I Will Pay It Gladly
LaVerne Saunders was an airman and hero of World War II, earning the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. He commanded a bomber group during the Solomon Islands campaign in the Pacific. In one of his famous exploits he was a passenger in a B-17 when the pilot and copilot were seriously wounded by a Japanese fighter attack. Saunders coolly took the controls, ditched the aircraft near an island, and got the crew to safety.
On Christmas Day 1942 he became one of the Army’s youngest brigadier generals and took over 7th Bomber Command. Later, he was a key figure bringing the new B-29 bomber into operational service. With 20th Bomber Command he took a B-29 wing to India and China in 1944 and led the first long-range strikes against mainland Japan. In that year he also wrote a moving prayer as an inspiration for military men and women serving around the world:
Help Me to Do My Duty
O God, most merciful and just, look upon this suppliant soldier and help me to do my duty in all things for love of Thee. Make me strong in conflict, brave in adversity, and patient in suffering. Make me vigilant to defend my country against her enemies and proud to carry her cause fearlessly into battle. I do not ask to be preserved free from all bodily harm, and if death is the price I must pay for my country’s freedom, I will pay it gladly, trusting in Thy infinite mercy that Thou wilt make a place for me in heaven, there to know peace and happiness for all eternity. Bless and protect my loved ones at home, and grant that my sacrifices on the field of battle may make me worthy of their trust and confidence, through Christ our Lord. Amen.281
It is uplifting to see another great military leader of World War II humbly share his faith and help others turn to God for strength to endure whatever hardships lay before them.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart.
—Psalm 51:15–17