Forgiving Our Enemies Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima -- and Calvary

[snopes]

Sixty-five years ago today, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor -- an action that dramatically altered the course of history. Jacob DeShazer was on KP duty in California when he first heard the news. Furious at what the Japanese had done, he resolved to retaliate personally. And in April 1942, he got his chance -- as a B-25 bombardier when Doolittle's Raiders attacked Tokyo.

During that fateful run, DeShazer's plane ran out of fuel, and the crew bailed out over enemy territory. DeShazer was captured and spent the next forty months as a POW -- including thirty-four months in solitary confinement. Three of his buddies were executed, and another died of slow starvation.

With plenty of time to think, Jake wondered: What makes people hate each other? And he also wondered: Doesn't the Bible say something about loving our enemies?

He asked his jailers for a Bible and eventually got one. He read it with fascination, re-reading some parts six or more times. Then, ten days into his study, he asked Christ to forgive his sins. He remembers, "suddenly ... when I looked at the enemy officers and guards ... , I realized that ... if Christ is not in a heart, it is natural to be cruel. ... [M]y bitter hatred ... changed to loving pity." Remembering Christ's words from the cross -- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" -- he asked God to forgive those who tortured him, as well.

Fourteen months later, in August 1945, paratroopers liberated DeShazer from his prison cell. After the war, a chaplain on General MacArthur's staff wanted something to help heal the animosity between the United States and Japan. He approached Don Falkenberg of Bible Literature International, who had read DeShazer's testimony shortly after his release. And soon the story was being circulated as a booklet called, "I Was a Prisoner of Japan."

But here's where the story gets interesting. Japanese Navy pilot Mitsuo Fuchida was Chief Commander of the historic December 7 raid on Pearl Harbor. He had advised against attacking the American base, but when given orders to proceed, Fuchida led the assault.

Eventually Fuchida logged more than ten thousand combat hours. But his closest brush with death was on the ground in Japan. He was in Hiroshima the day before the atom bomb was dropped. His life was spared because orders had come to go to Tokyo.

When the war ended, Captain Fuchida returned to his family farm near Osaka. Later, stepping off a train in Tokyo, he was given a copy of Jacob DeShazer's booklet. Intrigued, he began reading the Bible. And despite his Shinto heritage, he accepted Christ as his Savior.

How marvelous are God's ways? An American airman is taken prisoner, is converted, and his testimony leads his captors' ace pilot to Christ. Over a thirty-year span, Captain Fuchida and Sergeant DeShazer traveled together throughout Japan. Together and separately, they saw tens of thousands of Japanese converted.

Learning to love our enemies is so important, something every Christian must strive for. But when we're fighting deadly enemies, as our nation is today at war, doing so is a miracle -- a miracle of restoration and healing that can come only through faith in Christ.

[inkrose115]

What I've learned from history is than humanity sucks. I can't think of a single country that hasn't screwed another ethnicity over. Can anyone else?

[Wolf333]

Originally Posted by snopes

How marvelous are God's ways? An American airman is taken prisoner, is converted, and his testimony leads his captors' ace pilot to Christ. Over a thirty-year span, Captain Fuchida and Sergeant DeShazer traveled together throughout Japan. Together and separately, they saw tens of thousands of Japanese converted.

Do I need to add that it would have been much, much more marvelous if millions of people didn't have to die just so a few thousand could be "converted."

[inkrose115]

Originally Posted by Wolf333

Do I need to add that it would have been much, much more marvelous if millions of people didn't have to die just so a few thousand could be "converted."

Oh, like the glurger wanna-bes would listen to you anyway. Logic has bno place here. Nothing to see people, move along.

[Amigone201]

I have long ago forgiven the Japanese for Pearl Harbor. I have not, nor will I ever, forgive Ben Affleck for Pearl Harbor.

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by Amigone201

I have long ago forgiven the Japanese for Pearl Harbor. I have not, nor will I ever, forgive Ben Affleck for Pearl Harbor.

Agreed, though you really should add Bruckheimer and Bay to the list.

[Amigone201]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Agreed, though you really should add Bruckheimer and Bay to the list.

Sounds like a good idea.

