Why a Prisoner of War Forgave the Enemies Who Tortured Him

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Seven American stories.com. Some of our favorites. This next story begins with the movie Pearl Harbor left off to enemies one led Japan surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The other an American Doolittle writer who bombed Tokyo here to tell the story is Carol I go to the Shays addiction, the daughter of Doolittle writer Jacob Shays.

She is the author of return of the rater. Doolittle Raiders story of war and forgiveness here is Carol hi my name is Carol I go to Shays or Dixon and today I'd like to tell you the story of my father, Jacob Shays or costarring has made a mark in history. I'm not an historian and I'm no military expert, but when I received a phone call from this radio station asking if I would consider sharing my father's story. I knew I had to say yes. I'll try so on February 26, 1940 more than a year and 1/2 before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My father joined the Army air Corps at Fort McDowell in California. He always wanted to be a pilot, and believed to be in the pilot would be a great way to serve his country. However, his dream of becoming a pilot was short-lived at 27 years old. He was told by military standards to begin pilot training, instead, the military trained him to become an airplane mechanic when the training was complete. He was stationed at McCord Field near Tech, Washington at McCord.

My father worked as a mechanic on the north American be 25 Mitchell bomber. Although he was forced to give up his dream of being a pilot he was able to fly when the military began looking for bombardier's.

The bombardier's main duty was to assist the pilot and navigator to ensure that a bomb hits the target. This excited my father and he applied and was accepted to bombardier school.

He was on kitchen police, better known as KP duty and was peeling potatoes and listening to the radio when a Japanese raid led by Capt. Mitchell for Tita attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. His initial shock turned to anger and then deep hatred toward the Japanese he heard himself saying those Japanese they are going to have to pay for this. He wanted revenge for the pain inflicted on his fellow Americans still, it was with some surprise that he found himself in the company of general Jimmy Doolittle and 79 other men soon after he heard general Doolittle explain that a secret raid against Japan was being planned and volunteers were needed. The mission would be dangerous and all might perish along the way.

But when asked if they would volunteer every soldier in the room responded without hesitation.

Yes, my father was the last man asked and had a bit longer to contemplate the risk he was scared he had no idea how to do what was being asked of him and really just wanted to say no thanks I'm not prepared for this. Maybe he was more scared of what others would think of him if he said no, so he heard himself say yes I'll go saying yes to the Doolittle raid changed my father's simple, quiet life forever.

He was born in 1912 and had grown up on a farm in Madras, Oregon. He worked as a sheepherder and raised turkeys after Heise will graduation. There was no money for college and lack of employment opportunities during the Great Depression led him to enter the Army so that he could make a living grown up in a Christian family, but he had already decided that Christianity and the Bible were not for him. On April 18, 1942, four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor general Doolittle was 79. Other graders and 16 B 25 were loaded onto an aircraft carrier named the USS hornet and set sail from San Francisco passing under the Golden gate Bridge and sailing out onto the Pacific Ocean toward Japan since the airplanes could only carry a limited amount of 20. The plane was for the aircraft carrier to get as close to Japan as possible and then to fly off the hornet to attack strategic targets in Tokyo Yokohama Yokosuka and Mongolia in the dark airplanes had enough gas to get to China where they could land and be helped out by friendly Tiny contacts. Well, unfortunately, the hornet was spotted far out from the coast of Japan by Japanese fishing boats and the Doolittle Raiders had to take off the hornet and lifted into the air immediately that cause them to reach their target in the daytime and China at night time with no help as her claims ran out of gas with no safe place to land you been listening to Carol I go to Shays or Dixon told the story of her father, Jacob was serving in the Army air Corps when Japanese attacks will be this decimated our Navy and Pearl Harbor. When we come back put you right in the cockpit and into the shoes of Carol's father we come back more of her father's story here on L American story view of the great American stories which will love America. What we do, risking you to become a part of the L American stories from grieving Americans a good and great country. Please make a donation monthly gift of $70.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for support L American stories.com mail go to the donate button and help us to be great American stories, so American stories.com. Geico asks how would you love a chance to save some money on insurance. Of course you would. And when it comes to great rates on insurance. GEICO can help like with insurance for your car, truck, motorcycle, boat and RV even help with homeowners or renters coverage plus at an easy to use mobile app available 24 hour roadside assistance and more. And GEICO is an easy choice switch today and see all the ways you can save it's easy. Simply go to Geico.com or contact your local agent today so I would imagine you about American stories and Carol I go to Shays or Dixon story about her father, Jacob.

