The scene: Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam. Helicopters sputtered overhead and jet fighters thundered off the airstrip. For the last night or two there had been attacks on the perimeter of the base by the Viet Cong. For most American servicemen it was just another workday.
But for Christian Scientists serving in the area, November 3 was special. They were attending a Christian Science conference, one of five autumn meetings held in the Far East for military personnel. They came from Da Nang, Chu Lai, Phu Bai, and Pleiku—widely scattered areas. Some had not known Christian Science long. They leaned their rifles against the wall and settled down to a day of discussing how Science could help them with frontline problems.
"All through the day," reports Chaplain Robert W. Hodges, Christian Scientist in charge of the meeting, "we kept returning to the thought of going on patrols and confronting the VC face to face. Several men told me afterwards they would feel much better now about having to go on patrols."
