My Helmet Was ‘Blowed’ Off

I have known Earl my entire life and have had many interactions with him. He was a quiet man born in Ogden, Utah in 1891.

In 1918 he received a letter from Uncle Sam ordering him to report to the 37^th Ohio Division for active military service. He was sent to Europe as part of the United States Army Infantry where he fought in France and Belgium.

Just before the Armistice he was fighting in Belgium and was shot in the back but didn’t realize it and continued fighting. It wasn’t until he got back to camp that some of his friends noticed he had been shot. He didn’t feel pain so he was surprised when he took off his pack and found that a bullet had gone through his pack, overcoat, blouse, and shirt. It stopped at his undershirt. Earl attributed his life being saved to divine protection.

He had another interesting experience in WWI. Elmer, a friend from his unit, claimed that there was no God. One day they were in a skirmish and Earl described the event this way, “a bomb came over and lit right in front of me … picked me up, tossed and threw me, dirt flying all over and [my] helmet blowed off. … I turned to Elmer and … he was hollering … ‘Oh God, oh God, help us!’ So in just about two hours, he acknowledged God like most of us do when we’re in trouble.”

Earl was devoted to his family, his faith, and his country. His family responded to this man’s love, kindness, and spirituality. He taught his children about his belief in God but didn’t force it on them and as they developed their own spirituality he accepted their right to believe as they choose.

There is no right way to worship or live our spiritual beliefs but research has shown that spirituality is an important and effective resiliency tool that we should help our children develop and use for their benefit and growth.