Field Marshal Rommel inspecting beach defenses. (Eisenhower Presidential Library)
Landing craft ramp goes down on a Normandy beach. (National Archives)
October 12
I Didn’t Feel Too Good
The boat ride to Omaha Beach was somewhat peaceful until the ramp of the landing craft went down. Sgt. Hy Haas looked out on a scene of pure terror. Smoke and machine-gun bullets filled the air. The sound of mortar and artillery shells exploding was ear-splitting. Haas went into the water first to scout for mines, and then drove his self-propelled anti-aircraft gun off the landing craft into the water. It was pandemonium. He had been on the beach only a few minutes when an officer ran up to him gesturing to a point ahead. There was a German bunker blocking the advance to the bluff overlooking the beach. Through a clearing in the smoke, Haas got a clear shot at the bunker and destroyed it.
This proved to be an important action in the drama on Omaha Beach. Haas had opened up one of the vital egress routes off the beach, allowing his comrades to advance onto the high ground beyond. Not long after, he was moving past the destroyed bunker:
There were the Germans we had shot. They were in an awful state. And you could say, “Look, thousands of our guys were hit, and I don’t know how many dead.” Yet when I saw what we had done, I didn’t feel too good. Because I had never really hurt anybody before. Those Germans were our enemies, and yet to see those guys bleeding from the mouth… They just lay out there on the bunker. I don’t know if they lived or not.426
We read the description of battles and see the casualty figures, and think that we understand what happened. However, we either have to see it for ourselves, or we have to read a first person account such as this, to truly grasp the tragedy. Combat is not a video game. Men inflict real pain and suffering on each other, and many do not survive. Fortunately, humanity does not disappear entirely, as the conscience of this young soldier proves. He did his job, but he didn’t feel good about it. Hopefully we will always find young men of such character to defend our nation.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
—Hebrews 9:14
October 13
Follow Me
The first wave to hit Omaha Beach was devastated. As the ramp dropped on his landing craft, Chuck Hurlbut stepped into the water and quickly saw the ranks of his unit shredded by enemy gunfire. He struggled through the surf to the sound of explosions, small arms fire, and the cries of wounded soldiers. Somehow he made it across the beach to the dune line, where he found more devastation and chaos. He didn’t know where he was or where the others in his unit were. There were no leaders, only other scared and disoriented soldiers like himself. Looking seaward he saw landing craft burning and bodies all over the beach. The rumor swept through the dispirited men that the invasion on Omaha Beach had failed and that those there were stranded. He wondered where they would go. Into the water? At this dark moment he witnessed an amazing phenomenon:
All of a sudden, a guy here, a guy there, a sergeant here, “Come on guys, let’s go get them.” They started up. They got these snipers along the way. They blew out a pillbox. About 1 o’clock, 1:30, up on a hill, way up on the horizon, I saw some Yank ees, waving, “Come on up! Come on up!” And whoever those guys were, they were the heroes. They lacked the leadership but they had that initiative, the soldier quality, that said, “We’re not gonna die here. Let’s go get these guys!”427
The hallmark of American fighting men in World War II and in the present day is summed up in one word: initiative. When officers are not physically present, small-unit leaders and individual soldiers step up to do what needs to be done. This is partly due to training, and partly due to something in the American character. The individualism and personal responsibility that we see in our soldiers are by-products of the freedom that they enjoy as Americans. This freedom was God’s gift at the founding of this nation and the reason he has blessed America throughout much of her history.
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
October 14
Fieldstripping an M-1
James Jordan was in the first wave on Omaha Beach. His landing craft took a direct hit from an artillery shell that killed many of his fellow soldiers instantly. He went into the water and found himself sinking under the weight of a seventy-five-pound pack and weapon. Fortunately, he was able to ditch all his gear, make his way back to the surface, and swim to shore. He recalled, “As badly as things had begun for me, once I made the beach, it got worse.”428 Picking up an abandoned M-1 rifle, Jordan moved forward under heavy machine-gun fire to a seawall where he found what was left of his platoon. He described what he did next:
I then discovered the rifle I had picked up from the beach wouldn’t fire, probably due to being clogged with sand. I picked up a second rifle that was on the beach close to the sea wall. This one wouldn’t fire either. After the third rifle I found wouldn’t fire, I realized I would have to clean it in order to have a functioning weapon. So, while still behind the sea wall, I stripped down the M-1 and cleaned the trigger housing with a toothbrush that I still had from one of my pockets. That one worked.429
This story reminded me of my first training as a Marine officer candidate at Quantico, Virginia. Fieldstripping and cleaning our rifles was a daily ritual. To emphasize the importance of a clean weapon, our young sergeant-instructor told us how he had lost his rifle cleaning kit while fighting in Korea and had used his toothbrush for weeks to clean his M-1. At the time, the concept of putting a clean rifle ahead of oral hygiene was not easy for a group of college boys to swallow. Just like Private 1st Class Jordan in this story, we all learned differently later. Without a functioning weapon, a Marine or soldier in combat is pretty useless and helpless.
