On This Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a special opportunity to honor our veterans and say “thank you” for the sacrifices they have made protecting our countries and defending freedom around the world.
Fighting enemies on the ground and in the air, our men and women of the military have faced life and death in situations more intense than most of us can imagine. They have done so courageously and for the high cause of defending freedom.
Remembrance Day is a special opportunity to honor our veterans and say “thank you” for the sacrifices they have made protecting our countries and defending freedom around the world.
Fighting enemies on the ground and in the air, our men and women of the military have faced life and death in situations more intense than most of us can imagine. They have done so courageously and for the high cause of defending freedom.
An amazing story from World War II
Elmer Bendiner was a World War Two B-17 navigator. In his book, The Fall of Fortresses, he tells the story of one mission in which his plane suffered a direct hit to the fuel tanks. Surprisingly, there was no explosion. Hear him tell a tale of God’s protection and His use of unlikely comrades in the midst of a war against the brutality of Hitler’s Anti-Semitic Nazi regime:
Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi anti-aircraft guns. That was typical, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was more complicated.”
On the morning following the raid, Bohn asked our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that, in addition to that shell, another 11 were found in the gas tanks. Eleven unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, this awesome event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.
He was told that the shells were sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They couldn’t say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. ”Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper with a scrawled message in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It was amazing! Translated, the note read: “This is all we can do for you now. Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea.”
“This is all we can do for you now.” As Allied forces fought to free Europe and the Jewish People from the grip of a Nazi rule, Jewish people forced to work in munitions factories fought for the Allies in the only way they could. What a big help it was!
On this Remembrance Day we at Jewish Voice Ministries honor the soldiers for their brave service, and their families for the sacrifices they joined in making for the cause of freedom. Many have made the supreme sacrifice and we wish to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude.
[Source: The Fall of Fortresses, by Elmer Bendiner]
Elmer Bendiner was a World War Two B-17 navigator. In his book, The Fall of Fortresses, he tells the story of one mission in which his plane suffered a direct hit to the fuel tanks. Surprisingly, there was no explosion. Hear him tell a tale of God’s protection and His use of unlikely comrades in the midst of a war against the brutality of Hitler’s Anti-Semitic Nazi regime:
Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi anti-aircraft guns. That was typical, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was more complicated.”
On the morning following the raid, Bohn asked our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that, in addition to that shell, another 11 were found in the gas tanks. Eleven unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, this awesome event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.
He was told that the shells were sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They couldn’t say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. ”Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper with a scrawled message in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It was amazing! Translated, the note read: “This is all we can do for you now. Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea.”
“This is all we can do for you now.” As Allied forces fought to free Europe and the Jewish People from the grip of a Nazi rule, Jewish people forced to work in munitions factories fought for the Allies in the only way they could. What a big help it was!
On this Remembrance Day we at Jewish Voice Ministries honor the soldiers for their brave service, and their families for the sacrifices they joined in making for the cause of freedom. Many have made the supreme sacrifice and we wish to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude.
[Source: The Fall of Fortresses, by Elmer Bendiner]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for commenting. Your comments are needed for helping to improve the discussion.