The Four Chaplains
Location: The Four Chaplains Memorial, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, 1201 Constitution Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 39.8919333 N, 75.1744008 W
“This inter-faith shrine…will stand through long generations to teach Americans that as men can die heroically as brothers, so they should live together in mutual faith and good will.” — President Harry S Truman
It is perhaps discordant to say that war can bring out the best in humanity, but maybe it is during these most dire of times that some are able to fully tap into the good that dwells within us. In February of 1951, President Harry S. Truman dedicated an interfaith chapel on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA to four men that proved this very point: Methodist Minister George L. Fox, Catholic Priest Father John P. Washington, Jewish Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, and Reformed Church of America Pastor Clark V. Poling. The chapel is now known as the Chapel of the Four Chaplains.
The men first met onboard the World War II troop carrier. The USAT Dorchester was a 5,649 ton, 368 feet long converted cruiser built in 1926. Troop transports were sitting ducks for the Nazi wolf packs in the Atlantic as they attempted the crossing. They always traveled in convoys, escorted by US Coast Guard cutters. On the night of February 3, 1943, the Dorchester started to lag behind the convoy, unable to manage the worsening seas. The convoy knew it was being shadowed by five German U-boats. Without the protection of the convoy, the Dorchester became vulnerable. At 12:55 am, the German submarine U-223 took advantage and attacked. The Dorchester succumbed to the torpedo damage and all hands were forced to abandon ship into the 36°F waters of the North Atlantic off of Newfoundland in winter.
The Dorchester was mortally wounded, sinking fast. The order was given to abandon ship, hoping against all odds that they would be rescued by the three Coast Guard cutters in the convoy. The chaplains rallied the crew and coordinated the ship’s abandonment in as organized a manner possible, handing out life jackets to the men. Their demeanor and attitude calmed the terrified troops so that they could release lifeboats, life rafts, and depart the ship with the greatest opportunity to survive.
When it became apparent that not all could depart in boats or rafts, and that not all had life jackets, the chaplains, as one, and without a word or hesitation, put their life jackets on soldiers and sent them over. Stories from Dorchester survivors tell of seeing the four chaplains on the deck of the sinking ship, with no hope of escape, with arms linked with one another, leading in prayer as the ship slipped beneath the waves.
Many troop transports and supply convoys were sunk attempting to cross the Atlantic and join the battle for Europe. But what these four chaplains did speaks to the sublime nature of our spiritual being and still today their story gives us hope in the promise of humanity. The sacrifice of the Four Chaplains was so impactful that their story has been memorialized many times over: the Chapel of the Four Chaplains; murals in the Pentagon and at the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, PA; on U.S. Postage Stamps; a stained glass window in the East Rutherford New Jersey Memorial Library; a mural in the Jewish Community Center, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh; a plaque at Belmont Park, Long Island, NY; a memorial in Ann Arbor, MI; and so many more. Theirs is a story of sacrifice, hope, and love. February 3rd has been decreed as Four Chaplains Day. An outstanding website dedicated to their story can be found at: http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/239761 . The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation is www.fourchaplains.org. Many other websites speak to their story as well.
In the darkest of times, the story of The Four Chaplains is one that shines a light on what is best about humanity.
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