Every son needs to hear his father say, son, lead courageously. Joshua 14, 12, and 13. Now Therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day. For you heard in that day as Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said and Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephthah as an inheritance.
Chapter 2, Mount Suribachi. Mount Suribachi was a fearsome objective that required a special kind of leadership to subdue. The duties of biblical manhood require this brand of leadership as well. The duties of biblical manhood require decisive and courageous leadership, and it is the father's job to help his son develop these patterns in his boyhood. If the patterns are deeply impressed in boyhood, they will probably continue his whole life long.
Proverbs 22 6. This is critical for there will be many mountains to climb and much ground to secure for the kingdom of God. There is something about a mountain that beckons us to conquer it. I have several towering mountain peaks etched in my memory, Mount Everest, Mount Fuji, Mount St. Helens, Mount Shasta, Mount McKinley, and Half Dome.
The most captivating mountain peak in my mind, however, is not much of a mountain at all, but an inactive 556 foot tall volcano the Japanese call Suribachi Yama. The Marines called it hot rocks. It inspires a different kind of wonder than the signature mountain peaks of the world. Mount Suribachi represents an almost ominous kind of awe, and it reminds us of how important it is for boys to learn how to lead courageously. Mount Suribachi has captured my attention since I was a little boy.
Today it stands as a symbol of courageous visionary leadership. It reminds me of how important it is to prepare boys to lead decisively. The Bible makes it clear that men are created to lead for heavenly objectives. Not only that, but they are required by God to lead. God has vested in them the role of being the point man in strategic efforts.
Bill Henderson, who was part of the unit with the responsibility to conquer Suribachi, commented on the importance of taking personal initiative. Quote, As a leader you've got to lead. You don't say, boys, go take Hill 382. You say, come on boys, let's take Hill 382. The objective of Henderson's outfit was to cut the island in two at the narrow neck and then take Mount Suribachi.
That was the first major milestone toward victory. One observer stated Suribachi seemed to take on a life of its own, to be watching these men looming over them. The mountain represented to these Marines a thing more evil than the Japanese. It needed to be taken from the enemy. But to get it, the gates of hell would have to be stormed.
Many would die before we would raise our banner on that mountain. I'm confident that the United States Marines had the same thought in their minds that Caleb had in his mind when he said, give me this mountain. Young men need to be trained to think like Caleb. He knew that the dominion of the Lord was the only reasonable answer to the evils around him. This rock fortress called Suribachi was manned by more than 2, 000 Japanese soldiers under the direction of Colonel Kanekiko Ahtushi, who operated somewhat independently from other officers.
General Kuribachi figured that these 2, 000 might be able to last a week or two. He misjudged. The 28th Marines quickly defeated the Japanese strongholds as they pushed across the island neck and on D-plus-1 hit the mountain. During the assault, Colonel Ituchi was killed by 75 millimeter tank fire as he looked out the entrance of his cave. In spite of this loss, his soldiers fought on from what would become their burial caves.
This complex natural fortress was further outfitted with over 100 sick wall bunkers or block houses which were connected by dozens of rock caves. It has been rightly called a honeycomb killing machine. Though the cave openings were camouflaged, they could be seen when firepower began pouring out of them. My dad said there was so much enemy fire pyre coming from the fortress that it lit up like a pulsating Christmas tree. Mount Suribachi provided the Japanese with an effective vantage point.
Almost any target on the island was visible from the top. This was one reason the first day of battle was particularly bloody. Anyone could be picked off wherever he was on the island. There was one marine casualty for every yard gained on D-Day, February 19, 1945. Elsewhere, the morning light on D-Plus-1 revealed the discouraging sights of the chaos created along the beaches by the combination of Iwo Jima's wicked surf and Kuribayashi's unrelenting barrages.
In the words of one dismayed observer, quote, the wreckage was indescribable for two miles of debris was so thick that there were only a few places where landing craft could still get in. The wrecked hulls of scores of landing boats testified to the price we had to pay to put our troops ashore. Tanks and half-tracks lay crippled where they had bogged down in the coarse sand. Amphibian tractors, victims of mines and well-aimed shells lay flopped on their backs, cranes brought ashore to unload cargo, tilted at insane angles, and bulldozers were smashed in their own roadways." With a mountain looming overhead, the Marines prepared their assault. The 28th Marines had suffered nearly 400 casualties in cutting across the neck of the island on D-Day.
