Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

by Larkin Spivey

  After the war, Fred returned to Ohio where he started work, married, and had children. As time went by, he kept thinking of Ea Ea and the people who had saved him. In 1960, with his family’s blessing, he used their vacation money to make the eleven thousand-mile trip back to New Britain. There he got the sense that maybe a simple “thank you” wasn’t enough for these wonderful, but extremely poor people.

  During the next ten years Fred raised money at home and made several trips back to New Britain to build a school, a library, and a clinic. He started a small oil palm farm, which proved a valuable source of revenue to the village. In 1970 he and his wife moved there to teach in the school. He explained, “These people were responsible for saving my life. How could I ever repay it?”400

  Fred Hargesheimer didn’t just repay a debt. He demonstrated a Christ-like love for these people whom he came to know so intimately. He gave more to them of his time and his money than they had any reason to expect. Christ demonstrated a love even greater than this by giving up his very life for a world that did not deserve it. This is a love that flows from the nature of God and is fortunately not based on the merits of mankind.

  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

  —Romans 3:23–24

  September 27

  Seventy-eight Degrees

  A war correspondent wrote a graphic description of one of the Navy’s smallest ships:

  A DE, my friend, is a Destroyer Escort. It’s a ship long and narrow, something like a destroyer but much smaller. They are rough and tumble little ships. Their decks are laden with depth charges. They can turn in half the space of a destroyer.

  They roll and they plunge. They buck and they twist. They shudder and they fall through space. They are in the air half the time, under water half the time, their sailors say they should have flight pay and submarine pay both.401

  The men of USS Conklin (DE-439) experienced their share of rolling and plunging during antisubmarine duty in the Pacific. In June 1945, however, they were struck by a typhoon with seas of a magnitude seldom seen by any sailor. After a night of violent wind and waves, the storm reached its peak at about 5:00 a.m.

  Suddenly the men on the bridge saw an incredibly huge wave building off the port bow. Seconds later they were thrown around like matchsticks as the little ship was knocked over on her side. Three sailors were killed as the ship lost all power and fuel oil flooded the decks.

  The Conklin’s inclinometer measured a roll of seventy-eight degrees, past the point of no return for a ship of her type. After seventy-two degrees the laws of physics decreed that she should keep rolling. In the next instant, however, another wave struck the ship at just the right angle to knock her upright. The Conklin survived her ordeal thanks in part to the desperate efforts and superb seamanship of her crew. Most of them, however, ever after felt that they had experienced a miracle and the hand of God acting to save their little ship and their lives.402 Human hands could not have brought the Conklin back from a seventy-eight degree roll.

  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

  —Luke 8:24–25

  September 28

  Turn On the Lights

  On June 19, 1944, Japan committed all its remaining carrier forces in an attack on the U.S. invasion fleet at Saipan. During an eight-hour air battle over the Philippine Sea the Japanese carriers were practically stripped of their aircraft as 375 were shot down by American flyers. The next day a U.S. carrier force under Adm. Marc Mitscher was released from its defensive role at the beachhead to seek out the enemy aircraft carriers.

  After a long day of empty searching, a scout plane finally sighted the Japanese fleet late in the afternoon. Mitscher knew that a strike at that distance would mean a night recovery of his own aircraft, for which his pilots were not trained. He nevertheless felt the need to seize this fleeting opportunity to strike a decisive blow, and so launched his aircraft as darkness was approaching. At about sunset this strike found and successfully sank one Japanese aircraft carrier and damaged two others.

  Now, in total darkness, more than two hundred American pilots found themselves low on fuel and looking for a place to land. The U.S. carriers were steaming toward them, but, as always, were under blackout conditions to protect against air and submarine attack. As some aircraft were starting to run out of fuel, Mitscher faced another crucial decision: to risk his ships or his aircrews. He finally turned to his chief of staff and said, “Turn on the lights.”403 Suddenly the fleet was illuminated with running lights, flight deck lights, and star shells exploding overhead. Landing signal officers with fluorescent batons waved in the aircraft. One naval officer on the scene called this, “One of the war’s supreme moments.”404

  By dispelling the darkness, Mitscher recovered most of his pilots and won one of the greatest naval victories of the war. The darkness surrounding the U.S. fleet on that night is symbolic of the world that Christians find all around them. We have many opportunities to make decisions and to take risks of our own to shine the light of Jesus Christ into those dark places.

