Enemies become friends.

Jacob DeShazer: Forgive Your Enemies

The last book I read was Jacob DeShazer: Forgive Your Enemies by Geoff and Janet Benge. I borrowed it from my daughter and have since returned it, so I’m relying on memory and a few details gathered online.

Jacob DeShazer (1912–2008) enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, while on KP duty, he heard the news that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor. Enraged, he shouted, “The Japs are going to have to pay for this!”

Soon after, DeShazer and other members of the 17th Bomb Group volunteered for a secret mission to strike Japan. This daring operation became known as Doolittle’s Raid, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle. The plan was nearly impossible: launch modified B‑25 bombers from the USS Hornet, bomb Japan, and then try to reach friendly territory in China. Because the fleet was discovered early, the planes launched ahead of schedule—short on fuel and far from safety. Though the bombing succeeded, several crews crash‑landed or were captured. DeShazer’s plane ran out of fuel over enemy territory, and he became a prisoner of war.

He was moved between POW camps in Japan and China, enduring brutal conditions. In one camp, a miracle occurred—a Bible was given and shared among the prisoners. Each man kept it for a week before passing it on. When Jacob’s turn came, he devoured its words. There, in captivity, he repented and trusted the Lord, vowing that if he survived, he would return to Japan to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

DeShazer’s parents were devout Christians who prayed faithfully for their son, not knowing whether he was alive or dead. His newfound faith transformed him. He began showing love and compassion toward his captors, and some guards responded with kindness—risking their own lives to do so.

After forty months as a POW, the war ended on August 20, 1945. Many prisoners were executed rather than released, but DeShazer survived. He returned home in poor health, yet his heart was set on fulfilling his promise. He entered seminary, learned Japanese, and returned to Japan as a missionary. Through his ministry, countless lives were changed—including that of Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, the commander who had led the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fuchida became a Christian in 1950, an evangelist, and a close friend of DeShazer. Together, they often spoke at events, sharing their stories of redemption and forgiveness.

Fuchida later wrote of his own conversion:

“I read in Luke 23:34 the prayer of Jesus Christ at His death: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ I was impressed that I was certainly one of those for whom He had prayed… Right at that moment, I seemed to meet Jesus for the first time. I understood the meaning of His death as a substitute for my wickedness, and so in prayer, I requested Him to forgive my sins and change me from a bitter, disillusioned ex‑pilot into a well‑balanced Christian with purpose in living.”

That day—April 14, 1950—became the second “day to remember” of his life. Two enemies, once divided by war, were united by grace.