From a former US Marine

(This is an excerpt from Frank L. Pryor's book, "WW11 Remembrances - 2009.  Frank is a close friend of my family's and was on Iwo Jima when that world-famous flag was raised.  He lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee)



While I as serving with the armed forces I endeavored daily to study the Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly, as well as to read as much as I could from the Christian Science periodicals for which I subscribed.  That subscription gave me the joy of receiving mail from my homeland, which was comforting and helping.  It was my privilege to help conduct informal Christian Science church services in our camp in Hawaii for about ten months.

I attribute the wonderful way in which I was protected in combat to my study of and diligent devotion to the teachings of Christian Science and the prayers of relatives and friends.  On the second day of the battle of Iwo Jima, as the DUKW, a land and water vehicle, on which I was riding reached the shore it overturned in the rough water.  While I was under the water "the scientific statement of being" (Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, p. 468) came to my thought.  I was not afraid, because I had been thinking of God's protecting power.  The huge wave partially righted the vehicle while I was between it and the beach.  The next wave smashed the DUKW against the shore right where I had been;  two buddies had lifted me out of way just in time.

All during the twenty-three days in which I fought with the United States Marines to take the island I continued to work metaphysically, as we are taught in Christian Science, both for my artillery section and myself, and none of us was injured.  The 91st Psalm was a constant comfort to me during that experience.  I am grateful for the many ways in which I was protected and blessed during the nearly two years I was in the South Pacific theater of war.

For the many blessings our family has received since we began the study of Christian Science, I am truly grateful.