Four Chaplains Day
To The American Legion Family, Feb. 3, 2015, marks the 72nd anniversary of the sinking of the USAT Dorchester and a very special display of bravery. On that day in 1943, a torpedo struck the ship reducing its time afloat on the surface of the Atlantic to only an additional 20 minutes. What happened during those few minutes is the reason we remember this day and the acts of courage and sacrifice that took place on her deck every year since.
Four Chaplains Day, as Congress has declared the date, honors the four chaplains who went down with their ship, as they gave their life jackets to other passengers. The Four Chaplains, sometimes called the Immortal Chaplains, were men from four different religions who sacrificed their lives for men of all faiths. In the 70 years since the incident, Methodist minister George L. Fox, Reformed Church in America minister Clark V. Poling, Roman Catholic priest John P. Washington and Rabbi Alexander B. Goode have been immortalized with commemorative postage stamps, a Congressionally recognized anniversary and numerous re-tellings of their heroics.
From the Sons of The American Legion National Chaplain
February 5, 2015
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