Memorial Day 2014 Tribute to Four Brave Men

Once again Music & The Spoken Word has a way of presenting just the right words at the right time. I love to watch and listen to the messages given by Lloyd Newell in the weekly broadcast on Sunday mornings. It sets the tone and mood for me. i was particularly touched by this story of the four chaplains. [See 'fourchaplains.org/story.html]

"Honoring Our Heroes"

On February 3, 1943, the U.S. Army troopship Dorchester, part of a naval convoy, steamed steadily across the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean en route to World War II's European front. On board were 900 soldiers trained at military facilities like this one, Camp Williams, in Utah. The seas were rough, and the stretch was treacherous; German submarines were known to lurk below in what was called "torpedo alley."

At 12:55 a.m. a German submarine fired three torpedoes at the Dorchester. One ripped into the middle of the ship, and it swiftly began to sink. Chaos erupted on board. Several soldiers were killed; several more were injured. Some men jumped overboard. Four army chaplains-Protestant ministers George Fox and Clark Poling, Catholic priest John Washington, and Jewish rabbi Alexander Goode-were among the first to reach the top deck. Doing what chaplains do, they immediately began providing comfort, guidance, and hope. Calmly and systematically they distributed life jackets and, when the supply ran out, took off their own life jackets, handed them to the panicked soldiers, and pointed them to waiting lifeboats.

As the ship slid beneath the surface, soldiers in lifeboats caught one last look at the chaplains standing on the hull of the ship, arm-in-arm, praying. Rescue ships pulled 230 to safety that night, but almost 700 died.

The four chaplains were not among the survivors.

John Ladd, one of the survivors who witnessed the chaplains' selfless acts, later said, "It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven."1

As we honor those who gave their lives in service to our country, we remember that faith and selflessness are fundamental to honorable living. Their examples teach us where faith and selflessness lead and what courage, compassion, and sacrifice really mean. May we recognize and value these qualities in others and strive to develop them in ourselves.

1. See "The Saga of the Four Chaplains," fourchaplains.org/story.html.

Note: You can YouTube this broadcast in a oouple of weeks when posted to view.