Justice Tom Parker Condemns Schiavo Killing
My friend, David Linton who works with Justice Tom Parker sent this to me... he writes, "Terri’s unjust death is the result of public officials fearing man more than God."
Montgomery — Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker calls the state-sanctioned killing of Terri Schiavo a "shameful miscarriage of ju stice."
"The most fundamental duty of civil government is to defend life, especially for those most vulnerable and least able to speak for themselves," Parker said. "The forced starvation of disabled Terri Schiavo — ordered and upheld by appointed judges and aided and abetted by elected officials — represents the ultimate violation of thisduty."
"The Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the Unites States of America, states that 'we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights,' including the right to 'life'. An inalienable right is one that may not be taken away — not by a husband and not by a judge — so those condemning Terri to death, and those supporting that condemnation, have perpetrated a great injustice," he said. "Some public officials who refused to act to stop Terri's unjust killing are claiming 'the rule of law' kept them from acting.
But the rule of law is not whatever a judge says it is; that would be the rule of man. The unpopular truth is that when a judge issues an order contrary to a higher law such as the Constitution, that order is void and should be resisted by the leaders of other branches of government who took their own oaths before God to defend the Constitution. Whether directly involved or not, every branch that refuses to act in such case becomes culpable too," Parker said.
"Terri's forced starvation, what one critic called ‘the longest public execution in American history,' directly violates the Constitution of the State of Florida which mandates that ‘No person shall be deprived of any right because of race, religion, national origin, or physical disability,’ (Article 1, Section 2)." No judicial order can change > that."
"By unduly exalting the judiciary and excusing the executive and legislative branches of government from their constitutional duty to protect life and the most vulnerable members of our society, the Schiavo case establishes a dangerous precedent of judicial supremacy."
"Thomas Jefferson warned us of the dangers of judicial supremacy: '[T]o consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions [is] a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.' Sadly many elected officials are content to accept such despotism because it helps them avoid controversial issues."
"Ultimately, Terri's unjust death is the result of public officials lacking moral courage and fearing man rather than God.
But He sees their deeds and will call them to account: 'Woe to those judges who issue unrighteous decrees,' the Scripture says in Isaiah 10:1, 'and to the magistrates who keep causing unjust and oppressive decisions to be recorded.'"
March 31, 2005
Beware the Ides of March - The Foreboding Death of Christian Thinking
Beware The Ides of March – The Foreboding Death of Christian Thinking
March 2005 will go down in my books as one of the worst moral/judicial months since Roe v Wade. “Beware the Ides of March’ was the warning when Julius Caesar was brutally murdered on March 15, 44 BC. After this bloody murder, the designation took on new meaning. Jennifer Vernon said, “The phrase came to represent a specific day of abrupt change that set off a ripple of repercussions throughout Roman society and beyond.”
We all knew that the cold winds were changing as we saw the figures in the news were either dominated by horror or "understanding."
There was Horror in the hearts of those who still think Christianly about life.
The ripples and repercussions were hitting hard as we saw firsthand that there was understanding on the lips of those who have forgotten that man is made in the image of God and that under God, man does not decide how long man should live.
I was at a funeral many years ago and the pastor asked, “who knows how long a man should live?” The implication was, “only God knows.” But this ancient thought has been overwhelmed by the ides of our culture.
“Beware the Ides of March.” The culture of death rumbled in March 2005. It was a bad month for life made in the image of God.
In Houston, on March 15th, a five month old baby was killed against a mothers will for “quality of life” issues. Gasps of disbelief were heard all across the nation, yet there were millions who “understood” why this had to happen.
Terri Schiavo was brutally murdered before the watching world, by state ordered dehydration. This 41 year old woman was alert and responsive and yet was extinguished against the will of her father and mother.
“Beware the Ides of March.”
There must be an uproar from the Church of Jesus Christ.
March 2005 will go down in my books as one of the worst moral/judicial months since Roe v Wade. “Beware the Ides of March’ was the warning when Julius Caesar was brutally murdered on March 15, 44 BC. After this bloody murder, the designation took on new meaning. Jennifer Vernon said, “The phrase came to represent a specific day of abrupt change that set off a ripple of repercussions throughout Roman society and beyond.”
