AF Chief of Chaplains delivers 'Courage in Trouble' at National Prayer Breakfast

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stephen Linch
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  "Did you hear the one about the rabbi, the priest and the two Protestant ministers who went out for a cruise late one night?"

More than 200 Liberty Warriors quietly laughed as they waited for the joke's punch line as Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Cecil R. Richardson, the Air Force chief of chaplains, gave his message at the 48th Fighter Wing's annual National Prayer Breakfast at the RAF Lakenheath Base Chapel on Feb. 11.

"Well I hope you did, because is it one of the most powerful and inspiring true stories in the history of our nation," Chaplain Richardson said before relating their story.

It was the night of Feb. 3, 1943, and the USS Dorchester, carrying 907 soldiers, was a mile and a half from its destination of Thule, Greenland, when the ship was struck by two German torpedoes.

The captain gave the order to abandon the ship. Soon the soldiers came to the top deck of the ship. Many were without their life jackets as they had opted to use them as a pillow despite being told to sleep in them.

The four chaplains, a rabbi, a priest and two Protestant ministers, grabbed axes and chopped down the doors to the ship's life storage and gave out the extra life jackets until all were gone. What happened next would never be forgotten by the survivors.

"One by one the four chaplains took off their own life vests and handed it to a soldier and said, 'jump and save your lives,'"

The chaplains then shouted words of encouragement to the soldiers bobbing in the water and sitting in life rafts before linking their arms and singing a hymn.

"As they were singing, the ship went under," he said. "The chaplains gave their lives for their country and for their men."

"Where do you find courage like that?" he asked.

"Where do you find the courage to really live by the core values?" the 44-year Air Force veteran continued. "Not just service - that's not our core value, our core value is service before self."

The chaplain continued his message titled "Courage in Trouble" by talking about the courageous men and women found in the Portraits of Courage, a series developed to highlight the honor, valor, devotion and selfless sacrifice of America's Airmen.

"They weren't bigger, they weren't stronger, they weren't smarter, they weren't better than we are." said Chaplain Richardson speaking of the Airmen. "They were just plain ordinary people, but like the four chaplains, there was something deep within them that propelled them to service and to sacrifice.

"There are similar stories of courage in the Bible," he said. "There is story about a young boy who took a slingshot and stood up to a giant and whupped him, because he trusted in God."

After mentioning many other similar stories of courage in the Bible, he said, "I want to talk to you about one of the most encouraging portions of scripture in entire Bible - Psalm 46.

"Psalm 46 is about trusting in the Lord and holding tight to your faith no matter what. Psalm 46 is about hope in presence of despair. It's about strength in the presence of weakness," he said. "Psalm 46 is about courage in time of trouble.

"There is a message in the Psalm. A message that no matter how dark the situation, no matter how brutal the intention of terrorists, no matter how evil and loud the voices of those who would hurt us, those who trust in the Lord need not fear, for God is our protector, God is our comfort and God is our source of everlasting peace," Chaplain Richardson finished.

Many attending the annual event that brings people together to pray for the institutions, government and people of the United States and its allies, felt moved by the message.

"He is an amazing speaker," said Colin McDonnell, son of Col. Kenneth McDonnell, former 48th Medical Group commander. "He worked in really amazing stories ... (and) put across a really good message that can actually be applied to your life."

Airman 1st Class Stephanie Rios, 48th Component Maintenance Squadron avionics sensors journeyman and NPB volunteer, had similar praises saying, "It was a great blessing.

"It spoke to a lot of people's heart. It spoke to my heart too," she said.