On D-Plus-1, in a cold rain, they prepared to assault the mountain. Some of the 105-millimeter batteries on the 13th Marines opened up in support, firing directly overhead. Gun crews fired from positions hastily dug in the black sand directly next to the 28th Marines command post. Regimental Executive Officer Lieutenant Colonel Robert H Williams watched the cannonairs fire at Suribachi 800 yards away over open sites." The Marines were totally exposed to the Mount Suribachi position and there would be no victory without its fall. It did fall.
When that happened and our flag was raised witnesses say that you could hear the whoops and the hollers and the cheers rise up from all over the island. It was on this volcano that one of the most famous pictures in history was taken by Joe Rosenthal. This moment was bigger than life for the Japanese. For the first time in 5, 000 years, a foreign flag flew on Japanese soil. For the United States Marine Corps, Mount Suribachi was like the devil himself.
It had to be taken or there would be no winning of the Pacific War. If we could not take Suribachi, the Japanese would continue their expansionism. It was a key strategic target. But the moment after it was taken, the mountain became their own and was transformed. Communications equipment and observation posts were set up to monitor activity on the island, and what was once a horrible threat became a comfortable asset.
My dad stood on that mountain not many days after the flag was raised. He and his friend Arthur Burry jumped in an unmanned jeep one day and headed up Suribachi. Oddly, in the few minutes that passed as they looked over the island landscape, they saw an armed Japanese soldier still holding out a few yards away, even though we had taken the mountain several days before. For as long as I can remember I have pictured my dad standing there looking down through the smoke and dust at the wreckage of mangled metal and wrecked vehicles and sunk vessels clogging the beach. Since I was a boy I have replayed that scene in my mind a million times as if I was there.
When the enemy was cleared from Mount Suribachi, it became a symbol of safety for the pilot seeking a friendly runway. For the flyboys, it meant home sweet home. It brought sights of relief after many dangerous missions. When my dad was coming in from a raid, Suribachi was a refreshing sight. It was like an angel in the Pacific Ocean beckoning him home saying, everything is okay now, you're home.
This transformation was the direct result of courageous visionary leadership. Here are a few items to consider for preparing a visionary son who has it in him to take that mountain, whatever it might be. A father must, number one, lead courageously for transformation and teach his son to do the same. Like the transformation on Mount Suribachi, when courageous vision is employed, something horrible can be transformed into something wonderful. The mountain symbolizes how things ruined by evil can be restored.
Isaiah prophesied of this Isaiah 58 12 those from among you shall build the old waste places You shall raise up the foundations of many generations and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." Our boys on Iwo Jima set themselves to routing the enemy from the rock fortress and now it belonged to them. They overcame the gates of hell. Suribachi, as evil as it was under enemy control, became an Ebenezer, a physical reminder of the deliverance God had accomplished. This is the job of manhood. An objective is identified, the plan is crafted, and effort is mounted toward achieving it no matter the cost.
Sons need the maturity to see the things that have been ruined by evil and instead of cowering back to press forward with Christ and his kingdom. One of the principles of maturity and spiritual wisdom that fathers need to pass on to their sons is that nothing is too far gone. Because God is mighty to reclaim ruined territory, we should never give up in the dark day, but persevere as we reclaim the waste places. Number two, recognize that men lead in multiple ways. There are several elements of God's requirement for men in leadership.
First, God gives them the leadership of their own lives. We might call this self-government. In this realm a boy must master his affections, activities, thoughts, and meditations of his heart. To accomplish this, he must have particular goals and objectives. Second, he must be prepared to provide leadership in other realms.
For example, a son will most likely be called upon to provide leadership for wife and children. Third, God may give him leadership of companies or even of nations. Each of these particular challenges of manhood has its own strategic objective which must be discharged. Number three, know that biblical vision is the starting point. Men are designed by God to perform the function of visionary leadership but ours is a derivative leadership.
We are only authorized to draw from the mind and the heart of God in all of our leading. The Bible teaches God's will, His mind and heart, So we must teach our sons this is where all vision should begin. Scripture paints a picture of life and relationships, church and home, work and government. That is the only reliable pattern for our lives as visionaries. We ought to conform our vision to the Word of God, Romans 12 1.
Boys must understand early in life that quote, without vision the people perish, unquote. And that is it is only a biblical vision that will profit. As we train our sons how to be visionary leaders, we must be certain they do not lead without the right reference point. They must lead under the authority of their Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. If they create their own vision, they will most likely only produce wood, hay, and stubble.