Let's pick up when we last left off.

Still, the rate caught Japan by surprise, and most of the targets were hit. There was little physical damage done but the rate struck a powerful ecological below the Japanese. Most of the raiders had to bail out over China in the dark. A couple of the planes crash landed with a few casualties to cruise bailed out unknowingly over a part of China that was occupied by Japanese forces and were promptly captured and imprisoned. My father was one of the eight men captured general Doolittle and the surviving Raiders were assisted by the Chinese to return back to the United States to a hero's welcome you know many historians say the Doolittle raid was an important turning point in the war with Japan but that meant very little at the time, to the eight men who became POWs at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army. The captain Doolittle Raiders were held in solitary confinement and cramped prison cells they engineered interrogation threats of execution, beatings and torture, starvation and filthy prison cells that were infested with lice bedbugs and rats. There was no heat in the cold winter months and the summers were muggy and hot with no ventilation, particularly from the stance of the financial which was a hole in the floor serving as a toilet. All of this increased my father's hatred of the Japanese one and the initial interrogation sessions. Brought my father into a room where a group of Japanese officers began to question them.

Here is how he described his experience in his own words.

One of the officers using lots of slang said that I had better talk. He said that these were mean people and they would torture me until I did talk I had been blindfolded for more than 12 hours and had eaten all day.

I had been asked questions at every opportunity, but would always tell them that I wouldn't talk. Sometimes they would tell me about places in America where Japan had bombed and taken possession of property, then they would come up very close to my face and open their mouth and laugh.

I was then led into a room and the blindfold was removed.

Japanese man of stocky build was standing behind the table, smoking a cigar, rubbing his hands together and talking really fast and Japanese. Several others were in the room. The man behind the table said through the interpreter I and the kindest judge in all occupied China. I want to treat you real the everywhere I have the reputation of being the kindest judge in all occupied China. I glared at the fat fellow smoking the black cigar. The judge returned my glaze and said fortunate to be questioned by me.

You tell us what the truth is, and I'll give you a nice glass of warm sweet milk. He asked me if Doolittle was my commanding officer and I answered I won't talk and instead I gave him my name, rank, and serial number because that was all I was required to sanded the Geneva Convention. The judge responded to this by saying that I was Japanese property. The judge continued. How do you pronounce HOR and ETI responded that's hornet. The judge replied that the aircraft carrier you flew off to bomb Japan. I said I won't talk. The judge continued 16 B 25 took off the hornet and bomb Japan. Is this true. I continue to respond. I won't talk.

This must have angered that kind judge greatly because soon he struck the table with his fist, saying when you talk to me you look me straight in the eye. The judge was growing angrier and pulled out his sword holding and looking directly at me said Tom tomorrow morning when the sun comes up. I am going to cut your head off. I stood there silently. What do you think the judge asked me if I told him I thought it would be a great honor if the kindest judge in China cut my head off the judge and others who have for the first time in a little later. I was thinking to myself I lay in the cell all night blindfolded and handcuffed without blanket the next morning at sunrise. I was led out of myself.

I had no breakfast. The blindfold was taken off and the handcuffs were removed. I looked around for the judge with his weapon of execution, but instead was loaded onto it with the other prisoners and moved to another prison camp three of the officers were killed by a firing rod.

The remaining five which included my father were sentenced to life in prison in solitary confinement. My father injured.

