The Bravest Boehme
brav·er·y (ˈbrāv(ə)rē): courageous behavior or character. Synonyms:courage, valor, intrepidity, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stoutheartedness, heroism.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
The closest I ever got to serving in the military was when I was drafted for the Viet Nam War and took my physical. At the last medical station I told the doctor I wanted to be a missionary. He looked at my file and said he would declare me 4-F (unfit), exclaiming: “I think God’s army needs more soldiers than man’s army.”
Thus my missions career was launched.
Now forty-five years later, I still have great respect for the military which we recently honored on Memorial Day. As we visited the grave sites, I thought deeply about the only uncle I’ve never met. He gave his life for his country in World War II.
He was the bravest Boehme.
My father was the oldest of six children, born and raised in Akron, Ohio. The second child born to Herman and Lucille Boehme was Richard. I am told that he was smart, athletic, and religious (in their traditional Lutheran home). While in his early twenties, “Uncle Dick” joined the US military and headed out to fight the Germans in the western theatre of World War II.
One day in the spring of 1945, a somber member of the US Army knocked on my grandparents’ door and informed them that Dick was missing in action in Europe. For over a year, my grandmother dried her tears with the hope that Dick would be found and come home. Then came the heart-breaking news. He had been shot down and killed on February 16, 1945–just seven months before the war ended.
For decades, our family was given little information on Dick’s death. Then, in the early 2000s, a man named Jerry Whiting tracked down my father to let him know that he was writing a book in memory of his own dad and all those that served in his squadron–including my uncle. (The book is called I’m Off to War, Mother But I’ll Be Back.)
Jerry Whiting would answer many questions about Dick’s last months on earth.
Whiting spent decades combing through military files and collecting information. He traveled to Europe to interview folks who’s met his dad and “band of brothers” and knew something about their story. They included soldiers, villagers, and even a Catholic priest.
When the book arrived, our family was ecstatic. Finally we would learn what had happened to “Uncle Dick”– a brave member of the 485 Bomb Squadron stationed in Italy. The biggest revelation? He had been shot down three times in the space of five months.
It takes great bravery to keep going under those circumstances. Here’s the story.
October 16, 1944
Dick was captain of a B-28 Liberator that bombed some German military factories in Austria. After failing to fire on the first target due to clouds, the squadron went on to their second priority, the Neudorf Aircraft Factory at Graz. Upon finishing the assignment, they were running low on fuel and would not make it back to Italy. They’d also been hit by incoming “flak” from German guns.
Uncle Dick put out the Mayday signal and all of them parachuted out of the plane as it crashed into the waters off Yugoslavia. One of Uncle Dick’s mates hit the water, swam to shore and was found by a village girl named Narija Glavan who gave him clothes to wear and hid him in a hole in the ground from the occupying Germans.
Uncle Dick landed in the water a few miles from his buddies. The Germans saw his parachute descending and fired at him in the air–but missed. He started swimming, but was caught up in the parachute. Two local Yugoslav cousins, Niko and Nikica Peros, jumped into action from shore. Here’s how Whiting tells the story:
“The Peros cousins saw Boehme struggling in the water…They swam out to Boehme and Nikica cut Boehme free from the parachute lines and both helped him to shore. As they swam, the Germans started shooting at them with machine guns. The Germans were less than a mile away, so the three men got out of the immediate area as quickly as possible.”
“They took Boehme to the village of Zaton. The villagers gave him civilian clothes and hid him from the Germans who were searching the entire area for missing flyers…The villagers refused to betray Boehme, so the Germans shelled the village, ultimately killing a young girl in the barrage.”
Helped on by the locals, Uncle Dick walked, hid, and traveled north for a week staying near the coastline. He was finally smuggled onto some islands and evacuated to Vis. From there he returned to Italy where he was awarded a Silver Star.
