American Legion Post 189 will host a commemorative service honoring the Four Chaplains on Monday, February 3rd, at 11 a.m. at Sebastian Memorial Circle in Riverview Park. The public is invited to attend.
This service marks the 81st anniversary of the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester’s sinking in World War II, a tragedy forever remembered for the extraordinary sacrifice of four Army chaplains from Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant faiths. These chaplains gave their own lives to save others.
On February 3, 1943, the Dorchester, part of a convoy en route to Greenland, was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the icy waters of the Labrador Sea. The ship sank rapidly, claiming the lives of 675 of the 904 people on board.
Amidst the chaos and panic, the four chaplains – Lt. George L. Fox (Methodist), Lt. Alexander D. Goode (Rabbi), Lt. Clark V. Poling (Reformed Church in America), and Lt. John P. Washington (Catholic Priest) – displayed remarkable courage and selflessness. They guided soldiers to lifeboats, distributed life jackets, and ultimately gave their own life vests to those in need. Survivors recounted seeing the chaplains praying together, hand in hand, as the ship went down.
The chaplains’ heroic actions have become a powerful symbol of interfaith unity and sacrifice. Though efforts to award them the Medal of Honor were unsuccessful, they were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart, and a Special Medal for Heroism was authorized by Congress. The Chapel of Four Chaplains in Philadelphia, dedicated by President Truman in 1951, stands as a lasting memorial to their bravery.
The Sebastian community is invited to join American Legion Post 189 this Monday, February 3, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Riverview Park to honor the “Immortal Chaplains.”
Across the nation, communities, including American Legion posts, hold annual memorial services to remember these chaplains and their inspiring example of service and sacrifice.