[songs78]

Originally Posted by Wolf333

Do I need to add that it would have been much, much more marvelous if millions of people didn't have to die just so a few thousand could be "converted."

The irony is that millions of Koreans converted to Christianity. Japan is probably a bad example of success at proselytizing.

[queen of the caramels]

For some reason I keep reading the title as Calgary.....

Originally Posted by inkrose115

What I've learned from history is than humanity sucks. I can't think of a single country that hasn't screwed another ethnicity over. Can anyone else?

I'm reminded of a parable from the Book of Family Guy...

Brian Griffin: Yeah, uh, about your pamphlet... uh, I-I'm not seeing anything about German history between 1939 and 1945. There's just a big gap.
Tour guide: Everyone was on vacation! On your left is Munich's first city hall, erected in 15...
Brian Griffin: Wait, wait, wait, w-what are you talking about? Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and...
Tour Guide: We were invited! Punch was served! Check with Poland!
Brian Griffin: Wait, you can't just ignore those years. Thomas Mann fled to America because of Nazism's stranglehold on Germany.
Tour Guide: Nope, nope. He left to manage a Dairy Queen.
Brian Griffin: A Dairy Queen? That's preposterous.
Tour Guide: I will hear no more insinuations about the German people! Nothing bad happened! Sie werden sich hinsetzen! Sie werden ruhig sein! Sie werden nicht beleidigen Deutschland!

[Vanilla Gorilla]

I miss you more then Michael Bay missed the mark
When he made Pearl Harbor
I miss you more than that movie missed the point
And that’s an awful lot girl
And now, now you’ve gone away
And all I’m trying to say is
Pearl Harbor sucked, and I miss you

I need u like Ben Affleck needs acting school
He was terrible in that film
I need u like Cuba Gooding needed a bigger part
He’s way better than Ben Affleck
And now all I can think about is your smile
and that shitty movie too
Pearl Harbor sucked and I miss you

Why does Michael Bay get to keep on making movies?
I guess Pearl Harbor sucked
Just a little bit more than I miss you

[Troberg]

Eventually Fuchida logged more than ten thousand combat hours.

I really doubt that. My father managed to rack up 20 000 flight hours during his entire career, including some pre-career hobby flying, and that's considered a lot. I doubt even pilots on the German-Soviet front got that 10 000 hours, and they flew more than any other pilots, often three or more missions a day. The air war in the pacific was very different and did not have that persistent intensity.

That said, I don't want to diminish in any way the achievements of Fuchida, I just want to point out that the number is probably incorrect.

[ARubberChickenWithAPulley]

Originally Posted by Troberg

I really doubt that. My father managed to rack up 20 000 flight hours during his entire career, including some pre-career hobby flying, and that's considered a lot. I doubt even pilots on the German-Soviet front got that 10 000 hours, and they flew more than any other pilots, often three or more missions a day. The air war in the pacific was very different and did not have that persistent intensity.

That said, I don't want to diminish in any way the achievements of Fuchida, I just want to point out that the number is probably incorrect.

Valid point. Although Fuchida flew combat missions in China for several years prior to the war with the U.S. it still would have been virtually impossible for him to reach 10,000 combat hours. It seems more likely that Fuchida had 10,000 flight hours in his career, if the number is accurate for anything. According to wikipedia (so take it for what it's worth), Fuchida had racked up 3,000 flight hours by 1939, [i]some[i] of which were combat missions in China. However, he broke both his ankles at the Battle of Midway in June of 1942, and ended up spending the rest of the war as a Staff Officer. If he only had 3,000 total flight hours in 1939, and only flew combat missions for the first 7 months of the war with the U.S., he couldn't have come anywhere near 10,000 combat hours.

[Quantum Leap2]

To err is human, to forgive divine. However this is not the policy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

[Cowboy Joe]

I guess I miss the point here. Is the glurger trying to convince us to forgive the Iraqis? Would it be out of line for me to ask for what are we forgiving them? In my view, the only people who need to be forgiven here are the U.S.

It's really a shame he couldn't get back to the Military before they decided to irradiate the hell out of millions of civilians to preach his message of forgiveness.