Stories of Faith and Courage From World War II (57 page)

Soldiers help each other off the beach. (National Archives)

Medics give aid to the wounded. (National Archives)

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CTOBER 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.
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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.”
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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.
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The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

—Proverbs 15:33

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CTOBER 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.”
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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 in 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!
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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 L
ORD
comes escape from death.

—Psalms 68:19, 20

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CTOBER 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:

We are pleased to have with us this evening your son, Albert, along with three of his comrades. We would like to compliment you on the pleasant manner in which he speaks French, in a manner which is correct, well-bred, and educated. Not knowing you, we hope that you will receive good news from all your children that might be in harm’s way and that all return in good health. This evening this French family is experiencing a very good time and sincerely holds you in our thoughts… May God protect you always.
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The hospitality shown these young Americans was warm and genuine. After years of Nazi occupation, the French people were grateful to their allies for their liberation. These bonds of affection have continued to the present day, despite occasional political disputes on the national level. On a personal level, most French men and women have a soft spot for any American who shows a willingness to try to speak their language. Such an effort is always pleasing to God, as he blesses any attempt to reach out to others while trying to understand their point of view.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

—Galatians 6:2

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CTOBER 21

The Nun

Lt. Jim Penton’s tank destroyer unit moved into Vire at dusk. His men dug in among the ruins of the French village as German artillery fire continued to fall all through the night. As the sun came up they surveyed the damage done to their vehicles and equipment. They also noticed a convent to the rear of their position when the amazing sound of morning bells chimed, joining the wail of the German 88s. They then saw an even more amazing sight. A solitary nun began moving through the village feeding and watering the livestock, milking the cows, and collecting eggs. She worked serenely through the morning even while the German artillery kept the soldiers huddled in their foxholes. Lieutenant Penton described his reaction:

I know that our most argumentative and skeptical atheist was duly fascinated and impressed by that display of the power and force of that Sister’s faith and complete fearlessness… It was not the sudden, stimulated and short-lived courage which drives a man to risk hot lead on a daring dash to aid a buddy, to me, it was far more than that… It was the picture of a mellowed and complete faith it was serenity of mind and soul amidst man’s savagery of arm and spirit.
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Not all of us will ever feel that adrenaline surge that bolsters courage in the heat of the moment. Far more often, we would do well to follow the example of this nun and go about our daily tasks resolved to meet our own responsibilities, whatever they may be. It may be tiresome, ordinary, and unglamorous. It may be a quietly precarious position. But we must continue to perform our tasks with the conviction that God will take care of us as he sees fit. (JG)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

—Colossians 3:23

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CTOBER 22

The Little Pocket Bible

Before going ashore on Utah Beach, someone handed Louie Havard a pocket Bible that he carefully placed in the left breast pocket of his uniform jacket. He didn’t think too much about it after that due to the heavy fighting on D-Day and afterward. His unit, Company L of the 4
^th
Division, remained in almost constant contact with the enemy as it fought inland.

A few days later Havard was seriously wounded near Cherbourg. He was struck in the chest by shrapnel, which would have entered his heart, except for the presence of the little pocket Bible in his chest pocket. The book deflected the metal fragment just enough to miss his heart and go into his left arm. He was evacuated to a field hospital where he underwent the first of many operations. After his first surgery, the doctor presented him the Bible that was in his pocket and told him that it had saved his life. Years later, Havard’s daughter observed that she and two succeeding generations also owed their lives to that Bible.
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We are amazed at the story of one small Bible deflecting a piece of shrapnel and extending a man’s life. His family joyfully accepted this event as a miracle and a blessing to themselves and untold descendents to come. Even more amazing is the knowledge that every Bible contains all that is necessary to save human souls, and that millions have been blessed by the power of this great book. Every human being is able to claim this greater miracle through the life-changing message revealed in its pages. Through Jesus Christ we are offered the unearned gift of a relationship with our Father in heaven during this life and throughout eternity.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

—2 Timothy 3:16–17

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CTOBER 23

No Distant Unknown

Pvt. 1st Class Albert Kishler fought with the 9
^th
Army in Europe. In December 1944 he wrote to a friend to describe his thoughts during combat. Like many others who faced constant fear he felt God’s presence. Sunday—God’s Day. The man who said that there are no atheists in foxholes had hit the nail on the head. When the sun goes down and darkness steals in, life to the infantrymen becomes nothing more than a gust of wind. The nights are long, fifteen hours and cold and you are invariably dug in the middle of a sugar beet field—Germany is all beet fields, orchards, and towns. To get back to the foxhole, there you are—a grenade in one hand, more handy, and your other hand fingering your BAR [Browning Automatic Rifle]—it’s you and good old Mother Earth and God. And when the time comes that you leave that hole and charge across several hundred yards of enemy territory with machine guns burning, 88’s and mortars thinning your numbers, God is never forgotten. To us, death is no distant unknown…
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When we live in relative prosperity and good health, death can be a remote possibility—in fact, it can be a distant unknown. Unfortunately, as we go about the routine of our lives, God himself can become a distant unknown. Albert Kishler’s story reminds us how this can change in a life-and-death situation. With such a reminder, we know we should not wait for a crisis to think seriously about our relationship to God. The goal of our Christian walk should be to grow constantly closer to him through daily prayer, study, and worship. God wants us to share our hopes and to give our fears to him, whether great or small. As our relationship with him grows and deepens, his presence will be an immediate comfort to us on a daily basis and in the crises that we must inevitably face.