We all knew that the cold winds were changing as we saw the figures in the news were either dominated by horror or "understanding."
There was Horror in the hearts of those who still think Christianly about life.
The ripples and repercussions were hitting hard as we saw firsthand that there was understanding on the lips of those who have forgotten that man is made in the image of God and that under God, man does not decide how long man should live.
I was at a funeral many years ago and the pastor asked, “who knows how long a man should live?” The implication was, “only God knows.” But this ancient thought has been overwhelmed by the ides of our culture.
“Beware the Ides of March.” The culture of death rumbled in March 2005. It was a bad month for life made in the image of God.
In Houston, on March 15th, a five month old baby was killed against a mothers will for “quality of life” issues. Gasps of disbelief were heard all across the nation, yet there were millions who “understood” why this had to happen.
Terri Schiavo was brutally murdered before the watching world, by state ordered dehydration. This 41 year old woman was alert and responsive and yet was extinguished against the will of her father and mother.
“Beware the Ides of March.”
There must be an uproar from the Church of Jesus Christ.
March 30, 2005
The Thain Family on Kauai
We traveled 25,000 miles to make two films, take my father to Iwo Jima and to do mini Uniting Church and Family conferences on three Pacific islands. As the long journey was coming to a close, our final stop was Kauai. For me, this was the high point of the trip as we were warmly welcomed into the Justin Thain household. We were marvelously blessed by the home life we observed there.
The Thain Family - (L/R) Rebecca, Justin, Malia, baby Madison, Nalu, Samuel, Maile, Alison, ,Emma, Mina, Nick
Don Hart, David and I woke up to this sight in our bedroom - Mina age 5. When I saw her my heart was instantly lifted by the sight of a child.
Mina, Kelly Brown and Maile Preparing Breakfast - Much better than hotel Continental Breakfast
While Justin Thain reads the Bible, there is an atmosphere of joy and respect.
I absolutely loved the sounds that the Thain and Brown girls made
The proud offspring of Scottish great grandfather
Don Hart and I were sitting in the Thain living room after Justin read scripture to his family, with their joyful children all around, and I said, ‘Don, Jesus Christ is the center of this home. Family culture like this is why we do what we are doing’
Thank you Thains, we love you very much. Please come soon to NC to stay with us.
The Thain Family - (L/R) Rebecca, Justin, Malia, baby Madison, Nalu, Samuel, Maile, Alison, ,Emma, Mina, Nick
Don Hart, David and I woke up to this sight in our bedroom - Mina age 5. When I saw her my heart was instantly lifted by the sight of a child.
Mina, Kelly Brown and Maile Preparing Breakfast - Much better than hotel Continental Breakfast
While Justin Thain reads the Bible, there is an atmosphere of joy and respect.
I absolutely loved the sounds that the Thain and Brown girls made
The proud offspring of Scottish great grandfather
Don Hart and I were sitting in the Thain living room after Justin read scripture to his family, with their joyful children all around, and I said, ‘Don, Jesus Christ is the center of this home. Family culture like this is why we do what we are doing’
Thank you Thains, we love you very much. Please come soon to NC to stay with us.
March 22, 2005
No Elderly or Disabled or Children Will Be Safe Again
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The sad fact is that a majority of Americans (60%) think that Terri Schiavo should die a horrible death by starvation because she cannot walk or talk or speak or eat (sounds like my children when they were babies).
Here is an article a friend of mine wrote regarding Terri Schiavo, entitled, Jeb Bush can Save Terri Schiavo http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43451.
Burt Prelutsky makes the devastating observation:
"As far as I can see, the entire basis for the case being argued by those wanting her dead is that she can't walk, she can't talk, and she obviously can't feed herself.
Well, if those are sufficient grounds for exterminating Terri Schiavo, they provide equally good reasons for murdering every baby in the world!"
