Prayers for a shipmate

The ships that I served in were manned with a complement of only 32 officers out of a crew of more than 350. Commissioned officers on warships at sea are hand-picked by their captains. On receiving orders to a new ship, the transferring officer writes a letter of introduction to his new captain. The captain of the ship he leaves writes a similar letter of endorsement to the captain of the ship he is joining. The new captain will review the officer's credentials and, if he approves, invite that officer to go to sea with him in his company of officers. As in many cases of brothers in arms, the shared trials and tribulations form lifelong bonds. Whether riding 25-foot waves and dodging sea ice in the North Atlantic, chasing the Russians inside the Arctic Circle, or running down pirates off the coast of Somalia, it's always a comfort to know that your buddy is there to back you up. The title "shipmate" is difficult to earn, and there are some with whom I've served who did not earn the title. They failed to prove they could be counted on when the going got tough, and ultimately were transferred out of the surface fleet into other parts of the Navy.

Yet once the title "shipmate" is conferred, it is never relinquished. Your shipmate is your buddy through good times and bad, even until you are both old men. It is in this spirit that I ask your prayers for my shipmate, Philip Johnson. Philip and I served together in my first ship, the cruiser USS VELLA GULF (CG 72), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. Last fall, after two years sailing the seven seas, Philip was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I have continued to follow my shipmate's health for some time now, and learned recently that he received bad news from his doctors: the tumor is much more advanced than originally thought. A typical prognosis under these conditions is 18-24 months.

But Philip's witness is that all things are possible with God. In light of his health, he has left the service and is pursuing his vocation to serve God all the remaining days of his life. To this end, he is advancing rapidly towards seminary with the ideal of becoming an ordained priest. His courage and faith are a witness to me. You too may follow the progress of his health and his vocation at his journal. Please join me in praying for a miracle for my shipmate.