Gen. Terry Allen had remarkable success leading two different divisions during World War II. British Field Marshal Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander called him the “finest divisional commander he had seen in two wars.”149 When asked about the qualities of leadership that won such devotion from his troops, one of his officers replied: “It’s just because he’s so… honest.”150 He was honest about his affection for his men and his desire to keep casualties at a minimum. He knew that the combat infantrymen represented 20 percent of U.S. forces overseas, but suffered 70 percent of the casualties. He was a fierce combat leader, but was ever conscious of his responsibility to the men under him.
Terry Allen was also devoutly religious and prayed strenuously for his troops before every battle. He contributed the following prayer to the
O Jesus, Prince of soldiers, through many terrible days thou hast protected me. For this I thank thee with all my heart but, all the while, I am thinking of the soldiers who fought valiantly with me and fell bravely at my side. Give them rest and peace and the rewards thou hast reserved for the brave. Comfort their loved ones by the sweetness of thy Grace.
But there are other battles ahead and I feel more than ever the need of being close to thee. However rigorous the task that awaits me, may I fulfill my duty faithfully. Give me strength to lead and inspire my soldiers with daring and courage.
May our tears and sweat and blood, in this struggle, be acceptable in thine eyes unto the remission of our sins, for the glory of thy Name and for the preservation of our beloved Country. Amen.151
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
April 24
There are moments when time slows down. Capt. Robert Crisp of the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment led his squadron of tanks into action near Tobruk in November 1941. The order to advance came at exactly 1:00 p.m., sending his unit into an attack against a German formation about one thousand yards away. After penetrating the enemy position, Crisp had to halt his tank on the edge of a steep embankment where he continued firing.
Suddenly he was showered with water and realized that the water cans stored on the back of his turret had been hit. Looking back he saw a German anti-tank gun only fifty yards away loading for another shot. He could only stare in amazement as the gun ejected a puff of smoke, and he felt his tank shudder from the hit. He looked down in his turret to see a gaping hole and a wounded gunner. With only seconds before the anti-tank gun could reload, he frantically ordered his driver over the precipice. The tank dropped out of the line of fire and continued down a dry wadi until eventually emerging at a point away from the battle. Crisp recalled later:
We followed the wadi southwards as it grew shallower, eventually disgorging us unobtrusively on to the plateau over which we had charged so bravely… when? An hour ago? Today? Yesterday? And how many lives ago? My wrist watch was staring me in the face as we paused on the rim of the depression. The hands pointed to 17 minutes past one. 17 minutes.152
I have seen men age years after being under fire for minutes. Time is relative from our human perspective, passing faster or slower in different situations. But what about God’s perspective? We know that God created time itself and is not constrained by it. He lives outside it. The old hymn says it well: “A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an evening gone.”153 If we can keep God’s perspective in mind, the significance of our time on Earth will shrink in comparison with our eternal future.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
April 25
From his new vantage point Captain Crisp looked over a scene of destruction not more than five hundred yards distant. Columns of smoke billowed up from four of his disabled tanks. Three others were immobile and abandoned. A line of German anti-tank guns and their crews lined the drop-off that he had just gone over. Men were running about among the vehicles. He saw groups of his own men herded together by gesticulating Germans. It all made him sick at heart:
Was there nothing I could do? My mind moved round the prospect of a sudden charge into that line of anti- tank guns, over-running them before they could get their sights on me. If I had had a gunner to fire the Browning, perhaps I might have. As it was I was grateful for the opportunity of rejecting it as impossible, and so prolonging my life and those of my crew. But who knows? It might have come off.154
I will always remember one notable occasion when I had to make a somewhat similar decision in the heat of combat. Could I take the hill or not? I decided not, undoubtedly saving many lives, not to mention my own. Through the years I have wrestled with my conscience over that decision. I have to admit that I was also grateful for the opportunity of rejecting an action that seemed impossible. I strongly identify with the doubts of this British officer in another war. Since becoming a Christian I have come to believe strongly that God protected me on that day and during many dangerous times when I was not a Christian. This is an essential element of my faith. My spiritual life is motivated by gratitude for his faithfulness in blessing me even while I was blind to him.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
April 26
Throughout the war General Eisenhower would be challenged to select and direct the men best suited for command. Having to contend with disparate personalities like Patton, Bradley, Fredenhall, Clark, and Montgomery, his abilities were tested repeatedly. This was especially true in the early stages of the North African campaign when many of these subordinates were unknown quantities. Eisenhower gradually developed his own approach to