The time is so short... We can pray and we can probably contact Jeb Bush
Scott Brown
The sad fact is that a majority of Americans (60%) think that Terri Schiavo should die a horrible death by starvation because she cannot walk or talk or speak or eat (sounds like my children when they were babies).
Here is an article a friend of mine wrote regarding Terri Schiavo, entitled, Jeb Bush can Save Terri Schiavo http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43451.
Burt Prelutsky makes the devastating observation:
"As far as I can see, the entire basis for the case being argued by those wanting her dead is that she can't walk, she can't talk, and she obviously can't feed herself.
Well, if those are sufficient grounds for exterminating Terri Schiavo, they provide equally good reasons for murdering every baby in the world!"
The time is so short... We can pray and we can probably contact Jeb Bush
Scott Brown
March 19, 2005
Baby Killed in the Hospital Against the Will of the Mother
Baby Killed in the Hospital Against the Will of the Mother.
While the news feeds were dominated by the terrible injustice against Terri Schiavo, on March 15, 2005, authorities killed a baby against the wishes of its mother because they judged themselves wiser to determine the quality of life.
No more do parents have jurisdiction over their children, because the laws of the state prevail. The chilling lesson of March 2005 is that when the state takes possession, you can kiss your children goodbye.
CNN reported as follows:
HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- A critically ill 5-month-old was taken off life support and died Tuesday, a day after a judge cleared the way for doctors to halt care they believed to be futile. The infant's mother had fought to keep him alive.
Sun Hudson had been diagnosed with a fatal genetic disorder called thanatophoric dysplasia, a condition characterized by a tiny chest and lungs too small to support life. He had been on a ventilator since birth.
Wanda Hudson unsuccessfully fought to continue her son's medical care. She believed he needed time to grow and could eventually be weaned off the ventilator.
"I wanted life for my son," Hudson said Tuesday. "The hospital gave up on him too soon."
Texas law allows hospitals to end life support in cases such as this but requires that families be given 10 days to find another facility to care for the patient. No hospital was found to take the baby.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/03/15/lifesupport.baby.ap/
While the news feeds were dominated by the terrible injustice against Terri Schiavo, on March 15, 2005, authorities killed a baby against the wishes of its mother because they judged themselves wiser to determine the quality of life.
No more do parents have jurisdiction over their children, because the laws of the state prevail. The chilling lesson of March 2005 is that when the state takes possession, you can kiss your children goodbye.
CNN reported as follows:
HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- A critically ill 5-month-old was taken off life support and died Tuesday, a day after a judge cleared the way for doctors to halt care they believed to be futile. The infant's mother had fought to keep him alive.
Sun Hudson had been diagnosed with a fatal genetic disorder called thanatophoric dysplasia, a condition characterized by a tiny chest and lungs too small to support life. He had been on a ventilator since birth.
Wanda Hudson unsuccessfully fought to continue her son's medical care. She believed he needed time to grow and could eventually be weaned off the ventilator.
"I wanted life for my son," Hudson said Tuesday. "The hospital gave up on him too soon."
Texas law allows hospitals to end life support in cases such as this but requires that families be given 10 days to find another facility to care for the patient. No hospital was found to take the baby.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/03/15/lifesupport.baby.ap/
March 18, 2005
DEVALUATION Of Life - Terri Schiavo
In the 1970's Francis Schaeffer predicted this would happen as a result of the legalization of abortion which devalues the right to life.
"PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (March 12) - Doctors removed Terri Schiavo's feeding tube Friday despite an extraordinary, last-minute push by Republicans on Capitol Hill to use the subpoena powers of Congress to keep the severely brain-damaged woman alive, a source close to the case told The Associated Press.
It is expected that it will take one to two weeks for Schiavo to die, provided no one intercedes and gets the tube reinserted."
You can read the whole article at:
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050316235609990012
Scott Brown
PS: The last time this happened, her feeding tube was removed for six days until Governor Jeb Bush stepped in and instituted Terri's Law which saved her life.
The right to die agenda is based on pagan and anti Christian ideas that have gripped the hearts of people around the world. What was once unthinkable to all, now seems reasonable to many.
"PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (March 12) - Doctors removed Terri Schiavo's feeding tube Friday despite an extraordinary, last-minute push by Republicans on Capitol Hill to use the subpoena powers of Congress to keep the severely brain-damaged woman alive, a source close to the case told The Associated Press.
It is expected that it will take one to two weeks for Schiavo to die, provided no one intercedes and gets the tube reinserted."
You can read the whole article at:
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050316235609990012
Scott Brown
PS: The last time this happened, her feeding tube was removed for six days until Governor Jeb Bush stepped in and instituted Terri's Law which saved her life.
The right to die agenda is based on pagan and anti Christian ideas that have gripped the hearts of people around the world. What was once unthinkable to all, now seems reasonable to many.
March 14, 2005
Flight To Iwo Jima - March 12, 2005
As we woke up and got ready to go to Iwo Jima, the lines from Shakespeare came to mind, "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers". We were part of a very small number of people in history to visit this remote Pacific island. More people climb Mt. Everest than visit Iwo Jima.
The objective was that three generations of Hendersons and Browns would rise up and honor their fathers and grandfathers in keeping with the scriptural admonition, with a promise.
Doug Phillips and the Vision Forum film crew of Geoff and Isaac Botkin were busy from early morning, throughout the day and into the early morning hours. This was the life routine. All week in Guam they were getting interviews for the upcoming film, Faith of Our Fathers. Please pray for the production and funding of this film. If you know anyone who would like to contribute financially, please let them know that this is a worthy project that will have an impact on many generations. For more information, go to www.visionforum.com and you will see the Faith of our Fathrs pages.
Here is a sequence of pictures which chronicle the events of this remarkable day in our lives, beginning in the airport in the early morning hours. Here are some of the pictures we took while waiting for the plane to be readied to take off.
Frank Wright from the Fifth Division, 28th Marines, First Batalion talks of his experience on Iwo. He was the first man out of the LST 1043 and the first of three hundred to cross the island, and promptly planted a small flag in the sand. Of the sixty men with him in his outfit, 19 killed, 35 wounded - six men left unharmed.
Here is my new friend Gregg Ash from Oregon, whose father was on Iwo. Gregg came here to honor his father. He died two years ago behind the podium while he was giving a speech to antwar protesters to encourage them to support their government.
Meet history buffs, the Lonon's from Marion North Carolina. They go to church with my next door neighbors (Stuart and Ann Bulman) parents. Funny how you sometimes have to go half way around the world to meet your neighbors.
Here is David getting the signature of another Iwo Jima Vet. David filled up the whole flag with signatures... He has spoken to me many times of his desire to pass this flag down to his own offspring some day and to tell them the stories of one of the truly epic battles in the history of warfare. His grandfather was there and he told the story to re tell...
Marvin Sneed, Matt Chancey and his son John Nathan, who were for me some of the truly inspring folks on the tour. Marvin Sneed, was a flyer from Iwo Jima, and one of the most delightful people on the trip. It was nice for my father, because the great majority of the vets were Marines. There were so few flyboys on the island during the conflict, because their mission was not to take the island, it was to bring mainland Japan to its knees. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Marvin was a great guy... He would sit down with a group of guys and in thirty minutes would have a new set of friends. He is Matt Chancey's grandfather. Matt's son, John Nathan is perhaps one of the youngest people ever to set foot on Iwo Jima. I want to know how many this young have been there. John Nathan will have an amazing legacy of experience to pass down to his children.
Navajo Code Talker - Father and Son. They came all the way from Black Mesa Arizona area for the first time.
David Brown carrying video gear through the airport
Happy Birthday.... Here is Clifford Mueller and his son with Scott Brown. Clifford turned twenty years old on Iwo Jima the day he arrived on March 12 1945. Today exactly sixty years later he will celebrate his 80th birthday on Iwo Jima.
Kelly and David on the plane to Iwo
These two brothers were together on Iwo Jima. Once they were in a foxhole under severe mortar shelling. One said, "when I say three, we jump out and get out of here." 1,2,3 Only one brother jumped out and they separated for days, not knowing what happened to one another.
