Pastoral Ponderings–Ordinary Heroism
Memorial Day is a day remembering those who gave their lives in service to their country—many whose stories reflect ordinary acts of caring, that in extraordinary times, became acts of great heroism.
Most often we think of those whose acts in battle turn blood into the fuel of heroics. But as a retired Army Chaplain, I’d like to share a perhaps lesser known story of extraordinary grace that both saved lives on a sinking troop transport ship in WW II, and which has become a beacon of what it means to give your all.
Drawing from articles pertaining to the Four Chaplains, on the US Army Four Chaplains Memorial by Paul Stamps, as well as articles by C. Douglas Sterner and Dan Kurzman, I’d like to share this powerful scene, which demonstrate so well the power of those memorable words, “Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down their lives for their friends”:
The night of February 3, 1943, began like any other on the SS Dorchester, a U.S. Army transport ship carrying over 900 men across the cold, treacherous waters of the North Atlantic. But that night, disaster struck with a ferocity that would test the limits of human endurance.
At 12:55 AM, a German U-boat (U 233) fired a torpedo into the Dorchester, tearing a gaping hole in the ship’s hull. The ship lurched, throwing everyone on board into chaos. Panic spread like wildfire. Flames and smoke filled the air, and the ship, already sinking fast, seemed to groan under the weight of its destruction.
In the midst of the chaos, when escape seemed impossible and death hung like a shadow over the ship, four men remained calm. They were (young Army) chaplains, each wearing a uniform that marked them as spiritual guides to the troops. Yet that night, Lieutenant George L. Fox, Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode, Lieutenant Clark V. Poling, and Lieutenant John P. Washington would become something far greater. These four men of different faiths, bound by their shared mission to serve others, would become symbols of grace, courage, and self-sacrifice in the face of death.
As the ship began to sink, the chaplains didn’t panic. Instead, they did what they had been trained to do: serve. They moved through the smoke-filled decks, offering comfort, administering prayers, and guiding the men toward safety. Their voices—steady, calming, and full of hope—became an anchor for the frightened Soldiers around them.
(As the Soldiers were coming on deck, they found that) there were not enough life jackets to go around. (The chaplains, though,) made an extraordinary decision. Without hesitation, each chaplain gave up his own life jacket and gave it to a Soldier in need.
Witnesses later recalled seeing the Four Chaplains standing arm in arm on the deck as the ship went down. They were not merely waiting for death. Instead, amidst the chaos, the Four Chaplains prayed in unison. Each one offered his own prayer, but their voices blended in a powerful chorus of faith that transcended every barrier between them.
In that moment, it was the Four Chaplains’ shared humanity and their shared love for others that became their greatest strength. (With their combined prayers lifting) up the souls of the men who would soon face the unknown, and invoking God’s grace as the ship tilted further and the cold waters began to swallow them whole. The Four Chaplains’ courage, sacrifice, and deep faith transcended all boundaries—religious, national, and personal. In those last moments, the Dorchester became a sanctuary of selflessness, a symbol of the highest human virtues.
In a world where differences have all too often created conflict and separated brothers, the Four Chaplains found a special kind of unity, and in that unity they found strength. Despite the differences, they became “brothers” for they had one unseen characteristic in common that overshadowed everything else. They were brothers because all four shared the same father.
U-233 escaped after firing the fatal torpedo. About a year later, it was sunk by British destroyers with the loss of most of its crew. One survivor, Kurt Rosser, was interned in a Mississippi prisoner of war camp, In 2000, the Immortal Chaplains Foundation brought him and the U-233 first officer, Gerhard Buske, to Washington, DC. There they attended memorial ceremonies, toured the Holocaust Museum, and visited with Theresa Goode Kaplan, widow of Chaplain Goode, who reluctantly accepted the visitors’ expressions of respect for her husband and regret for her suffering. Four years later, Buske spoke at the foundation’s sixtieth anniversary ceremony, saying, “we ought to love when others hate…we can bring faith where doubt threatens; we can awaken hope where despair exists; we can light up a light where darkness reigns; we can bring joy where sorrow dominates.” Those words, as well as any, represent the lessons of the Four Chaplains.
In the face of war, death, and adversity, the Four Chaplains showed the world what it means to live out one’s faith with profound love and sacrifice.
Their story, combined with the words of U-233’s First Officer 60 years later, show how heroic love can not only bring hope in the darkest of times, but can even build bridges that brings forgiveness and reconciliation, that can turn enemies into neighbors.
May the echoes of that night, and the memories we share this day, not only bring honor to the fallen, but hope to those facing today’s battles. Amen, and amen.
Pastor Jim, aka Chaplain (Lt.Colonel, retired, USAR)
