Captured and Tortured
Jacob DeShazer was a bombardier in the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942. Shot down over China, he was captured by the Japanese and spent 40 months as a POW, enduring torture and starvation.
In prison, DeShazer was consumed with hatred for his captors. But when a Bible was briefly passed through the cells, he read it voraciously. The words of Jesus pierced his heart: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Hatred Transformed
At that moment, DeShazer felt God's love flood his soul. His hatred melted away. He began to pray for his guards—the very men who had beaten him.
After the war, DeShazer returned to Japan—not for revenge, but as a missionary. He spent 30 years sharing the gospel with the Japanese people.
Two Enemies Embrace
One of the people who read DeShazer's testimony was Mitsuo Fuchida—the lead pilot of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fuchida was so moved that he gave his life to Christ. The two former enemies met and embraced as brothers.
"I was the bombardier who bombed Japan," DeShazer would say. "Now I am a missionary to Japan. Only Christ could do that."