Top chaplain speaks at Lajes National Prayer Luncheon

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Mara Title
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES AZORES, Azores --  Did you hear the one about the rabbi, the priest and the two Protestant ministers who went out for a cruise late one night?

One wouldn't typically expect to hear this kind of question asked at a national prayer luncheon, but at the one held at Lajes Field here Feb. 7, Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Cecil Richardson, the Air Force Chief of Chaplains, asked just that.

"I hope you did, because it's one of the most inspiring and powerful true stories in the history of our nation," said Chaplain Richardson.

He went on to tell the story which began in February 1943, when the U.S.S. Dorchester sailed the seas during World War II. There were 907 soldiers onboard, huddled in the hull of the ship. They were told to wear their life vests, because there were German submarines in the area.

But with so many people, it had gotten hot and most of the soldiers had taken off their life vests to sleep on.

At about 1:45 a.m., a German torpedo hit the Dorchester and the ship began to sink very rapidly. The captain gave the order to abandon ship, and men began to flood up out of the hull, but most didn't have a life vest.

Four chaplains grabbed axes and chopped down the doors to the ship's storehouse and began throwing out life vests, saying, "Jump! Jump! Save your life!" But after a while, they ran out of life vests. One by one, the chaplains took each off their own, and handed it to the soldiers.

"Jump, and save your life!" said the chaplains.

As the ship was sinking, it quickly began to tilt upward.

"And the men saw the most remarkable sight -- one they wrote about and talked about for the rest of their lives," said Chaplain Richardson.

They saw the four chaplains linking their arms and working their way up the ship. The chaplains drew each other up as they got to the top of the bough, and they began shouting out to the men in the water, "Trust in God! Rescue will come -- don't lose your hope!"

The men watched as the four chaplains, with their arms still linked, began singing a hymn together until the ship went down. The chaplains gave their lives for their men and for their country.

"Where do you find the courage to actually live out the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do?" said Chaplain Richardson.

Resiliency is most often needed in order to "bounce back," from life's turmoil. Resiliency is the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched. It's also the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like. But where do people find the strength to become resilient?

Chaplain Richardson said it's about holding tight to one's faith, or whatever belief system one has, in order to stay resilient during extremely difficult times. This was demonstrated by the rabbi, the priest and the two Protestant ministers who went out for a cruise late one night. And our nation is indebted for their courage.