The public is invited to join local veterans from all services to recall the tragic incident of the sinking of the Army Transport the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, February 3, 1943, eighty years ago. The 2023 Memorial Anniversary for the Four Chaplains will be held on Friday, February 3, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. at the Four Chaplains Memorial at Temple Emmanuel, 120 Chestnut Street.

Veterans plan to gather to recall the events that occurred early on Feb. 3, 1943, when an enemy torpedo struck the Army transport Dorchester as it transported 902 officers and enlisted men, Navy armed guard members, merchant seamen, and civilian workers in the North Atlantic. The Coast Guard cutter escorts Comanche and Escanaba rescued 230 men.

As Dorchester took on water, four Army chaplains – Lt. George L. Fox (Methodist), Lt. Alexander D. Goode (Jewish), Lt. John P. Washington (Roman Catholic), and Lt. Clark V. Poling (Dutch Reformed) – calmed frightened soldiers, aided the wounded, and guided the disoriented toward safety.

On deck, the chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets. When there were no more available, the chaplains removed their life jackets and gave them to four young men. “It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven,” said John Ladd, a survivor. As the ship went down, men in rafts saw the four chaplains, arms linked and braced against the slanting deck, singing hymns and praying.

Congress attempted to confer the Medal of Honor on the chaplains but was prevented by strict requirements of heroism under fire. Congress authorized a one-time posthumous Special Medal for Heroism, awarded by President Eisenhower in 1961; this Medal has the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor.

This event offers our community an opportunity to reflect and remember examples of integrity, selfless service, and personal courage.  Additional information is available by contacting Wakefield’s Veterans Service Officer David Mangan at 781-246-6377 or by emailing the Veteran Advisory Board at [email protected].