Rejoining Our Group

It took us three hours to catch up with the group again. We had marched hard and were tired.

During one of our breaks the German colonel said to the thirteen of us, "I want to tell you men that I appreciate the way you cared for your comrades."

I told the interpreter to reply to the colonel, "We appreciated the opportunity of caring for our buddies."

The break was over and we marched on. When we arrived the men were anxious to know who had lost their lives. They had made a check and knew what men were missing and wanted to know if they were wounded or killed. I read the list to them time and time again. They wanted a service held in memory of the men and later we did so. They also urged that we have a Thanksgiving service because God had spared so many. That is the kind of American soldiers we have. When death comes most accept it as God's will or when spared they feel that, too, is His will and thank Him for His care.

There are many things we cannot understand now, but the good old song says, "We will understand it better by and by." I have seen men live and I have seen men die. It is a mystery I cannot explain. It is up to us to trust Him and leave ourselves as well as our loved ones in His hands.