya tonight, no one is more accountable than I am. Why then should I be called upon to pick out scapegoats, to throw the blame on generals or airmen or sailors? Why then should I be called upon to drive away loyal and trusted colleagues and friends to appease the clamour of certain sections of the British and Australian press…?122

  We can only imagine Churchill’s temptation to shift the blame for these catastrophes. Many of his ministers and generals certainly contributed to his plight. The Bible relates how the very first man and woman succumbed to this urge. When confronted by God about the forbidden fruit, Adam responded, “The woman you put here with me she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” [Eve responded,] “The serpent deceived me, and I ate”(Genesis 3:12–13). Thanks to our Savior, we no longer have to play the “blame game.” We know that through Jesus Christ we will be forgiven the wrong things we do or things we leave undone, once we fully accept responsibility and ask for forgiveness in his name.

  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

  —Psalm 32:5

  April 4

  A Strong Bulkhead

  In June 1942 the British garrison at Tobruk fell to Rommel’s advancing forces. More than thirty thousand troops and mountains of stores and equipment were lost. Winston Churchill received the devastating news by telegram during a meeting with President Roosevelt in the White House. Soon, the newspapers began to blare alarming headlines: “Anger in England,” “Tobruk Fall May Bring Change of Government,” “Churchill to Be Censured.”

  Churchill did indeed face a debate in the House of Commons over a vote of censure soon after returning to England. After listening to several days of criticism, he finally stood before the House to respond. One of his remarks contained an element of universal truth:

  I cannot pretend to form a judgment upon what has happened in this battle. I like commanders on land and sea and in the air to feel that between them and all forms of public criticism the Government stands like a strong bulkhead. They ought to have a fair chance, and more than one chance. Men make mistakes and learn from their mistakes… you will not get generals to run risks unless they feel they have behind them a strong government.123

  I find special meaning in these words as they point logically to another, ultimate authority. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is our strong bulkhead. With him in our hearts we have the freedom to be ourselves and are no longer subject to fear and anxiety. When our relationship is on sound footing we are able to live bold lives in his service. If he calls us to a task, we know that he will equip us for it and that he will remain faithful to us. We can risk being ridiculed or rejected and always know that our ultimate authority accepts us. Our strong bulkhead will not be moved.

  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

  —John 8:36

  Gen. Erwin Rommel, “The Desert Fox.” (National Archives)

  Gen. Bernard “Monty” Montgomery (National Archives)

  April 5

  Monty’s Prayer

  On August 13, 1942, Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery, known to most as “Monty,” took command of the British 8th Army. Rommel had pushed the British across North Africa into Egypt, to within less than one hundred miles of Alexandria. Montgomery knew that a new attack was coming soon and positioned his forces to defend a key ridgeline at Alam El Halfa. From August 31 to September 2 another great tank battle was fought that proved to be Rommel’s last major offensive to threaten Egypt. Monty did a masterful job of simplifying the defensive plan and orchestrating the battle.

  Afterward, General Montgomery posted a prayer in his command vehicle that would remain for the duration of the war:124

  O Lord God

  When thou givest to thy servants

  To endeavour any great matter

  Grant us also to know that it is not the beginning,

  But the continuing of the same unto the end

  Until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldest the true glory;

  Through Him that for the finishing of Thy work

  Laid down his life.125

  Montgomery knew that in the fog of war it is easy to become cautious and to overestimate the enemy’s strength. He put this reminder before him that victory always requires a final push, that there is a point where a supreme effort is necessary to win the battle, as exemplified by Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul exhorts us to the same supreme effort to finish the race and to complete our work for the Lord.

  I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.

  —Acts 20:24

  April 6

  The Führer

  In November 1942 Field Marshal Erwin Rommel knew that the end was near for Germany’s forces in North Africa. The British 8th Army had broken his line at El Alamein and was pushing relentlessly westward across Libya. A large American and British force had landed in Morocco and Algeria, and was advancing eastward toward Tunisia. Supplies of fuel and ammunition to his own army had been reduced to a trickle by Allied interdiction. Rommel returned to Germany for a meeting with Adolf Hitler on November 28. In a tense atmosphere the field marshal went over the details of the recent campaign. When he tried to point out the inevitable, he was astounded at the reaction:

  Unfortunately, I then came too abruptly to the point and said that, since experience indicated that no improvement in t
he shipping situation could now be expected, the abandonment of the African theatre of war should be accepted as a long-term policy. If the army remained in North Africa, it would be destroyed… the mere mention of the strategic question worked like a spark in a powder barrel. The Fuehrer flew into a fury and directed a stream of completely unfounded attacks upon us.

  There was no attempt at discussion. I began to realize that Adolf Hitler simply did not want to see the situation as it was, and that he reacted emotionally against what his intelligence must have told him was right.126

  In many ways Adolf Hitler was a genius. He was a charismatic leader and master motivator. He had at his disposal one of the great military machines in history, led by a corps of supremely capable general officers. Fortunately for the Allies, he sometimes overruled these officers during his fits of rage. Anyone who becomes so obsessed with his own ego that he can’t listen to others is doomed to failure. This fatal flaw was a manifestation of evil in Adolf Hitler that played a large role in his and Germany’s eventual destruction.

