Christ Community Covenant Church

Don Whipple

When you first meet Don Whipple you would never guess that he spent 36 days of his 18th year in the midst of the most hellish battlefield of World War II. His easy smile and positive attitude are testimony to the strong moral fiber and deep faith that carried him through those dark days and many years since then.

Don was born on a ranch near Beeler, Kansas, just north of Dodge City on August 31, 1925. One of 13 children – 8 brothers and 4 sisters – he fondly remembers a wonderful childhood with his parents and siblings. Growing up on a Midwestern farm in the 1930’s could be challenging, especially for a large family in a house with no electricity or indoor plumbing. Don and his brothers milked cows, and in their spare time, broke wild horses and trapped to earn extra money. Life was simple on the large Whipple farm that covered several thousand acres, and there were always plenty of chores to do before school.

It was at school that Don remembers hearing President Roosevelt address the nation after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After graduation and compelled to get involved, he took the train to Denver to enlist in the Marines, but was turned away because of his age. Don needed his parent’s permission to sign up, and was sent back to Kansas. A short time later with consent in hand, Don was sworn in 8 days shy of his 18th birthday, August 23, 1943.

After boot camp in San Diego, telephone school in Pine Valley, and endless training exercises on the California beaches, Don was transferred to Hawaii. It was there, at Camp Tarawa, that a fellow Marine invited Don to church. There he found the peace and joy he was missing and gave his life to Christ. Soon after, Don and his unit were on their way to an unknown destination to meet the enemy. Don suspected that it was Iwo Jima after seeing map of the island in a newspaper. It looked eerily similar to their training maps. Sadly, during that trip, Don’s father, Jacob, was killed in a tragic accident – a fact that he would not learn of until six weeks later. By that time, Don and the 5th Marine Division were already on Iwo Jima, the six square mile island called by the War Department “the costliest U.S. battle” in terms of troop losses in World War II.

Shortly after landing, Don was wounded by shrapnel and sent to a crew ship that would take him to Guam to recover. Unwilling to leave his unit and his duty, Don scrounged up gear and a uniform from the “dead man’s pile” on deck and hitched a ride back to Green beach on a landing craft. For the next 35 days Don beat the odds while faithfully carrying out his duties amid the carnage around him. During that time he was privileged to view the legendary Iwo Jima flag raising made famous by a war correspondent’s photograph of the scene. When the battle had ended more than 6,800 American, and over 20,000 Japanese soldiers had lost their lives. Don wept as he left the island and the devastation behind him.

After additional duty in the Far East, Don was discharged in March, 1946. Happier times were ahead. In November that year, he married his childhood sweetheart, Joan, and in 1954 they welcomed their daughter, Debbie. Don attended radio school, Denver University, and eventually graduated from what is now Colorado Christian University. Since then, Don’s passion to share the gospel has taken him to many places working with such noted organizations as Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth for Christ, and the World Evangelism Crusade. While directing YFC in Minneapolis, Don had the occasion to invite Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the attack on Pearl Harbor, to speak at one of their conferences. Fuchida had become a Christian after the war and became a powerful witness for Christ for 26 years.

Since his youth, Don has been dedicated to doing God’s will in his life and he has had many wonderful opportunities to share the love of Christ with others. He started and directed the Denver Christian Serviceman’s Center, helped to launch fledgling Christian youth organizations, pastored several churches, and mentored pastors overseas. Dear to his heart is the time that he spent during his career sharing the gospel with high school and college students, and he still loves to interact with them. Though his precious wife passed away in 2003, Don has regular contact with daughter Debbie, friends, neighbors, and his church family. He has determined that he will never fully “retire” but will continue to do the important work he was called to do so many years ago - evangelizing and winning souls for the Lord.