The Four Chaplains

On February 3, 1943, as the American troopship Dorchester neared Greenland, a German submarine torpedoed it at 12:55 A.M., and the ship immediately began to sink. As men rushed to the deck, the four chaplains on board took charge of handing out life jackets, and when the supply ran out, they removed their own and gave them to others. Minutes later, the Dorchester went under with the four chaplains standing on the deck, their arms linked, singing praises to God. Many other men also went down with the ship. Of the 904 troops aboard, only 230 were rescued from the turbulent, icy waters of the North Atlantic by three Coast Guard cutter escorts. The four chaplains were Lt. Alexander Goode, a Jewish rabbi, Lt. George Fox, a Protestant minister, Lt. Clark Poling, a Protestant minister, and Lt. John Washington, a Catholic priest.

Port Arthur, Texas · United States