Easter in New Guinea

Back in Oswego, Ore., Johnny Slocum didn't go in much for religion. He tried Sunday school a few times and found it dull. Religion did not interest him. After his freshman year at Oregon State College he dropped out to enlist. By Easter, 1943, John McDaniel Slocum was a second lieutenant in the infantry, in charge of a reconnaissance party of twelve men in New Guinea. They had been away from their base for many weeks, were living on powdered milk and canned stew.

"All my men and myself were having a big gabfest last night," he wrote his mother, "and the fact that Easter was today was mentioned. Not too much was said and the subject was dropped. . . . But for some reason I woke up at 5:30 and I just had an impulse to go to our hill which overlooks the ocean, and hold myself a little sunrise service. . . . Every man in camp was there. . . . We sang several hymns. Some natives (Christians) joined us and we sang some more.

"As the sky turned pink we all were quiet. As the sun came up someone started to sing The Star-Spangled Banner and as the sun rose over the mighty blue Pacific our voices, with a background of natives humming, reached out across that sea to tell all of you at home that all was well. . . .

"Then one of the boys took out a Bible and asked me to read something from it. . . . As I glanced at the opened page, there was the Lord's Prayer. I read it through very quietly once, and then we all said it in unison.

"Then, with a glance at the rising sun, we all returned to camp."

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