Stories of Faith and Courage From World War II (36 page)

Kate Smith sang the song in march tempo with full orchestra and trumpets. It was an immediate sensation and became her signature song. There was even an effort to make it the national anthem, since the words and tune were far more memorable than the complex and more abstract “Star-Spangled Banner.”

The distinguishing feature of “God Bless America” is the fact that it is a prayer. It is not a statement. It is a plea to God for the protection and guidance this nation has always needed and that only he can provide. When we say it or sing it with this in mind, “God Bless America” is a powerful reminder of our need for him in our personal and national lives.

Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O L
ORD
, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary… We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O L
ORD
, listen! O L
ORD
, forgive!

—Daniel 9:17–19

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UNE 29

The Slapping Incident

The conquest of Sicily almost cost the United States one of its most effective combat generals. During a visit to a field hospital in August 1943, Gen. George Patton physically abused a soldier suffering from a condition euphemistically called “combat fatigue.” After talking to a number of wounded soldiers, Patton approached Pvt. Paul Bennet and asked what was wrong with him. The soldier replied, “ It’s my nerves,” and then began to cry.
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On hearing this, Patton exploded: “ You are just a…coward… I won’t have these brave men here who have been shot at seeing a yellow [expletive] sitting here crying.”
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He then slapped the man and went on berating him.

When he heard of the incident General Eisenhower quietly reprimanded Patton and required that he apologize to those affected. A few months later, however, Drew Pearson broke the story publicly in a radio broadcast, creating a nationwide scandal.

Patton was harshly condemned by many, but there were others who thought him perfectly justified in forcefully stopping soldiers from shirking their duty. It was easy to give Patton the benefit of the doubt, as he was one of the great combat leaders of the time. There were two sides to this incident that would give a modern ethics class plenty to debate.

On balance, I believe Patton’s behavior in this affair has to be condemned. What he did was the result of a temper tantrum on his part and was clearly not a well-thought-out disciplinary action. We’re always on dangerous ground when we react to a situation out of anger. Instead of solving the first problem, we create a new one based on our own behavior, and the new problem then takes on a life of its own. There are many biblical warnings about this kind of behavior. In Proverbs we are told, “ A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (Proverbs 29:11).

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

—James 1:26

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UNE 30

Beat VMI

Gen. Mark Clark was one of the most impressive men I have ever known. I was in his presence many times as a cadet and alumnus during his tenure as president of The Citadel. His reputation always preceded him. He had commanded all Allied forces in Italy during World War II and had been the “Liberator of Rome.” His distinguished combat record and imposing physical presence created an aura of greatness.

I once paid a courtesy call after his retirement and found him laughing over a telephone conversation that he had had that day. The Reverend Billy Graham had called to discuss the general’s funeral arrangements. General Clark was somewhat aghast at the subject since he was not contemplating that event anytime in the near future, and, when asked about his epitaph, had blurted out: “Beat VMI!” He was referring to the Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel’s archrival in sports, and was a little concerned that the great religious leader might have been offended by his inappropriate response.

General Clark himself was serious about the religious well-being of his troops and cadets. He ensured that chapel attendance was mandatory at The Citadel, and he always dutifully set the example by being in the front row with his wife, Renie, at every service. During World War II he was quoted as saying, “ I am convinced that a soldier can find strength through prayer. All my life I have found prayer stimulating and comforting, particularly during critical periods.”
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At that time he wrote an inspirational prayer for his troops:

On The Eve of Battle

On the eve of battle we ask Thee, our Heavenly Father, for strength and courage. We fight, not only for our country, but for our God as well, because we battle for continuance of Christian principles among all men. Give us the strength and the courage to fight well. Help us, in our hour of need, to follow the words of the Bible: “Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God.”
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Give us Thy guidance, Dear Lord, in the hours of crisis that lie ahead. Grant us the power to face our enemies and Thine enemies without fear. And bless, we pray Thee, our families and loved ones at home. Give them comfort and courage and grant them Thy divine protection. These things we ask in Thy name. Amen.
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Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.

