Jacob Deshazer: Forgive Your Enemies

Christian Heroes: Then & Now #31

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

Three thousand feet above China, it was Jake's turn to jump. He slid his pistol, knife, and ration packets into the pockets of his leather jacket and edged toward the open hatch of the B-52 bomber. He checked the tension on the harness of his parachute, made sure the handle of the ripcord was free, and then began lowering himself out of the hatch and into the darkness. One of the famous Doolittle Raiders who first attacked Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jacob DeShazer knew this one-way mission was dangerous. Indeed, it led to his capture as a prisoner of war. Beaten, malnourished, and alone in his cell, Jacob was given a Bible - and far away from home, this American soldier became a Christian. After the war, Jacob returned to japan and served his former enemy for thirty years as a missionary. His testimony of forgiveness and reconciliation - of love over hate - inspires a powerful gospel message for our lives today.

Genres: Biography, Christian, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, World War II, Japan

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2009

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a unique story! A Doolittle raider, captured and mistreated by the Japanese for over 3 years. At a low moment he turned his life over to God and felt his life change. He showed forgiveness and respect to his enemies. The way he was treated by the guards improved. Then God (correctly) told him that the war had ended and that God wanted him to return to Japan as a Christian missionary…

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you imagine so completely forgiving those who tortured you that by the end of your life you only remember that you love them? Would you so completely forgive them that you would endanger your wife and children by living in their destroyed country? Could you ask for leniency for those who killed your friends? How could Jacob DeShazer do just that? Well - read the book! All of those questions are beautifully answered in this book.
It is one of the best in this series. It's brutal enough for even the youngest reader to understand how drastic the change in his life was. It's delicate enough to not traumatize even the youngest reader. Yet, the story is powerful for even the oldest reader. I really can't recommend it enough. It is a powerful testimony of God's transforming power.

[Allyson Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story! I didn't know anything about Jacob Deshazer before reading this book, but now I'm amazed by the life he led. This is true heroism at its finest. So many things that could've led to a very bitter and angry life... He turned around for good. He led an amazing life for God.

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book about an incredible man. But more importantly, it is a story of how God's love changes even the darkest outlooks on life.

I had read other books/articles on Jacob Deshazer before, so when a friend of mine lent me this book, I knew it was going to be good. I was definitely not disappointed.

For starters, can I just fangirl the Doolittle raiders for a minute? I mean seriously, the amount of courage and daring that these men had was outstanding.

This book shed light on how much training they had to do to even prepare for a crazy mission like the Doolittle raid. Not to mention the impossible odds that they were facing with this mission.
Even Jimmy Doolittle himself said that he was guessing they had less than a 50% chance of success!

Then the story of Jacob's salvation and change of heart, was the most incredible aspect of the entire book.
The fact that he faced severe torture, starvation, and abuse at the hands of the Japanese, but was still able to forgive them for what they did and then go to them as a people and preach the gospel to them was an awesome testimony of the change that takes place in a person's heart when they accept Christ as their Savior.

Wow, this book was great and I will definitely be trying to find my own copy of it somewhere!
I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I would have no problem handing this book to someone +10 years.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a powerful story of forgiveness. I can hardly imagine having to go through all of that and still forgive those who did that to you. And not only forgiving them but turning around and loving them and serving them the rest of your life. Just goes to show the absolutely transforming love and forgiveness of God.

[Rosy Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the story of Jacob DeShazer - I've read this biography twice already. Jacob DeShazer has an amazing testimony of love and forgiveness towards the people who hurt him.

He kind of reminds me of a St. Patrick of the 20th century. After participating in the Doolittle raid on Japan, he was kidnapped and held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. For over 3 years he was tutored, beaten and starved, but while he was imprisoned he read the Bible, and God saved him. After his release, he returned to the Japanese people to share with them the gospel, and loved and served them for 30 years. I admire his ability to forgive, and obedience to follow where God was taking him, even when it was hard.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful story of God's redemption, grace, and forgiveness. I am going to read a lot non-fiction this year.

[Khari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, I learned a lot. I had no idea who Jacob Deshazer was before I started this book. Just goes to show you how deplorable my history is that I had never heard of the Doolittle Raiders even though I've read quite a bit about World War II.

Anyway, it was a good book. Jacob Deshazer was an inspiring man.

The only problem I had with the book is that it is written like a book report. It is a biography and you learn a lot about the man, but you really can't connect with him emotionally at all because, again, it reads like a really long book report.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this with my children! They kept asking for it wanting to know what happens next. Plus, the redemption in the story is amazing and has impressed the children as well.
I didn’t like that some details from Jake’s life were either omitted or missing. I read another of his biographies and some of those details would’ve added much more to the story.

[Alyssa Cerretti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so easy to listen to; it was hard to put down. As a Washington state resident I liked all of the PNW references to JBLM and SPU. Fascinating story of one man’s WW2 experience and his missionary life afterwards.

[Raven Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

We enjoy all of YWAM books so much! Parents need to be reading more of these type of stories to their children!

