BY DUANE A. VACHON, PH.D. Next month, February 2013, will be the 70th anniversary of the torpedoing and sinking of the Dorchester, a U.S. Army troopship with more than 900 men on board. It was 1:00 A.M. on the morning of February 3rd when the Dorchester, 100 miles off the coast of Greenland, was hit by a torpedo fired from the German submarine U-223.
Captain Hans J. Danielsen, captain of the Dorchester, had been warned that Coast Guard sonar had detected a submarine. Because German U-boats were monitoring sea lanes and had attacked and sunk ships earlier during the war, Captain Danielsen had the ship’s crew on a state of high alert even before he received that information, ordering the men to sleep in their clothing and keep their life jackets on. “Many soldiers sleeping deep in the ship’s hold disregarded the order because of the engine’s heat. Others ignored it because the life jackets were uncomfortable.”
The torpedo knocked out the Dorchester’s electrical system and in the dark, panic set in among the men on board, many of them trapped below decks.
There were four Chaplains on board, two Protestant pastors, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi. They were among the first on deck, calming the men and handing out life jackets. When they ran out, they took off their own and placed them on waiting soldiers without regard to faith or race.
The four Chaplains were Father John Washington (Catholic), Reverend Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), Rabbi Alexander Goode (Jewish) and Rev. George Fox (Methodist). These four Chaplains were later honored by the Congress and Presidents. They were recognized for their selfless acts of courage, compassion and faith. According to the First Sergeant on the ship, “They were always together, they carried their faith together.” They demonstrated throughout the voyage and in their last moments, interfaith compassion in their relationship with the men and with each other. In 1960 Congress created a special Congressional Medal of Valor, never to be repeated again, and gave it to the next of kin of the “Immortal Chaplains.”
The four men were relatively new chaplains, who all held the rank of first lieutenant. They included Methodist minister the Reverend George L. Fox, Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Roman Catholic priest the Reverend John P. Washington, and Reformed Church in America minister the Reverend Clark V. Poling. Their backgrounds, personalities, and faiths were different, although Goode, Poling and Washington had all served as leaders in the Boy Scouts of America. They met at the Army Chaplains School at Harvard University, where they prepared for assignments in the European theater, sailing on board USAT Dorchester to report to their new assignments.
Approximately 18 minutes from the explosion, the ship went down. The four chaplains were the last to be seen by witnesses; they were standing arm-in-arm on the hull of the ship, each praying in his own way for the care of the men.
Congress also attempted to confer the Medal of Honor on each of the four chaplains, but the stringent requirements for that medal required heroism performed “under fire,” and the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of these men did not technically qualify, since their actions took place after the torpedo attack. Therefore, members of Congress decided to authorize a special medal intended to have the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor. This award, the Four Chaplains’ Medal, was approved by a unanimous act of Congress on July 14, 1960, through Public law 86-656 of the 86th Congress. The medals were presented posthumously to the next of kin of each of the Four Chaplains by Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker at Ft. Myer, Virginia on January 18, 1961.
Hello,
Benjamin (13) and Cady (15) Crosby were also very inspired by the Four Chaplains' story. They've started a non-profit corporation called Titanic Heroes, committed to spreading the stories of heroism, self-sacrifice, and virtue. This year they are telling the story of the Four Chaplains. You can view their promotional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcjRhv2nQyw
My name is George Greiner, I am the Greene County NY American Legion Historian. I will advise all posts in the County to memorialize this event the first Sunday in February, and in the future. Mat GOD rest their souls, preserve their memory, and sanctify all who have gone to protect our way of life in this, the United States of America.
Thank you!
Very touching story. I'm sure the festivities bring up a lot of memories. I wish I could be there.
I was a small kid when the world learned of the amazing bravery of the Four Chaplains. But I still remember the story and the commemorative postage stamp issued. So when the advisory board of the non-profit Jewish-American Hall of Fame (www.amuseum.org/jahf) voted to honor Jewish Chaplains in 2014, I knew that we had to include the Immortal Four Chaplains on the limited issue commemorative medals we were issuing. I presented this proposal on kickstarter to raise interest in the venture, but sadly thus far there has been virtually no support. A prototype of the medal—sculpted by renowned American sculptor Eugene Daub–is shown. I hope that you and others will want to continue to honor the Four Chaplains in the 21st century by supporting this project. For further information as how you can help, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143477881/i….
Comments are closed.