George W. Truett, WWI Chaplain

Born May 6, 1867 in Hayesville, No. Carolina and died July 7, 1944 in Dallas, Texas.

In the spring of 1918 Truett was among twenty ministers whom President Woodrow Wilson invited to preach to allied forces overseas. By Sunday June 2, Truett had made his decision about Wilson’s invitation. At the First Baptist Church, Dallas morning service that day he preached a sermon on Psalm 66:12, “We went through fire and water, but thou brought us out into a wealthy place.” On July 9, 1918 Truett, now fifty-one years old, left Dallas by train to go on the great mission to the soldiers overseas.

This is just one of many stories that Truett could tell. Truett and James A. Francis had booked passage for Thursday, October 10 from Ireland back to England on the Irish ship Leinster. However, Truett insisted that they take the next boat and spend a few more hours ministering in Ireland, even though their luggage had already been stored on the Leinster. He eventually talked Francis into staying. The Leinster never reached England, however, because a German submarine sank it, drowning 520 people, including women, children and many Americans. On Sunday morning, three days after the tragedy, Truett visited a hospital and viewed the bodies of the “American boys drowned on the Irish sea…oh the gruesome sight. It was burned into my very brain. I wonder if I can ever forget that long row, or rather the long rows of bodies! God comfort the loved ones far away. I felt as I felt standing…the other day, by the graves of the Lusitania victims – they died for humanity.”

That afternoon on their passage back to England, Truett and Francis passed by the spot where the Leinster had been torpedoed. “We were to have crossed last Thursday on that very vessel,” Truett recorded in his diary. “But our plans were changed! ‘God moves in a mysterious way.’ How great is His goodness!”


Excerpts from THY WILL BE DONE by Keith E. Durso