Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

by Larkin Spivey

  We do not intend that the Japanese shall be enslaved as a race or destroyed as a nation, but stern justice shall be meted out to all war criminals, including those who have visited cruelties upon our prisoners. The Japanese Government shall remove all obstacles to the revival and strengthening of democratic tendencies among the Japanese people. Freedom of speech and religion and of thought, as well as respect for the fundamental human rights, shall be established.

  The occupying forces of the Allies shall be withdrawn from Japan as soon as these objectives have been accomplished and there has been established in accordance with the freely expressed will of the Japanese people a peacefully inclined and responsible Government.531

  Within days this declaration was rejected forcefully by the Japanese prime minister and was followed by days of continued conflict and devastation. It nevertheless eventually formed the basis of American policy toward postwar Japan and provided the structure for one of the most successful reconstructions in history. It was a reflection of America’s oft-reiterated war aims to defeat tyranny and restore freedom. Neither conquest nor revenge was part of this agenda.

  I was witness to the final restoration of occupied territory, when, in 1972, sovereignty over Okinawa was returned to the government of Japan. The postwar occupation of Japan was not without problems or flaws, but history shows that ultimately these benign policies, based on an elevated view of human nature, indeed did bring recovery and reconciliation to a devastated nation.

  “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

  —Isaiah 54:10

  December 19

  Consumed by Your Anger

  A few days after the atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima, the Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto was summoned to the deathbed of a parishioner suffering from burns and radiation sickness. Mr. Tanimoto, himself suffering from the shock and fatigue of dealing with the widespread misery, offered an Old Testament reading from his Japanese-language pocket Bible: “For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as asleep… For we are consumed by Thine anger and by Thy wrath are we troubled…”532

  Isaac Watts used these words from Psalm 90 to convey a New Testament message in one of the greatest Christian hymns ever written:

  Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,

  Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home.

  A thousand ages in Thy sight Are like an evening gone;

  Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun.

  Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all its sons away;

  They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day.

  Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,

  Be thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.533

  This hymn gives a masterful portrait of our mighty Lord and of his perspective on time and humanity. From his viewpoint our lives truly go by in a flash, and, on Earth, we are quickly forgotten. However, this hymn goes further to highlight another facet of God’s character. God loves us and provides an eternal home for us to be with him. Through his Son, he gives us the sure way to forgiveness, peace, and everlasting life. The degree of our pain and hardship in this life no longer matter. We can find comfort in God’s perspective and in the hope that he gives us for the future.

  I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

  —John 5:24

  December 20

  Fearful Loneliness

  Miss Toshiko Sasaki lost everything on the day Hiroshima was bombed. Her home was destroyed and her parents and younger brother died. She suffered a compound fracture of her leg, months of nightmarish pain, and a permanently crippled condition. As she grew more and more depressed and morbid, she was befriended by a German missionary priest, himself a survivor of the bomb blast. The priest walked great distances to see her in spite of his own pain and weakness. He carefully introduced religion into their talks, which she at first bitterly resisted. She had a hard time with the idea of a loving God that would allow the suffering she had seen. Over time, the priest’s patient faithfulness changed her heart, and she became a Christian.

  After recovering from her wounds Sasaki worked in a retirement home for old people and eventually became its director. She found that her greatest gift as a Christian was the ability to help others die in peace:

  She had seen so much death in Hiroshima after the bombing, and had seen what strange things so many people did when they were cornered by death, that nothing now surprised or frightened her. The first time she stood watch by a dying inmate, she vividly remembered a night soon after the bombing when she had lain out in the open, uncared for, in dreadful pain, beside a young man who was dying. She had talked with him all night, and had become aware, above all, of his fearful loneliness. She had watched him die in the morning. At deathbeds in the home, she was always mindful of this terrible solitude. She would speak little to the dying person but would hold a hand or touch an arm, as an assertion, simply, that she was there.534

  We all seem to worry about finding “the right thing to say” to a dying person and their loved ones. If we are able to share God’s love and provide spiritual comfort with words, we should certainly do so. However, this story is an inspiring reminder that our presence and touch are usually more important than what we say to a person facing the end of life.

  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

  —Ephesians 2:67

  December 21

  Divine Providence

  After the war President Harry Truman took part in a dedication ceremony for the New York Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., where many presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, had worshipped. He took the occasion to express some heartfelt views on America’s relationship to God and the world.