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, the apostle Paul described the spiritual armor available to Christians, including our primary and only offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”(Ephesians 6:17). Burnishing this sword through frequent study and application should be our own daily ritual.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
—Ephesians 6:11
October 15
First through the Wire
Harley Reynolds was supposed to land after the first assault wave on Omaha Beach. However, the first wave was late and his was early. He quickly lost men in his machine-gun section as he tried to get a foothold on the fire-swept beach. Trying to explain it, he said, “Confusion doesn’t describe it.” For a while his constant thought was, “What’s keeping me up? I must be hit. Too many bullets were flying not to be hit.”430
The first cover he spotted was a raised roadbed running along the beach where he found respite from the heavy fire. He gathered his men there as best he could, trying to figure out what to do next. Barbed wire on the road and a wire fence beyond blocked the advance. The incoming tide would soon make his safe spot untenable.
Help soon arrived in the form of a small soldier with a long bangalore torpedo. Exposing himself to enemy fire, the soldier moved up to slide the torpedo under the wire and then inserted a fuse lighter. When the charge detonated Reynolds didn’t hesitate:
My head was three or four feet from the torpedo and I was closest to the path it blew in the wire. My men were behind me better than we had even done in practice. I went through the trip wire high stepping just as we did on obstacle courses. I was running so fast I hadn’t made up my mind what to do about the wire fence until I faced it. I literally dove through in a sideways dive… Troops on the beach seemed to be holding back but not for long.431
Staff Sergeant Reynolds was later credited with being the first man through the barbed wire on this beach. He p
layed a critical role in opening the way for others to fight their way forward to the high ground needed to secure the beachhead. For his heroic actions he was awarded the Bronze Star, French Croix de Guerre, and Purple Heart. His courage inspired many others on Omaha Beach and continues to inspire us today.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
—Joshua 1:9
October 16
To Train for the Kingdom
Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift.
We have hard work to do and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle,
Face it: ’tis God’s gift.432
This poem was prominently posted on Lt. John Burkhalter’s trunk and gave a glimpse of his character. Burkhalter was a highly decorated chaplain with the 1st Division, landing early on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He had been ordained in 1935 and served as pastor of a Florida church until he enlisted in the Army in 1942 at age thirty-three. He was a former National Championship high school football player and professional boxer for eight years. With the 1st Division, he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action after heroically exposing himself to enemy fire to recover casualties. He looked and lived like a true combat chaplain, as evident in a colleague’s description:
He stands before his congregation in a faded fatigue uniform, feet braced, chest thrown out, jaw thrust forward. His strong-looking hands hold firmly to the hymn book. He stands there, a powerful figure, his eyes meeting every man’s glance like a boxer looking for an opening. When he talks he speaks like a coach addressing a group of athletes in training. He doesn’t harangue or plead or scold. His words carry his own conviction and confidence in what he is saying. This is the way to train for the Kingdom of God, he implies in his manner, hands on hips, head thrust forward slightly. These are the things to do. This is how to do them.433
If you believe the axiom that, “young men don’t need counselors, they need role models,”you can visualize this man as a perfect military chaplain. His appearance, his attitude, and his faithfulness inspired men who were not easily impressed, as he successfully took the Word of God into a difficult and dangerous venue. His life was an inspiration then and now to live and act boldly for God’s kingdom, epitomizing the words of the old hymn: “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross!”434
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
—1 Samuel 17:45
October 17
I Was Talking to Him
Chaplain John Burkhalter suffered with his men on Omaha Beach. He saw landing craft obliterated by direct hits and countless men cut down as they tried to reach the shore. He saw wave after wave pile up on the beach, unable to advance. Every advantage seemed to be with the Germans and every disadvantage with his troops. Through it all he prayed earnestly, with faith that only God could see anyone safely through such a nightmare. In retrospect he was certain that he would never forget those moments. He knew that during the ordeal he had drawn very close to God. In a letter to his wife, he explained:
Nobody can love God better than when he is looking death square in the face and talks to God and then sees God come to the rescue. As I look back through hectic days just gone by to that hellish beach I agree with Ernie Pyle that, “it was a pure miracle we ever took the beach at all.”435 Yes, there were a lot of miracles on the beach that day. God was on the beach D-Day; I know He was because I was talking to Him.436
This story must surely prove beyond doubt that it is possible to find God in any situation. If this man could survive Omaha Beach with that conviction, we can have faith that God will be with us in our day-to-day crises. We can also see here an even more amazing attribute of God. Our relationship with him actually grows stronger as our plight worsens and our reliance on him deepens. We may have to look back to see it, but our personal lows can be and often are our spiritual highs. Have faith that, no matter what pain you are in, he is there when you keep “talking to Him.”
