Today is Veterans Day in US. I remember my own father who flew B17 to liberate Europe- he was shot down, captured, and escaped. Amazing man. I know there were many others like him. I thank and pray for all of them. sharing this story - a tribute to all vets During WWII, German U boats (the Nazi subs) sank thousands of ships. So while battle was extraordinarily dangerous, getting there was no less hairy. And one boat, the Dorchester, was transporting 902 passengers when it met what’s regarded as the second worst sea disaster in WWII. On February 3, 1943, the Coast Guard picked up on five subs trailing the Dorchester. The captain ordered troops to keep life vests on at all times. Many didn’t listen, because… well… they were 19- and 20-year-olds and thought they were invincible. But even if they had, tragically, there weren’t enough of them. Then just after midnight when the Dorchester was 150 miles away from its destination in Greenland, a U boat torpedoed the ship. The communications tower was taken out. Icy sea water poured in, and in the darkness of the arctic, chaos broke out. Four men were calm in the midst of the storm. It was their four chaplains: Methodist minister George Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Reformed Church minister Clark Poling, and Fr. John Washington, a Roman Catholic priest. Survivors remember them walking around the deck, directing men, calming them down, praying with people, and handing out life vests. And then the unthinkable happened. They realized the life vests were all out. So each chaplain made a decision that he knew, in that dark icy sea, meant certain death. One at a time, they slowly removed their life vest and gave it to a solider. Like the soldiers, they had families of their own. Reverend Goode had a 3-year-old he knew he’d never see again. They were last seen clinging to the highest part of the ship before it descended into the icy depths… and they weren’t panicked. They weren’t crying. They were arm-in-arm, singing hymns together. A medal was struck specifically for them by the US Military, with the equivalent ranking of the Medal of Honor. It would never be awarded again. It was just for them. The Four Chaplains Medal. The words come to mind: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends” (John 15:13). Stories like that stand out because we know that, as much as we look up to the rich and famous (and, no doubt, some of them are also great people) there’s simply something better about the way those chaplains lived and died. Something even more attractive than worldly wealth. They challenge us to make our lives about that “something more”… to make our lives a gift in service. We know that, deep down, that’s the only way to find real life. God bless you, Chris Stefanick Real Life Catholic
Chris Stefanick is a great Catholic communicator and witness. My son-in-law, Johnny, was blessed to obtain a production manager's position working for Mr. Stefanick in Denver, CO. last March.
Geralyn and I just re-sent to our children and their families: pictures taken in Europe at the time of the Allied advance into Germany in WWII. Geralyn's Dad was in Patton's Army at that time. Eternal rest grant to the faithful who fell, whether Allied or German: may perpetual light shine upon them!
Today, I came across a wonderful article that highlights sadly enough how various levels of government have over the years dismantled The Fifth Amendment's "Takings Clause" which authorizes eminent-domain takings, but only when property is needed "for public use" — for example, to build a post office, widen a road, or create a needed reservoir. The article below reveals how even our highest court has butchered that safeguard. Our freedoms continue to be curtailed. https://www.jeffjacoby.com/14530/eminent-disaster Lord have mercy: https://www.tfp.org/abusive-eminent-domain-the-henry-farm-and-the-right-to-private-property/ The butchering of our Constitution! Who is willing to die for our freedom today?
What an amazing group of men. Miker, you must be proud of your dad! My dad piloted a blimp and was responsible for patrolling the Pacific Ocean, looking for submarines. He said he was more afraid of the wind than he was the enemy. God bless the bravery and love of God and country that the generations before us had tattooed in their souls.
I just found out a couple weeks ago while visiting my grandpa in Alabama that I may have inherited my great love for steam trains from my great-grandpa, who loved and worked on them from the time he was 11! In WWII, he drove the steam trains back and forth delivering supplies, with German planes dropping bombs all around him. Unfortunately the fear and stress of WWII really changed him. He was a hard, drinking man after that, and died of a heart attack at 41.
To Jesus Who stands outside of time I offer prayers for conversions in your family that go back to your great grandpa! Purgatory is part and parcel of this truth.
