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Article: Remembering the nightmare of Biafra: E.H. Johnson was at the centre of saving lives in Biafra 35 years ago.
- Article from:
- Presbyterian Record
- Article date:
- September 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Presbyterian Record. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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It was officially called Jointchurchaid (JCA), but the daredevil pilots called it the Jesus Christ Airline with a swagger of pride and hint of awe. For almost two amazing years, JCA kept a small, breakaway West African state alive, refusing to allow starvation to be used as a weapon of war. It flew 5,314 missions, carrying 60,000 tons of humanitarian aid, and saved millions of lives.
The lumbering DC-6s and temperamental Super Constellations flew without lights at night from the island of Sao Tome off the coast of West Africa into a tiny airstrip carved from the dense bush. They skimmed blindly over the trees at 2,000 feet to avoid the enemy guns and fighters. At ...