November 17, 1944
Three weeks later, Uncle Dick volunteered for another combat mission. His plane was again shot down while returning from Blechhammer, Yugoslavia. Details are scarce are this mission, but he eventually found himself in the midst of a battle between Chetniks and Partisans. On the run for a month, he finally made a safe return to Italy one month after his second crash.
The Final Mission: February 16, 1945
Uncle Dick was once again captaining the squadron when, after bombing their target, they came under heavy anti-aircraft fire in the vicinity of the Italian/Austrian border. Whiting describes the scene as two aircraft were fatally hit:
“Both planes broke apart after the mid-air collision. The tail was sliced off Tomhave’s plane (piloted by Uncle Dick) and part of the nose broke off. Major Olen Cooper Bryant (the navigator) was thrown through a hole in the nose of the plane, unconscious from the concussion of the direct hit. He fell from an altitude of about 10,000 feet without a parachute, landing in heavy snow.”
Miraculously, Bryant survived! Others parachuted from the two doomed planes–but not my uncle. The planes crashed near each other below the crest of Mount Belepeit, near the Slovenian border in northern Italy–west of the village of Chiusaforte. Those who lost their lives were John Carmody (navigator), James Cahen III (navigator), Marvin Woodcock (bombadier), James Dixon (flight engineer), Bruce Graves (radio operator), and Captain Richard Boehme (pilot).
Uncle Dick was 23 years old.
On February 27, 1945, after ten days of severe weather, Father Giovanni B. Lenarduzzi led twenty-five local villagers up the mountain to locate the remains of the American airmen and give them a proper burial–near the summit of Mount Belepeit. We, their relatives, are deeply grateful.
In the past forty years, a number of the villagers have made an annual trip up the mountain to honor the American flyers were fought for their freedom. My dad’s letters contain e-mails from those folks–one as recent as 2005–which shows the tree-lined hillside of the mountain (in summertime) and numerous remains of the crash that are buried beneath the leaves and vegetation.
My uncle was a hero. He loved his God, family, and nation and gave his life that we might enjoy ours.
I think now of what Uncle Dick might have done if he lived past 23. Would he have become a doctor, pharmacist, office manager, or logger like his older brothers? Would he have moved to the west coast with the rest of his family? Had children, grandchildren? Lived into his nineties like his older brother, my dad?
How would he have continued to serve the God of his fathers? He never had that chance. He laid down his life for others–just like his Lord did for the sins of the world.
Let’s never forget the heroes. Let’s emulate their faith and commitment. In my latter years, I want to be brave like my Uncle Dick.
I’ll always consider him the bravest Boehme.
He also lived the shortest life–23 years.
Dick was a fighter pilot in Europe during World War II. We found out sixty years after his death that he was shot down three times in his service of America. The first was on October 16, 1944 after a bombing mission over Austria. He parachuted into the Adriatic Sea, was miraculously rescued by a local villager, and hidden from the Germans until he escaped to safety.
One month later, on November 17, 1944, he was again shot down over Yugoslavia and had to spend a month running from the Nazis before making his way back to Italy.
On February 16, 1945, his squadron was hit for the third time and one of his own aircraft tore off the wing and tail of his plane. One of the crew members was thrown from the burning cockpit and fell 10,000 feet without a parachute into a snowbank high in the Alps–and lived! He told the story of the squadron that was published in two books sixty years after these heroic young men gave their lives.
Dick died in the third crash. His body was buried on the hillside by grateful villagers and some of his remains eventually returned to the United States. He gave his life for our country just fourth months before V-E day.
He never got to see it.
But he lives on–and so do the rest of my family and friends who put their trust in Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will never die” (John 11:25).
As I stood by my father’s grave, and thought about the sacrifice that Dick had made for our family and nation, a deep sense of gratitude and resolve rose up within me. There are things worth living and dying for.
Memorial Day reminded me, once again, of that important truth.
All of us who are still alive in this busy and distracted 21st century must slow down, think deeply, andremember.
