How many mistresses has Tiger Woods had? I bet our society knows more about the bed hopping habits of this ace golfer than they know about the heroic acts of our military chaplains. I feel qualified to say this because I can be counted among the many who were unaware of the acts of bravery and valor that are performed by the Cloth of our Military.
Last week when we were on Ft. Jackson looking for things to do together while on base, we decided to visit the Chaplain Museum there. Ft. Jackson is where the Army Chaplains all go for their training. Pretty soon, if not already, it will be where all three branches of Military Chaplains will go for training. While we were there we were blessed to meet a wonderful Chaplain who showed us the construction going on of the Air Force and Navy wings of the Chaplain school. The Marines and Coast Guard are served by the Naval Chaplains.
While we were at the Chaplain Museum we carefully read the stories of valor, honor and courage that were told in each display. One story, in particular, really captured my mind and my spirit as I read it. I have tried to find more about the story and fortunately there are several sites that have done a good job preserving the eye witness accounts of the act of love, bravery, and valor of the “Four Chaplains” and the sinking of the Dorchester.
As I read on I learned that these men ministered to scared young sailors through the night as they sat in the water and waited for a torpedo to hit them. They knew it was coming, but they had to sit and wait for the noise that they dreaded to hear. At 1 am the dreaded moment came and a torpedo ripped through the belly of the ship. The story continues on and ends with the Four Chaplains taking off their own life vests and handing them to the men they loved and ministered to. Needless to say I walked away with a huge conviction brewing in my soul. No one can really look at that kind of bravery and walk away unchallenged. My ego was humbled greatly as I contemplated their sacrifice and then thought of the petty things I get so wrapped up in on a day to day basis.
God help us when we forget these acts. These are the men we should be learning about. Men like these heroes are the ones we should strive to emulate. Who do I want my children to remember when they think about American History and American heroes? Tiger Woods or Rabbi Alexander Goode, Reverend George L. Fox, Revernd Clark V. Poling and Father John P. Washington. It’s no contest in our home.
Below is one account. Also on the website is a recording of eye witness accounts to the selfless love and sacrifice performed by these four men. Click on the link below the excerpt and hear first hand accounts of these wonderful men.
On January 23, 1943, the USAT Dorchester left New York harbor bound for Greenland carrying 902 officers, servicemen and civilian workers. The Dorchester was escorted by three Coast Guard cutters. On February 2, one of the cutters detected the presence of a submarine but failed to find the submarine’s position. The C.O. of the Dorchester ordered the men to sleep in their clothing, with life jackets close at hand. They were only 150 miles from Greenland and daylight would bring air cover from the American base.
Down in the old converted cruise ship’s stifling hold, four U.S. Army chaplains circulated among the frightened young men, some lying wide-eyed in their bunks, others nervously playing cards or shooting dice.Those chaplains were Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Reformed. Chatting with the troops, the chaplains eased tensions, calmed fears and passed out soda crackers to alleviate seasickness.
Early in the morning of February 3 the chaplains were still up just before 1:00 when the torpedo struck. The missile exploded in the boiler room, destroying the electric supply and releasing suffocating clouds of steam and ammonia gas.The tremendous explosion threw soldiers from bunks and the lights went out as the stricken ship listed to starboard, sinking fast.
Those not trapped below rushed topside. Amid the shriek of escaping steam and frantic blasts of the ship’s whistle, dazed men stumbled about the dark, crowded decks. Some gripped the rails, too struck with horror to head toward the lifeboats.
The four chaplains quickly moved among the bewildered men, calming them, directing them to life rafts, urging them to escape the doomed ship. Many had forgotten their life jackets. The chaplains located a supply in a deck locker and passed them out. When the bin was empty they pulled off their own and made others put them on.
Only two of the 14 lifeboats were successfully used in abandoning ship. Soldiers leaped into the icy sea. They clutched the gunwales of the two overloaded lifeboats, clung to doughnut-like rafts or floated alone. Some men were insulated by the thick fuel oil that coated them and floated in lifejackets for eight hours.
The four chaplains remained on the ship’s slanted aft deck, standing together, arms linked, heads bowed in prayer, as the Dorchester slipped beneath the waves. Their sacrifice would be remembered as one of the most touching stories of the Second World War, and their legacy continues to this day.