These conditions for 40 long months nearly 3 1/2 years, he became very weak then and deathly sick while burning with hatred and resentment toward his captors. My father used to say my hatred for my enemy nearly drove me crazy. He often cursed the prison guards and in return they kicked him and beat him. Eventually one of the other Doolittle Raiders died of malnutrition and even the Japanese government became concerned about the horrible conditions in the prison and order was given to provide better food. The four remaining prisoners were offered books to read and one of those books was a Bible. Each of them were given only three weeks to read it when my father received his turn. He was excited he had turned away from any Christian teachings from his childhood from his parents and church and now he was being given a second chance to find out what it was all about, and he wasn't going to waste any more time. He had all day to read with no interruptions. His plan was to read the Bible from cover to cover and discover all the places where the Bible contradicted itself, but as he read his eyes were opened to exactly the opposite. He saw how prophecy in the Old Testament was revealed and fulfilled in Jesus and he became convinced that what he was reading was the word of God. He read Romans 10 nine if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. He felt those conditions had been met and he said yes to God's call on his heart is mine would often recall his favorite passages. Of particular importance to him was first John, he had memorized all five chapters and often meditated on them. He liked first John because his book plainly about sin and forgiveness and you're losing to Carol go to Shays or Dixon know the story of her father, Jacob, my goodness, a life sentence after being tortured and will belittled by a judge to try to extract information from them. All he would do was give his name, rank, and serial number that judge could picture the scene in your head. That's the joy listening to a story like this is to create your own images in your own and I've got mine sure you got yours. What the soul must've been like it's unimaginable actually help the Japanese treated our soldiers so inhumanely that it set a new standard for inhumanity. When we come back this remarkable story of redemption and war and forgiveness. Jacob shows her story on our American stores and we continue with our American stories and the story of Doolittle raider Jacob to Shays or Pierce's daughter Carol with more of the store one day when reading about the baptism of Jesus strong desire for baptism himself. He looked up out of a small high window of his cell to realize that rainwater was blowing in any thank God for this provision, as he stood under the rain and accepted the baptism of the holy spirit hatred for his enemies turned to forgiveness and love.

One day an opportunity to demonstrate his faith appeared he was being taken back to his cell by one of the guards. After a short exercise. Outside in the garden started pushing him high have a clue. The guards shouted as he slapped him on the back with his hand when he came to the door of my father's cell. He held it open a little and gave him a final push through the doorway. But before my father could get all the way in.

He slammed the door and caught his foot.

He held the door against his barefoot and kicked it with as hobnailed shoes. My father pushed against the door to get his foot free and then jumped aside the pain in his foot was severe and he thought some bones might have been broken as he said in great pain he felt as if God were testing him somehow he felt anger and resentment toward the guard and thought, oh, surely God doesn't expect us to love these real mean ones in this world, but then he remembered all the words of Jesus in Matthew 544 who said love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you also remember first Corinthians 13 48 the great love chapters stating love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth it always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always preserves love never fails. He decided with the Lord's help to replace all the hatred in his heart with love. He also wanted to try this new approach on the guard when that same guard came to sell the following day he bid them Ohio cosine muscle good morning. The guard looked confused and must've thought my father had spent too much time in solitary confinement, but after many days of trying to be nice to the guard. The guard finally smiled and began to talk with him as much as they could with his poor Japanese language skills. The Japanese guard noticed the change in him and instead of shouting and beating him he offered him a delicious, warm, sweet potato.

He thanked the guard saying I got to thank you and then thought to himself God's way really works if we try it out. Jesus was not an idealist, whose ideals could not be realized when he told us to love one another.

He told us the best way to act and it will work his way will work out better than any other way, which could be tried. My father had grown very weak during the 40 month ordeal suffering from malnutrition in dysentery. He had counted over 75 boils on his body and he was miserable.

Now that he had read the Bible and become a Christian in his prison cell extract and how much easier it would be to die and go to heaven than to stay alive and suffer. He said he lifted up his hand and said, Lord, take me.

I just want to leave the suffering and to be with you. Then he said he became aware of his hands. They were empty, and he thought I can't go like this. I've never done a thing for the Lord. Just think about it to appear before the creator of the universe. After all, he is done for me. He sent his son to suffer and die upon the cross to forgive us our sins, he said I didn't want to be there for all eternity with empty hands.

