Cold War Veterans Blog

Four Chaplains Memorial Dinner Held in Fairborn

By LINDA GORDON
Staff Writer

Just before 1 a.m. February 3, 1943, German submarine U-223 fired a torpedo into the USAT Dorchester as it steamed 100 miles off Greenland. The U.S. Army Transport ship was a refurbished luxury liner. That trip it carried more than 900 soldiers bound for a base in Greenland. Only 230 survived the torpedo attack. Many soldiers died

from hypothermia from the 34 degree water and 36 degree air temperature. The Dorchester sank in less than half an hour.

Among the dead were four army chaplains, Methodist Reverend George L. Fox, Jewish rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Roman Catholic Priest John P. Washington, and the Reformed Church in America Reverend Clark V.

Poling. The chaplains gave up their own life jackets and helped evacuate the survivors. On December 19, 1944, all four chaplains were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service

Cross. In 1948 the chaplains were honored with a postage stamp. Also in 1948, congress designated February 3 as Four Chaplains Day. In 1961

the Chaplain's Medal for Heroism was authorized and posthumously presented by the President of the United States to the families of the chaplains.

Saturday night members and guests honored the chaplains at a special dinner at the Dignam Whitmore, Post 526, of the American Legion, in

Fairborn. Following a proclamation by Fairbon Mayor Gary L. Woodward, guest speaker Protestant Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Victor J. Toney, Deputy Command Chaplain, Air Force Materiel Command spoke about the history

and future of military chaplains.

Toney said that although official American military chaplains may date back to our civil war, chaplains actually date to the medieval Catholic church. The word chaplain has its origins in a fourth century

legend. Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier, found a beggar shivering from the cold and gave him part of his military cloak. He had a vision of Jesus Christ wrapped in his cloak. As a result of his vision,

Martin of Tours converted to Christianity, devoted his life to the church, and was canonized. His cloak was considered a holy relic and was carried into battle by the French kings. Latin for cloak is cappa. The priests who cared for the cloak were called capellani, in French chapelains and now chaplains. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of France.

Toney has served two tours in Iraq. He said he relishes being asked to officiate at marriages and baptisms. He helps soldiers of different faiths secure what they need for their own services. He said he wants

to be with him airmen at the highpoints of their lives and at the dirtiest and most dangerous, and to give comfort to the wounded and dying. Toney said we live in a secular world that tries to remove God

and religion from our lives. He said the job of a military chaplain may be more challenging, but it is more satisfying.

The four chaplains honored Saturday night exemplified the very best of their calling, Toney said. Their duty was to serve God and their soldiers and that's exactly what they did. Survivors said that when

they looked back at the ship from the sea, they saw the chaplains, their arms linked, praying.