Bill Henderson in happy anticipation of arrival.
Bill's son and professional photographer, Chip taking a picture of the island from the plane window. He brought his sons William and Nicholas to be with their grandfather, Bill Henderson. Three generations of Hendersons made the trip.
There was a very long almost breathless moment for me as we circled the island. It was absolutely beautiful. I have thought of this island for many years. Now I am seeing it with my own eyes. It was sobering and a happy moment. I was so lost in the moment that I unconsciously crushed my hat, rumpled the papers on my seat and sat on my video camera, not having much consiciousness of my body position until we were landing.
Bill Henderson and others on our team getting off the plane on the airstrip on Iwo Jima
First we were loaded into a seven ton troop carrier... a five foot climb to get in. Here is my dad being helped in to the truck.
After the first stop, Bill Brown and Bill Henderson were given more plush transportation - Hummers.
Bill Brown's feet on the sands of Iwo Jima. If only John Wayne could see us now.
The Henderson men discussing the battle. From the left, William, Chip, Bill, Nicholas. Bill told me that they were sitting around fifty feet from where he landed on February 19, 1945. Bill talked all day on camera of his thoughts and experiences. He was an absolute delight to hear. Wait till you read his book coming out this year - it will be a treasure from an eyewitness. Everyone should buy this book
The footage of Bill's commentary will be featured in the Vision Forum film, Faith of Our Fathers coming out this Fall...
Bill Brown sitting on that famous black Iwo Jima sand looking at the caves on Suribachi
My dad explaining things to his granddaughter Kelly
Bill Brown near the assault beach talking about his memories of what he saw when he was here sixty years ago.
Here is an example of the many bunkers the Japanese built. Three foot thick concrete walls reinforced with huge rebar. There was a Japanese machine gun still in this enclosure.
Bill Henderson in Hummer.
Here is my dad on the top of Mt. Suribachi at the place where history's most famous photograph was taken. I have always been captivated by his stories of his driving a jeep up Mt Suribachi and looking over the inforno in progress with the millions of tons of mangled equipment littering the beaches, the wrecked vehicles, the smoke and the fire and the absolute devastation that was occurring.
Here is the assault beach. Within 45 minutes of landing, we had nine thousand Marines on this beach. Then the Japanese General Kuribayishi ordered all hell to break loose once we had enough troops on the beach for slaughter. Then our boys received a hail of some of the heaviest, most concentrated withering fire in the history of warfare. Kuribiyashi's boys were either underground in the vast matrix of tunnels or in the tunnels of Suribachi. The offensive positons on Suribachi had ever square yard of real estate covered with firepower. There was no place for our boys to hide.
In the above picture we see the location of Dad's airfield (Airfield 1). It was on the left hand side of the road, running paralell of the beach, on the two green patches in the midst of the brown grass.
This is the other side of the island, where my father landed and dug his foxhole and lived in his tent till he was shot down in Tokyo Bay.
David collected 67 signatures of Iwo Jima Vets on this flag and then flew it on Suribachi in their honor.
Here is my father reading scripture from the same Bible he had with him in that foxhole, sixty years ago.
David Brown and the Phillips Boys having way too much fun.
Here is a bunker on the very top of the mountain overlooking all points around
Marvin Sneed and my dad looking over the places they lived during this historic battle.
Kelly Brown and Rebekah Zes... who were stunning beauties and wonderful companions who made the trip better than ever.
Mount Suribachi. The island is now overgrown with vegetation that was planted after the war. When our troops were there it was scorched earth after two months of bombing.
Peter Bradrick asking Bill Brown questions in the troop truck on the way to the assault beach.
Geoff Botkin, Isaac Botkin, Wesley Strackbein and Peter Bradrick with camera equipment... man did they work as hard as anyone ever has worked.
