Stories of Faith and Courage From World War II (69 page)

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.
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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

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ECEMBER 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

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ECEMBER 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

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ECEMBER 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.
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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 Christian 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

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ECEMBER 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.
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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.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.

—Ecclesiastes 7:14

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ECEMBER 27

Thank God We Lost the War

Darlene Deibler was preparing to return to the United States after being liberated from a Japanese internment camp and four years of captivity. The young missionary was approached by a Japanese officer with a surprising declaration:

Some people would not understand if I said this to them, but I think you will. I’m thanking God we lost the war. I really mean that! We are a proud people, and if we had won the war, the doors of Japan would never again have opened to missionaries. Many people would say I was a traitor to my country, but I love my country and my people enough to suffer the humiliation of defeat, that they might have the opportunity I have had of hearing that Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for all. There are many among the soldiers of my country who are now asking questions. There is a receptivity to my ministry, since the worship of our ancestors has failed to give us the victory. They are searching, and I ask that you pray for them.
⁵⁴²

No one would ever wish for a personal, family, or national disaster. Unfortunately, such events will inevitably happen. At such times, we can only pray for the strength of faith evidenced by this Japanese Christian. In the face of a national tragedy, he saw hope that more in his country would turn to the true God. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks America saw an apparent resurgence of faith across the land. “God Bless America” was seen everywhere. Unfortunately, as conditions returned to normal, these displays subsided. I pray that it won’t take a devastating disaster to bring about a more widespread and lasting return to faith among our own “proud people.” On a national or a personal level, when prosperity blinds us to our dependence on God’s mercy and the importance of God in our lives, it is surely a curse.

“Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

—Luke 18:25–27

Religious services on the USS
South Dakota
. (National Archives)