On Lord's Day December 7 1941, the US Pacific Fleets lay peacefully at anchor. Without declaration of war the Japanese attacked and temporarily broke American naval power in the Pacific. The man who commanded the Japanese air raid was 39 year-old Mitsuo Fuchida. As the Japanese airforce commander he was first over Pearl Harbour and the last to leave it. It was his order (the code ‘Tora! Tora! Tora!’) that brought the destruction that day and which engulfed the Far East as part of World War II. Of that vicious attack he said, “My heart was ablaze with joy for my success. . .”

After the war Fuchida was called to give evidence in war crimes trials. As he passed through Tokyo railway station a missionary gave him a tract called 'I was a prisoner of Japan'. In this tract the American, Jacob De Shazer, described how he had read the Bible while a prisoner and how he turned to Christ as a result. Shortly after that Fuchida obtained a New Testament and was soon captivated by the Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ. He was reading Luke on the crucifixion of Christ when Christ's prayer gripped his soul; “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He thought of all the men he had killed in battle with his heart full of hatred. He said, “Right at that moment I seemed to meet Jesus for the first time. I understood the meaning of his death for my wickedness, and so in prayer I requested him to forgive my sins and change me from a bitter disillusioned ex-pilot into a well-balanced Christian. My complete view of life was changed by the intervention of Christ. Jesus became my personal Saviour.” That was 50 years ago today (14th April 1950).