When I rushed into the studio of station KGU, Honolulu, about nine o'clock on the morning of December 7—that morning now so famous for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor—I put this question to the excited announcer: "Are we going to be on the air this morning?"
It was nearly time for our regular Sunday morning broadcast. A few bombs had been dropped on the city proper, and a number of people had been killed. The radios were still broadcasting, but nearly all the regular programs were either suspended or interrupted by announcements to the civilian population instructing them to stay off the streets and keep calm. A preacher of another denomination stood in the studio ready to deliver his sermon, but he never went on the air as far as I know. So in view of all this, I thought it quite remarkable that the announcer answered my question in the affirmative.
"Yes," he replied eagerly, "I don't know of anyone just now who could give a better program than the Seventh-day Adventists."
Before we picked up the equipment for the remote-control program, originating in the church, one of the announcers ran with me to the edge of the roof of the building and pointed down three stories to a blazing truck that had been struck by a bomb. We scarcely had time for anything but a glance before we heard the roar of what appeared to be an enemy bomber approaching the studio. We realized that radio stations are military objectives, so quite naturally we ran full speed back into the studio.
If that plane had attacked us we would have had little opportunity to escape. But the message had to go on the air that morning; so hastily gathering up the equipment, we hurried back to the church, and when the hour struck for our program, we went on the air. The subject was changed to fit the circumstances. We called it: "God's Providences in Time of Crisis." No doubt we had the largest listening audience in our eleven years of broadcasting over this station. Five times the program was interrupted with short announcements, but the message of God was broadcast under bombardment. At the close of the program a terrific antiaircraft barrage centered in a spot almost directly over our church building, but neither falling shrapnel nor bombs struck the church.
We feel that this crisis experience, which illustrates the respect of the world for the message of the advent people, is evidence of the convincing power attending the proclamation of the truth. It is evidence, too, of the important part the radio can play in proclaiming the truth, and a pledge from God that He will continue to attend every honest effort to present the third angers message.
