Edward Graham returned to his office after a long day as the head of his conventional unit in the Army. He was suffering from a bad case of the flu and had just listened to one of his specialists, Jason Fingar, pray over his platoon before the soldier led an operation. Just 15 minutes later, Graham’s radio blared Fingar’s call sign, relaying that Graham’s soldier had been killed in action.
Graham, the current chief operating officer of Samaritan’s Purse and former Liberty University student, said his life changed after he received that radio message.
“One of the hardest lessons I ever learned was the first time that one of my soldiers died under my command. And I’d gone through several years of combat. I had guys injured — but no one ever died under my command,” Graham said.
Graham said Fingar served as a missionary before joining the Army and he was adamant about praying with his platoon before they set off on an operation. Due to Graham’s bad case of the flu that day, he decided to let his second-in-command lead operations. He said he felt responsible for Fingar’s death and wrestled with his soldier’s passing.
“He died doing exactly what I told him to do, and that’s a hard one to understand and try to deal with loss when you are in charge. And the kid could have been anywhere, doing anything, but he was working for me,” Graham said. “Jason loved the Lord, and I always ask, ‘Why Jason, Lord?’”
Now, as he reflects on his time at Liberty and West Point, the United States Military Academy, he is thankful for his knowledge of the Bible because that wisdom has enabled him to remain secure in Christ, even when all else seemed uncertain. He said his understanding of Scripture has grown as he has navigated the various challenges that came from serving in the Army for 16 years.
Shortly after Fingar’s passing, Graham said two soldiers came up to him and said, “Sir, we want you to know that we have the same hope that Jason has.”
Graham said he was encouraged by what his soldiers had told him since one of those young soldiers passed away a month later in a motorcycle crash. Despite having to live through those difficult experiences, Graham said he knows there is hope for those soldiers because of their faith in God.
During his time at West Point, Graham said he learned many lessons from his academic struggles. However, he had professors and friends come alongside him to tutor him and encourage him to work diligently in his academics.
He said the kindness and help he received from his professors taught him the importance of collaboration and honoring the hard work of the people around him. He said this also has aided him in his work with Samaritan’s Purse and the Army.
“You need to be confident enough to listen, … and you give credit where credit is due. If I say ‘I,’ it’ll be taken away from me real quick. I learned that in the Army,” Graham said.
During Graham’s speech at Convocation Sept. 24, he described the importance of “stepping out of the boat,” like Peter did when he went out to see Jesus in Matthew 14:22-33. He said serving provided numerous growing moments, but he also admitted that he is still actively stepping out of the proverbial boat and embracing seasons of courage to fulfill God’s calling in his life.
He said speaking at Liberty and engaging in numerous public speaking engagements has required him to be bold for Christ. Graham said he wished he had been bolder in his faith when he was a student at Liberty and when he worked in the Army. Now, however, he said he has grown in his boldness for Christ and he has embraced the ministry with courage as he travels around the world for Samaritan’s Purse.
“And so here in the ministry, as I go around the world, I try to be so deliberate when I tell people I’m praying for them. I want to mean it. … Give me your name. Give me a friend’s name that’s hurting right now. I’ll write it down and put it in my phone. I’m committed to prayer because I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer,” Graham said.
Davis is the Editor-in-Chief for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.