Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

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Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II Page 32

by Larkin Spivey


  I have never seen a better definition of courage. By taking our fears to God in prayer, we are able to face any challenge in his strength. Courage is knowing we have access to this strength and that it will sustain us, no matter what threatens our physical or spiritual safety.

  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

  —2 Peter 1:3

  September 18

  When the Roll Is Called

  Jake DeShazer was laid to rest in March 2008. The World War II Doolittle Raider and Christian evangelist received full military honors. Hundreds of people honored the man who had suffered three years as a prisoner of war in Japan and then returned after the war to start twenty-three churches and bring many thousands of Japanese citizens to Jesus Christ. One of his children said, “He wouldn’t want this service to be about his accomplishments. He’d want Jesus to get all of the credit.”385

  During the funeral there was a rifle salute, and a lone bugler blew taps. A B-1 bomber flew over from the modern equivalent of Jake’s old squadron, the 34th. The casket flag was folded and presented to his wife. The sergeant in charge of the honor guard said, “Jake’s a hero. This is why we do military honors, to honor people like Jake. He’s history.”386 The service itself was simple. The pastor said a few words and prayed. Then everyone sang a hymn that was Jake’s favorite, and one dear to the heart of many airmen, “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”:

  When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,

  And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;

  When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,

  And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

  On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,

  And the glory of His resurrection share;

  When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,

  And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

  Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,

  Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;

  Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,

  And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.387

  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.

  —Revelation 20:12

  September 19

  Mascot

  The USS Samuel B. Roberts was ready for combat. Newly constructed, outfitted, and manned by an eager crew, she was ready to leave Norfolk for the Pacific theater. She needed just one more crew member. After an evening ashore involving more than a small amount of drinking, several enlisted men smuggled a little black dog back aboard. It wasn’t long before Capt. Bob Copeland found out about this unauthorized stowaway on his ship.

  As the sailors waited nervously to find out what was going to happen, Copeland called for the ship’s doctor and chief yeoman. He informed them that they had a new crew member that needed a complete physical exam and official service record. After these formalities, the little mutt was named “Sammy,” adopted as the ship’s mascot, and given the rank of seaman 2nd class. He quickly became a valuable part of the ship’s company. Someone made him a little kapok life vest. An article appeared in the ship’s newsletter that Sammy had a girlfriend in Tokyo and had selected the Roberts as the fastest way to cross the Pacific.

  For a young man of thirty-three years, Bob Copeland was a uniquely mature and talented leader. He never hesitated to exert his authority as captain of his ship, but he did so in a way that gained the respect of the men. He frequently stopped to talk with them and to ask about their families and girlfriends. Gestures of this kind, including the adoption of Sammy as mascot, showed his human side to the crew. This human touch also introduced a few warm feelings into an otherwise cold sea-going life. Bob Copeland knew the importance of his mission. He also knew that he would not be able to accomplish that mission without an effective, close-knit team. By his actions, he demonstrated a great Christian truth, that bonds of affection between men are even more powerful than the bonds of authority.388

  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

  —John 1:17

  September 20

  Overwhelming Odds

  “A large Japanese fleet has been contacted. They are fifteen miles away and headed in our direction. They are believed to have four battleships, eight cruisers, and a number of destroyers. This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.”389

  Bob Copeland, captain of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts, spoke these words to his crew and turned his little ship to face a menacing enemy fleet. The Roberts was part of a destroyer screen protecting six escort aircraft carriers off the coast of Leyte in October 1944. The Japanese fleet had come undetected through the San Bernardino Strait the night before and now announced its presence with salvos of 3,200-pound projectiles fired from its18-inch guns.

  Outmatched in size, firepower, and speed, the Roberts and three other destroyers nearest the enemy fleet launched a desperate attack. They laid a smokescreen to give some cover to the carriers and opened up with their 5-inch guns, which could do little more than annoy the massive Japanese warships. Their only effective weapons were torpedoes, which had to be fired at close range. The Roberts steamed ahead through a mounting hail of naval gunfire to within four thousand yards of the enemy battle line to launch her torpedoes and score a hit on an enemy cruiser. The little warship in return suffered devastating and fatal damage from multiple shell strikes. Within a few hours the Roberts went down stern first with the loss of ninety crewmen.

  Two other destroyers were lost that morning in one of the most gallant actions in U.S. naval history. By sheer determination the sailors of this tiny force slowed and disorganized the Japanese advance, buying time for air attacks to turn the tide of the battle. Admiral Nimitz stated: “The history of the United States Navy records no more glorious two hours of resolution, sacrifice, and success.”390 This would be the last surface engagement of the war and one of the finest hours of the U.S. Navy.

  Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”

  —1 Samuel 17:33

  40mm guns in action against attacking aircraft. (National Archives)

  Burial at sea for sailors killed in action. (National Archives)

  September 21

  Powder in the Scuttle

  The destroyer USS Heermann churned ahead at maximum speed toward the Japanese cruiser formation. Incoming shells spouted huge geysers in a rainbow of colors all around the little ship. Red, yellow, and green dye marked the rounds from different enemy guns.

  The Heermann was trying desperately to screen the wounded and badly listing escort carrier, Gambier Bay, by laying smoke and disrupting the enemy advance. She had only her 5inch guns to bear on the larger Japanese ships closing in. The Heermann ’s five mounts kept up a steady cadence as each gun crew worked feverishly through the loading cycle over and over again. Fifty-four-pound projectiles came up the shell hoists to be fused and hand-loaded into the breeches. Twenty-eight-pound powder bags were pushed up through scuttles for loading behind the projectiles. The smell of cordite and human sweat became overpowering, especially for the men below decks in the confined spaces of the handling rooms. One sailor described the experience:

  Round after round I take from Sacco, placing it in the scuttle. As the previous round is removed, I push up a new one and secure it in its seat. Forty, fifty rounds, then the violent action of the ship, a brief pause. Just enough time to bring up more shells from the lower handling room. Many times more, rapid fire, no time for thought. Keep a powder charge in the scuttle. No talk, only Sa
cco’s orders to keep the lower hoist moving. The human machine works flawlessly. We still know nothing of the happenings around us. No feelings, no interruptions, just keep a powder in the scuttle.391

  As happens so often in combat, we see men working together to do a job with no idea of the bigger picture around them. They had to get their part done while having faith that others would do theirs and that the overall battle would be fought wisely. This remains a powerful metaphor for our lives in Christ. We try to use our gifts conscientiously in his service while resting in the confidence that he is in control of the outcome.

  But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

  —Isaiah 40:31

  September 22

  Reaching Back

  The modern guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts was commissioned in 1986, a direct descendant of the World War II ship of the same name lost at Leyte Gulf. In memory of his ship’s ancestor, the captain, Cdr. Paul X. Rinn, had a bronze plaque made with an image of the first Roberts and a roster of her crew engraved on it. The plaque was prominently displayed on the quarterdeck of the ship and was a key point in the indoctrination of each new crew member.

  In 1988 the new Roberts struck a mine while escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. With a fractured keel and twenty-five-foot hole in the hull she was taking on massive amounts of seawater and in imminent danger of sinking. Captain Rinn thought, “I’m not sure we can save this ship, but we’ve got to try…”392 Working feverishly through a long night he and a determined crew saved the ship. During the night the bronze plaque on the quarterdeck took on a new significance.

  In 2001 Paul Rinn was the featured speaker at a reunion of the World War II-era sailors of the Samuel B. Roberts and her sister destroyers. Rinn described in detail the heroism of his crew in saving the modern-day Roberts. He then told them the story of the bronze plaque with their names engraved on it:

  It sent a chill through me on the night of the mining, as we were fighting to save the ship, to see crew members passing the plaque and reaching out and touching it, not just one or two guys but seemingly everyone who passed it. Clearly they were bonding with the heroism of the past.393

  And so, these sailors of a new era reached back into the past to connect with the courage and struggle of those who had gone before. They were reaching back to the men who had experienced the same fears and hopes, and who had fought the same battle: to save a ship and each other.

  A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

  —Proverbs 17:17

  September 23

  The Proud and the Humble

  Michael Conway was a Navy chaplain and one of the great heroes of World War II. When the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed and sunk in the Philippine Sea, he and nine hundred other sailors were left adrift. Few lifeboats survived the catastrophe, and most of the men had only their kapok life jackets. Father Conway made it his duty to swim from group to group offering spiritual support and encouragement. After three days and nights of tireless effort, the young priest quietly slipped beneath the surface and was gone.