David Brown handing a camera to a Marine on the transport truck
Jim and Rebekah Zes and John Nathan Chancey on the truck going from point to point on the island
Jack Lucas, one of the three surviving Medal of Honor recipients. He had just turned seventeen when, on the second day of battle, he jumped on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. Then another grenade landed near him. He reached out his hand and pulled it under his body. Only one of the grenades detonated. How many seventeen year old boys do you know who could do something like that? He was in the hospital for many months recovering from the blast. He was on the battle field for less than 24 hours, and wherever we went he was given a standing ovation.
The dusty road heading back to the airstrip for departure after a rich day of remembrance.
Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, Justice Phillips, Joshua Phillips and Peter Bradrick punching out some Push Ups on Iwo Jima in honor of the United States Marine Corps. David was the photographer.
We boarded the airplanes as happy with the day as we could be. It was a perfect day. There was reflection. There was joy. There was awe in the fact that we had a privelege that so few have ever had.
How strange it was to be there, struck by the beauty of that little island. It was so peaceful now, and so lovely. I love that island where so much was accomplished.
For me the battle for Iwo Jima is a parable for so many relevant things.
First, it was an island of strategic importance which reminds me that we should spend our lives on strategic efforts.
Second, it was a place where there was an unseen enemy, which reminds me that we also have an unseen enemy, prowling about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us.
Third, it was a place where obedience was required to accomplish the mission, as it is for the christian experience.
Further, the paralells continue... It was a place of terrible casualties, exemplary comradship, loss, privation, and... imperfect soldiers under orders.
the Battle for Iwo Jima is a parable that calls up the images of the Christian faith.
I kept thinking it would be the kind of place I would like to spend a week exploring. Who knows?
Here am I with my eldest daughter Kelly on Mt. Suribachi overlooking the black sands of Iwo Jima. What a joy it was for me to share this moment together. She is a precious daughter who is out there honoring her father and her grandfather and her Father in heaven. This brought more joy to my heart than anything that happened that day.
The objective was that three generations of Hendersons and Browns would rise up and honor their fathers and grandfathers in keeping with the scriptural admonition, with a promise.
Doug Phillips and the Vision Forum film crew of Geoff and Isaac Botkin were busy from early morning, throughout the day and into the early morning hours. This was the life routine. All week in Guam they were getting interviews for the upcoming film, Faith of Our Fathers. Please pray for the production and funding of this film. If you know anyone who would like to contribute financially, please let them know that this is a worthy project that will have an impact on many generations. For more information, go to www.visionforum.com and you will see the Faith of our Fathrs pages.
Here is a sequence of pictures which chronicle the events of this remarkable day in our lives, beginning in the airport in the early morning hours. Here are some of the pictures we took while waiting for the plane to be readied to take off.
Frank Wright from the Fifth Division, 28th Marines, First Batalion talks of his experience on Iwo. He was the first man out of the LST 1043 and the first of three hundred to cross the island, and promptly planted a small flag in the sand. Of the sixty men with him in his outfit, 19 killed, 35 wounded - six men left unharmed.
Here is my new friend Gregg Ash from Oregon, whose father was on Iwo. Gregg came here to honor his father. He died two years ago behind the podium while he was giving a speech to antwar protesters to encourage them to support their government.
Meet history buffs, the Lonon's from Marion North Carolina. They go to church with my next door neighbors (Stuart and Ann Bulman) parents. Funny how you sometimes have to go half way around the world to meet your neighbors.
Here is David getting the signature of another Iwo Jima Vet. David filled up the whole flag with signatures... He has spoken to me many times of his desire to pass this flag down to his own offspring some day and to tell them the stories of one of the truly epic battles in the history of warfare. His grandfather was there and he told the story to re tell...
Marvin Sneed, Matt Chancey and his son John Nathan, who were for me some of the truly inspring folks on the tour. Marvin Sneed, was a flyer from Iwo Jima, and one of the most delightful people on the trip. It was nice for my father, because the great majority of the vets were Marines. There were so few flyboys on the island during the conflict, because their mission was not to take the island, it was to bring mainland Japan to its knees. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Marvin was a great guy... He would sit down with a group of guys and in thirty minutes would have a new set of friends. He is Matt Chancey's grandfather. Matt's son, John Nathan is perhaps one of the youngest people ever to set foot on Iwo Jima. I want to know how many this young have been there. John Nathan will have an amazing legacy of experience to pass down to his children.
