He is most famous, however, for his short story, “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” which appeared in the
God of the free, we pledge our hearts and lives today to the cause of all free mankind. Grant us victory over the tyrants who would enslave all free men and nations. Grant us faith and understanding to cherish all those who fight for freedom as if they were our brothers. Grant us brotherhood in hope and union, not only for the space of this bitter war, but for the days to come which shall and must unite all the children of earth… We are all children of earth—grant us that simple knowledge. If our brothers are oppressed, then we are oppressed. If they hunger, we hunger. If their freedom is taken away, our freedom is not secure. Grant us a common faith that man shall know bread and peace—that he shall know justice and righteousness, freedom and security, an equal opportunity and an equal chance to do his best, not only in our own lands, but throughout the world. And in that faith let us march, toward the clean world our hands can make. Amen.127
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
April 8
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s rise to major command can legitimately be described as meteoric. In 1940 “Ike” was a lieutenant colonel and had never commanded any sized unit in combat. By 1942, after four promotions, he was a lieutenant general in command of Operation Torch and all forces landing in North Africa. Even though most Army officers knew of his organizational talents, some considered his success extremely fortunate and some even thought it providential. George Patton privately claimed Eisenhower’s initials stood for “Divine Destiny.”
On November 5, 1942, Eisenhower arrived in British-held Gibraltar to establish his headquarters for Operation Torch. As one historian noted, the British began to take his measure:
He was a true believer in Allied righteousness: “If (the Axis) should win we would really learn something about slavery, forced labor, and loss of individual freedom.” He took pride in being apolitical, as required of American Army officers, and he impressed others—as one British admiral later noted—as “completely sincere, straightforward, and very modest.” There was that incandescent grin, of course, said to be “worth an army corps in any campaign.” Both his face and his hands moved perpetually, and he exuded a magnetic amiability that made most men want to please him. Perhaps that was because, as one admirer asserted, they intuited he was “good and right in the moral sense,” or perhaps it was because, as a British air marshal concluded, “Ike has the qualities of a little boy which make you love him.”128
General Eisenhower was a complicated and uniquely gifted man. His open and sincere nature disguised a keen intellect, a broad range of knowledge, and an amazing capacity for hard work. I believe, however, that one of the greatest keys to his success was his essential “goodness” as a human being, which others sensed in his presence. This quality ensured the loyalty of many strong personalities under his command in spite of many contentious disagreements over strategy.
So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.
April 9
The Operation Torch landings were the first large-scale amphibious operations conducted at night. The confusion and resulting disarray were beyond anyone’s expectations. Gen. George Patton went ashore at Red Beach 1, near Fedala, to a scene of complete chaos. Instead of a four-mile beachhead, troops and equipment were scattered over forty miles of Moroccan coastline. Only five of seventy tanks had reached shore. To direct naval gunfire, nine fire control parties had landed, but only two were able to communicate with the ships providing support. Local civilians were out on the beaches pilfering supplies and discarded equipment.
Patton had once described combat as “an orgy of disorder.”129 What he found in his first actual exposure fully confirmed this view. Once ashore he had little information on what was happening anywhere other than on his own beach. He said, “My theory is that an army commander does what is necessary to accomplish his mission and that nearly 80 percent of his mission is to arouse morale in his men.”130 He did motivate those around him as he worked through the confusion to gain control of his units and to coordinate the advance.
George Patton had many great qualities as a military leader. Demonstrated here is the ability to live with ambiguity, or “the fog of war,” as it is called, and to function in spite of it. This is the norm in combat. In our daily lives we also experience confusing situations where the way ahead is not clear. Our best strategy is to constantly strive to deepen our relationship with the One who cares most for us. As we become more intimate with God, we will be better able to discern the difference between our own thoughts and his voice. When we understand and act on his will, the ambiguity in our lives will disappear.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
April 10
On the second day of the Allied landings in North Africa, the British flagship HMS