He said he quickly put his hands behind his back. He said Lord I don't want to come to you with empty hands. Give me another chance and I'll try. He knew he was a shy public speaker. Well, God granted my father's humble prayer and he began to sense God's calling him to return to Japan as a missionary.

On August 20, 1945, shortly after the nuclear bombings of Quito Shema and Nagasaki, which ended the war with Japan. My father and for other Doolittle raider prisoners were released from prison and returned to the United States. Their faces and stories were on the front cover of the newspapers across the nation.

Well, a very beautiful woman named Florence Matheny from Todd Bill Iowa noticed the newspaper articles and under a picture of my father. She read with interest that he was considering attending Seattle Pacific College to prepare to return to Japan as a missionary.

Florence had already told God yes to a life of missionary service years before and was already accepted to be a student at Seattle Pacific college who knows. She said out loud with a grin. Maybe I will get to meet him someday and shake his hand well she did get to meet him and shake his hand and when he asked her to marry him. She said yes. She recalls that my father was sincere but not particularly a good public speaker. He was rather timid and slow speaking. He had been in solitary confinement for 40 months and his thoughts and words came slowly and with much effort, Seattle Pacific's president at the time point Watson and the entire SBC community was a great source of encouragement and help my father gain the confidence training and support to graduate in three short years, and you're listening to the story of Jacob assures her was told by his daughter Carol and she's written a terrific book called the return of the reader.

Doolittle raider story of war and forgiveness, my goodness, reading the Bible. While in prison getting reacquainted with the faith that he had not taken seriously.

Role ML had some time to really read the book and see how it applied to his wife, my goodness, what a change in his life, love your enemies, bless your enemies. These were words you had to try with and he did and he applied it to the prison guard and the different cement relationship is about how he dealt with rudeness and with meanness and with all disparate treatment teaches us all a lot about how you can change another person's actions and heart itself and after he comes out of captivity after we drop to bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Besides, of all things that he wants to return to Japan as a mission. I do miss you just don't get more remarkable cement beautiful and in the pursuit comes across a woman who admires what he does from afar and ultimately becomes his wife.

Some people would say oh what a ridiculous story that doesn't happen 40 months in captivity and all kinds of things will happen to you all kinds of things, especially if you've got forgiveness with an in this particular case, most assuredly with Christ with when we come back more of this remarkable story. The story of Jacob assures her on our Americans. We continue with our American stories and the story of deleting related Jacob. She's was told by his return to Carol with more of her father's. My parents went to Japan as missionaries December of night news of the former American POW that was returning to Japan made front page news all over Japan and my father was invited to tell his story over and over in churches, factories, schools, mines, people's homes and public squares. Many Japanese became Christians, including several of the Japanese prison guards, but perhaps the most amazing story is that of Capt. Sewall for cheetah who was the head pilot that led the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

He read my father's testimony that was printed in Japanese on a track that was distributed in front of a busy train station when he read that my father was able to forgive because of what he had read in the Bible Capt. for today decided he wanted to see what the Bible said so he bought himself a Bible when he read about Jesus dying on the cross and that he prayed father forgive them for they know not what they do.

He knew he wanted that kind of forgiveness in his life he became a wonderful Christian and evangelist and became my father's friend and brother in Christ, my parents had five children, three boys and two girls. Paul John Mark Carol Aiko and Ruth, I am the fourth child. I was born in Kobe, Japan, and always consider Japan my home.

I like to tell people I was made in Japan.

My parents gave me a Japanese middle name Aiko, which means love my parents lived and ministered together in Japan for 30 years as career missionaries. They were able to help get 23 churches started three of those churches were started from the home. My father was just an incredible person with a sense of honor and duty. He served his country but more important, he served his Lord. He had the faith and during his time as a prisoner of war.

He was convinced that he needed to forgive his enemy, and after that he spent his life spreading the message of love and forgiveness. My father lived to be 95 years old. He passed away March 15, 2008 at my father's memorial service. My sister Ruth gave his eulogy, saying, my father was given a full lifetime to try his best to forgive his enemies and to love in all circumstances who can measure the impact of his obedience.

