I spoke today with Dr. John Whitcomb, author of The Genesis Flood, and one of the great heroes of the faith alive today. At the age of eighty-four, Dr. Whitcomb is preaching with fervor and continuing to combat the forces of evolutionary compromise which have assaulted the Church by distorting the Genesis account of creation. (In January of 2003, I had the honor of taping a week-long series with Dr. Whitcomb and Dr. Morris on the subject of “No Death Before Adam.”) In my early days as a Christian, Dr. Whitcomb’s ministry was a great mentor, and I remain deeply grateful for his influence on my life.
Dr. Whitcomb reminded me today of the fact that he had served as a young officer in the famous Battle of the Bulge, and related to me a remarkable story about his father, who served as a commanding officer under General George S. Patton. Apparently when Whitcomb Jr.’s division fell into rough times, Patton sent Whitcomb Sr. to rescue them. The mission was a success and the father was able to rescue the son and his men. Dr. Whitcomb related to me the joy of spending a full hour with his Dad during a break in the battle.
The episode reminded me of the touching story of John Fahndal, whom I interviewed on Guam earlier this year for the Faith of Our Fathers project. For that Marine, the journey back to Iwo Jima evoked profound memories of a loving father finding his son in the midst of battle.
Marine Corps Battalion Commander John Edward Fahndal and his son Sgt. John Walker Fahndal (pictured above) were both ordered to Iwo Jima, but in different companies. They attacked Iwo on different beaches.
Separated for two weeks of bloody battle by less than a few miles, father and son agonized over the fate of each other. Finally, during a brief respite in the fighting, the father was able to search through the battle debris to see if his boy, his only son, was still alive.
Fahndal told me:
He came looking for me one day, I recognized him coming and he came up to me. He said “Do you know a Sgt. Fahndal” and I said “sure do.” He said “Will you take me to him?” Then I realized... he didn’t really recognize me, of course we were in helmets. So we had a nice visit. About two hours. We watch the sun go down.”
The interview (which is featured in our up-and-coming film) is a powerful testimony to the significance of fatherhood and sonship.