[Autumn Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in a way that is very easy to read, but also very touching. Jacob Deshazer reflected God’s forgiveness for man through his life, and I highly recommend this book!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an incredible story! Jacob DeShazer’s life truly exemplified the power of forgiveness and how it can transform your life. This is the best book in the series, in my opinion.

[Amy Tarleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected story I hadn’t heard!

If you love history, redemption, biographies, WWII genre, or Jesus, read this story! Jacob Deshazer should be a name more Christians are familiar with!

[laney campbell🤸🏼‍♀️]

read for school

[Rikuya Osawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Revenge has always been a major motif in Japanese thought. But I am here to say to you that forgiveness is a far greater moral than revenge.” —Mitsuo Fuchida, a former lead pilot of the Pearl Harbor attack, who later became a Christian.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, considering my Japanese heritage and Christian faith. Mrs. Janet Benge's writing is consistently concise and accessible, just as in her other works on Christian heroes.

Jacob DeShazer's story is one of resilience, transformation, and the enduring strength of faith and forgiveness. As a prisoner of war during WWII, held captive by the Japanese, he endured horrendous treatment from the prison guards. It was truly inspiring to follow the journey of a man who initially harbored deep hatred towards the Japanese but ultimately underwent a profound transformation, becoming a person filled with love for the very people he had once resented.

I was also glad to have read a biography of Mitsuo Fuchida, a former lead pilot of the Pearl Harbor attack, who underwent a remarkable transformation to become a Christian. Their lives intersected profoundly in Japan, allowing them to join forces in sharing their stories of faith and hope, and the profound changes it brought to their lives. Their testimony, of how hatred was transformed into boundless love, touched the lives of thousands as they spoke before large audiences in Japan.

Rating: 4.5

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason, the Pacific theater of the second world war is often ignored, and as a result the Doolittle raid upon Japan has been largely forgotten. Not only is there great history here, but the Benge's illuminate God's intervention to save a young POW and equip him to minister to the people of the Japan for decades following the war. Along the way we see the power of forgiveness and reconciliation - both between men and God and men and each other.

I highly recommend this book for World War II study. It complements the story of Corrie Ten Boom particularly well, and may have special appeal for men young and old who will relate to Jacob Deshazer's struggles and motivations.

For more on the Pacific Theater and POWs in World War II:
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, Hillenbrand, 2010
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For more on forgiveness of tormentors:
Corrie Ten Boom: Her Story, Corrie Ten Boom, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Sara Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books from this series from YWAM. :)

[JD' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the story of Jacob DeShazer hit me personally because it immediately made me think of my own family.
My grandfather Biggs served during World War II and later spent time stationed in Japan. My family roots in America go all the way back to the early colonial days — back to Jamestown in the 1600s when Pocahontas married John Rolfe.
So when I read about — an American soldier who went from bombing Japan during World War II to later returning there as a missionary preaching forgiveness — it moved me. I wish my grandpa was a believer. I wish he had gone to listen to Jacob Deshazer speak and been transformed.
Before this book, I honestly had no idea there was a period in American history when missionaries were intentionally sent into former enemy nations after the war. Not soldiers. Not politicians. Missionaries carrying a message of reconciliation. I wish that could have happened to my grandpa.

And the most incredible person to send to Japan was a man who had every reason on earth to hate them.
Jacob was part of the famous Doo Little raids in World War II. After the raid, he was captured by the Japanese and imprisoned for over 40 months. He endured torture, starvation, isolation, humiliation, and brutality most people today cannot even imagine.
Yet somehow, in the middle of that darkness, he was given a Bible.
That Bible changed his life forever.
One of the verses that transformed him was:
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you...”
— Matthew 5:44
And another:
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
— Romans 12:21
Instead of becoming consumed with bitterness, Jacob became a Christian. Instead of revenge, he chose forgiveness.
That is what makes this story so powerful.
After the war, Jacob returned to Japan — not with bombs, but bombed them with Jesus.

Many Japanese people hated Americans because of the war. They had lost fathers, brothers, sons, and friends. Some hated Jacob personally because he represented America and the destruction they remembered. But when they heard his testimony — how he himself had suffered terribly and still chose love and forgiveness through Christ — many hearts began to soften.

Some even came to faith themselves.

One thing that stood out to me was how Jacob lived out his faith quietly. Even in prison, the other prisoners noticed something different about him before he ever openly spoke much about Christianity. They saw strength, peace, endurance, and compassion in impossible conditions. His faith gave hope to people around him.
Sometimes the strongest testimony is not loud preaching, but how a person lives when they are suffering.

I also admired that Jacob and his wife raised five children, and several of their sons later served in the military during the Vietnam era. Even after everything he endured during war, Jacob did not pass hatred down to the next generation.
This entire book series published by YWAM has been outstanding. These are five-star books.

