Dorchester

Dorchester

On February 3, 1943 a torpedo struck the S.S. Dorchester. Chaos reigned on board as the boat filled with water. Men rushed aroundin a panic. Many had run up from the hold without life jackets. Overcrowded lifeboats capsized; rafts drifted away before anyone could reach them. Survivors testified that there seemed only one little island of order in all the confusion – the spot where four chaplains stood, on the steeply sloping starboard side.

 Alexander David Goode, a rabbi, George Lansing Fox, a pastor, Clark Poling, a minister, and John Washington, a priest, calmly guided men to their boat stations. They distributed life jackets from a storage locker and then helped men frozen with fear over the side.

Hundreds of men were crying, pleading, praying, and swearing. But through it all, the chaplains spoke words of courage and confidence. “Their voices were the only thing that kept me going,” one survivor recalled.

When the supply of life jackets was gone, the four chaplains gave away their own. As the water flooded the deck the chaplains remained standing firm, arms linked; their voices could be heard across the waters praying in Hebrew, Latin, and English.

God will give you the power to stand firm in the face of the storms of life. He will give you His peace as you trust in Him.

(The story of the chaplains is adapted from the book Solid Ground by Mark Finley and published by Review and Herald 2003, used with permission.)

 Image originally found here

Related Articles

More From Prose

Noah's Bubbe

Kathleen Moore is an RN, a mental health counselor, specializing in the field of grief and…
Noah's Bubbe
Photo: Alan Reinach

Alan Reinach

Outwardly Alan Reinach appeared to be an unlikely candidate for God's kingdom, but in his heart…
Alan Reinach

Dead Branches

I was trimming some roses. I noticed that for some reason many of the branches had died so I…
Dead Branches

Phil and Joan

Phil Bova was enjoying his life to the fullest. In addition to his career as an entertainer for…
Phil and Joan

Silly and Sick

When I was a little girl I loved all sorts of pets. I had pet potato-bugs, pet spiders, pet…
Silly and Sick

East 105th Street

I grew up on East 105th Street, in Cleveland, Ohio. I went to Gracemont Elementary school. My…
East 105th Street
Photograph: Barbara Gurien & Dad

Barbara Gurien

Barbara Gurien was working as an ultrasound technologist when she went on a date with a Jewish…
Barbara Gurien

The Golden Retreiver

It was Sabbath and I was going to go on a walk with my mom after eating a wonderful lunch, but…
The Golden Retreiver

A Fishy Tale

I received a fish tank in my teens. I’m not sure if it was for my birthday or some other…
A Fishy Tale

Good Hearing, Bad Speaking

You may have heard the saying, “some things are easier said than done.”
Good Hearing, Bad Speaking

The Gratitude Attitude

My friend, Bill Schiebler, is a man who lives by our philosophy that you can have everything in…
The Gratitude Attitude

Living the Mitzvah

When my wife and I moved to North Carolina from Florida, we gave up a good support system.
Living the Mitzvah

Belev Echad

Belev Echad (“One Heart” in Hebrew) is an organization that brings wounded Israeli Defense…
Belev Echad

The Hiding Place

In November of 1972 my parents emigrated from Israel to the United States, several months prior…
The Hiding Place

God’s Care

Most of the time I prefer to write humorous, light hearted things. This time I want to write…
God’s Care

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation