A man’s sacrifice

Interesting history of a wartime quote…

“The universe is so vast, and so ageless that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice.” – Vivian Rosewarne, Wellington bomber copilot

The Edge of the World, 1937
The Edge of the World, 1937

Such were the words of officer Vivian Rosewarne, Wellington bomber copilot, stationed at RAF Marham, Norfolk during the Second World War. His letter was published in The London Times and had become so popular that over 500,000 copies in pamphlet form were eventually sold.

You can read the entire account here: An Airman’s Letter To His Mother

Interestingly, a short propaganda film was produced of the account by the same name as the original article headline: An Airman’s Letter to His Mother

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4 Comments

  1. Rob, I thought this very moving indeed!! I loved the lines following your quote.

    “We are sent to this world to acquire a personality and a character to take with us that can never be taken from us. Those who just eat and sleep, prosper and procreate, are no better than animals if all their lives they are at peace.”

    That made me stop and think. I think I agree with him.

    I just recently heard Beth Moore say that God is in the business of making our lives a great story. Great stories are never the boring ones full of peace. They are the ones with hairpin curves and near misses. She is right.

  2. Karen, I didn’t see your comment before I read the letter. That was the exact same quote I was drawn to.

    Rob,this was a fascinating read. Lately, I’ve been hearing quotes similar to these–or at least noticing them. Always inspirational when you’re feeling failure might be imminent.

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