  When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

  —John 8:12

  September 29

  Yamamato

  In 1939 Isoroku Yamamoto became commander in chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. This promotion culminated a brilliant career of naval command at all levels, including two tours of duty in the United States. From his experience he knew more about America than most Japanese, and, consequently, did not favor going to war against America. In a speech before the war he said:

  Most people think Americans love luxury and that their culture is shallow and meaningless. It is a mistake to regard the Americans as luxury-loving and weak. I can tell you Americans are full of the spirit of justice, fight, and adventure. Also their thinking is very advanced and scientific. Lindberg’s solo crossing of the Atlantic is the sort of valiant act which is normal for them. That is a typically American adventure based on science. Do not forget American industry is much more developed than ours and unlike us they have all the oil they want. Japan cannot beat America. Therefore we should not fight America.405

  These views were not popular with the many pro-war factions in Japan, who were already angry over Yamamoto’s opposition to his country’s other military adventures. His rise to overall command against such heated opposition was an indication of his brilliance and his reputation among his peers.

  This great admiral is seen as a tragic figure of history because he was ultimately drawn into fighting the war that he didn’t believe he could win. The choice he had to make was hard: whether to continue his opposition and step down, or to devote his keen intellect to making the best fight possible. It is difficult in retrospect to know what would have happened if he had done more to oppose the war.

  As we live our own lives in an uncertain world, we also face difficult decisions. Fortunately, they are seldom of this magnitude, even though they can be extremely stressful from our perspective. We are blessed to know that we are never on our own when we face hard choices. In our times of uncertainty we can turn to God through the spiritual resources that are always available to us: Scripture, prayer, and the loving advice of fellow Christians.

  This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

  —Deuteronomy 30:19

  September 30

  Do We Believe in Prayer?

  Dan Snaddon grew up in a small town in Scotland, joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, and became a prisoner of war when the Japanese captured Singapore. For almost four years he lived in utter deprivation and was witness to horrible abuses against himself an
d his fellow prisoners. His story is an amazing witness to the power of his relationship with God and how his prayers sustained him through conditions that seem impossible for anyone to have endured.

  After he was released he had time to reflect on what prayer meant to him. He first thought of his mother’s promise to “go (every morning) into your bedroom at 8 a.m. and kneel at your bed and pray for you.”406 He thought of his hometown church and all his brothers and sisters in Christ who kept praying for him, even when they didn’t know if he was dead or alive. He concluded firmly that, “I believe that God answers prayer.”407 He then went on to challenge other Christians about the strength of their beliefs:

  Worldly men laugh when Christians mention the power of prayer. We are not altogether surprised at this, but let us take ourselves to task. Do we really believe in prayer? I am inclined to believe that deep down in our hearts we really doubt the power of prayer, although we acknowledge the power with our lips. This was my own experience, but prayer is real. It is something tangible. I have found out from my own personal experience that prayer moves the hand of Him who moves the universe. God answers prayer. It is one of the most powerful and potent means that God has put into the hands of the believer. In fact, one has written that ‘Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.’408

  We know that God does not always cure the sick or save those in danger. If we believe the apostle Paul’s words that “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), we can safely assume that God’s plan is at work no matter the outcome. But we can take even stronger encouragement from Dan Snaddon’s witness that he has seen God respond to specific prayers, and, especially, that he has been sustained through the direst possible circumstances by his relationship with God through prayer.

  Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

  —1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

  Old Glory flies over a U.S. aircraft carrier. (National Archives)

  October

  THE INVASION OF FRANCE

  D-Day for the invasion of France was June 6, 1944. General Dwight Eisenhower’s mission was simply stated:

  You will enter the Continent of Europe, and, in conjunction with the other United Nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces.409

  After months of preparation and years of fighting on the periphery, the time had finally come to strike directly at Germany with the aim of ending the war. The scale of Operation Overlord was unlike anything seen before. Three airborne divisions jumped into inland landing zones ahead of the beach landings. Five divisions made an amphibious assault over a fifty-mile-wide swath of the Normandy coast, ahead of fifty more divisions that would eventually pour in to take the battle into Germany. More than five thousand vessels and eleven thousand aircraft were assembled for this massive undertaking, and artificial harbors were created along the beaches to handle the massive logistical flow.