Especially the heroes God wants us to follow.
Why I Will Vote For Donald Trump
All of my adult life I’ve been intrigued and involved in the leadership aspects of presidential politics in the US. Why?
First, I’m simply wired by God to care about leaders of nations. It’s a calling–a passion. Secondly, I’ve been a leader all my life and teach university courses on the subject. Third, I wrote my first book on presidential elections in 1976–and have followed them ever since. Finally, I believe that the president of the United States has a unique role to play in global morality, security and world missions.
I was very excited about this year’s election because many fine governors, senators, and business people had a chance in the presidential race. I believed five or six of them could make excellent leaders of an American renewal. One by one they were rejected by the voters.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump now appear to be the presumptive candidates.
Why will I vote for Donald Trump?
He was clearly not my first choice–not even close. That’s because my measure of presidential leadership, and all other forms of civic affairs, comes done to three vital characteristics (in order of importance).
1. Does the candidate have strong godly character? Character is the number one quality of leadership because leaders reproduce what they are and demand trust. Trust only comes from proven character over time.
2. Does the candidate have the necessary competence for the job–a resume of accomplishment? If the first quality focuses on the heart, the second analyzes a person’s skill set. A good leader is a strong motivator and delegator. They have a solid track record of accomplishing things through other people. They manage both resources and people well.
3. Does the candidate possess strong biblical policies (worldview)? After heart and skill, their mind-set is key. They need to see the world through a truthful, common sense lens and enact policies that serve people. Their job, on the highest of levels, is to protect the country from evil, elevate people to their God-given destinies and promote a strong social fabric.
Character, competence, and ideas. When we think of great presidents from Washington to Lincoln and Roosevelt to Reagan, these are the three pillars of the leadership triad we remember.
A year ago, I took this tri-focal lens into the 2016 presidential race and concluded that a number of Republican candidates were worthy of consideration. Over the months as I watched the campaign unfold, I settled on Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz as my top picks. Both were strong on all three facets, Hispanic (an historic novelty), and young (a plus for electability).
In the end, the Republican voters chose differently and elevated Donald Trump to presumptive nominee.
Here’s my quick take on Trump’s “triad” of qualifications:
- Character – Often weak, childish, and inconsistent. Strong points are work ethic and perseverance.
- Competence – High marks for business acumen and savvy. Low grades on some business principles including questionable ventures (casinos), bankruptcies, and frivolous lawsuits.
- Policies – Talks conservative but has a history of being liberal. Definitely not guided by principles or a moral code–and probably a mixed bag in the end.
Then there is Hillary Clinton. Character? Corrupt. Competence? Little leadership experience and a poor Secretary of States. Policies? Secular progressive, maybe a little more hawkish than President Obama on terrorism.
Yet, some who normally vote Republican may be voting for Hillary. Or staying home. They call themselves the #Never Trump folks. One that I respect is Erick Erickson. Here is his take on Trump:
“I still, however, will not be voting for Donald Trump. The choice between Clinton and Trump is like choosing smallpox or anthrax. I’ll pass on both.”
That’s a powerful metaphor. Small pox or anthrax. Sounds like two evils to me and the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, was fond of saying “Of two evils, choose neither.”
But people are not evils. I agree with Spurgeon that when forced to choose between murder and stealing, then it’s right to do neither. But people are not simple evil choices–unless you’re choosing between Hitler and Stalin. Then I might agree.
Let’s be honest and clear: Neither Hillary Clinton of Donald Trump are evil personified. They both have strengths but also many weaknesses. It would be more honest to say that they are not the best choices in character, competence, and policies.
Erickson continues:
“If the election comes down to a single vote nationally and that single vote is in Georgia, I will gladly accept the blame for Donald Trump losing. But I still suspect Trump will lose and that he will lose disastrously. The only thing, however, that will be more disastrous for the GOP than a Trump loss would be a Trump victory. It would be a win for sheer jackassery by the American public.”
