posted February 22, 2007
A Navy Seal who was visited by President Bush while he was in the hospital with a life-threatening injury finally got to see the President again. Geoff Whitaker, who is now at the seminary at Tennessee Temple, got a private audience with the President during his visit to the Convention Center on Wednesday.
Chaplain Whitaker said President Bush paid him a visit at the hospital in Bethesda, Md., at a time when he was given only a 10 percent chance of surviving and much less chance of recovering.
He had fallen 20 feet from a helicopter during a ship takeover in the Middle East - landing on his head.
Chaplain Whitaker said he was impressed by the sincerity of the President at the hospital, saying he had left agents and others outside the room and came in by himself.
He said, "I was impressed by the humble and sincere way he carried himself that day."
The chaplain said President Bush told him a couple of times that "I came to see you. I want you to come to see me at the White House when you recover."
He said, "I took that as an order from the Commander in Chief."
Chaplain Whitaker said he was able to fully recover through the skill of the doctors and "the prayers of 60,000 people globally."
He decided to transfer from the Seals to become a chaplain, and he came to Tennessee Temple to get his seminary training.
But he said he never had been able to arrange the White House visit.
Then he received a call saying the President was coming to town and would see him here.
He said he, Temple President Dr. Danny Lovett and Highland Park Baptist Church pastor Dr. David Bouler were all invited to the Convention Center.
He said just before the President left the center, he took about five minutes to meet with the group.
Chaplain Whitaker said, "He grabbed me by the face with both his hands and said, 'You look a lot better than the last time I saw you."
He said he told him about coming to Temple and becoming a chaplain.
He said he asked the President what he could pray for him. He said President Bush answered, "For strength and wisdom, and for calm in the storm."
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