Some Personalized Military Events: Present and Past #2 (2025)
Unfortunate news reached us this past week that three members of a 60-ton+ U.S. Army armored recovery vehicle had perished, when the vehicle they were traveling in somehow ventured into a swampy area, more specifically, a watery peat bog, and sank quickly, drowning all three members inside. A fourth crew member, likely the crew chief, was apparently able to escape through the open top hatch before the vehicle sank. Quite likely hoping to summon help, after a search, he was found deceased a day later seemingly on his way back to the Lithuanian base. Lithuanian forces, along with U.S. military troops, and those from several other allied nations, were jointly involved in the arduous task of eventually recovering the sunken armored vehicle along with the three deceased U.S. service members. All four Army service personnel were forward deployed from the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division stationed at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Georgia.
This incident was, indeed, a profound tragedy, occurring as the crew was reportedly undergoing a disabled military vehicle recovery training exercise. Responding in part to the loss, Major-General Christopher Norrie, Commanding General of the Third Infantry Division said: “The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers, they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home.” Most certainly, our prayers of reverence and remembrance for these fine men, these dedicated American soldiers, go out to their comrades, their families, and to Heaven above.
And yet another military tragedy, this one from decades back, during World War II, in fact. To be exact, the date was February 3, 1943. While en route to Greenland by sea, it was around midnight in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, when a German submarine torpedo struck the converted civilian U.S. transport ship, S.S. Dorchester, carrying over nine-hundred American soldiers heading for the fight in the European theatre. Of the 902 men said to have been onboard, about 230 of our soldiers perished that dark night, from either the sinking itself or from drowning in the frigid ocean waters. Four soldiers on board thought to have survived, however, did so thanks solely to a spiritually-inspired gift of unspeakable kindness.
On board that stricken, sinking transport ship were four Army Chaplains. Two were Protestant ministers, one was a Jewish rabbi, and the fourth was a Catholic priest. All four made the life-changing decision, after helping to hand out all of the available life jackets, and helping other soldiers get into the lifeboats, to hand their own individual life jackets to four unknown, extremely fortunate soldiers facing the same imminent deaths that the Chaplains would, themselves, now face, without their life preservers. A Heaven-sent act of spiritual commitment, kindness, and remarkable personal courage, as certain death now faced these very special four Men-of-God themselves, in the frigid seas off Newfoundland. “Witnesses later recalled seeing the Four Chaplains standing arm in arm, saying prayers and singing hymns, on the deck of the ship as it went down.” No doubt aiding their spiritual comradery and self-sacrifice together was the fact that all four had previously been classmates, now re-bonded, at the Chaplains School at Harvard University. Standing together that harrowing night, facing death as one, they became, and remain, incredible American heroes all.
These four committed and incredibly brave Chaplains were not forgotten, either back then, or now. The sinking of the S.S. Dorchester is considered, historically, to have been among “the worst sea disasters of World War II.” Helping to keep that tragedy alive to this day, Congress, foundations, museums, and other organizations have created numerous memorials, remembrances, and special occasions to keep the amazing and significant sacrifice of The Four Chaplains in the memories of thankful and appreciative Americans. Congress bestowed, posthumously, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart on each of the Chaplains. Another remembrance was the 1948 issuance of a U.S. postage stamp, with their images, in honor of their sacrifice, with a postal value, for current perspective, of 3-cents!! Then in 2004, a 60-minute TV documentary, “The Four Chaplains: Sacrifice at Sea, was produced. Other remembrances, sadly some forgotten over the years, included naming February 3rd “The Four Chaplains Day.” Those brave religious man of distinction and valor clearly represent to us all, back then and still today, the absolute meaning of enduring faith, bravery, and sacrifice. And, perhaps most of all, we remember and memorialize the ultimate price, and often the true gift to others, of incredible courage and self-sacrifice.
It was now 80-years ago this past February that our courageous United States Marines invaded the Japanese-held island of Iwo Jima. The date was February 19, 1945, to be exact. That heroic fight would last until March 26, 1945. It took four weeks of hard fighting during that time for our forces to reach the summit of Mount Suribachi. It was at that point when a small contingent of our Marines raised the beautiful, flowing American flag atop that vital mountain, forever after in our military history signifying the successful American conquest of yet another objective in that brutal and costly island-hopping campaign to defeat the Japanese Empire. “The taking of the 554-foot (Suribachi) hill was significant, in that it suppressed the fire from the Japanese who were dug in and who had previously had the primary advantage over much of the island.” The human cost of the Iwo Jima fight was recorded at about 27,000 U.S. Marines and Navy sailors either injured or killed there, while reportedly about 21,000 Japanese soldiers lost their lives on that island. The photographic and print images of those brave, heroic Marines raising our colors atop Mount Suribachi continues to evoke emotional feelings of American pride even now, so many decades later. Back in 1945, with the war in Europe winding down, while the campaign against the Japanese continued, that iconic United States Marine image from Mount Suribachi was used on a War Bond poster throughout America, and was said to have helped raise an additional $26-billion in war-time funding alone! Iwo Jima was but one stunning example of the courage and commitment of so many millions of fine American men and women in uniform who gave, and give, their all every day to bring victory, honor, and pride to our great nation.
(Fact Source: Major-General Norrie’s response to the deaths of his Division soldiers in Lithuania via Public Affairs Office, Fort Stewart, Georgia; The Four Chaplains heroism of World War II, their solemn remembrance and distinction, via Wikipedia (See this source for a fuller accounting of historic remembrances of their valor); Iwo Jima’s historic U.S. Marine flag raising via foxnews.com, Michael Lee, 2-23-25).