The following is one chapter from Christian Men of Science by George Mulfinger and Julia Mulfinger Orozco, Ambassador Emerald International, 2001, reproduced with permission.
Other chapter biographies in this book include Johannes Kepler, Robert Boyle, Michael Faraday, Lord Kelvin, Samuel F. B. Morse, James Clerk Maxwell, and Henry Morris. These easily readable accounts contain human-interest events, struggles, failures, and accomplishments.
(1937- )
Mechanical Engineer
Air Force Colonel
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:10,11
The doctor pulled the stethoscope out of his ears and left it dangling around his neck. He told fourteen-year-old Walt to button his shirt and come to his desk. He looked at Mr. and Mrs. Brown and then at Walt before he spoke. “Yes, I hear the murmur,” he said. “But we heart specialists see these cases. You can still have a full life, Walt, just not as active as the rest. Why, we have similar cases on record of people who have lived to be thirty-six years old!” he said, trying to encourage them. But his words fell flat. The Browns had hoped for better news than this.
Well, Walt thought to himself as they left the doctor’s office, at least I have about twenty years left. His heart murmur had been diagnosed when he was a toddler and he was tired of the restrictions that had gone on ever since. He had always had to sit out of physical education classes at school. When he played baseball with his friends, he was allowed to swing the bat, but someone else had to run the bases for him. Sometimes, when he thought his parents wouldn’t find out, he would run the bases himself. The most vigorous activity that his parents allowed him was a game of golf, which he played often and well.
Walt enjoyed competition and had found he could compete in other areas besides sports. He became a good public speaker and won several state contests while in high school. At first he was so scared when he spoke in front of people that he had to wear baggy pants to hide his shaking legs.
While the other boys were spending their time at sports practice, Walt participated in the high school Chess Club. He had taught himself to play chess when he was in fifth grade. He had been too sick to go to school one day, so he sat in bed, thumbing through the World Book Encyclopedia. He stopped when he came to the “Chess” entry and saw the picture of the chessboard.
After reading about chess, he figured he could play it. He got a piece of paper and made a crude chess board by drawing eight columns and eight rows. Then he tore out pieces of paper and made pawns, kings, queens, knights, rooks, and bishops. Now in high school, chess was his passion. He would spend Friday and Saturday evenings playing chess with friends. He wasn’t much of a reader, but he often went downtown to the library to find chess books so that he could improve his strategy.
The chess coach was also the geometry teacher, and Walt was his top math student. This teacher pushed Walt with extra challenges. He also encouraged his bright students to go on to one of the military academies. But that was out of the question for Walt because of his heart condition.
When Walt was seventeen, he went for his annual checkup with Dr. Miller. “I can’t hear the murmur!” the doctor said. So he lifted the restrictions on sports. After seventeen years of little physical activity, Walt reveled in the freedom. He tried boxing and running and found to his surprise that he was a good runner. He could easily run five miles and leave his athletic running partners huffing behind him. Now he realized that he just might be able to go to a military academy.