At 12:55 am on February 3, 1943, a German torpedo struck the USAT Dorchester as it transported soldiers in the North Atlantic during World War II. Twelve of the fourteen lifeboats were unusable, and there were not enough life jackets for the frantic soldiers. Rabbi Alexander Goode, Rev. George L. Fox, Rev. Clark V. Poling, and Father John P. Washington gave their life jackets to others and remained on board, offering solace to the frightened men. Survivors told of the four chaplains, each of a different faith, standing arm in arm, praying and singing as the ship vanished beneath the waves. Their actions saved lives. Each chaplain was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Cross and the Purple Heart for heroism, and in 1948 the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp calling their bravery "Interfaith in Action." Only 230 of 902 Americans survived the tragedy.