Who is Guarding the San Bernardino Strait?
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"Who is Guarding the San Bernardino Strait?"
By E. Ray Moore, Jr., Th.M.
Sometime ago I had occasion to read a riveting account of the
Battle of Leyte Gulf. Though largely forgotten except by military
historians and aging World War II veterans, it was the greatest
naval battle in U.S. history, perhaps in world history. It resulted
from a high stakes gamble by the Japanese, one that almost succeeded,
thanks to the temporary lapses of two of the Navy's best fighting
admirals. A military disaster of great magnitude was prevented
only by the heroism of a handful of U.S. skippers who saw the
sudden danger and knew what had to be done, even though it meant
confronting the might of the Japanese navy outnumbered and outgunned.
They sailed into harm's way with little hope of surviving because
they knew the price of inaction or retreat was far greater than
losing their own lives and their ships. I was struck not just
by the heroism that saved the day for the Americans, but also
by the series of decisions and errors on both sides that culminated
in this extraordinary climax. I saw inescapable parallels between
the errors of those long-ago naval commanders and the priorities
of major Christian leaders of today as they attempt to wage the
'culture war' that is dividing our nation and steadily eroding
its moral and spiritual foundations.
In October 1944 General Douglas MacArthur began to redeem his
promise to the people of Philippines, "I shall return."
The campaign to liberate the Philippines opened with the invasion
of the island of Leyte by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. But
after a long string of defeats the Japanese had decided to throw
virtually all their naval forces into a decisive battle when the
Americans attempted to retake the Philippines. They set in motion
an immense operation, including a clever plan to lure Admiral
"Bull" Halsey's main task force away from the invasion
site in Leyte Gulf. Sending a small fleet to the north near Luzon,
they induced Halsey to follow and drew him away from the landings.
A divided sphere of command compounded Halsey's mistake in taking
the Japanese "bait." Admiral Thomas Kinkaid was responsible
for protecting the American landings by guarding Suriago Strait,
the southern entrance to Leyte Gulf. Admiral Halsey was responsible
for the northern entrance, a passage called the San Bernardino
Strait. But he was days away in the north, pursuing the Japanese
diversion near Luzon. The divided command led to a communications
failure. Kinkaid and Halsey each assumed the other was guarding
the vital northern entrance to Leyte Gulf and the vulnerable landing
beaches. This confusion led to Kinkaid's famous message to Halsey,
"Who is guarding the San Bernardino Strait?"
On the morning of October 25, 1944 the main Japanese fleet under
Admiral Kurita suddenly emerged in Leyte Gulf from the San Bernardino
Strait and found no significant American opposition covering the
exposed landing beaches. Kurita turned due south and steamed directly
toward Leyte, where thousands of American soldiers and marines,
along with unarmed transport and supply vessels, now lay unguarded
by any heavy U.S. surface units. The only thing between the Japanese
and the landing area was a surprised and considerably weaker screen
of American destroyers, destroyer escorts, and small carriers,
now suddenly facing the superior might of a Japanese fleet of
battleships and cruisers.
It should have been no contest. No one had been guarding the San
Bernardino Strait and the remaining American ships, smaller and
fewer in number than the oncoming enemy, could hardly hope to
take on a major Japanese fleet and prevent disaster. But that
is exactly what they did. Realizing the gravity of the moment
and heedless of their own peril, the smaller American force immediately
went into a full scale attack against the vastly superior Japanese.
Their unexpected heroism, akin to a cavalry charge at sea, along
with the unlikely scenario that the San Bernardino Strait would
have been left so unguarded, fooled the Japanese into thinking
they faced a greater force and had blundered into a trap. After
a brisk battle which inflicted severe losses on the weak American
screen, the Japanese veered off to the east and away from our
troops at Leyte Gulf, thereby sparing the landing forces from
destruction. Many military historians feel that this was the greatest
moment in American naval history, an unlikely victory against
incredible odds. The largest naval battle in history had been
decided by the aggressive action of the smaller destroyers against
Japanese battleships and cruisers. Naval historian Thomas Cutler
says, "What the men in those ships did on that October morning
deserves to be the focal point of the nation's naval heritage...Commander
Ernest Evans received the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for his
incredible courage while taking his destroyer Johnston "in
harm's way." ( THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF, p. 297).
