The understanding that I have gained of Christian Science is worth more to me than all formal education. This Science has brought unlimited blessings into my experience since early childhood.
When I entered upon active duty in the armed services, I had had the benefit of attendance in the Sunday School of a branch church, and I had completed college work and examinations required in my chosen field. Through spiritual inspiration, the result of prayerful study in Christian Science, I was led to apply for aircrew training as an aerial navigator. Formal and scholastic education were helpful, but they had not entirely prepared me for the problems to come. Christian Science alone had taught me not to wait for a more convenient time to take my stand for the allness of God. While I was in the service, I took this stand and was able to defeat all suggestions about lack of time to study, throughout intensive periods of training and combat operations; and in the years since I have been separated from military service, the Lesson-Sermons as given in the Christian Science Quarterly have actually been my daily bread.
Soon after joining a bomber group in Italy, and before many of the prescribed number of combat missions had been flown, I experienced a physical difficulty diagnosed by the flight surgeon as bronchial asthma. The condition came on suddenly and was so severe that it was difficult for me to get my breath. I could not walk more than a few steps without sitting down to rest. The surgeon stated after extensive physical examination that medical remedies were tentative and that the only answer was to ground me and send me back to the United States for release from duty.
