QUARANTINE BLOG # 190

October 6, 2020

In “The Substitute,” the close of QB 185, I wrote about the Four Chaplains, who died on February 3, 1943, when their transport ship, the S.S. Dorchester, was sunk by a German U-Boat.  Nudged by the comments of one blog reader, here is more of their story.

Stunned by the explosion of the torpedo, men were groping in the darkness, screaming, and frantically trying to get lifeboats off the ship.  Through the pandemonium, the four Army chaplains – Lt. George Fox, a Methodist minister; Lt. Alexander Goode, a Jewish Rabbi; Lt. John Washington, a Roman Catholic Priest; and Lt. Clark Poling, a Dutch Reformed minister – spread out among the soldiers, calming the frightened, tending the wounded and guiding the disoriented toward safety.

The chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets.  It was then that Engineer Grady Clark witnessed an astonishing sight.  When there were no more life jackets in the storage room, the chaplains simultaneously removed theirs and gave them to four frightened young men.  When giving their life jackets, Rabbi Goode did not call out for a Jew; Father Washington did not call out for a Catholic; nor did Fox or Poling call out for a Protestant.  They simply gave their life jackets to the next man in line.  One survivor would later call it “It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven.”

As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains – arms linked and braced against the slanting deck.  Their voices could also be heard offering prayers and singing hymns.

Before boarding the Dorchester back in January, Chaplain Poling had asked his father to pray for him, “Not for my safe return, that wouldn’t be fair.  Just pray that I shall do my duty, never be a coward, and have the strength, courage and understanding of men.  Just pray that I shall be adequate.”

Although the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart were later awarded posthumously, Congress wished to confer the Medal of Honor but was blocked by the stringent requirements which required heroism performed under fire (How their situation could not be understood as being ‘under fire’ is beyond me).  So a posthumous Special Medal for Heroism, “The Four Chaplains’ Medal,” was authorized by Congress and awarded by the President on January 18, 1961.  It was never given before and will never be given again.  

Adequate indeed!

👉 As far as I know there has never been a medal given for it, but the Quarantine Blog hereby issues a medal for extreme heroism – in this Breast Cancer Awareness Month – to all cancer survivors.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) was founded in October 1985 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries (now part of AstraZeneca, producer of several anti-breast cancer drugs).  The aim of the NBCAM from the start has been to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

In 1993 Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estée Lauder Companies, founded The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and established the pink ribbon as its symbol, though this was not the first time a ribbon was used to symbolize breast cancer: a 68-year-old California woman named Charlotte Haley, whose sister, daughter, and granddaughter had breast cancer, had distributed peach-color ribbons to call attention to what she perceived as inadequate funding for research.

Ladies, if you haven’t had one this year, schedule your mammogram.

And choose a slogan:  Real Men Wear Pink, Fight Like a Girl, Let’s Get It Off Our Chests, Cancer You Picked The Wrong Girl, Got Pink? Pink Is My Signature Color, Thanks For The Mammories, I Pink I Can!

The White House

10 Downing Street

👉  Derek Flint is an ex-agent of Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage) who is brought out of retirement to deal with the threat of “Galaxy,” a worldwide organization led by a trio of mad scientists: Doctor Krupov, Doctor Wu, and Doctor Schneider.  

Flint has a black belt in Judo, Olympic medals in at least five different events, degrees from 17 different universities, creation of highly prized paintings, and the ability to speak fluently in 45 languages and dialects.  He created a sonic amplifier, which can move objects or cause them to explode.  He has a belt buckle/sonic manipulator and a cigarette lighter which has 82 functions (83 if you wish to light a cigar).  And he has the power of self-induced suspended animation.  

There were two Flint movies, Our Man Flint, and In Like Flint.  Starring James Coburn, both were spoofs of the Bond and all the other spy films in released at the time.  Here is the trailer for Our Man Flint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X84V81FuC7M.

Our Man Flint contains direct nods to James Bond in a comedic and outlandish style (and as you can see in the adjacent picture, borrows from Matt Helm). Flint is initially offered a Walther PPK and an attache case with a concealed throwing knife which Flint dismissing both as “crude.”  During one sequence, Flint stages a mock brawl with a patron who is identified as Agent 0008, a British secret agent.  Flint asks if SPECTRE (the criminal organization in the early Bond movies) is involved, to which Agent 0008 replies, “It’s bigger than SPECTRE!”   The actor playing the role is similar in appearance to Sean Connery.

The sequel did not do as well at the box office as the first film, but if you can find them, they are each worth a look – for an inside, campy look at the 1960s, if not for the fun of the films themselves.

 👉 Before we close today, how about a half-dozen panels and strips?

👉   Today’s close is from “Praying with Jesus” by Eugene H. Peterson

“Jesus rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.  After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” (John 13:4-5 NKJV).

For some people, accepting an act of ministry is more difficult than offering it, for when another assists us, our dependence, weakness, and need are admitted.  When Peter abandons his pose as the all-sufficient self-made man and receives Jesus’ ministry, he acts by faith.

Prayer: I know, Lord, that it is pride that wants to assert absolute independence and be free from all obligations.  Forgive my self-righteousness and clothe me in Your righteousness.  Amen.

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