A deep emotion overcame him as the tears flowed down his face. On his knees, he looked up and cried out, “God, thank You so much.”370 The words of another verse also seemed to propel him further in this new direction: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation”(2 Corinthians 5:17). At that moment he knew that Jesus was in his heart, and he knew that he wanted to be baptized. Not long after, he received permission to go to a local church where the pastor asked him the all-important question, “Saburo, do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is your personal Savior?” The convicted assassin responded passionately: “I do.”371
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
September 12
The Medal of Honor citation for Fred Faulkner Lester reads in part:
Quick to spot a wounded Marine lying in an open field beyond the front lines… Lester unhesitatingly crawled toward the casualty under a concentrated barrage from hostile machine guns, rifles, and grenades. Torn by enemy rifle bullets as he inched forward, he stoically disregarded the mounting fury of Japanese fire and his own pain to pull the wounded man toward a covered position.372
Fred Lester was one of a special breed of heroes, dear to all Marines: the Navy corpsman. These men served with Marine units in every campaign of World War II, providing life-saving first aid in and beyond the front lines. They became integral parts of the units they served, sharing every hardship and danger. One officer spoke for all Marines with this comment:
I never saw a Corpsman refuse to go to a Marine’s aid, no matter how exposed the position, even if the wound was assumed to be fatal. No Marine could write about the war without praising the Navy Corpsmen. These men, who had joined the Navy expecting at least warm chow and a good bed, got stuck with dirt, mud, blood, and Marines. They became, however, one of us, much admired for their unceasing courage in coming to our aid. Their casualty rate was just as great as ours.373
The Navy Hospital Corps has a long tradition of medical service going back to the beginning of the Navy. Many doctors and corpsmen have served valiantly on ships and in combat area field hospitals. To Marine “grunts” of the past and present, however, medical attention when it counts comes from the “doc,” who always responds to the call, “Corpsman up!” May God continue to bless those who so bravely and selflessly serve their fellow men.
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
September 13
Carlos Quintana’s wounds left him speechless for six years. During the battle for Saipan a mortar fragment pierced his mouth, severed a major artery, and damaged the nerves controlling his tongue. He was hospitalized for the remainder of the war, eventually ending up in San Diego. Unable to eat or talk, his weight dropped to eighty- nine pounds, and he had to be fed intravenously. In spite of his suffering he maintained a positive attitude thanks to his strong belief in God. Using linguistic exercises he made slow progress in regaining movement of his tongue, and, after six years, recovered to a somewhat normal condition.
Carlos also recovered in his personal life. He married, had three children, and began working with young people. He helped found a youth center called Barrio Station, designed to keep kids off the streets of San Diego. He was driven to do something significant in service to others because he felt God had given him a new life after he had come so close to death. He knew that his calling was to help children: “The most important thing for all of us is our duty to educate, guide, and support our children because they represent the future of our country and the security of our freedom.” Besides, he said, “We’re all children of God.”374
I was once standing at a playground with a friend, looking on as our children played together. He turned to me and said, “I’ll bet God enjoys watching us have a good time, as much as we enjoy seeing our children play.” This was one of my most lasting insights into the loving nature of our heavenly Father. We are truly his children.
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
September 14
Navy chaplains were at the scene of every Pacific island campaign. They didn’t carry weapons, but in every other way were part of the Marine units they served. Their job was, of course, the most difficult of all: looking after the souls of young Marines. One chaplain described his routine: “In combat our main action was to go from place to place, unit to unit, and start out early in the morning and go till dark, just visiting one unit after the other and many times just have a very brief service. We had some very small hymn books… and some Testaments I could carry in my map case, and we would just gather a few men together in a bomb crater or defilade…”375
Another chaplain used a special type of ministration:
He had a canvas gas-mask carrier slung over each shoulder. In one carrier he had Scotch whiskey, in the other fried chicken. As he knelt by each young, frightened, wounded Marine, he was invariably asked, “Am I going to be OK?” “Sure you are!” was the cheerful answer. “While you are waiting to be evacuated, would you rather have a drumstick or a wing?” The young Marine would be so surprised he would forget about himself. Then, when the chaplain asked if he wanted to wash it down with a swig of Scotch, he couldn’t believe he was hearing correctly amidst all of the confusion, noise, and death all around him.376
Watching this chaplain in action, one doctor said, “That man probably saved more young lives from dying of shock than will ever be known.”377 These Navy chaplains worked on many levels, both spiritual and physical, as they tried to do God’s work under the most difficult conditions imaginable. These examples show how
