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.
October 16
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.”
October 17
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.
October 18
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