30 years of missionary service in Japan, helping to start 23 new churches raising five children, honoring his wife of 61 years preaching and countless churches across North America and all of us inspired and challenged by his story and life yet if my father were here today he would not want this to be about him and his accomplishments he would want Jesus to get all the attention and credit he would urge us to love each other believe the Bible and say Lord I will try to do what you ask of me, he would say the following after love works 100 times out of 100 and I am certain he would ask us this question. On that final day when you are called to meet Jesus.

What will you bring in your hands well after 9/11, I felt God telling me to write a new book about my father's story. I thought of all the reasons I couldn't do it.

I was not an author, historian and military expert, a theologian, and I didn't have a publisher and didn't know anything about writing a book. As I prayed.

I realize I needed to tell God try. Soon after, God led me to meet Dr. Goldstein.

Dr. Goldstein, who has passed away. Now is the best known historian on the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Midway as documented in the books at Dawn we slept miracle at Midway and God somewhat. I which he co-authored with Prof. Gordon, praying, while Dr. Goldstein became my partner and co-author of our new book titled return of the rater which tells with historical accuracy.

The events of my father's story I've been working for over 20 years to make my parents story more available through documentaries, books, videos and other media outlets the other day I heard from a man who was having trouble with his marriage. He said he needed to forgive his wife for something she had done and that he just couldn't bring himself to forgive her.

He tried but just couldn't do it. He said he read my father's story and will never forget finishing the book and slamming it shut saying if Jacob dishes you can do it so can I after all the torture and everything else he had to endure with the Lord's help, he was able to find it in his heart, forgive, he had a lot more to forgive than I do. So he said he went back to his wife and told her that he was willing to forgive her and that he wanted to make their marriage work well. He said they got back together and that today, their marriage is better than ever I hear from a lot of older veterans who are concerned that the younger generation are missing out on being told the stories from World War II. So parents when you are teaching your children about the history of our country and the story of Pearl Harbor and the Doolittle raid tell them. Also the story of my father, Jacob dishes her and Capt. meet soulful cheetah because their stories are lessen our country here today, the best book for children on this topic is the book titled Jacob dishes are forgive your enemies by Janet and Jeff and in conclusion I would like to read a message from Capt. meet Sewall for cheetah. Remember Capt. for cheetah led the attack on Pearl Harbor. I am reading from a brochure he wrote in 1970, titled from Pearl Harbor to Calvary as an evangelist. I have traveled across Japan and the Orient introducing others to the one who changed my life. I believe with all my heart that those who will direct Japan and all other nations in the decades to come. Must not ignore the message of Jesus Christ. You must realize he is the only hope for this troubled world. Though my country has the highest literacy rate in the world.

Education has not brought salvation.

Peace and freedom, both national and personal come only through an encounter with Jesus Christ. I would give anything to retract my actions at Pearl Harbor, but it is impossible.

Instead, I now work at striking the deathblow to the basic hatred that infests the human heart and causes such tragedies and that hatred cannot be uprooted without assistance from Jesus Christ. He is the only one who was powerful enough to change my life and inspire it with his thoughts. He was the only answer to Jacob dishes her tormented life. He is the only answer for young people today and he signed it. Capt. meet soulful cheetah 1970 that's the end. Special thanks to Greg for the terrific work on this piece and a special thanks to Carol I go to Shays or Dixon daughter Doolittle rater Jacob dishes. She is the author of return of the rater. Doolittle rater story of war and forgiveness.

My goodness, what a story checking for true story equally remarkable is for cheetah read about this man, forgiving torturers, the dude with a good to him and Mr. Klopfer choose attention so you know he's reading the Bible and the rest is history. My goodness, what dishes are did spending his life in Japan is missionary the very place where he was tortured by goodness bestow my heart but I look at that marriage I should. Jacob Boucher's or didn't do it and that is forgive someone what the torturer so can I get a lot more to forgive than I do with my wife. Remarkable story of forgiveness, love, or the story of Jacob dishes are here on our American stores