Trapped

It was not long until we heard some of the men dismantling their guns and destroying vehicles. We called down and asked what was going on. The word came up that we were surrendering. I had heard one lecture on the technique of surrendering but I had never once thought of surrendering and the first words I said were, "No! We can't do that!" But after we made our way to the clearing surely enough we were doing just that. I turned to Scho, who was very nervous and said, "Let's make a break for it." It looked like we could make it across several hundred yards and into another grove of
trees, but he didn't want to. I insisted, but he said, "Chaplain, we will get shot. The Krauts will kill us." About that time I looked down and saw about 600 of our men with their hands up in the air or behind their heads and several thoughts came to me. I knew God had called me into the work of the chaplaincy—I had felt that keenly. Even though it meant giving up my church and leaving my wife and baby I felt I must do it. I did all that conscious that I was in the center of God's will. Now, while here surrendering, I thought, "Doubtless these men will need a chaplain in the prison camp and it must be that God would have me go."