  In a Saturday Evening Post article, one of the survivors later recalled the chaplain holding services the day before the Indianapolis went down, and needing two mess decks to accommodate the large, overflow crowd. He was always popular with Catholic and Protestant sailors alike. It was reported that in this service, “He spoke on the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or tax collector in modern translations), likening them to two sailors appearing before the captain of the ship.”394

  Unfortunately, the details of this sermon are lost, but it is not difficult to grasp the intended image: Two sailors accused of breaking regulations stand before the captain for judgment. One is unrepentant and defensive. He argues about the regulation itself and cites how often others break it. He will not admit a mistake. The other sailor has little to say, except to confess his guilt and express his remorse. Looking at each man’s similar service record, the captain makes the same decision you or I would make, and confirms the point made by Jesus in his great parable: the humble and remorseful are treated mercifully and justified by their earthly superiors and God. Jesus has little to offer those who justify themselves.

  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

  —Luke 18:14

  September 24

  The Seagull

  They ate the fourth and last orange on the sixth day. It was their last source of nourishment. An even deeper sense of doom settled over the men packed together in the three small life rafts, adrift on the Pacific Ocean. Hunger, thirst, sunburn, open sores, and untreated wounds magnified their sense of despair.

  All the odds seemed stacked against this little group, except for one thing in their favor. Among them was the famous airman and World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker. The ex-military man considered himself the senior of the group, based on his experience, and felt that it was his role to hold the rest together. He became a lonely voice of encouragement. When the food ran out and discouragement seemed to peak, he started prayer meetings twice a day, with Scripture readings from a New Testament belonging to one of the men. The procedure was for each man to read a passage fitting to the occasion, even if some had never read from the Bible before. Rickenbacker found new meaning and a special beauty in the words of Psalm 23 and Matthew 6:31–34.395

  There were a few cynics in the group at first, until the afternoon of the eighth day. After a Scripture reading and prayer for deliverance, what Rickenbacker termed “a small miracle” occurred. As he was dozing, a seagull landed on his head. With great care he slowly reached up and somehow grasped the bird’s legs. They finally had a little food, but, more importantly, had bait for the fishhooks, which had been useless up until then. Their survival was insured. Rickenbacker said later: “There was not a one of us who was not aware of the fact that our gull had appeared just after we had finished our prayer service. Some may call it coincidence. I call it a gift from heaven.”396

  So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom.

  —Matthew 6:31–33

  September 25

  Mama Planted the Seeds

  Eddie Rickenbacker was a great man. He was a hero of two wars, a pioneer of aviation, and a highly successful businessman. He seemed blessed with boundless energy and an ingrained optimism. He endured suffering and faced death more than once. After a disastrous airline crash he literally willed himself back from death, which he described as, “the sweetest, tenderest, most sensuous sensation. Death comes disguised as a sympathetic friend. It is easy to die. You have to fight to live.”397 He fought this fight more than most men.

  The source of this man’s amazing strength of character was a deep religious belief that he acquired as a boy and strengthened during his eventful life:

  Never, even during my most mischievous escapades, had I lost faith in God. Mama had planted the seeds of religion too deeply in all of us for that. All through my childhood there was a warm, continuing family ritual. After supper… Mother would ask one of us to bring in the Bible… [She] would open it and begin to read. Her favorite passages were the Sermon on the Mount and the 23rd Psalm, and they are the ones I remember best. She would often stop reading to discuss the meanings behind the Scriptures and how we could apply the principles of Christianity to everyday life.

  It was my mother who taught us to pray… But formal prayer was only the beginning. Mama taught us that the Lord above was a friendly God, a Presence who was interested in our problems and sympathetic to them. Thanks to her influence, I have always talked to God in my prayers… full of confidence that He listens and responds.398

  This passage presents a perfect prescri
ption for the spiritual development of children. A warm and secure family atmosphere provides the foundation. Reading Scripture together teaches biblical knowledge, and also serves to bring the family closer together. Finally, the parent who explains the power of prayer and leads his or her children by example into a deeper appreciation of it gives them a lifelong resource and path to their own relationship with God. Scripture, prayer, and family form a powerful basis for spiritual growth.

  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

  —2 Timothy 3:14–15

  September 26

  Payback

  Fred Hargesheimer bailed out of his P-38 fighter over New Britain, an enemy-held island seven hundred miles north of Australia. For seemingly unending days and nights he struggled through the mountainous terrain and dense jungle. Fighting exhaustion and discouragement, he recalled his youthful days as an Episcopalian lay reader and recited the 23rd Psalm over and over every day: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me…”399 On the thirty-first day a group of natives found him in wretched condition and took him to their little village of Ea Ea, on the north coast of the island. There they nursed him back to health and hid him from frequent Japanese patrols. Eight months later, he was rescued by submarine.

 

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