—Ecclesiastes 12:1 (KJV)
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A soldier stands in a bomb-damaged Italian church. (National Archives)

B-17 bombing Marienburg, Germany. (National Archives)

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ULY

The Air War

The massive use of air power distinguished World War II from all previous conflicts. Aircraft had limited uses during World War I, and, even though many could foresee great potential for aviation, postwar developments were slow. In the United States, the economic depression of the 1930s caused limited defense budgets and small allocations to military aircraft production. Germany and Japan were among the few countries dedicated to building modern air forces. By 1939, the German Luftwaffe was able to deploy more than four thousand combat aircraft in the invasion of Poland. By contrast, at that time the United States had about two thousand mostly obsolete aircraft scattered around the world. In history’s greatest industrial mobilization this number would swell to eighty thousand by 1944. Almost two million men and women were inducted into the air forces to maintain and man this vast aerial armada.

In Europe, American military commanders made an early commitment to daylight, precision bombing of German industrial targets. This task fell to the 8
^th
Air Force under command of Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz. Under Spaatz, Brig. Gen. Ira Eaker established 8
^th
Bomber Command headquarters in England early in 1942. The workhorses of this campaign were two heavy bombers then starting to roll off production lines in the United States. The B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator were both four-engine aircraft capable of flying more than two thousand miles with bomb loads ranging from four thousand to eight thousand pounds. These aircraft required crews of ten or more each, necessitating the training of hundreds of thousands of airmen.

Fighter escorts were an integral part of the air campaign, shepherding the bombers through enemy skies to their targets. Due to the limited range of these fighters, bomber losses were horrendous early in the war. Introduction of the P-51 Mustang improved this situation, and by early 1944, fully escorted missions were flying into Germany with fewer losses.

By the end of the war, the 8
^th
Air Force suffered the loss of about forty thousand airmen killed in action. This was a rate greater than that of any other service. Many thousands more were wounded or went down in enemy territory to become prisoners of war. Some have questioned the effectiveness of the strategic bombing campaign due to the fact that German industrial production increased throughout most of the war. However, it is undeniable that almost the entire Luftwaffe had to be committed to the protection of German cities and millions of men and women devoted to the defense and reconstruction of Germany’s infrastructure. Later in the war, German units in the field lost practically all freedom of movement as the skies overhead were dominated by Allied aircraft.

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ULY 1

We Pay You

James Goodson was a nineteen-year-old American who went to England early in the war. He was sure that his country would eventually join the fight, and he wanted to get a head start. He was inauspiciously introduced to the war when his ocean liner, the

Athenia, was torpedoed and sunk off the Hebrides Islands. He arrived in England with none of his possessions.

I found a RAF recruiting station and immediately asked if any American could join. No one seemed to know at first if I could but later was told I could but would probably lose my American citizenship when I swore allegiance to the King of England. I told the recruiters that if the king needed my allegiance, he had it. The question of pay arose and I think the fellow said it was seven shillings and six pence a day (less than $2.00). I was heartbroken. I said, ‘I’ve lost everything I have. I don’t think I can afford it.’ The fellow said, ‘No, no, no. We pay you seven and six.’ I remember thinking, ‘These lovable fools. They could have had me for nothing.’ To be able to fly a Spitfire and be paid for it was just beyond my wildest dreams.
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Goodson flew with the 43
^rd
Squadron of the RAF and eventually with the American Eagle Squadron. He didn’t lose his enthusiasm for flying even as the war went on.

During my early years as a Marine officer I often had the identical thought articulated by this young pilot. I couldn’t believe that someone was paying me to do what I was doing. Jumping from airplanes and swimming from submarines, I seemed to be living an adventure that most people would pay to experience. I never seemed to lose this enthusiasm for working with other Marines on any kind of mission. After leaving the Marine Corps and working many years for a paycheck, I was blessed to find this feeling again at age fifty-three. When Jesus Christ came into my heart, all the activities in my life became focused on a new mission: living in a way to be worthy of and to advance his kingdom. Every part of my life since then has had a new excitement that transcends any other imaginable adventure.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

—Colossians 3:23–24

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ULY 2

We Won’t Do Much Talking

The strategic bombing campaign of the 8
^th

Air Force played a major part in the eventual Allied victory in Europe. The campaign grew in effectiveness after France was invaded and air superiority gained over the Luftwaffe. Thousands of American bombers swept over northern Europe, penetrating deeper and deeper into German territory.