02/03/2026
Today, 3 February, We Remember the 4 US Army Chaplains who gave their lives so others may live when their ship was torpedoed and sunk during World War 2 on the way to defend Greenland.
The USAT Dorchester was a U.S. Army transport ship carrying over 900 service members, merchant seamen, and civilians from New York to Greenland in January 1943. On February 3, 1943, while in the North Atlantic, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Newfoundland in the Labrador Sea.
The torpedo struck the engine room, disabling all electric power and preventing a distress signal. The ship sank in approximately 20 minutes, resulting in the loss of 674 of the 904 people on board.
Among those on board were four U.S. Army chaplains: Methodist Lieutenant George L. Fox, Jewish Rabbi Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode, Dutch Reformed Lieutenant Clark V. Poling, and Roman Catholic Lieutenant John P. Washington.
These chaplains had volunteered for service after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and had met during chaplaincy training at Camp Miles Standish and Harvard University. As the ship sank, they worked to calm frightened soldiers, aid the wounded, and guide the disoriented to safety, often preaching courage.
When the supply of life jackets ran out, the four chaplains removed their own life jackets and gave them to soldiers who did not have any. They were last seen on the ship's slanting aft deck, arms linked and heads bowed in prayer, as the Dorchester went down.
Their actions have been widely recognized as a profound example of heroism and self-sacrifice.
Lest We Forget!🪖🫡🇺🇸