“I would rather take blame for Trump’s loss…than endorse a candidacy that has done nothing but bring out the worst in people, elevated the petty vanities of narcissists, and emboldened a white nationalist subculture best left in the roach motel of American politics.”
I disagree with Erickson and all the other “NeverTrumps.” They’re reacting, not thinking long-term, and caught in the “pride” of their movement. It was started to stop Trump–a noble task during the primaries. But they failed. In things like this, Ronald Reagan reminded us a generation ago to “never say never.”
The #NeverTrump folks need to drop their pride. And here’s why. There is one primary reason that I will vote for Donald Trump on November 8, 2016:
The United States Supreme Court.
I don’t deny that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could be bad presidents due to the lack of the leadership triad. They are secularists–one a progressive and the other a regressive. They both drink from the pond of worldly principles and aspirations.
But here’s the big difference: If Hillary Clinton becomes president (or Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden if Hillary is indicted), the morals and security of our nation could be lost for a generation–or forever–with the 1-3 Supreme Court justices that she will likely choose. Any Democrat will choose a flaming liberal that will increase secular tyranny in the land.
Under a Clinton nominee: Abortion? Safe. Gun rights? Gone. Religious liberty? Poof! Obamacare? Saved. Secular progressives are trying with all their might to tear down the God-given rights of our Christian-based republic because they are motivated by dark forces and desire a one world government (no borders).
For all his faults, we know that Donald J. Trump will elect better justices than Hillary Clinton. Maybe far better.
Last week Trump released a list of eleven judges he would consider nominating to the Supreme Court. The list includes several people often found on conservative wish lists, including Diane Sykes, William Pryor and Joan Larsen. Several of the judges were appointed by President George W. Bush, and many serve on state supreme courts with distinction.
Early reaction from congressional Republicans was positive, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) praising the presumptive GOP presidential nominee as having put forward an “impressive list of highly qualified jurists.”
“Understanding the types of judges a presidential nominee would select for the Supreme Court is an important step in this debate so the American people can have a voice in the direction of the Supreme Court for the next generation,” he said.
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the second-ranking Republican in the upper chamber, said Trump made a “smart move” releasing the names. “It’s reassuring for conservatives to know what he’ll be looking for were he elected president,” Cornyn told CNN.
I don’t like Donald Trump’s morals, marriages, personality, and many policies. But I’m going to pray for him and vote for him because of the importance of
The United States Supreme Court.
And I agree with the perspective of Pastor Carl Gallups, who’s also voting for Trump:
“There are many real questions for Christians. Who will best give us the opportunity to be real Christians? Which choice for president will best defend the Christian heritage, ideals and foundation of this nation? Which candidate will best defend America’s borders and security? Which candidate will most likely work hard to improve the economy and return industry, corporations, and jobs to America?”
“Which candidate is most likely to be most ‘friendly’ to the Christian community at large – as well as with Israel? Which candidate will most likely give those of us who are Christians and pastors the opportunities to address, fight, and possibly defeat some of the moral insanities that have been inflicted upon this nation in the last eight years? Which president do you want to see sitting across the table from the diabolic regimes of the world trying to hold back the flood of evil they wish to inflict upon the United States – Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?”
Donald Trump is not a savior, Cyrus, or Nebuchanezzar. He’s the best of two questionable candidates. But, who knows. Maybe God could grab a hold of this man and use him for Kingdom purposes–especially if he surrounds himself with a great supporting cast.
Of course, what we really need in America is Jesus–in many more hearts and homes, an explosion of salvation and discipleship! In the meantime, it’s “occupy until I come” which includes the duty of voting.
I’ve made my civic decision on how I’m going to vote.
Now it’s your turn.
The Rise of the Secular Regressives
Nations normally die slowly when people turn away from their cultural foundations. Political parties are similar, even more closely reflecting the shifts in public thinking because they make up a smaller portion of the electorate.
