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July 4, 1976 was, like today, a Sunday, and my family was in church.

I was 12, but I watched the nightly news with my parents (ABC, Harry Reasoner IIRC), and for the past few days the situation in Uganda had been the dominating story.

The church (Berean Baptist Church, 3846 Jackson Ave., Ogden, Utah — can I get a shout out? — Pastor Hal Mason) was going on with the planned, traditionally patriotic service (lots of our patriotic songs are really hymns of praise to God, if you listen to them).

I believe the hymn singing portion of the service was ending and Pastor getting ready to begin his sermon when one of the deacons walked swiftly to the front and handed him a note.

He read it, then came to the pulpit and said something like “Israeli soldiers have rescued the hostages in Uganda, with little loss of life. Let us stand and sing the Doxology (”Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow”). Afterwards, he carried on with the service, but a lot of people (to my 12-year-old mind, oddly) kept sniffling at random moments.

I don’t remember the TV coverage of Bicentennial events around the country that day being seasoned much with news out of Israel or Uganda, but... that was quite a moment there at church.