Navajo Code Talker - Father and Son. They came all the way from Black Mesa Arizona area for the first time.
David Brown carrying video gear through the airport
Happy Birthday.... Here is Clifford Mueller and his son with Scott Brown. Clifford turned twenty years old on Iwo Jima the day he arrived on March 12 1945. Today exactly sixty years later he will celebrate his 80th birthday on Iwo Jima.
Kelly and David on the plane to Iwo
These two brothers were together on Iwo Jima. Once they were in a foxhole under severe mortar shelling. One said, "when I say three, we jump out and get out of here." 1,2,3 Only one brother jumped out and they separated for days, not knowing what happened to one another.
Bill Henderson in happy anticipation of arrival.
Bill's son and professional photographer, Chip taking a picture of the island from the plane window. He brought his sons William and Nicholas to be with their grandfather, Bill Henderson. Three generations of Hendersons made the trip.
There was a very long almost breathless moment for me as we circled the island. It was absolutely beautiful. I have thought of this island for many years. Now I am seeing it with my own eyes. It was sobering and a happy moment. I was so lost in the moment that I unconsciously crushed my hat, rumpled the papers on my seat and sat on my video camera, not having much consiciousness of my body position until we were landing.
Bill Henderson and others on our team getting off the plane on the airstrip on Iwo Jima
First we were loaded into a seven ton troop carrier... a five foot climb to get in. Here is my dad being helped in to the truck.
After the first stop, Bill Brown and Bill Henderson were given more plush transportation - Hummers.
Bill Brown's feet on the sands of Iwo Jima. If only John Wayne could see us now.
The Henderson men discussing the battle. From the left, William, Chip, Bill, Nicholas. Bill told me that they were sitting around fifty feet from where he landed on February 19, 1945. Bill talked all day on camera of his thoughts and experiences. He was an absolute delight to hear. Wait till you read his book coming out this year - it will be a treasure from an eyewitness. Everyone should buy this book
The footage of Bill's commentary will be featured in the Vision Forum film, Faith of Our Fathers coming out this Fall...
Bill Brown sitting on that famous black Iwo Jima sand looking at the caves on Suribachi
My dad explaining things to his granddaughter Kelly
Bill Brown near the assault beach talking about his memories of what he saw when he was here sixty years ago.
Here is an example of the many bunkers the Japanese built. Three foot thick concrete walls reinforced with huge rebar. There was a Japanese machine gun still in this enclosure.
Bill Henderson in Hummer.
Here is my dad on the top of Mt. Suribachi at the place where history's most famous photograph was taken. I have always been captivated by his stories of his driving a jeep up Mt Suribachi and looking over the inforno in progress with the millions of tons of mangled equipment littering the beaches, the wrecked vehicles, the smoke and the fire and the absolute devastation that was occurring.
Here is the assault beach. Within 45 minutes of landing, we had nine thousand Marines on this beach. Then the Japanese General Kuribayishi ordered all hell to break loose once we had enough troops on the beach for slaughter. Then our boys received a hail of some of the heaviest, most concentrated withering fire in the history of warfare. Kuribiyashi's boys were either underground in the vast matrix of tunnels or in the tunnels of Suribachi. The offensive positons on Suribachi had ever square yard of real estate covered with firepower. There was no place for our boys to hide.
In the above picture we see the location of Dad's airfield (Airfield 1). It was on the left hand side of the road, running paralell of the beach, on the two green patches in the midst of the brown grass.
This is the other side of the island, where my father landed and dug his foxhole and lived in his tent till he was shot down in Tokyo Bay.
David collected 67 signatures of Iwo Jima Vets on this flag and then flew it on Suribachi in their honor.
Here is my father reading scripture from the same Bible he had with him in that foxhole, sixty years ago.
David Brown and the Phillips Boys having way too much fun.Here is a bunker on the very top of the mountain overlooking all points around
Marvin Sneed and my dad looking over the places they lived during this historic battle.
