During World War II, after three other campaigns in the Pacific; at daybreak April 1, 1945 our medical group was sent to be with the infantry that was invading Okinawa, Japan. We were carrying about 140 pounds each. This included backpack, medical equipment and supplies, rifle, 45 caliber pistol, ammunition and water. The whole beach seemed to be a ball of fire with the bombing, strafing and guns blasting.

April 17, 1945 at 11:00 p.m. I found myself standing in a rice paddy not caring whether I lived or died. Thousands of our boys had been killed or wounded. We were working night and day taking care of the wounded. Standing there I wondered how I had escaped injury. I realized I had never asked Jesus to come into my life, so at that moment I prayed and asked to be saved. A great burden was lifted and I felt renewed and ready to continue assisting the surgeon. I made a promise to the Lord that when I came home I would work with the youth and prayed they would never have to experience the death and suffering of another war as I had. Seventy more days and nights we worked to save as many as possible. This was a miracle for the ones who made it - there were very few who lived or were not injured.

I came home in April 1946 and with the encouragement from my wife, I started back to college. We became church members there and I taught Sunday school class of 13 year old boys. I finished college and began working for Navistar (then International Harvester) then was transferred to London, Kentucky. We transferred our church letters and started working with youth in Sunday school and training union. In 1957 we were transferred to Dayton and again became active with the youth from nursery age to teens.

During the year of 1967, we transferred our letters to Happy Corner Church. I worked with YMCA Indian Guides program until 1971; in the mean time my son wanted to join Cub Scouts.

I formed a cub pack in 1969 and in two years we had 92 boys. This was such a big job that I gave up the YMCA Indian Guides program. In 1971 my son joined a Boy Scout troop. The troop was not active, three boys and three adults broke away and formed Troop 325. Today we have 48 boys and it's the most active troop in the council.

This calling has been a blessing to me especially with my son and son-in-law following in my footsteps with their leadership.

July 1994 I awoke and was unable to walk without severe pain in my back and right leg. My doctor ordered x-rays and a CAT scan. They showed spurs on three vertebrae and two ruptured discs pressing on a nerve. September 9, 1994 I had surgery and my blood would not coagulate. I bled for ten hours and was given 12 units of blood, 9 units of blood plasma, 36 platelets and drugs that were to stop the bleeding. None of these worked. The hospital chaplain came to Pastor John and told him to stay with the family that I may not make it. Pastor John told me that something told him that it would not be necessary to prepare the family because I was going to make it. The doctors were preparing to drain all of my blood and replace it with plasma; shortly after this, the bleeding stopped as if it had been turned off by a faucet. The doctors had no explanation for this, but we knew it was all the prayers that had been offered in my behalf. I believe this was another miracle in my life.

April 13, 1998, my wife drove me to the emergency room at Good Samaritan Hospital as I had a fever. X-rays were taken which showed I had pneumonia and a mass in the center lobe of my right lung. I was admitted to the hospital and additional tests were made. There was fluid in the sack around my heart and in both lungs. The mass in the lung was malignant. The fluid build up began to affect my breathing and the heart beat. I was rushed to surgery and a window was cut to the heart to drain the fluid; two quarts of fluid was drained from around the heart and a quart from each lung.

When I was told about the malignancy, the doctor said that there was a 15 percent life expectancy and that I wouldn't live over 3 or 4 months. My conditioned worsened after blood clots formed and my wife was told that I was critically ill, as they were in my legs and lungs. I survived that episode and then the kidneys failed. I was on dialysis for 15 days and the doctors felt that it was a permanent thing. During this time I was taken to Good Samaritan North by ambulance for radiation treatments. The kidney specialist and the radiologist both asked if I wanted to live. My answer was yes and whatever it takes regardless of how painful that I wanted to live. The kidney specialist then told me "I have hands, a mind, a brain and a heart; but I can do no more than God wills; at this point it is up to God." After 15 days he came in the room and told me that he wanted to try something. He gave me a massive dose of lassic directly into the vein; within an hour my kidneys started functioning again. At the end of the next week I came home after spending almost six weeks in the hospital and never giving up hope that I wouldn't make it. I continued radiation treatments and after receiving 28 of those the doctor said that what remained seemed to be scar tissue. After a short recuperation period I started chemo-therapy and after 10 treatments was admitted to the hospital again with pneumonia and inflammation in the left lung. I was given anti-biotics intravenously and am currently on Prednisone; after 30 days on this medication I feel like a new person. I feel this was another miracle from God and I believe that these miracles took place because there were so many prayers offered in my behalf. I also believe strongly that God has other plans for me and I am seeking his will to guide me in whatever he wants me to do for the remainder of my life.

John S. Combs