June 6, 2022 (Sunday)
One of the greatest things that ever happened to me was getting to know so many wonderful people who live in Rockport. Many have retired here.
I visited one day with a couple who had joined the church, and, as I was leaving their 
home, my eye caught sight of a picture on the wall by the door. It was a framed issue of Life Magazine, and a photo of the lady of the house was on the cover. She had been one of the famous female
aviators in World War II.  The photo on the right shows two such ladies in action.
Then there was Clarence Walstad, retired Lutheran minister, who was pastor in New York when World War II got started. Then he became a military chaplain, and wrote a book later about his experiences, one of which was being with soldiers as they crossed the English Channel and landed in France on D-Day. He won several of those boys to the Lord before they moved through the waters to the beach, where many died.
Today is the anniversary of that day. I was 12 years old when my stepmother, Dorothy, woke me up, saying, “Charles, today is D-Day.” That was 78 years ago — June 6, 1944.
Afterwards the fighters remained on the offensive, liberating towns and villages along the way. One of soldiers of that offensive, “Buck” Buchanan, became a member of one of the churches I pastored, and he told me that what he remembered most was the ringing of church bells in town after town as they progressed across Europe, giving people freedom.
A dear fellow preacher, Ben Loring, Sr., fought in Italy and came home with an affliction much like Tourette Syndrome with which he lived for the rest of his life.
D-Day was a pivotal event, there’s no denying that, but Allied warriors had been in the fight in many places before that day, as a veteran of North African battles forcefully reminded me. And, of course, the Pacific war had already been raging for 2 1/2 years, and an uncle of mine was there.
One of the saddest facts of history is that after two world-wide wars, with much destruction, loss, suffering, death and lifelong injuries, we have had more wars bringing the same kind of death, suffering and loss. Victory comes at an awful price. Let us pray for peace in our world today.
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(The D-Day photo above is from “Saving Private Ryan,” and was re-enacted from an actual photograph)click here to view the actual photo.
