I was drawn to The Immortals by Steven T. Colis when I saw the blurb on Net Galley about this book, published this month, focusing on a group of medical chaplains and a young Black petty officer who were heroes in the sinking of the Dorchester on February 3, 1943. Since my husband spent about half of his military career as a chapel administrator, my interest was aroused. Even with that anticipation, I found more than I expected. The author begins with each of the men and recounts their life journeys that bring them to this point. The chaplains were Jewish, Catholic, Methodist, and Baptist, each with a family story and a personal sense of calling.
Part of the narrative is devoted to the role of the modern military chaplain with their ecumenical need to serve all soldiers, not just the ones who share their particular brand of faith. In this period of time, the chaplains were in the process of moving from previous ideas of ministering to those of their own denomination to a broader umbrella and with a sense of service to all the troops. For instance, instructions given by a medical officer to a group of chaplains set the tone for their role in the military as he told of a chaplain he knew who, “always dropped back in the line towards the close of the day and somewhere he would find a young soldier who would be having trouble carrying his rifle along with his pack so the chaplain would carry his rifle for him. That, chaplains, is your job – to carry rifles for boys and they will not always be of wood and steel but burdens, problems, sins, and sorrows.” I found a very accurate account of the role and ministry of the chaplaincy.
Having laid that background as a framework, Steven Colis goes on to tell the story of the convoy that nears safety in Greenland as the Nazi U-boat captain Kark-Jurg Wachter stalks the Americans for days, waiting for the weather to give him an opening for a strike. The riveting story is well-researched and written with as much tension as any drama. Even though this is history and I knew the ending before I began, I found myself figuratively on the edge of my seat as I read.