  We talk a lot these days about freedom freedom for the individual and freedom among the nations. Freedom for the human soul is, indeed, the most important principle of our civilization. We must always remember, however, that the freedom we are talking about is freedom based upon moral principles. Without a firm moral foundation, freedom degenerates quickly into selfishness and license.

  I do not think that anyone can study the history of this Nation of ours study it deeply and earnestly without becoming convinced that divine providence has played a great part in it. I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to our present position of power and strength for some great purpose.

  It is not given to us to know fully what that purpose is. But I think we may be sure of one thing. That is, that our country is intended to do all it can, in cooperation with other nations, to help create peace and preserve peace in this world. It is given to us to defend the spiritual values the moral code against the vast forces of evil that seek to destroy them.

  This is a hard task. It is not one that we have asked for… But we need not be afraid, if we have faith.535

  Every point made by President Truman is applicable to America today. God has continued to bless this great nation. Never before in history have any people had such complete freedom to set their own moral and spiritual course. It is as if God has perfected freedom in America and waits to see what each person will do with it. As Christians we must live and demonstrate this enduring truth to others: that the ultimate purpose of our lives and our freedom is to seek and find God.

  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live and move and have our being.�
��

  —Acts 17:27–28

  December 22

  Silent Night

  On December 24, 1942, the 7th Marine Regiment was relieved from the front line on Guadalcanal after ninety-six consecutive days of combat. Edward Andrusko and his battle-weary comrades marched to the relative safety of the beach area to wait for embarkation. That night he and many other Marines attended a memorable Christmas Eve service in a coconut grove beside Henderson Field. The makeshift altar was covered by a tent, and coconut logs served as pews. Bomb shelters were close at hand. Andrusko observed, “It was a beautiful service with candles, caroling, prayer for peace on Earth, and memorials to our dead and wounded.”536

  Suddenly, however, the air raid warning sounded. The chaplain, a seasoned combat veteran himself, calmly asserted that he was going to continue with the service, but pointed to the air raid shelters for all who wanted to seek a safer place. Most of the Marines stayed in the dark outdoor church, illuminated by a single candle. An amazing scene unfolded:

  Soon we heard the drone of enemy planes and the whistling of their bombs and explosions approaching closer and closer.

  Instantly the dark night was brightly illuminated by our large searchlights… nearby batteries of our anti-aircraft cannons blasted away… The guns fired loudly and rapidly, and their high overhead explosion bursts would light up the sky… Our bright red tracers added to the awesome fireworks display. More bombs fell, but soon passed us by.

  We sang “Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright,” as the enemy planes passed slowly overhead. After a while their bombs fell further and further away from us. Our prayers and carol singing must have been heard through the din of battle, and answered, for soon the all clear was sounded. No one was hurt at our church service. That was our first and last Christmas Eve midnight mass on Guadalcanal Island.537

  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

  —Luke 2:9–11

  December 23

  Looking for the Star

  There was plenty of bad news from the European front on December 24, 1944. The German offensive through Belgium and Luxembourg, known as the Battle of the Bulge, had been launched on December 16 with devastating effect. V-1 rockets, or “buzz bombs,” were bringing a new rain of terror on England’s cities. On Christmas Eve Flora Southwick wrote her husband, Erman, a letter filled with mixed emotions:

  The war news has been in the past few days disheartening to say the least and to me it brings the sad thought that our physical separation may be longer. My heart aches for those who are suffering and dying during what should be a season of gladness. And I have great compassion for those who have lost loved ones…

  Tonight I shall look for the Christmas star and you in France will also be looking for it. Real clouds or the clouds of battle may obscure it but we shall know it is high in the sky sparkling as brightly as ever and bringing its promise of peace and love to all men and women of good will… This Christmas Eve I am strangely happy and I can say to you, darling, a Very Merry Christmas.538

  Christmas can be the loneliest of lonely times when we are separated from home and loved ones. This young woman bridged the gulf between her and her husband by turning their mutual attention to a common reference point, the Christmas star. Even in the most difficult circumstances, Christmas is the time of supreme hope. When we focus on the magnitude of the event and realize that this was the turning point in history when God came into the world, we can experience the peace that comes with this special season, in spite of our worldly tribulations. Just as this couple did in World War II, we can find peace in the wonder of this glorious event and draw closer to all other Christians around the world as we look together for the brightly sparkling star.