  The German units manning the coastal defenses of Normandy were well prepared by this time and offered bitter resistance at almost every point. The first waves of the American 1st Division were hit hardest crossing Omaha Beach. The moment the landing craft ramps went down, they were decimated by accurate machine gun and artillery fire from positions dominating the beach. The high ground was taken by the end of D-Day thanks to the initiative and courage of small-unit leaders and individual soldiers.

  Fortunately for the Allies, on a strategic level, the German high command was surprised at the timing and location of Overlord. Even as the Normandy landings were unfolding, they continued to expect the main invasion further north where the beaches were better. Also, the weather seemed to play a miraculous role in events by giving a brief window of opportunity for the invasion during a prolonged period of otherwise impossible conditions. Massive Allied air attacks added to the German confusion and further hampered movement of reserves that could have assisted forces defending the beaches.

  By the end of D-Day, one hundred seventy-five thousand Allied troops and fifty thousand vehicles were ashore along the Normandy coast. The cost in lives and materiel was high, but by any measure, the invasion was a complete success. The British had returned and the Americans had finally arrived on the continent of Europe.

  October 1

  The Change Was Electric

  For the individual soldiers the buildup to D-Day was long and tedious. Isolated at bases throughout England, they were kept as busy as conditions permitted but were told little. Everything was a secret, and no loose talk was permitted. Everything had a number: the tents, the vehicles, the men themselves. Many felt they were without identity among countless thousands of others waiting to do an uncertain job at an indefinite time in the future. One correspondent observed that, “It simply drove the mind into a fixed apathy.”410 On June 3 the same correspondent was finally able to report a profound change in this sullen atmosphere:

  That evening the soldiers were told the plan and what they had to do. The change was electric. The suspense was snapped. A wave of relief succeeded it. Now that the future was known and prescribed everything would be easier. We were to embark the following afternoon. We would sail during the night. H-Hour was the following morning… As the men stood in their ranks listening to the colonel you could feel the confidence growing. Here at last was something practical and definite, something to which one could adjust oneself.411

  We each deal with a lot of uncertainty in life as we face the indefinite future. We don’t know what crisis waits next with our families, our jobs, or other things we haven’t thought of yet. For me these daily concerns often seem to merge into a vague and semiconscious anxiety. I am always better off when I take the time to deliberately and prayerfully focus on each concern and, with God’s help, formulate some kind of action plan. God wants to either take our worry away or help find us find a way to do something specific about it. Like the men of D-Day we find relief when we know what we face and what we have to do.

  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

  —Philippians 4:6

  October 2

  The Great Crusade

  On the eve of D-Day, General Eisenhower published a leaflet for every member of the invasion force, to inform, to inspire, and to seek God’s blessing:

  Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 194041. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good Luck! And let us beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.412

  British soldier reads D-Day message. (Eisenhower Presidential Library)

  As we have seen before, national leaders were not reluctant to call their troops and nation to God during the crucial moments of World War II. D-Day was one of those times. The spiritual humility of America’s leaders and the prayerfulness of her citizens kept the nation focused on Go
d, the true source of American unity and strength that had sustained the nation throughout its history.

  I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

  —Psalms 121:12

  October 3

  Creating a Bond

  Bob Benvenuto enlisted in the Navy in 1943 as a seventeen-year-old. When he finished boot camp, he found his name on a roster of men heading to an unknown destination beginning an almost indescribable odyssey. It started, with more than a thousand others, on a waterfront pier in New York, where he waited for two weeks. Finally, his group was marched onto the

  Queen Mary, which arrived in Scotland five days later. After another week he went by train to Southhampton, England, where he was herded into an open field early in the morning to wait all day in the rain for a ship to arrive. At 1:00 a.m., after his personal “longest day,” a large ship came into the loading ramp and opened huge clamshell doors. Bob went aboard LST (Landing Ship Tank) 279 to receive the biggest surprise of his life:

  I was amazed! At two a.m. we went on board exhausted… And surprise of all surprises, awaiting us, in spite of the hour, were hot showers and a turkey dinner. The Captain welcomed us aboard and explained that he was aware of our ordeal and sorry for the delay in bringing the ship in. He had ordered the cooks to prepare the special dinner and directed the chief engineer to open the fresh water showers just for us. To make our welcome complete he advised and allowed us to sleep in til mid day. And so it was, that we became shipmates of, and part of the crew of the LST 279. The concern and compassion of the captain (Lt. James T. Beard) had created a bond that night between his new crewmen, ship’s company and ‘his’ ship, that lasted throughout the entire European tour of duty.413