The Republican Party morphed in 2016. The change has been coming for decades but catalyzed this year when a secular icon named Donald Trump ran for president. Trump brought records numbers of people into party of Lincoln–but many aren’t following the worldview of Honest Abe.
The Republican Party as we’ve previously known it is dead. Gone.
For now.
In its place we have the rise of the Secular Regressives.
I know I’m coining a new term. I don’t know whether it will stick. It’s a take-off from the now common phrase secular progressive made popular by Bill O’Reilly’s Culture Warrior book. SP is the “in vogue” name for liberalism. More on that and defining secular regressive in a moment.
First it might be helpful to discuss two words most Americans don’t understand. In fact, I bet both of the presumptive presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, couldn’t define the difference between these words if asked in a Town Hall meeting. Yet, virtually all Americans knew the difference between them during the Revolutionary era and beyond.
Here’s your civics test of the day: What is the difference between a republic and a democracy?
Both terms go back to the time of ancient Greece when city-states began experimenting with popular rule instead of warrior kings. A republic is a society based on laws–the law is king, (Lex Rex) not the head honcho. It is a social compact tied to principles based on the rights of human beings.
Republics usually have some form of written agreement– like a constitution–which spells out those rights and limits the power of civil government. The United States of America was founded as a constitutional republic. We believe in the power of ideas over the power of magistrates. Democracies, on the other hand, are simply mob rule or majority vote. What the majority wants, the majority gets.
What’s wrong with that you say? Well, actually quite a bit. Majorities can be wrong–with devastating consequences. Two American examples will suffice:
- Slavery of African-Americans was tolerated in our nation for hundreds of years due to wrong majority-based thinking. Millions of blacks suffered.
- Abortion of innocent babies has been approved by majorities since 1973. Sixty-five million human beings have perished.
Yet, voting majorities are helpful in nations seeking self-determination. Democracy is not all bad–it’s probably better than having an evil king. But when majority voting or mob thinking (democracy) is not anchored to God-given human rights (republicanism), its effects are devastating.
Since governments are designed to protect us from evil, some forms of government are better than others. Monarchies are worst. They can go from good to bad in a heart-beat (literally). Respectable democracies go dark when the people become immoral and unthinking and approve bad stuff. But that usually takes time.
Republics are more just and stable because they tie a nation and its leaders to principles of right. The king can’t change the law at his whim. Nor can the people because they’re on a marijuana high when going to the polls. In a republic, the good laws of the land (based on a Constitution out-lining those principles) restrains both the leaders and the people from doing bad things.
The idea of biblically-based republican government is a gift from God that brings both justice and freedom to nations. But it only works when the people practice the principles in their own hearts and lives (self government).
Now a little history on America’s political parties–Democrat and Republican.
Those words first appear in American history in one party–the Democratic Republicans. It came into prominence in the 1790s with the election of Thomas Jefferson. The DRs were strong on “republic” (principles) and minored in “democracy” (voting). The Democratic Republicans were the most popular party in early America.
Eventually the DRs became the Democrats prior to the Civil War. In fact it was the democratic error of promoting slavery that led to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854. From then on, it’s basically been the Democrats versus the Republicans.
During the past 160 years, the Democratic Party evolved into the secular or liberal party of America. Secularism or atheism is really man-centered rules that are not anchored to biblical human rights. Majority votes (or judicial fiats) are what’s right or wrong, not “You shall not kill,” or “You shall not steal.”
During most of that period, the Republicans held onto their biblical view of God-given rights (Constitution). Thus, most Judeo-Christian oriented people and those of traditional or conservative bent voted Republican. Those who were more worldly or atheistic voted Democratic. The parties expressed two opposing worldviews.
They didn’t start that way. In the beginning both contained strong Judeo-Christian principles. In the 20th century, the Democrats devolved into an atheistic alternative.
