Anniversary of sacrifice of the four chaplains

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Chaplains

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The Four Chaplains were four U. S. Army chaplains who were killed in action when the USAT Dorchester was hit by a torpedo and sank on February 3, 1943. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their life jackets when the supply ran out. 230 of the 904 men aboard the ship were rescued.

The chaplains were Lieutenants Rev. George L. Fox (Methodist); Rabbi Alexander D. Goode (Jewish) Fr. John P. Washington (Roman Catholic); and Rev. Clark V. Poling (Dutch Reformed).

The four chaplains were all sailing on the USAT Dorchester troop transport ship on 3 February 1943 when the vessel was torpedoed by the German U-Boat U-223. As the vessel sank, the four chaplains calmed the frightened soldiers and sailors, aided in the evacuation of the ship, and helped guide wounded men to safety. The chaplains also gave up their own life belts. A survivor of the sinking, Engineer 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]

On 19 December 1944, all four chaplains were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross.[2] The Chaplain's Medal for Heroism was authorized in 1961 and posthumously presented by the President of the United States to the families of the chaplains.

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I'd like people to remember these holy heroes, especially the next time someone is tempted to make a wise crack about Catholic priests or the other faiths.