Doolittle Raider, Christian Missionary Dies
According to an AF.mil article, Staff Sgt. Jacob DeShazer (the bombardier on the last B-25 in the Doolittle Raid) has died. DeShazer was famous not only for his role in the raid, but also for his post-war activities. The man who once hated his Japanese enemies with a vitriolic passion would become a Christian in their prison and return to evangelize them. His story led to the conversion of Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, said to be the flight leader of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fuchida himself became a missionary in Asia and the United States.
The text of a pamphlet DeShazer wrote, which was widely distributed in Japan after the war, can be seen at the bottom of this website. His story was also made into a documentary called From Vengeance to Forgiveness. His story was also chronicled several years ago here.
I love how God, takes our misery and the trials that we go through and turn it around to bring hope and his message of love to those who once persecuted us. I praise God for the brothers and sisters who despite the abuse suffered, they take the love of Christ back to their abusers