1.8-JoeSchneider2
I was a bomber pilot in World War II. We were the bombers who were knocking out hundreds of bridges in Italy. We became known as the ‘Bridge Busters’. We had to fly straight and level, otherwise we would never hit a 100-foot bridge. It was very touch-and-go. And we lost an awful lot of people. ‘Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Lord Jesus, receive my soul.’ That was my prayer every time because I didn’t know if I was going to be alive in the next five minutes. At that age, it may happen to you once or twice. It happened to me 72 times. It’s a remarkable thing to have been so close to dying at that time, and today I stand here and have another birthday. But somehow, somewhere, my God always was my savior. And he still is until this moment. I never could have survived that war without my God. He was my copilot, my friend, and my helpmate. He was everything I needed.

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