I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
—Deuteronomy 32:34
Soldiers help each other off the beach. (National Archives)
Medics give aid to the wounded. (National Archives)
October 18
Hero of Omaha
Joseph Dawson never considered himself a professional soldier. Even so, he was an infantry company commander and one of the great heroes of D-Day. After his landing craft was hit and almost wiped out, he reached Omaha Beach where he found groups of disorganized soldiers trying to stay alive in the maelstrom. He gathered those nearest him and began moving forward under the withering fire. Attacking through a minefield, he was wounded but continued to lead the assault until the high ground overlooking the beach was taken. His group was one of the first to penetrate the enemy beach defenses on D-Day, and Dawson himself was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His citation reads in part:
With absolute disregard for his own personal safety, Captain Dawson moved from his position of cover on to the mine field deliberately drawing the fire of the enemy machine guns in order that his men might be free to move. This heroic diversion succeeded and his combat group crossed the beach to move into the assault on the enemy strongpoint. During this action, Captain Dawson was wounded in the leg. In a superb display of courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, Captain Dawson although wounded, led a successful attack into the enemy stronghold.437
Dawson was offered a full commission in the regular army after the war, but chose instead to return to civilian life. He said, “I was a civilian that was granted the opportunity to defend my country.”438 In writing about his actions on D-Day he displayed great reverence and humility over his success and survival:
It is awesome, even now, to me to see how we could possibly have survived, because the terrain there is remarkable in that it has the high ridge overlooking the beach itself, in such a dramatic way… It was only just the luck of God that allowed me to find a little opening which permitted us to get off of the beach. I’ve always felt a degree of humility as well as thanking God for having had the opportunity for making a break which allowed us to proceed off of Omaha.439
The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
—Proverbs 15:33
October 19
Take the Skillet off the Stove
George Davison was one of many black American soldiers to land on the Normandy beaches on D-Day. He was a member of a barrage balloon battalion responsible for protecting the invasion beaches from air attack. These soldiers had to go in under fire and operate from foxholes on the beach. Their balloons were tethered to cables designed to keep enemy aircraft above strafing altitude along the shoreline.
Davison was a very religious man, and his spiritual strength came through in letters to his wife, Mary, and son, Richard. He told them, “I have been to church and Sunday school and asked for forgiveness of everything I (have) ever done to anyone and prayed… After laying in my hole in the ground and listening to bullets go over my head bursting beside me, not more than reaching distance away, I have come to the conclusion that there is one with more power than the walking, would stand by me and see me home again.”440
He especially felt God’s hand supporting him at the crucial moments when he approached the beach in a landing craft filled with ammunition:
As a truck went down the ramp, I grabbed on to the racks and this truck went out of sight so I let go… So there I am in that water, with too much weight, so I shrugged my shoulders and off went my musette bag… all the time this was happening the enemy was putting down a steady stream of cross fire, we were let off i
n to deep waters. I believe the Lord was on my side because if he would have let just one of those tracers hit those 105 howitzer shells it would have been all over. You could have taken the skillet off the stove cause the gas would have been gone!441
It is inspiring to hear the story of a soldier’s simple faith during a dangerous time. His belief in a caring God sustained him on the beaches of Normandy and is the kind of faith that will sustain each of us through any crisis.
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens… Our God is a God who saves; from the sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
—Psalms 68:19, 20
October 20
He Speaks French
After the excitement of serving on a landing craft during the assault on Omaha Beach, Albert Berard’s life settled into a dull routine offloading supplies in the port of Cherbourg. When convoys started running to Paris, he and some friends saw a chance to relieve the boredom. Without asking anyone, they left their unit and hitched a ride on a truck headed east. Late that night they were dropped off on the outskirts of Paris, where they did in fact begin quite an adventure. Fortunately for the group, Berard spoke fluent French and quickly made friends everywhere he went. He and his friends were welcomed as conquering heroes. One family in particular adopted the sailors and held a banquet in their honor. The mother of the family wrote a letter to Berard’s mother with a heartfelt message:
Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II Page 35
