Where Are The Heroes
War at its very best is brutally evil. Though there are some good men in wars, there are times when the good men do terrible things. There are other times, of course, when war gives good men opportunities to do great things. One example of the greatness of good men happened during World War II.
In 1943, Americans were sending thousands of men, and hundreds of shiploads of war materials to England, for transfer to the front. On one particular crossing, the troopship Dorchester was on its way to Greenland, where the United States had a base. Sometime, shortly after midnight on February 3, the Dorchester was torpedoed. Many were wounded, several killed and the ship was sinking. Confusion that led to panic was everywhere. Men were screaming in pain, others were moaning their last breath, while leaders were shouting orders, trying to organize an abandonment of the ship.
On board the Dorchester were four chaplains, each from different religions. There was a Jewish Rabbi named Alexander Goode, two Protestants, Clark Poling and George Fox, and a Catholic Priest, John Washington. These four men stumbled and groped in the darkness going from man to man, helping people to abandon the ship. They worked hard, assisting men with their life jackets, and carrying some to the lifeboats, or helping others get over the side, before the ship went under. The time came when there were no more life jackets. Each of the chaplains knew that without a life jacket there was little chance of survival in the fridgid waters, yet none of the four hesitated. When the jackets were gone and still men were without them, they gave up their own, helped put them on others, and went back to their business of comforting and consoling those who would not make it.
As the ship slipped beneath the surface, the four chaplains were praying with, and holding onto the wounded. They were sacrificing themselves to save others, and comfort those beyond saving.
I don't know how I would act in similar circumstances, but I do know I want to be like those men. We need more men and women like John Washington, Alexander Goode, George Fox and Clark Poling. We need to find that spirit of self-sacrifice, and get rid of the "me and me alone attitude." America used to be great, but she isn't any more. We have macho policemen beating helpless victims, who are supposed to be in their custody. We have rebellious citizens burning and looting whole cities. There are teenage Satan worshippers who, in some sort of sadistic ritual, kill little children, in brutal, ungodly ways. We have wealthy men and women cheating in the stock markets, taking more and more from those who are honestly seeking to make a living. And we have a congress that is afraid to make any laws that will do anything except get them re-elected.
Who cares about America any more? We've taken prayer out of our schools, any mention of God from our textbooks, preach and teach evolution, humanism, and situation values and ethics, then wring our hands, as we sit and wonder why our children are becoming more and more like the Devil. Anything that has value, absolute truth, calls for sacrifice and self-discipline, like God's word, the Bible, we jump on it with both feet and scream "FIRST AMENDMENT! FIRST AMENDMENT! SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!" There may have been a time when it was necessary to worry about the government making laws instituting a national religion, to which everyone had to belong, but those days are gone. The only religion congress has established is the religion of re-election and the worshipping of the pacmen, making sure one pays special honor to the priests in charge of the pacmen's coffers.
The blind have led the blind for long enough. Let's wake up America. Let's get back to where we went off the road of greatness. It's time to look for heroes somewhere besides the sports arena. Before it's too late, let's look at men like the four chaplains on the troopship Dorchester. These are men who are worthy of honor. Not because they scored 50 points in a "game," or were re-elected 10 times, but because they sacrificed themselves to help others live, and help those who were dying to know they were not dying alone, but were with someone who cared. These men were worthy, not only of the Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Medal each was posthumously awarded, but they are worthy of emulation.
In 1943, Americans were sending thousands of men, and hundreds of shiploads of war materials to England, for transfer to the front. On one particular crossing, the troopship Dorchester was on its way to Greenland, where the United States had a base. Sometime, shortly after midnight on February 3, the Dorchester was torpedoed. Many were wounded, several killed and the ship was sinking. Confusion that led to panic was everywhere. Men were screaming in pain, others were moaning their last breath, while leaders were shouting orders, trying to organize an abandonment of the ship.
On board the Dorchester were four chaplains, each from different religions. There was a Jewish Rabbi named Alexander Goode, two Protestants, Clark Poling and George Fox, and a Catholic Priest, John Washington. These four men stumbled and groped in the darkness going from man to man, helping people to abandon the ship. They worked hard, assisting men with their life jackets, and carrying some to the lifeboats, or helping others get over the side, before the ship went under. The time came when there were no more life jackets. Each of the chaplains knew that without a life jacket there was little chance of survival in the fridgid waters, yet none of the four hesitated. When the jackets were gone and still men were without them, they gave up their own, helped put them on others, and went back to their business of comforting and consoling those who would not make it.
As the ship slipped beneath the surface, the four chaplains were praying with, and holding onto the wounded. They were sacrificing themselves to save others, and comfort those beyond saving.
I don't know how I would act in similar circumstances, but I do know I want to be like those men. We need more men and women like John Washington, Alexander Goode, George Fox and Clark Poling. We need to find that spirit of self-sacrifice, and get rid of the "me and me alone attitude." America used to be great, but she isn't any more. We have macho policemen beating helpless victims, who are supposed to be in their custody. We have rebellious citizens burning and looting whole cities. There are teenage Satan worshippers who, in some sort of sadistic ritual, kill little children, in brutal, ungodly ways. We have wealthy men and women cheating in the stock markets, taking more and more from those who are honestly seeking to make a living. And we have a congress that is afraid to make any laws that will do anything except get them re-elected.
Who cares about America any more? We've taken prayer out of our schools, any mention of God from our textbooks, preach and teach evolution, humanism, and situation values and ethics, then wring our hands, as we sit and wonder why our children are becoming more and more like the Devil. Anything that has value, absolute truth, calls for sacrifice and self-discipline, like God's word, the Bible, we jump on it with both feet and scream "FIRST AMENDMENT! FIRST AMENDMENT! SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!" There may have been a time when it was necessary to worry about the government making laws instituting a national religion, to which everyone had to belong, but those days are gone. The only religion congress has established is the religion of re-election and the worshipping of the pacmen, making sure one pays special honor to the priests in charge of the pacmen's coffers.
The blind have led the blind for long enough. Let's wake up America. Let's get back to where we went off the road of greatness. It's time to look for heroes somewhere besides the sports arena. Before it's too late, let's look at men like the four chaplains on the troopship Dorchester. These are men who are worthy of honor. Not because they scored 50 points in a "game," or were re-elected 10 times, but because they sacrificed themselves to help others live, and help those who were dying to know they were not dying alone, but were with someone who cared. These men were worthy, not only of the Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Medal each was posthumously awarded, but they are worthy of emulation.
posted by Josiah Tilton at 10:45 AM
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