the storyteller
Truman Anquoe (Kiowa) Part 2 - 15 Mar, 2010
There were land mines, barbed wire, personnel mines, anti-tank mines, that when you touched one that tripped it, exploded. And German AD’s were shelling us on the beach. But me, being a combat medic, them snipers didn’t shoot at me because I had a cross on my arm. Men’d be falling all around me, I’d be the only standing there because the Geneva Convention were you’re not supposed to shoot at a combat medic, not supposed to kill him. One thing the Germans respected was that they didn’t kill combat medics.
But what I saw was unbelievable, the dead American soldiers, the wounded. When they got wounded, the first thing they turned to was God. And I saw that with my own eyes. I didn’t know Him but I heard them; they talked to their parents, they’d plead with me to help them. I did the best; I bandaged them up, stop the bleeding, all over there from their foot clear to the top of their head, I’d bandage them up and I’d tag them. I’d put a tag on them, ‘Wounded in Action’. Then I’d go on to the next person; I did that for forty-eight hours, and there were so many dead men that you’d just step over them, but I saw what war can do to men, and it started affecting my mind.
From there, went to northern France. They stopped us, the German soldiers stopped us when we got about ten miles in. They called them the Battle of the Hedges. Tanks wouldn’t go in there because of the hedges. That day a lot of Americans were killed, and we set up an evacuation hospital, and from there I was assigned, when we got the beach established, I was assigned to a place where they liberated prisoner of war camps, a combat team, I was a medic with them.
So went and they liberated three camps; one was Jewish, one was American, and one was women workers. We’d liberate them, but it was so terrible. These men, they put them in a building, they gassed it. And some of these men, under concrete with their hands they’d dig, these Jewish people. Soon as they stuck their heads out on the other side, they were shot. When we got there, they all were dead, and the smell is so terrible. I saw that. It started affecting my mind.
From there, I went to Belgium, where the paratroopers landed. I was assigned to them, and from there I went to the Battle of the Bulge. There, snow was about four feet deep, and they were shelling us day and night.
December the 25th this lieutenant crawled up to my foxhole. “So we’re having church services at a certain place; you go at your own risk.” And I said, “Well, I’m going to church Christmas Day,” so I ran in that snow. I thought I’d be by myself but when I got there, there’s close to a thousand men there, attending church services. We prayed, and we celebrate the birth of Christ, under fire. Went back to my foxhole, and we’d take care of the wounded. From there I went the Rhine river, that’s where the… that’s far as we could go. The Russians were coming toward Berlin.
But all this time I prayed, I prayed that God would protect me. End of the war, President Roosevelt died, when we was at the Rhine river. I remember we raised the flag at half mast; we’re all… every soldier in that area was crying because of the death of our Commander-in-Chief, President Roosevelt.
But we defeated the Germans, and the Americans went into the South Pacific, and they defeated the Japanese. When the war was over, I was so glad to get home.
I saw my parents, I saw how their prayers were answered, how my prayers were answered; I come home! But I lived in the world for ten years, nothing but sin. I was so filthy and dirty with sin. I didn’t care whether I died or not. I got in drug jail so many times that it was pitiful. I learned how to fight with my hands; I was good at it. And that’s what kept me going when I come back to this country.
But even during the war, they’d make fun of me being an American Indian. They used to make me mad, and I’d fight my own fellow man. One day in Northern France, a man called me a dirty stinking Indian, and I attacked him. I beat him up, and that night, top officers in our battalion came to my tent, five of them; “If you want to fight, choose one of us.” So I picked one and we fought, maybe for 30 minutes; every time I got the best of it they’d pull me off. Next morning I was court-martialed, and from that day forth, I started being assigned to combat troops, but they didn’t know that the Lord was with me. He protected me and guided me.
So I made it through the war, but when I come home, that’s when the trouble started. I saw the sins of this world, and one night I was so upset, I was going to attempt suicide, but I got on a bus, and I prayed to God, “I’ve never asked you for anything, but I want you to send me a Christian wife.” I forgot about it. About six months later, He sent me a wife that I’m living with today, and she was a Christian woman. She used to go to church all the time; we had children, take them to church; I’d stay at home. But I still sinned, I was so trouble to my wife, but she was Christian lady; she put up with me because we were married on Holy Matrimony, she knew that. Me, I didn’t care, you know.
But one day, she said, “I’m going to the post office,” and she went to the post office, and before she got to the post office, she turned into church, and I said, “Where you going?” “We have a meeting,” so her and my children went in. I was sitting out in the car by myself. Soon I got lonely, and I got to thinking, “How can I sit out here and my children in church,” you know.
So I went in, and our preacher’s wife was the speaker, and she told the women about salvation, the gift of eternal life through Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. Said if you accepted, He’d clean you up, make you white as snow, so I went forward.
Did you know that all that filth from the top of my head, it fell on the floor, and I became as white as snow. World War II vet, and I started crying like a little baby when I accepted Christ.
(Song:) What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought Since Jesus came into my heart! I have light in my soul for which long I have sought, Since Jesus came into my heart!
Since Jesus came into my heart, Since Jesus came into my heart, Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my heart
I have ceased from my wand’ring and going astray, Since Jesus came into my heart! And my sins, which were many, are all washed away, Since Jesus came into my heart!
Since Jesus came into my heart, Since Jesus came into my heart, Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my heart.
I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure, Since Jesus came into my heart! And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathways obscure Since Jesus came into my heart.
Since Jesus came into my heart, Since Jesus came into my heart, Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my heart.
There’s a light in the valley of death now for me, Since Jesus came into my heart! And the gates of the City beyond I can see, Since Jesus came into my heart!
Since Jesus came into my heart, Since Jesus came into my heart, Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my heart.
I shall go there to dwell in that City, I know, Since Jesus came into my heart! And I’m happy, so happy, as onward I go, Since Jesus came into my heart!
Since Jesus came into my heart, Since Jesus came into my heart, Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my heart.
(To be continued)