Testimony of Healing November 14, 2011 Issue

Protected during wartime

Edward Miller

As I think of how I can prayerfully support the men and women serving today in the armed services in theaters of action, I’ve found it helpful to recall the wonderful protection I had during my tour of duty in World War II. I was raised attending a Christian Science Sunday School, and I called upon this training constantly while in the military. I frequently prayed with the loving, protecting passages in Psalms to sustain me during dark times.

I was released from college early and drafted into the army in 1943 at the tender age of 20. My college work had been in chemistry, so after boot camp I was assigned to a chemical warfare intelligence unit. I was sent to Italy on a very old World War I freighter, the slowest ship in the 106-ship convoy. There was a lot of fear and trepidation among the soldiers as we sailed off into the unknown. We were far behind the other ships and there was great concern that we’d be caught alone without any protection.

My ship’s purser was also a Christian Scientist and our discussions led to the request that I put together some readings for the men from the pocket editions of the Bible and Science and Health that had been given to us and other Christian Science servicemen by The Mother Church. I did two readings on Sundays, one at dawn and another later in the morning, both of which were attended by everyone on board. Soon the Jewish troop members asked if I would hold a service for them also, which I was happy to do. I put together readings from the Old Testament that including accounts of healing. This service was held in the evening, though all of the Jewish members also attended the other services as well.

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