Admirals Kinkaid and Halsey were by no means military incompetents.
Halsey is rightly regarded as one of America's outstanding leaders
in World War II. Yet their combined strategic errors and failure
to coordinate their actions almost led to a serious defeat of
American forces in Leyte Gulf. So it is with many of our larger
Christian ministries that are involved in the cultural and spiritual
war for the soul of the country. Christians have split commands.
Our major ministry leaders seldom talk to one another or coordinate
their efforts. Sometimes they act as competitors rather than allies
or brethren. Frequently they choose battles they cannot win and
even if won, would not seriously change the spiritual culture
of the nation. Our ministries concentrate on remediation, not
prevention. Even the struggle against abortion and homosexuality,
important as they may be, are struggles against the symptoms of
a Christ-rejecting culture.
Our best ministries often chase diversions instead of addressing
root causes. They concern themselves with boycotts, lobbying,
legislation, political action, leaving the San Bernardino Strait
unguarded and thus exposing the children of America to mortal
danger by not developing a serious plan to rescue children from
statist humanistic agendas as Goals 2000 and homosexual activists
capturing our children in the public schools. Christian ministries
in 2004 put all their efforts behind passing a FMA (Federal Marriage
Amendment), an almost impossible feat in this current political
culture, when the real target of the humanist left and homosexual
movement may have always been the children. We ask, "Who
is guarding the children of America?"
During the heat of battle Kinkaid and Halsey misjudged the intentions
of their enemies and were tricked into making serious strategic
errors that nearly cost them victory. The same thing is happening
in today's spiritual warfare. Many of our Christian major ministry
leaders are off in pursuit of lesser enemies while a major enemy
force, the liberal humanist left with their homosexual allies,
are capturing the exposed children of America in the public schools.
A minority of children are protected by a few Christian school
and home-school associations, teachers, parents, and their conservative
education allies. Like those few American destroyers, this small
force is all that is left to face the leviathan government school
system, the liberal educational establishment, and their allies
in both political parties. These brave few are charging into the
teeth of the enemy while many of our best Christian ministries
and denominations either remain unaware of the gravity of the
humanist and homosexual agendas or are unwilling to face the problem
head-on with a realistic plan that has some possibility of success.
They are pursing diversions and leaving the most vital battle
area, our children, unprotected.
I believe no part of today's struggle for the heart and soul of
our civilization equals the importance of the struggle for the
K-12 Christian education of our children. But it is difficult
to convince Christian leaders and pastors of the imminent danger
that the current liberal agenda represents to their children.
Some will not take the time to study this issue and become informed,
for to do so might compel them to action. Too many pastors seem
content to allow the liberal humanists to indoctrinate their children
during the week while they urge their members to engage in peripheral
political battles on Sundays. But those who understand the absolute
necessity of the Christian community's recommitting itself to
K-12 Christian education have no choice but to take on the battleships
and heavy cruisers of the liberal humanist establishment. Someone
must go into harm's way and wage a brisk and vigorous battle for
the children as never before. This is the only battle that counts
now, and we are now at the decisive moment in that battle. The
final battle in the cultural will not be fought over the FMA,
abortion, decency or gambling but over who will educate this and
future generations of children.
Ministry leaders and pastors must understand the need to return
to this crucial battlefield and guard the most vulnerable members
of our families and communities by providing K-12 Christian education
for the children. It is simply not possible to reform the public
school system. Instead we must come out of that corrupt system,
just as the children of Israel left Egypt for the Promised Land.
The destructive effects of the humanistic education agenda will
only grow worse, but we can at least rescue some of the children
if our major ministry and denominational leaders will engage in
this crucial battle while there is still time. But they must stop
chasing diversions, only fighting symptoms, or engaging in lesser
battles which may not impact the spiritual struggle for the soul
of America. They must commit some of their energy, resources and
personnel to the only plan that can change the tide of battle
today, the K-12 Christian education of our children, in Christian
day schools or home schooling.
© 1997, revised 2004 E. Ray Moore, Jr.
This article may be reproduced as long as the copyright remains
with the
article.
E. Ray Moore, Jr, Chaplain (Lt.Col.) USAR ret is Director of
the Exodus Mandate. He is a veteran of Gulf War I where he was
awarded a Bronze Star Medal.
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