Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

to keep him from falling off his perch. The troops crowded round in their life belts and steel helmets, seeking comfort in the chaplain’s words and familiar passages of Scripture. In the words of the old hymn, “Abide with Me,” they found special reassurance of God’s presence on a dark night:⁴¹⁴

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens: Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.⁴¹⁵

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

—Psalms 91:1 2 (KJV)

October 5 The Soldier’s Load

The British steamer Princess Maude arrived at her designated spot off Omaha Beach at midnight. The American troops aboard were supposed to be sleeping, but few were able. Many went topside to gaze at the thousands of other vessels in the invasion armada, while others congregated in small groups to talk and pass the time. At 2:00 a.m. the mess decks were opened for breakfast. Finally it was time to get ready. Chuck Hurlbut, a combat engineer, described what happened next:

Then you put your stuff on. We all had new olive-drabs. I think we had long johns. We had a field jacket. And then they gave us these impregnated coveralls. They were so stiff and unwieldy they could almost stand up by themselves. They had been specially treated with some solution that would withstand gas. You put those on. And on top of that, you had your belt, your gas mask, a bandolier of bullets. And your cartridge belt had a bayonet, a canteen, a first aid packet, and more bullets. Your helmet. I made sure the chinstrap was down. And your rifle. And your backpack, which had your mess kit, your shovel, and your incidentals. There’s 50 or 60 pounds of stuff.⁴¹⁶

Fifty to sixty pounds is probably a conservative estimate of the weight on these soldiers. Rations, grenades, and engineer equipment are not even mentioned. They had a lot to prepare for to carry out their mission in the invasion. In reading this passage, you might recall that the apostle Paul also urged us to, “Put on the full armor of God,” so that we can perform our mission in his service. Most of this armor is defensive in nature, except for one item: the sword of the spirit. God’s Word is our offensive weapon guaranteeing victory over every evil power threatening us.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

—Ephesians 6:14–17

October 6 Soldiers of Our Savior

The paratroopers knew the time had come when they were given live ammunition. The days had been long in the crowded airfield hangars with endless briefings, calisthenics, chow lines, and waiting. There had already been one twenty-four-hour postponement and everyone’s nerves were on edge. Pvt. 1^st Class Leslie Cruise realized the long wait was almost over. To his load of k-rations, canteens, first-aid pack, extra clothing, M-1 rifle, and bayonet, he added a belt full of 30-caliber ammunition and two extra bandoliers, plus fragmentation and smoke grenades, and a 9-inch anti-tank mine.

^{(Eisenhower Presidential Library)}

As he checked his gear he patted his left breast pocket where he kept his most important item: a small New Testament that his mother had given him. Thinking of his Bible, he said a quiet prayer to himself: “God help me to commit myself to the task ahead and help me to be a good soldier, and save me from harm.”⁴¹⁷ He knew that he and his fellow soldiers would need the power of God in the night and days ahead.

Early in the evening of June 5 Cruise attended to one final preparation before donning his equipment. He gathered with others for a chapel service led by his chaplain, Capt. George “Chappie” Wood. During the service the chaplain said a prayer for the paratroopers that Leslie never forgot:

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father: Who art above us and beneath us, within and around us, drive from the minds of our paratroopers any fear of the space in which thou art ever present. Give them the confidence in the strength of thine everlasting arms, endue with clear minds and pure hearts that they may participate in the victory which this nation must achieve in thy name and through thy will. Make them hardy soldiers of our country as well as thy son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.⁴¹⁸

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.

—Ephesians 6:19