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The Four Chaplains Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13 On a frigid February 3, 1943, the US troop ship Dorchester was sailing through rough seas in a convoy out of Newfoundland bound for Greenland.  They were about 150 miles off the coast.  Down in the old converted cruise ship’s stifling hold, 4 US chaplains circulated among the frightened young men, some lying wide-eyed in their bunks, others nervously playing cards or shooting dice.  Chatting with the troops, the chaplains eased tensions, calmed fears and passed out soda crackers to alleviate seasickness. The troops anxiously looked forward to reaching Greenland the next day.  They knew that U-boats prowled their ship’s course.  They did not know that by morning nearly 3/4s of them would be dead, and that the rest would have their lives changed forever.  Nor did they know the magnificent way in which these four chaplains would minister to them. Father John Washington was fr

 Certainly one of the most memorable stories of Grace Baptist Church is that of Hattie May Wiatt.  According to Robert J. Burdette in his The Modern Templars--A Sketch of the Life and Work of Russell H. Conwell  it all began one day in 1883 with a little girl, 6 years old, Hattie May Wiatt. The following version is easy to read, but read on to see Conwell's sermon on Hattie May for a first-hand account, as well as other details of the little girl who lives on in our history. Additional Info Hattie May was the daughter of Joseph and Harriet (Hattie) J. Ball Wiatt and they lived at 1917 Mervine Street in Philadelphia.  She died of diphtheria at age 7, which her younger sister also contracted and died just 5 days later.  They were originally buried in Monument Cemetery but were moved within the cemetery on May 11, 1904.  Two years later, they grandmother, Abbie P. Ball was buried with them.  Monument was closed in 1956 and on June 22 of that year Annie and Hattie May were removed for