The Apostle Paul said it this way, quote, But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 1st Corinthians 11 to 1, 1 to 16. They must have vision but they must be sure that it is a biblical vision. Number four, teaching that a boy's vision should be consistent with his calling. Each man's goal should be consistent with his particular calling.
Men have different gifts and require the wisdom of God to determine what things he has created them to accomplish. Who then is Paul and who is Apollos but ministers through whom you believed? As the Lord gave to each one, I planted, Apollo's water, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
For we are God's fellow workers. You're God's field, you're God's building, according to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder. I have laid the foundation and another builds on it, but let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear for the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is.
If anyone's work which he has built on it endures he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned he will suffer loss but he himself will be saved yet so as through fire 1st Corinthians 3 5 through 15. Number 5 express the leverage of decisiveness and perseverance in leadership. Clear objectives, courage, and endurance are always required for godly leadership. There must be a jump off point when specific objectives are engaged.
Caleb was expressing this decision when he said, give me that mountain. Often men sit idle for years when they ought to be moving forward. Caleb's fortress taking faith was not a passive faith but moved out with vigorous action. His action was completely under the authority of God. Six times in the chapter, we are told that Caleb, quote, followed the Lord, unquote.
He was full of the Lord and he was decisive. In the book of Joshua, we see dedication to the end. This obedient vision was exemplified when Joshua comprehensively committed to the charge God had given him in the Battle of Ai. For Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai." Joshua 8 26. The boys who attacked Iwo Jima at Vanquish, Mount Suribachi are a good example of what it means to see an objective, accept the challenge, and endure the suffering.
They accommodate themselves in willingness to do the will of their superiors. This is how courageous leadership operate. They see what needs to be done and then take action and finish the job. Number six, show the power of vision. The leaders of the battle for Iwo Jima clearly understood this and saw Suribachi as a part of the vision.
They went through trouble to get it because they understood how important it was to the larger picture. Vision was the only reason the fighter pilots were brought to Iwo in the first place. It was an act of faith. What was my dad, the fighter pilot, doing on a ship heading toward Iwo Jima? There were no planes on Iwo to fly, and there were still 22, 000 Japanese soldiers dug underground in a vast matrix of tunnels, honeycombing the island, holding a vow, each one, to kill 10 Americans before they died.
Iwo was only a tiny rock in the hands of our enemies but for the American generals the island was already taken, at least in their minds. And because of their vision, on paper they were turning Iwo into an air assault station to destroy Japan. They had squadrons of pilots, runway materials, and hundreds of airplanes on the way as if they had already taken the island. So there was my father, fighter pilot, Heading to an island with no plane and no air base, he was fulfilling the vision. This is what courageous leadership is all about.
You see in your mind's eye what you're charged to do, and then you set your course. And you may do things that seem to others like risk and compromise but you see completion. Our sons need to know how to craft a godly vision and then spare no effort to achieve it. Number seven, know the importance of small things. Often the little things have a big impact for good or evil depending on who governs them.
Iwo Jima was a little island only two and a half miles wide and five and a half miles long in the midst of a vast ocean yet it had a big impact. Tim Chales recognized the significance of this island and he writes, quote, there are many lessons we can learn from the Pacific campaign. Some apply to warfare, but others apply far beyond. One of the most important is this, little things lead to big things. This is as true in warfare as it is in the hearts of men and women.
He quotes Horatius Bonar who wrote, quote, the avoidance of little evils, little sin, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, little indiscretions and imprudence, little foibles, little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision or slovenliness or cowardice, little equivocations or aberrations from high integrity, little touches of shabbiness and meanness, little indifference to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper or crossness or selfishness or vanity, the avoidance of such little things as these goes far to make up at least a negative beauty of a holy life." There are no little islands, attitudes, actions, or sins. One small thing leads to another and another, and sometimes they become so large they overtake us. This is why we have to be very careful with what we involve ourselves. Even small things represent a direction we are going. In the plan of God every boy will someday be a leader, a good one or a poor one.
He may someday effectively or ineffectively lead a family, a business, and a church, maybe even a country at war. But in all things small or great, a boy needs to hear his father say, Son, lead courageously. In so doing, a father will help his son be able to hold his head up, look at the blooming shadow of Suribachi and say, quote, Give me that mountain."