Four Chaplains Sunday

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FOUR CHAPLAINS SUNDAY

By COLONEL JIM STONE

County Executive Mike Gannon, Woodbury Mayor Andy Duggin, and Auburntown Mayor Roger Turney have signed a "PROCLAMATION" establishing the first Sunday in February to be remembered and memorialized as "FOUR CHAPLAINS SUNDAY."

And, we call upon all citizens to commemorate this day each year with the appropriate observances in public places and by prayers in their homes and houses of worship.

Four men met at the Chaplains School at Harvard University. The oldest was 42, two were 32 each, and one was 30. These four men became good friends, each from a different faith.

After graduation they joined the Army during World War II. They boarded the DORCHESTER a luxury liner, pressed into service as a troop transport ship, on January 23, 1943. The ship was filled to capacity of 902 lives, cast to the mercy of the frigid North Atlantic-and going through "Torpedo Junction," on the way to a base in Greenland.

Within 150 miles of Greenland, they received sonar readings that a German submarine was near by. That night in the dark frigid sea the Dorchester was hit with several torpedoes. Great was the explosions and all power was knocked out. In the darkness four voices began to speak out, the voices of the four Chaplains, Fox, Goode, Poling, and Washington.

The soldiers were all trying to get to the deck to get into the life boats. One soldier was going back down into the ship when a voice spoke out, "Where are you going?" The soldier said to get my gloves. The Chaplain said here take these, I have another pair. The soldier was thankful, but thought, why would a Chaplain have an extra pair of gloves? The icy waves were breaking over the deck tossing men into the sea.

In as little as 20 minutes after the first torpedo hit the ship, the Dorchester was going down. The Four Chaplains were occupied opening lockers and passing out life preservers. The soldiers were still pressing to get off the ship and into the life boats. The lockers were empty - life preservers were gone. Then something Amazing happened. The Four Chaplains took off their life jackets and gave them to the men around them.

As the soldiers drifted out into the sea in their life boats, that cold dark night, they heard the voices of the Chaplains, singing and praying, "Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done...." Looking back the men in the life boats could see the slanting deck of the Dorchester, it's demise almost complete. They saw the Four figures of the Chaplains as they stood braced together against the railing, praying, singing, and giving strength to others.

Twenty-four minutes from the first torpedo hit the Dorchester, it disappeared beneath the cold North Atlantic waves, taking with it many men and the Four Chaplains of different faiths who found strength in their diversity by focusing on the love for God and mankind. TRULY ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL TO DUTY.

The Hilton Stone American Legion Post 279 serving Woodbury and Greater Cannon County, has resolved to forever remember FOUR CHAPLAINS SUNDAY on the annual anniversary of the 1st Sunday in February.



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