Today's promise: God gives us strength
to cope with hard work
How diligently do you
do your work?
Never be lazy in your
work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Romans 12:11 NLT
Personal responsibility comes home
The USS Astoria
was the first U.S. cruiser to engage the Japanese during the Battle of Savo
Island, a night action fought 8-9, August 1942.
About 0200 hours Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples was swept overboard by the blast when the number one 8-inch gun turret exploded. He was kept afloat by a narrow life belt that he managed to activate.
At around 0600 hours, Staples was rescued by a passing destroyer and returned to the Astoria, whose captain was attempting to save the cruiser by beaching her. The effort failed, and Staples, still wearing the same life belt, found himself back in the water. Picked up again, he was one of 500 survivors.
On board a transport, he closely examined the life belt that had served him so well. It had been manufactured by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, and bore a registration number.
Given home leave, Staples asked his mother, who worked for Firestone, about the purpose of the number on the belt. She replied that the company insisted on personal responsibility for the war effort, and that the number was unique and assigned to only one inspector. Staples remembered everything about the life belt, and quoted the number. It was his mother's personal code and affixed to every item she was responsible for approving.
About 0200 hours Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples was swept overboard by the blast when the number one 8-inch gun turret exploded. He was kept afloat by a narrow life belt that he managed to activate.
At around 0600 hours, Staples was rescued by a passing destroyer and returned to the Astoria, whose captain was attempting to save the cruiser by beaching her. The effort failed, and Staples, still wearing the same life belt, found himself back in the water. Picked up again, he was one of 500 survivors.
On board a transport, he closely examined the life belt that had served him so well. It had been manufactured by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, and bore a registration number.
Given home leave, Staples asked his mother, who worked for Firestone, about the purpose of the number on the belt. She replied that the company insisted on personal responsibility for the war effort, and that the number was unique and assigned to only one inspector. Staples remembered everything about the life belt, and quoted the number. It was his mother's personal code and affixed to every item she was responsible for approving.
Commander Eric J. Berryman, quoted by R. Kent Hughes in 1001 Great Stories and Quotes (Tyndale
House) p 234-35
Content is derived
from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale
Publishing House
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