Stories of Faith and Courage From World War II (65 page)

Also in October 1944 one of the greatest naval battles in history was fought as three Japanese fleets converged on Leyte Gulf in an all-out effort to destroy the landing forces assembled there. Over a three-day period the U.S. fleet sank thirty-six enemy warships, rendering the Imperial Japanese Navy largely ineffective as a fighting force. On the last day of the battle, the Americans had their first taste of a new enemy “tactic,” the suicide bomber. The aircraft carrier
St. Lo
was lost that day to a Kamikaze attack. By the end of the war, five thousand Japanese aviators would kill themselves this way, wreaking massive destruction on Allied ships and sailors.

By early 1945 American war planners finally faced the ultimate question of the Pacific war: how to bring about the surrender of Japan. Up until that time, the fanatical and suicidal resistance encountered in every battle seemed to prove that an invasion of the Japanese home islands would be required by the fall of the year. As these plans were formulated, two key intermediate objectives were identified: Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Both were needed for air and naval bases closer to Japan, and both were heavily defended. By this time the Japanese had developed new tactics that put their main defenses well away from the beaches, with deep bunkers and interconnecting tunnels practically impervious to air and naval bombardment.

Instead of taking five days as estimated, the conquest of Iwo Jima took almost a month. Admiral Nimitz, commenting on the fierceness of the battle and the high casualty rate, said, “Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island uncommon valor was a common virtue.”
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The most inspiring image of the war came when a group of Marines was photographed raising an American flag on Mt. Suribachi, the most prominent terrain feature of the island.

The seizure of Okinawa was also a protracted and costly operation. Two Marine and two Army divisions made the initial assault on April 1, and it was not until late June that the island was declared secure. Casualties among the ground troops were severe, and Kamikaze attacks rained down on the ships at sea during the entire operation.

As preparations for a November invasion of the Japanese home islands continued, a B-29 bomber, flying from the Marianas Islands, dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6. A day later the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Korea. Then another atomic bomb was dropped, this time on Nagasaki. The powerful factions within the Japanese government that had continued to insist on a fight to the bitter end were finally silenced by the overwhelming need to stop the rain of destruction. Hostilities were brought to an end on August 15, 1945. The formal surrender ceremony was held on September 2 aboard the USS
Missouri
in Tokyo Bay. The Japanese foreign minister, General MacArthur, and Admiral Nimitz signed the documents, followed by representatives of every Allied nation. World War II was finally and mercifully over.

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ECEMBER 1

God Be Merciful

The little Episcopal
Prayer Book for Soldiers and Sailors
was a complete resource for worship, prayer, and study. It included Bible passages that were especially useful for military men and women. One of these was Jesus’ classic parable of the proud man and the humble man:

The Pharisee and the Publican

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:9–14 KJV)

The little prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” is the key to our faith in Jesus Christ. I say it earnestly every day. Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and, until we acknowledge our own hopeless condition, there is nothing he can do within us; there is no room for his saving grace.

This Scripture passage is especially fitting for the last month of this book, devoted to victory in World War II. It is an appropriate reminder of the danger of pride, which can cause us to stumble at the personal and the national level. In this war America achieved complete and total victory over all her enemies. A thankful humility was appropriate then and continues to be our best posture as a nation now, as we acknowledge God’s grace and our countless blessings.

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ECEMBER 2

Fourth Inaugural Address

On January 20, 1945, Franklin Roosevelt was inaugurated for an unprecedented fourth term of office as president of the United States. At that time the Battle of the Bulge was raging in Europe and the invasion of Iwo Jima was about to start. The war was far from over, and uncertainty about the future still gripped the nation. In his inaugural address Roosevelt sought to share a vision of hope and peace for the world based on his faith in God’s guidance:

As I stand here today, having taken the solemn oath of office in the presence of my fellow countrymen—in the presence of our God—I know that it is America’s purpose that we shall not fail. In the days and the years that are to come we shall work for a just and honorable peace, a durable peace, as today we work and fight for a total victory in war…

We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust—or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding and the confidence and the courage which flow from conviction.

The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for our freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished world.

So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way clearly—to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellow men—to the achievement of His will to peace on earth.
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President Roosevelt’s comments perfectly reflect America’s situation in the present time, and his prayer remains totally relevant today. Human beings are clearly not capable of achieving peace on Earth by means of their own resources. Only in God will this sought-for state ever be found.

The plans of the L
ORD
stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the L
ORD
, the people he chose for his inheritance.

