Four Chaplains remembered
On Feb. 3, 1942 four Army chaplains gave up their lifejackets during the sinking of the U.S.A.T. Dorchester in the North Atlantic. As the U.S.A.T. Dorchester took on water after being hit by a German torpedo, the Reverends Poling and Fox, Father Washington and Rabbi Goode handed out lifejackets to the young and frightened troops until they ran out and then gave out their own to four young men. Of the 902 souls on board the transport ship, only 230 survived.
The Four Chaplains went down with the U.S.A.T. Dorchester and are honored annually for their bravery. One survivor said of the selfless act, “It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven.”
The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation was dedicated in 1951 by President Harry S. Truman. It exists to further the cause of unity without uniformity by encouraging goodwill and cooperation among all people.
For more information, the entire story can be found on the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation website at www.fourchaplains.org.
To arrange for a presentation on the Four Chaplains, call Rod Collins at 425-2120 or email your request to rc199@rocketmail.com.
