Posted on 02/03/2014 6:10:47 AM PST by Master Zinja
February 3rd is remembered in honor of The Four Chaplains. On February 3, 1943, the USAT Dorchester was torpedoed while transporting approxomately 900 men across the Atlantic. The Four Chaplains - Methodist Reverend George L. Fox, Reform-Rabbi Dr. Alexander D. Goode, Father John P. Washington and Reformed Church Reverend Clark V. Poling - helped organize the evacuation of the ship, then gave up their life vests when the crew ran out of vests for the men. They were reportedly seen praying, arm in arm, as the ship went down. 230 men were eventually rescued from the frigid water that night.
Thank you for this post.
This could not happen today. Instead of praying together while the ship went down, the four chaplins would be rump-humping in the lifeboats while the other men on the ship drown.
I can’t believe you would post such a crude post.
Generalities such as this are not true, and I believe you know that.
Thanks for the ping. May these heroes rest in peace.
For the love of God man, do you have no common decency.
God bless the memory of these four American heroes, that died so others may live.
On the frigid night of FEBRUARY 3, 1943, the overcrowded Allied ship U.S.A.T. Dorchester, carrying 902 servicemen, plowed through the dark waters near Greenland.
At 1:00am, a Nazi submarine fired a torpedo into the transport’s flank, killing many in the explosion and trapping others below deck.
It sank in 27 minutes.
The two escort ships, Coast Guard cutters Comanche & Escanaba, were able to rescue only 231 survivors.
In the chaos of fire, smoke, oil and ammonia, four chaplains calmed the sailors and distributed lifejackets:
Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist;
Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed;
Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and
Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish.
When there were no more lifejackets, the four chaplains ripped off their own and put them on four young men.
As the ship went down, survivors floating in rafts could see the four chaplains linking arms and bracing themselves on the slanting deck.
They bowed their heads in prayer as they sank to their icy deaths.
Survivor Grady Clark wrote:
“As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets.”
Congress honored them by declaring this “Four Chaplains Day.”
On February 7, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower spoke from the White House in support of the American Legion Back-to-God Program:
“And we remember that, only a decade ago, aboard the transport Dorchester, four chaplains of four faiths together willingly sacrificed their lives so that four others might live.
In the three centuries that separate the Pilgrims of the Mayflower from the chaplains of the Dorchester, America’s freedom, her courage, her strength, and her progress have had their foundation in faith.”
Eisenhower continued:
“Today as then, there is need for positive acts of renewed recognition that faith is our surest strength, our greatest resource.
This “Back to God” movement is such a positive act...
Whatever our individual church, whatever our personal creed, our common faith in God is a common bond among us...
Together we thank the Power that has made and preserved us a nation. By the millions, we speak prayers, we sing hymns-and no matter what their words may be, their spirit is the same-”In God is Our Trust.”
Eisenhower stated in his address:
“As a former soldier, I am delighted that our veterans are sponsoring a movement to increase our awareness of God in our daily lives. In battle, they learned a great truth-that there are no atheists in the foxholes.”
Show Endnotes
(Brought to you by AmericanMinute.com)
Thanks for the ping!
My intention was, in no way, to dishonor their (the four chaplains) brave sacrifice but rather to demonstrate where the 0bama Administration is taking the United States military, including its chaplains. If you cannot see what’s happening, then you will wake up one morning to a very big surprise. I am sorry if anyone was offended by the imagery - it was intended to be shocking in order to get people’s attention.
So you are saying chaplains have no faith and most are just pretending to be doing God’s work? Makes no sense whatsoever. Your remarks denigrate chaplains all over the Armed Forces. Direct your venom at Obama, not the men that have dedicated their lives to God and are trying to bring the gospel to the men and women of our military.
The goal of 0bama, the ACLU, GLAAD, etc. is to replace chaplains who are men of faith with secularists who will support the homosexual agenda.
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