Kelly Brown and Rebekah Zes... who were stunning beauties and wonderful companions who made the trip better than ever.
Mount Suribachi. The island is now overgrown with vegetation that was planted after the war. When our troops were there it was scorched earth after two months of bombing.
Peter Bradrick asking Bill Brown questions in the troop truck on the way to the assault beach.
Geoff Botkin, Isaac Botkin, Wesley Strackbein and Peter Bradrick with camera equipment... man did they work as hard as anyone ever has worked.
David Brown handing a camera to a Marine on the transport truck
Jim and Rebekah Zes and John Nathan Chancey on the truck going from point to point on the island
Jack Lucas, one of the three surviving Medal of Honor recipients. He had just turned seventeen when, on the second day of battle, he jumped on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. Then another grenade landed near him. He reached out his hand and pulled it under his body. Only one of the grenades detonated. How many seventeen year old boys do you know who could do something like that? He was in the hospital for many months recovering from the blast. He was on the battle field for less than 24 hours, and wherever we went he was given a standing ovation.
The dusty road heading back to the airstrip for departure after a rich day of remembrance.
Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, Justice Phillips, Joshua Phillips and Peter Bradrick punching out some Push Ups on Iwo Jima in honor of the United States Marine Corps. David was the photographer.
We boarded the airplanes as happy with the day as we could be. It was a perfect day. There was reflection. There was joy. There was awe in the fact that we had a privelege that so few have ever had.
How strange it was to be there, struck by the beauty of that little island. It was so peaceful now, and so lovely. I love that island where so much was accomplished.
For me the battle for Iwo Jima is a parable for so many relevant things.
First, it was an island of strategic importance which reminds me that we should spend our lives on strategic efforts.
Second, it was a place where there was an unseen enemy, which reminds me that we also have an unseen enemy, prowling about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us.
Third, it was a place where obedience was required to accomplish the mission, as it is for the christian experience.
Further, the paralells continue... It was a place of terrible casualties, exemplary comradship, loss, privation, and... imperfect soldiers under orders.
the Battle for Iwo Jima is a parable that calls up the images of the Christian faith.
I kept thinking it would be the kind of place I would like to spend a week exploring. Who knows?
Here am I with my eldest daughter Kelly on Mt. Suribachi overlooking the black sands of Iwo Jima. What a joy it was for me to share this moment together. She is a precious daughter who is out there honoring her father and her grandfather and her Father in heaven. This brought more joy to my heart than anything that happened that day.
March 10, 2005
"Keep The Head and Eyes Moving"
While we were driving down the road in Guam, Doug Phillips was asking my father about some of the issues that he encountered during dogfights. He told us how the fifty caliber machine guns were mounted on the wings; how much ammunition you had to work with; how a pilot took aim; how to best hit the enemy while flying at high speeds; how Japanese Zeros came in and how best to knock them out.
Doug asked, “how did you know if a Zero was behind you”? Dad said, “keep the head and eyes moving.”
I thought, that is strange, I have heard this statement all my life. Every Brown kid knows that when you are learning to drive, dad would say over and over again,
“keep the head and eyes moving.”.
But, I had never heard this phrase in any other context other than driver training.
I said, dad, is that phrase a fighter pilot phrase or did you just say that because you have said it so many times.?
He said, ‘no, it is a fighter pilot phrase. We were to taught to:
“Center the Needle
Center the Ball
Keep the head and eyes moving
First third field full flaps”
It was funny to me to think about how my dad trained us through the years. There were principles that he had for us that came from deep in his background. They were etched in his mind and he gave them over to us to help us in our context.
I had no idea that his phrase was a fighter pilot phrase. But now I like it more than ever just knowing that it came from one of the most intense times of danger he had ever experienced. Keeping the head and eyes moving was a matter of life and death for a fighter pilot. The enemy could come out of nowhere at any time and your life depended upon keeping the head and eyes moving.
We were not fighter pilots, but what he learned in flight school helped him train us to drive automobiles.
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