  They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

  —Psalm 73:5–7

  April 7

  God of the Free

  Stephen Vincent Benet received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929 for his long narrative poem, “John Brown’s Body.” He is most famous, however, for his short story, “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1938 and was made into a movie in 1941. The story is about a New England farmer who, despairing over his bad luck, made a pact with the devil. When the final payment came due, Daniel Webster defended him before a jury of famous evil-doers. Even though these jurors were under the devil’s jurisdiction, Webster won the case by appealing to their innately American trait of independence. Benet’s feelings for American patriotism and freedom are major themes of the story. In 1942 he wrote a prayer for President Roosevelt reflecting these same themes. The president recited the prayer before the nation on Flag Day of that year:

  God of the free, we pledge our hearts and lives today to the cause of all free mankind. Grant us victory over the tyrants who would enslave all free men and nations. Grant us faith and understanding to cherish all those who fight for freedom as if they were our brothers. Grant us brotherhood in hope and union, not only for the space of this bitter war, but for the days to come which shall and must unite all the children of earth… We are all children of earth—grant us that simple knowledge. If our brothers are oppressed, then we are oppressed. If they hunger, we hunger. If their freedom is taken away, our freedom is not secure. Grant us a common faith that man shall know bread and peace—that he shall know justice and righteousness, freedom and security, an equal opportunity and an equal chance to do his best, not only in our own lands, but throughout the world. And in that faith let us march, toward the clean world our hands can make. Amen.127

  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

  —Galatians 5:1

  April 8

  Ike

  Dwight D. Eisenhower’s rise to major command can legitimately be described as meteoric. In 1940 “Ike” was a lieutenant colonel and had never commanded any sized unit in combat. By 1942, after four promotions, he was a lieutenant general in command of Operation Torch and all forces landing in North Africa. Even though most Army officers knew of his organizational talents, some considered his success extremely fortunate and some even thought it providential. George Patton privately claimed Eisenhower’s initials stood for “Divine Destiny.”

  Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (Eisenhower Presidential Library)

  On November 5, 1942, Eisenhower arrived in British-held Gibraltar to establish his headquarters for Operation Torch. As one historian noted, the British began to take his measure:

  He was a true believer in Allied righteousness: “If (the Axis) should win we would really learn something about slavery, forced labor, and loss of individual freedom.” He took pride in being apolitical, as required of American Army officers, and he impressed others—as one British admiral later noted—as “completely sincere, straightforward, and very modest.” There was that incandescent grin, of course, said to be “worth an army corps in any campaign.” Both his face and his hands moved perpetually, and he exuded a magnetic amiability that made most men want to please him. Perhaps that was because, as one admirer asserted, they intuited he was “good and right in the moral sense,” or perhaps it was because, as a British air marshal concluded, “Ike has the qualities of a little boy which make you love him.”128

  General Eisenhower was a complicated and uniquely gifted man. His open and sincere nature disguised a keen intellect, a broad range of knowledge, and an amazing capacity for hard work. I believe, however, that one of the greatest keys to his success was his essential “goodness” as a human being, which others sensed in his presence. This quality ensured the loyalty of many strong personalities under his command in spite of many contentious disagreements over strategy.

  So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.

  —1 Samuel 16:12–13

  April 9

  An Orgy of Disorder

  The Operation Torch landings were the first large-scale amphibious operations conducted at night. The confusion and resulting disarray were beyond anyone’s expectations. Gen. George Patton went ashore at Red Beach 1, near Fedala, to a scene of complete chaos. Instead of a four-mile beachhead, troops and equipment were scattered over forty miles of Moroccan coastline. Only five of seventy tanks had reached shore. To direct naval gunfire, nine fire control parties had landed, but only two were able to communicate with the ships providing support. Local civilians were out on the beaches pilfering supplies and discarded equipment.

  Gen. George Patton (Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library)

  Patton had once described combat as “an orgy of disorder.”129 What he found in his first actual exposure fully confirmed this view. Once ashore he had little information on what was happening anywhere other than on his own beach. He said, “My theory is that an army commander does what is necessary to accomplish his mission and that nearly 80 percent of his mission is to arouse morale in his men.”130 He did motivate those around him as he worked through the confusion to gain control of his units and to coordinate the advance.

  George Patton had many great qualities as a military leader. Demonstrated here is the ability to live with ambiguity, or “the fog of war,” as it is called, and to function in spite of it. This is the norm in combat. In our daily lives we also experience confusing situations where the way ahead is not clear. Our best strategy is to constantly strive to deepen our relationship with the One who cares most for us. As we become more intimate with God, we will be better able to discern the difference between our own thoughts and his voice. When we understand and act on his will, the ambiguity in our lives will disappear.

  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

  —1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)

  April 10

  Grand Entrance

  On the second day of the Allied landings in North Africa, the British flagship HMS Bulolo steamed into Algiers harbor. A group of French citizens waited on the jetty to greet the ship. Unknown to the captain on the bridge or the crew in the engine room, the engine order telegraph had been damaged earlier by a German bomb’s near miss. Since the telegraph transmits orders to the engine room from the bridge, a routine docking order for full steam astern went unheard. The result was almost ca
tastrophic.

  The French welcoming committee on the jetty watched with mounting alarm as the ship loomed nearer at twelve knots. Officers on the bridge debated whether Bulolo ’s masts would likely shear off forward or backward upon impact. Shrieking bysanders scattered; the captain yelled, “Everyone lie down!” to his crew; and the great bow heaved up onto a fortuitous mudbank, demolishing the seawall and nicking a waterfront house before settling back into the harbor, intact. Applauding spectators recovered their wits and agreed that the Royal Navy knew how to make an entrance.131

  In 1981 Ronald Reagan was about to have surgery for a gunshot wound inflicted by a would-be assassin. He looked around at the surgical team and commented, “I hope you’re all Republicans.”132 We’re always thankful for someone who can see some humor in an otherwise dire situation. This kind of humor can relieve the tension that tends to compound the problem. It also reflects an ability to live in the present moment and a faith that all will be well in the end. Such faith can be contagious, especially when it comes from an authority figure. We should always look for ways to lighten the burden of those around us with humor.

  Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

  —Psalm 126:2