The Republican Party has clung to the principles of our Judeo-Christian heritage for most of my lifetime. Those include the right to life, sanctity of marriage, the principles of limited government, fiscal discipline, strong national defense, defense of religious liberty, justice for criminals and compassion toward the needy. The Reagan presidency of the 1980s temporarily catapulted those ideas back into the mainstream veins of the national psyche.
Simultaneously, the Democratic Party became more and more secular—even militantly atheistic. They took prayer out of the public schools, legalized abortion on demand and, homosexual marriage, exploded the national debt, promoted radical environmentalism, race hustling, and finally bathroom bullies.
President Obama took mainstream secularism and militarized it. And remember: fascism, socialism and communism are only increasing shades of secular blue. In 2016, Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders won majority Democratic votes in 21 states!
But the Republicans weren’t far behind. Especially in Congress, the Republican elites were gazing at changing American demographics and decided to go secular. I call it Democrat-lite. That’s why there’s been little push back in Congress during the Obama years. Establishment Republicans are closer to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid (socialists) than they are to Jim DeMint and Ted Cruz (biblical Christians).
Along comes Donald Trump—secular icon who’s been a liberal Democrat all his life but recently converted to some conservative principles (depending on the day). He wins the Republican nomination when the Christian base of the country becomes goggle-eyed over his swagger, straight-talk, and give-em-hell attitude.
What they failed to see is that Trump is fundamentally secular (worldly). Yes, he is not progressive in destroying biblical culture like Obama/Clinton/Sanders et al. But because he has no godly perspective for decision-making, Trump will lead the Republican Party to regress on many fronts:
- The Party Platform will be toned down in July.
- Planned Parenthood (lead abortionist) will stay in “government” business.
- Many deals will be struck with Democrats over trade, deficits, and even immigration.
- No moral evils will be reversed.
- The national debt will not be seriously tackled and the entitlement state will grow.
Instead of being renewed by believers in Christ and His freedom-giving ways, the Republican Party, and maybe the nation, will be led by secular regressives.
In 2016, for the first time in its history, no major political party will espouse the biblical, uniquely American way of liberty. Remaining at the gates will be secular progressives who are actively destroying the culture, along with the rise of the secular regressives who will, at the least, inhibit biblical renewal.
Much-respected political pundit Charles Krauthammer agrees. Here is his take on the secular regression of the Party of Lincoln:
“It marks the most radical transformation of the political philosophy of a major political party in our lifetime. The Democrats continue their trajectory of ever-expansive liberalism from the New Deal through the Great Society through Obama and Clinton today. While the GOP, the nation’s conservative party, its ideology refined and crystallized by Ronald Reagan, has just gone populist.”
“It’s an ideological earthquake. How radical a reorientation? Said Trump last week: “Folks, I’m a conservative. But at this point, who cares?”
“Who cares? Wasn’t caring about conservatism the very essence of the talk radio, tea party, grass-roots revolt against the so-called establishment? They cheered Cruz when he led the government shutdown in the name of conservative principles. Yet when the race came down to Cruz and Trump, these opinion-shaping conservatives who once doted on Cruz affected a studied Trump-leaning neutrality.”
Trump won…[He] doesn’t even pretend to have any principles, conservative or otherwise. He lauds his own “flexibility,” his freedom from political or philosophical consistency. And he elevates unpredictability to a foreign policy doctrine. The ideological realignment is stark. On major issues — such as the central question of retaining America’s global preeminence as leader of the free world, sustainer of Western alliances and protector of the post-World War II order — the GOP candidate stands decidedly to the left of the Democrat.”
“And who knows on what else? On entitlements? On health care? On taxes? We will soon find out. But as Trump himself says of being a conservative — at this point, who cares? As of Tuesday night, certainly not the GOP.”
It’s the rise of the secular regressives.
What is the Church in America to do when faced with these choices? How will I vote in November of 2016?
Stay tuned.