Page 10 - Military Ministry of Cru_Our Connection 2021

The Four Chaplains

“ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his
friends.” – John 15:13 (NIV)

uring the years of World War II, a particularly dangerous
Dpart of the Atlantic Ocean was named “Torpedo Junc-
tion.” In this treacherous corridor, German U-boats routinely
sank 100 Allied ships every month. On February 3, 1943, the
U.S.A.T. Dorchester with 902 soldiers and sailors on board was
hit by a torpedo from U-223 in those icy waters.
As the ship was sinking, survivors tell us that the voices of four
chaplains on board brought encouragement in the midst of trag-
edy as they prayed, sang hymns, and called out words of hope.
They passed out life jackets, tended to the wounded, and guided
many to safety while giving up their own chance for rescue.
cheste
r
The Dorchester sank in 27 minutes. 672 perished, including the
Dor
four chaplains, while 230 survived. According to the eyewitness
accounts, as the Dorchester slipped beneath the waves the four
Dor
chester
chaplains were seen standing arm-in-arm on its slanting deck
praying the Lord’s Prayer.
The chaplains’ valor and ultimate sacrifice speak to the same
qualities being displayed daily on the battlefields of this war on
terror. Giving up one’s life so that others may live is also what
Christ did for us on the cross—the true model of selflessness for
the cause of freedom, freedom of our souls.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You give us examples of courage in the
face of death.

We may be called to sacrifice our lives. Jesus did. 5