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NARRATOR: World War II Veteran Bill McCumber

spends much of his time in his workshop carving

intricate works of art with the tiny blade of a scroll saw.

Many of his creations are expressions

of his faith in Jesus Christ.

BILL MCCUMBER: Those pictures right there,

that is one of the biggest door-openers.

I've had people come and know the Lord.

Just starts them thinking, starts them wanting something.

NARRATOR: Still others are symbols of his patriotism

and service with the U.S. Navy during World War II.

BILL MCCUMBER: Patriotism is the American way.

I mean we just grew up with it.

NARRATOR: Bill joined the Navy in the summer of 1940.

He and a buddy were near Savannah, Georgia,

cutting down trees for his dad to use as pulpwood.

BILL MCCUMBER: But, unfortunately, there

was a telephone line going through the woods with about

50 wires on that sucker.

Those trees fell right across it.

I think I had all the communication cut

between Savannah and Atlanta.

And, Sid looked at me and look at that wire

and said, what are you going to do.

I said, I don't know about you, but I'm

going to joining the Navy.

Because I'd rather face any body than my dad, right now.

So I put my saw down, and I went down and joined the Navy.

NARRATOR: After basic training, Bill

was assigned as a gunner's mate on the battleship USS New

Mexico based in Hawaii.

From his first night on, he kept his lifelong ritual

of kneeling by his bed to pray.

BILL MCCUMBER: And I remember hearing this voice over there,

what's wrong with him?

And I heard some other guy say, shut up, he said,

the man's praying.

I found out that there were people

who believed in prayer there and some didn't believe in it.

NARRATOR: Bill believes those prayers kept him alive.

In May, 1941 the New Mexico was reassigned

to the North Atlantic, seven months

before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

BILL MCCUMBER: I figured that for some reason

that God didn't want us at Pearl Harbor.

Because if we'd a been at Pearl Harbor,

we'd have been on the bottom.

Only after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor

did I really get angry.

I was ready to go take them on.

NARRATOR: The ship was recalled to the Pacific,

but on the way had to stop in Norfolk, Virginia, for repairs.

While on shore leave Bill met Helen Miller.

BILL MCCUMBER: Altogether I knew Helen for about 28 days

when we got over on the west side,

I had already decided I wanted to marry her.

In fact, I told everybody that night,

I said I'm going to marry that girl.

I called her and she agreed to marry me

and then I went on out in the Pacific.

NARRATOR: But duty called and they

had to wait until September 25th, 1943,

two years later, to marry when Bill was able to take leave.

All those years Helen waited and prayed

as Bill manned anti-aircraft guns

defending the New Mexico against Japanese dive bombers

and kamikaze attacks.

He fought at Guam, Saipan, Okinawa and others.

BILL MCCUMBER: You read your Bible,

you wrote letters that weren't going to be mailed,

and I think everybody was living within themselves.

I remember sitting by myself, just

wondering how it's gonna feel like to die.

NARRATOR: Bill saw many friends and brave men fall.

BILL MCCUMBER: Loved them like brothers.

They we're your family.

The first Japanese planes that ever flew over us

were dive bombers, but they missed us.

And I remember this guy, Kenneth Jackson, he was standing there,

after they missed us.

He would, come around again, try one more time, one more time.

He wanted them to come over.

Of course, I think I wanted them to go away.

But Kenneth's not living now, he was

one of those guys that didn't make it.

NARRATOR: Bill is thankful to God

that he was one of those who did.

BILL MCCUMBER: I could have never gone through the war

without the good Lord.

I couldn't make it through this life.

I can look back to so many things

actually that if God hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here.

I really feel that, through the war,

I was one step ahead of disaster because Jesus was looking out

for me.

NARRATOR: After the war ended in 1945,

he was discharged with the rank of chief gunner's mate,

and went home to be with Helen.

The couple settled in Norfolk where they raised two children.

Seventy-three years later, they're still happily married.

Nowadays he shares his faith through woodworking.

He gives many of the pieces away,

especially, his favorite, a carving of Jesus.

BILL MCCUMBER: I just feel lead to give a picture to somebody.

Somebody touches my heart, and I take them a picture.

I don't do nothing, the Lord does it.

When I'm cutting a picture, I pray about it,

about people that are going to see that picture.

That they'll get the same blessing from receiving it as I

do in giving it.

And they learn to know him as their Savior.

NARRATOR: Bill fought alongside men who

died for the cause of freedom.

He is grateful that in America he can freely

share his faith with others.

BILL MCCUMBER: American flag didn't just happen,

we keep that flag flying.

It's something God gave us.

We were made free because God wanted us free.

And because it stands for God, and as long as we uphold God,

that flag will fly.

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