Time to Think
The second day on Peleliu was another day of intense combat. It started abruptly for the Marines of Bruce Watkins’ battalion with an incoming barrage of heavy-caliber fire on their hilltop position. Large chunks of rock and shrapnel were flying everywhere and casualties were mounting. Watkins realized he couldn’t keep his men in such an exposed position and ordered them back down the hill. He was the last to leave and experienced his most frightening moment of the war when an arm-sized shell fragment whizzed by his head, cutting his helmet strap.
On flat ground below the ridge, Watkins spent the rest of the day dodging sniper fire as he went about the task of reorganizing his men and preparing a new defensive line tied in with the rest of the battalion. Just before nightfall several amphibious tractors brought the first delivery of food. Spam sandwiches and grapefruit juice were the special for the day. As darkness and rain settled in, the Marines experienced their first lull in the action. Watkins recalled:
This night was relatively quiet and I had more time to think about myself. We were wet, filthy, and our lips were burnt. I had a fungus infection in my crotch and a smashed finger from the night before. I guess it was the first time I had really noticed. I have often thought officers and NCOs with their constant responsibility had an advantage in that there was little time to think about themselves. The private(s), on the other hand, often had time to reflect and wonder what crazy order they would be given next, fearing the worst.358
Responsibility is sometimes a burden, but seen from this perspective, is always a blessing. Self-absorption is probably the closest we come to hell on Earth, and when we are responsible for someone or something else, our focus is outside ourselves. Fortunately, we don’t have to be commissioned officers to have this change of outlook. Every foot soldier in God’s kingdom has opportunities to tend to the needs of others, serving them at home, in church, and in the workplace.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
—Philippians 2:34