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On December 6, 1917, Halifax, Nova Scotia, was rocked by the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bomb. A French cargo ship, Mont-Blanc, loaded with high explosives, collided with another vessel in the harbor. As fire engulfed the ship, Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher stationed nearby, realized an inbound passenger train was minutes away from entering the blast zone. Instead of fleeing, he rushed back to his telegraph and sent a final message to halt the train. His words, “Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye boys.” were chillingly accurate. Moments later, the Mont-Blanc detonated with a force equivalent to 2.9 kilotons of TNT, leveling much of Halifax, killing nearly 2,000 people, and injuring thousands more. Coleman died instantly, but his message reached the train station in time, saving over 300 passengers from certain death. Coleman’s sacrifice became a symbol of selfless duty. Though he was a civilian, his actions were later honored with memorials, plaques, and even a Canadian Heritage Minute. His story is still taught in schools and remembered as a rare moment of heroism in the face of unimaginable catastrophe, a quiet man who chose others’ lives over his own. #fblifestyle