  They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

  —Matthew 2:9–10

  December 24

  Christmas on a Corvette

  Corvettes were small naval vessels used in convoy escort duty. They were smaller than destroyers and had even fewer amenities for the crew. The quarters were cramped, and the ride was rough, especially in the North Atlantic during the winter months. Frank Curry spent several years on board the Canadian Navy corvette HMCS Kamback, operating out of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. After a rough at-sea period the Kamback returned to port on December 24. Curry described his first shipboard Christmas and the brief opportunity to relax for a day:

  Christmas Day—and what a day. My first one aboard a ship, but, from the looks of things, not my last. Up at 0800 (among our rare gifts, and a most welcome change). We hosed down the decks and cleaned ship. Decorated our mess decks and tied a small Christmas tree to the masthead—apparently another old, old tradition of the sea. I got feeling pretty merry on the punch which the Old Man fixed personally in the seaman’s messdeck. We had a tremendous dinner—all the officers in a very congenial mood for a change—they were almost human.539

  In our modern world it is easy to lose appreciation for simple pleasures. On this Christmas Day during wartime, this seaman didn’t receive a lot of extra benefits. Sleeping late, a special punch, and a good meal were about all there was. The ship still had to be cleaned in spite of the occasion. Still, these little amenities were appreciated and made this a special day.

  It would be well if we could also do less during the Christmas season and enjoy the simple pleasures of our family and the Christmas story. It has unfortunately become trite to say that we need to “put Christ back into Christmas.” Nevertheless, this is the only way that we will ever simplify this increasingly turbulent time of year. Our entire purpose should be to focus on the Christ child and the beauty of his story: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son”(John 3:16).

  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

  —John 1:14

  December 25

  Merry Christmas

  In December 1944, while war continued to rage in Europe and the Pacific, President Roosevelt gave a radio address, trying to bring a moment of peace to the nation. In his 1944 Christmas Address he said:

  It is not easy to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to you, my fellow Americans, in this time of destructive war.

  Nor can I say ‘Merry Christmas’ lightly tonight to our armed forces at their battle stations all over the world—or to our allies who fight by their side. Here, at home, we will celebrate this Christmas Day in our traditional way—because of its deep spiritual meaning to us; because the teachings of Christ are fundamental in our lives; and because we want our youngest generation to grow up knowing the significance of this tradition and the story of the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace and Goodwill.

  But, in perhaps every home in the United States, sad and anxious thoughts will be continually with the millions of our loved ones who are suffering hardships and misery, and who are risking their very lives to preserve for us and for all mankind the fruits of His teachings and the foundations of civilization itself.

  The Christmas spirit lives tonight in the bitter cold of the front lines in Europe and in the heat of the jungles and swamps of Burma and the Pacific islands. Even the roar of our bombers and fighters in the air and the guns of our ships at sea will not drown out the messages of Christmas which come to the hearts of our fighting men.540

  In today’s politically correct world, it is amazing and uplifting to hear a great former president say to the nation, “Merry Christmas,” and acknowledge “the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace.” The nation was undoubtedly more spiritual at that time and more conscious of its Christia
n heritage than it is today. This should not discourage us now, however. God is still sovereign; our nation is where God wants it to be. Freedom of conscience prevails, and our mission as Christians is clear. The nation and world need the Christmas message more than ever and await our personal, loving proclamation of it.

  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

  —Luke 2:13–14

  December 26

  If Only in My Dreams

  Even in modern times it is hard for many to think of Christmas without thinking of Bing Crosby. In 1942 he sang “White Christmas” in the movie

  Holiday Inn. The next year he recorded the melancholy but hopeful “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Both of these songs have become enduring Christmas classics, and both had their origins in the bleakest period of World War II, when there was no end to the war in sight. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in particular struck a chord with every GI away from home and with every loved one at home waiting for his or her return—especially the last line:

  I’ll be home for Christmas

  If only in my dreams.541

  I have spent my share of Christmases away from home. One of the most dreary was a monsoon-soaked holiday season in Vietnam. By far the most poignant was a Christmas separated from my wife and new daughter. Aboard an amphibious ship in the South China Sea, Christmas 1972 was a lonely experience in close quarters with hundreds of other Marines. I spent long moments looking over the guardrail into an empty sea, thinking of home and Christmas. I was there, but “only in my dreams.” May God bless those servicemen and women this Christmas season who are a long way from home, doing their duty, but wishing they were with loved ones in a happier place.