The most most inspiring was at the very end of Jacob DeShazer’s life.
He had developed dementia.
Over time, many memories faded away. The pain of prison. The torture. The war. Even large parts of his past became difficult for him to remember.
But then someone asked him if he remembered his years serving in Japan as a missionary.
And suddenly, he lit up.
That part he remembered.
He remembered the people. He remembered the joy. He remembered serving Christ in Japan.
And honestly, that hit me deeply because it reminded me so much of my Indian grandmother near the end of her life.

She also had severe dementia. Sometimes she did not know who I was. She could not remember my father, her own son. She often did not know where she was or what year it was. So much of her memory had disappeared.
But one day someone asked her if she knew who Jesus was.
And immediately she became excited and full of life:
“Jesus is healer. Jesus is King. Jesus is almighty. Jesus is my Redeemer.”

She had forgotten almost everything else.
But she still remembered Jesus.
And that is beautiful.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob Deshazer's story is so inspiring. I was amazed at how he was able to endure years of torture at the Japanese camps for political prisoners and then return to the country after the war to become a missionary. His love for the Japanese people was inconceivable. One thing that stuck out to me was that in his later years, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia. He was finally able to forget all of the torture he endured but still remembered the good times in Japan and the love he had for its people. I would recommend this book to a young person who enjoys reading about resilient people and can handle reading about the horrors of war.

[Vicky D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son had to read this book for school and it sounded good so I read it as well. What a fabulous book! I applaud the man that Jacob Deshazer was. This book was very interesting to me and I found myself researching Jacob Deshazer after I got finished with the book. This book is great for all ages and has a great moral story of a fine Christian man. Jacob tells of his hardships after being captured and kept prisoner of war. He forgave the enemies that tortured him during this time. He found hope in reading the Bible in prison and converted to a Christian. He decided to come back to his enemy territory and become a missionary. I highly recommend this book!

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was awesome. DeShazer sounded like a really interesting person. I loved reading his story, it engaged my kids. They were flying their imaginary planes in the backyard and just super fascinated by everything he did.

The Doolittle Raid seems to have been completely forgotten, and then to be a POW for Japan and go back to evangelize to them. His story was pretty amazing.

These biographies are all pretty formulaic. They are pretty easy reads and well worth the time to learn a little about another Christian brother who goes before us.

[Christy Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book series as a young kid is partly responsible for my love of traveling and studying other cultures. Learning about brave men and women who went out into the world with love and respect for others, practicing superhuman forgiveness and compassion, is inspiring.

My dad and I read this while carpooling to work (a stark contrast with our last read about Mr. Darcy). There are some challenging realities in this book, but by the end you're crying (my dad and I definitely didn't cry on the 408).

[Tami Hungerford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soo good but a hard read at times (especially for young listeners) as he was a POW for 3years. Amazing act of forgiveness and redemption as he turned around and went back to the same country he was once a prisoner of and became a missionary, giving all the glory to God. At the end of his life as he was over taken with Parkinson’s and Dementia he was asked about his time as a POW to which he didn’t remember a single thing, or even being one. But then he was asked about being a missionary to the Japanese and he lit up and talked about it as if it was yesterday💟

[Grace Pringle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an entirely family-friendly read due to the torture, mistreatment, etc. I did gloss over these parts a bit for my children since I was reading it out loud.

An amazing reminder of the transforming power of Christ giving people the ability to forgive their enemies. The last third of the book was less spell-binding since it was more of of an account of Jacob's missionary journeys, still interesting, though. Apparently he wrote an auto-biography account of what happened and I'd like to read that some day.

[Aimee Fuhrman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family loves this entire series of biographies of Christian historical figures (YWAM publishers), but this volume was one of our favorites! Jacob Deshazer's story was incredible and inspiring. His harrowing experience as a Japanese prisoner of war during WWII highlighted his courage and tenacity. And his return to his faith in God was truly inspiring.
I highly recommend this for out loud family reading.

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s stories like this that really give life to Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:14-22. The Grace and Love of God is far more powerful than any bitterness or hate. It opens the eyes of the blind to see that the man or woman in front of me is every bit in need of God’s Love as I am, whether they believe in Him or not.

If anyone had license to be bitter and hold on to resentment, it would have been a man like Jacob. I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. This is my second of the series. I have been thinking so much about forgiveness this summer so I am glad I stumbled upon this story. I mentioned the book in my devotional for SIM in Malaga. Tim and Muriel had read these series when they were in Africa.

So much has changed in terms of how Christians are perceived in the world. He spoke all over Japan and so many came to faith.

[Mike Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the life story of Jake Deshazer. His transformation by Christ from a hater to a lover of the Japanese people was truly miraculous! This book confirms the the Word of God the profess a long and fruitful life filled with peace to those that put their trust in the Lord Jesus for Salvation !! Jeremiah 29:11, Psalms 91:14-16, Isaiah 26:3-4

[Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this. Cried so many times. It was a bit of a slow start. His conversion happens half way through the book, but it makes sense later. I love how Christianity spread in Japan and how the guy that led the attack on Pearl Harbor got saved and preached with Jacob! Amazing story.

Also has helpful information about how communism spread and the beginning of the Korean War.