—Psalms 33:11–12

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ECEMBER 3

Fourth Honeymoon

An anonymous Navy Armed Guard sailor left a diary of his experiences on the merchant ship SS
Russell A. Alger
. In November 1944 the
Alger
set sail from New York City as part of a larger convoy headed across the Atlantic to North Africa and Belgium. This was the beginning of another long separation between a young sailor and his wife. After saying goodbye to her he wrote these words:

As I watched New York’s famous skyline fade from view in the dim, early morning light I recounted the many happy hours Margaret and I spent together in the brief period of just less than two weeks that had slipped away during the stay in port preceding the journey that had just started. We had jokingly referred to it as our “fourth honeymoon,” since ours was a wartime marriage and each subsequent meeting was another honeymoon. We were so accustomed to these brief meetings, with the necessity for living each moment to its fullest, that sometime we caught ourselves wondering what it will be like to live in a peaceful world without the tender farewells and joyous meetings. I am certain that the meeting, however brief, is so much better than being away from each other for a year or more. I fear that there will be many adjustments that will have to be made when the war is over, especially amongst those couples who have been separated for long periods.
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We can call this “looking on the bright side.” This young man had many reasons to feel sorry for himself. Repeated separations were painful for him and his wife. However, he was wise enough to realize that many wartime separations were measured in years rather than months. Others were having an even harder time.

We need this same perspective as we deal with our own problems from day to day. No matter how difficult our situation, we can be confident that it could be worse. More importantly, no matter how difficult our situation, there is always much for which we can be thankful. A thankful heart is more pleasing to God than one preoccupied with problems, and thankfulness can be the perfect basis for a growing relationship with him.

Sing to the L
ORD
, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

—Psalms 30:4–5

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ECEMBER 4

A Soul-Stirring Sight

The USS
Franklin
was a World War II Essex-class aircraft carrier, affectionately known to her crew as “ Big Ben.” On the morning of March 19, 1945, she was maneuvering close to Japan when a lone enemy bomber attacked suddenly, dropping two bombs that penetrated deep into the ship, causing immense devastation and widespread fires. As the fires grew in intensity, secondary explosions started from the ship’s ammunition stocks. Casualties were everywhere.

From this scene of chaos arose one of the war’s greatest heroes. Lt. Cdr. Joseph O’Callahan was Big Ben’s chaplain and a very impressive figure. His physical appearance was commanding and his past accomplishments as a collegiate track star, writer, and university professor were legendary. His actions on this day are best recounted in the citation for his Medal of Honor:

Lieutenant Commander O’Callahan groped his way through smoke-filled corridors to the open deck and into the midst of violently exploding bombs, rockets and other armament. With the ship rocked by incessant explosions, with debris and fragments raining down and fires raging in ever increasing fury, he ministered to the wounded and dying, comforting and encouraging men of all faiths; he organized and led fire-fighting crews into the blazing inferno on the flight deck…Serving with courage, fortitude and deep spiritual strength, Lieutenant Commander O’Callahan inspired the gallant officers and men of the Franklin to fight heroically and with profound faith in the face of almost certain death.
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This was the only Medal of Honor awarded to a chaplain in World War II. His commanding officer called O’Callahan, “The bravest man I ever saw.”
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Another officer described his actions as “a soul stirring sight.”
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With a white cross painted on his helmet Joseph O’Callahan bravely went beyond the call of duty and distinguished himself and the Savior whom he served.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

—2 Timothy 1:7

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ECEMBER 5

An Unseen Enemy

Iwo Jima means “sulfur island,” and the rotten egg smell of sulfur gas pouring out of steaming rock beds permeated the air. By the time the Marines landed there was practically no vegetation remaining over a moonscape of cratered volcanic sand and rocky ridges. They soon realized that they were engaged in a two-dimensional battle. They were fighting

on Iwo Jima, whereas the Japanese defenders were under Iwo Jima. The island had been turned into one of the greatest underground fortresses ever seen.

For months Korean laborers, military engineers and demolition experts had built fortified positions and interconnecting tunnels throughout the island, stocked with ammunition and food. The Japanese soldiers waited in these mutually supporting underground fortifications for the Americans to come to them. Each had a printed “battle vow” before him in his cave: “Each man will make it his duty to kill ten of the enemy before dying.”
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For the Marines, this was largely a battle against an unseen enemy. One historian remarked, “There were Marines who fought on Iwo Jima for the entire six-week campaign who never saw a living enemy soldier.”
⁵¹⁰
One Marine said, “It was an eerie landscape. While you couldn’t see them, you had a feeling that the Japanese had you always in their sights.”
⁵¹¹

Christians also face an enemy that amazingly remains largely unseen in the world around them. Satan has succeeded in trivializing his own image to the extent that few take even his existence seriously. The little red figure with a pitchfork is more of a joke than a threat to anyone’s eternal survival. It is well to ponder the evil that we see at work in the world and how well organized it often seems to be. And we need to renew our understanding of this enemy’s nature through Scripture: “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”(1 Peter 5:8). Knowledge of such an enemy is essential to our spiritual survival.