THE FOUR CHAPLAINS
The USAT Dorchester had just come through one of the worst ice storms in a 50-year history of the North Atlantic. It was transporting soldiers in the North Atlantic during World War II. The Captain had ordered the men to sleep in their clothing and to keep their life jackets on. Many soldiers sleeping deep in the ship's belly disregarded the order because of the engine's heat. Others ignored the instruction because the life jackets had plastic red emergency lights and were simply too uncomfortable to wear while sleeping.
At 12:55 am on February 3, 1943, a German submarine U-223 cut through the Atlantic waters and in it's cross hairs was the USAT Dorchester. Three torpedos were released and one struck the ship on the starboard side near the engine room. The hull of the ship was opened up and began intensely flooding. Over 150 men were immediated killed. The Captain ordered abandon ship at 12:58 a.m. Hundreds of men packed the decks of the rapidly sinking ship and scrambled for the overcrowded lifeboats, as some of them were destroyed by the explosion. There were not enough life jackets for the frantic soldiers. The four U.S. Army Chaplains who were gathered at the bow -- Rabbi Alexander Goode, Rev. George L. Fox, Rev. Clark V. Poling, and Father John P. Washington –- began to organize frightened soldiers and distributed life jackets from a locker. When the supply ran out, each of the Chaplains gave their life jackets to others.
Remaining on board, the Chaplains offered solace to the frightened men who were unable to escape the sinking ship. Their actions and selfless act saved lives. Soldiers who survived tell of the Four Chaplains, each of different faith, standing arm in arm as brothers, praying and singing as the ship vanished beneath the waves, a mere 27 minutes after the torpedo struck. Only 229 of 904 survived this tragedy.
Posthumously, each Chaplain was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart for heroism. In 1948, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp, citing their bravery as "Interfaith in Action."
The Eternal Flame burns 24/7 and this monument was built as a memorial to these Chaplains. It is dedicated to all American Veterans.
*TO CLAIM THIS FIND*
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- How much did the Dorchester weigh?
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- When was it originally built?
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Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.