Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for all of the recognized and unrecognized heroes in any war ever fought.  They performed their duties as a soldier with valor and compassion.  I can't imagine the fear that these individuals faced and the courage to daily encounter death, deprivation. pain, suffering, loss of friends and absence of family.  They face the moral and ethical dilemma involved with killing an "enemy" who is often another soldier doing his or her duty or seeing the deaths of innocent civilians or fellow soldiers.   

Adversity can bring out the best or worst in each of us.  Many soldiers have risen to the challenge to provide a living example of faith, honor and hope in unbelievable and life threatening circumstances.  The following is one of those stories.  Four Chaplains of four different faiths, modeling their belief in God by giving up their own lives for their comrades. 

"Perhaps the most inspiring demonstration of the chaplaincy at its best is the story of the “Four Chaplains” — also called the “Immortal Chaplains.” They were new chaplains, recent graduates in the same class at the Army Chaplain’s School, on board the USS Dorchester headed for Greenland. On Feb. 3, 1943, the ship was struck by a torpedo. The chaplains — Methodist minister George Fox, Reform Rabbi Alexander Goode, Father John Washington and Reformed Church in America minister Clark Poling — organized the orderly evacuation of the ship as well as helped calm the men. They guided the wounded men to safety and helped load the lifeboats. When there were no more life vests to hand out, the chaplains gave up their own. Once they had helped as many men as possible into the lifeboats, they linked arms, sang and prayed. Survivors said they could hear the mixed languages of the chaplains including the Jewish prayers in Hebrew and the Catholic in Latin. Out of the 904 men on the ship, only 230 survived."

Deacon Mark C. Miller writes from Indiana

Thank you to all service men and woman all over the world!