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.262
Goodson flew with the 43rd 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.
July 2
The strategic bombing campaign of the 8th 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.
The beginning of this great buildup was slow and painful. In January 1942 Brig. Gen. Ira Eaker arrived in England to evaluate British bomber operations and to organize the American 8th Bomber Command. In May a small contingent of personnel arrived to set up command headquarters as the actual aircraft were slowly being ferried across the Atlantic. During this time the British continued to fight and bleed almost alone, as no American bombers had yet gone into action against the enemy. In June General Eaker spoke to a group of British dignitaries at High Wycombe, the site of his new headquarters. His words were brief: “We won’t do much talking until we’ve done more fighting. We hope that when we leave you’ll be glad we came.”263
This American officer’s remarks were simple and appropriate. They were appreciated by his audience and received wide publicity at that time. His humility brought great credit to himself and to his nation. We find numerous biblical reminders of the importance of being careful in our speech:
“He who holds his tongue is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
“The heart of the righteous weighs its answers” (Proverbs 15:28).
“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint” (Proverbs 17:27).
“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent” (Proverbs 17:28).
“Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20).
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
July 3
Willard Richards was a B-17 waist-gunner on many missions over Europe. He had been in love with airplanes since he was a boy and had a clear recollection from age eleven of his first flight:
Taxiing for takeoff was really bumpy, but as we lifted off the ground it became unbelievably smooth. There I was, getting a view of my whole world from a new angle. The big shale pile by the abandoned coal mine, the outline of an old racetrack, the ponds where we skated and fished all came into view. There was the local cemetery and the steel mill where Father worked. The sandstone quarry and the new hospital on the edge of town all looked like blocks on a Monopoly board. My grandfather’s farm looked like a postage stamp and our house on the edge of the farm was so small. We descended over the high-tension wires and came in for a really rough landing. The whole flight took about ten minutes, but it changed my outlook on life.264
It is amazing to consider an experience that gives you an entirely new perspective. The birth of our first child was this kind of event, suddenly creating whole new priorities for my wife and myself. There is no change more dramatic, however, than our spiritual awakening. Jesus Christ came into my heart at the end of a long process. But in that one moment of acceptance, my life changed suddenly and completely. I saw other people with new eyes that held no judgment. The Bible came to life as a meaningful source of truth. My church changed from a building into the living body of Christ. It was truly life-changing to experience the perfection of God’s love as revealed by his Son. There is no greater change in perspective than the one that comes with a new heart.
This we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
July 4
Enemy fighters came in waves as copilot Vince Mazza wrestled with the controls of his B-24 bomber. The
