02/01/2026
Greetings everyone, I pray that you all are well,
As we begin a new year together, I will continue to try to encourage you in my messages.
In Harm’s Way
(Because of love, they placed themselves in Harm’s Way)
Today we observe the 83rd anniversary of a voyage that ended in what has been called the second-worst sea disaster of World War II—and one of the greatest acts of self-sacrifice ever recorded.
On January 23, 1943, the U.S.A.T. Dorchester departed New York en route to Greenland as part of the SG-19 convoy. Aboard were approximately 900 soldiers, civilians, and crew members, along with four U.S. Army Chaplains:
Methodist Reverend George Fox
Jewish Rabbi Alexander Goode
Catholic Father John Washington
Dutch Reformed Reverend Clark Poling
The convoy was escorted by Coast Guard cutters Tampa, Escanaba, and Comanche.
Early in the war, German U-boats closely monitored North Atlantic sea lanes, sinking Allied vessels with deadly efficiency. Aware of this danger, Dorchester’s commanding officer, Captain Hans J. Danielsen, placed the ship on high alert—even before receiving confirmation that Coast Guard sonar had detected a submarine. Anticipating an attack, Captain Danielsen ordered all men to sleep fully clothed and to keep their life jackets on at all times.
Many of those sleeping deep in the ship’s hold, however, removed their life jackets because of the engine heat and discomfort.
In the early morning hours of February 3, 1943, at 12:55 a.m., the Dorchester was struck by a torpedo fired from the German submarine U-223 off the coast of Newfoundland. The explosion knocked out the ship’s electrical system, plunging her into darkness. Panic spread quickly as men—many trapped below deck—struggled to escape.
In the midst of chaos, the Four Chaplains stepped forward.
They calmed frightened men, organized an orderly evacuation, guided the wounded, and distributed life jackets. When the supply of life jackets ran out, each Chaplain removed his own and gave it to another man. They helped as many as possible into lifeboats.
Then, with nothing left to give but themselves, they linked arms, prayed, and sang hymns as the ship slipped beneath the waves.
They went down with the Dorchester.
Survivor Grady Clark later recalled:
“As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets.”
1 John 3:16 New King James Version
The Outworking of Love
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
According to survivor accounts, prayers were heard in multiple languages—Jewish prayers in Hebrew and Catholic prayers in Latin—blending together in a final witness to unity, faith, and humanity.
Of the 904 men aboard the Dorchester, only 230 survived. Life jackets offered little protection against hypothermia. The water temperature was 34°F, and the air temperature was 36°F. By the time additional rescue ships arrived, hundreds of bodies were seen floating in the water, held up by the very life jackets that had saved others.
They gave of themselves not only to save lives, but to remind us of the sacred bond of humanity.
To sacrifice is not easy. But to sacrifice one’s own life for another is beyond measure. Belief, responsibility, and faith live deep within the core of who we are. On that cold February morning, the men of the Dorchester saw Christ—not in words, but in action—through the Four Immortal Chaplains.
John 15:13 New King James Version
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
In His Service,
Milton Allen
A Servant’s Heart Ministries
Isaiah 40:8 New King James Version
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”
