Deacon Tom Lindell

My brothers and sisters,

Today we remember the Four Army Chaplains who died when their troop ship, the SS Dorchester, sank after being hit by a German torpedo while heading for Greenland.

The four chaplains all met while being assigned to Camp Myles Standish in Taunton, MA, awaiting overseas deployment.

Alexander Goode was a rabbi; George Fox, a former Catholic, was a Methodist minister; Clark Poling, from a family of six generations of ministers, was ordained into the American Reformed tradition; and. John Washington was a Roman Catholic priest.

All of them were motivated to serve after Pearl Harbor. Fox had served in WW I but not as a chaplain.

The Dorchester was a former cruise ship that had been converted to a troop carrier to serve in the North Atlantic. It held 597 troops and 171 civilians.

On 29 January 1943, the Dorchester, as part of a convoy, departed St. John’s Newfoundland bound for Greenland. The dangerous stretch of ocean they traversed was known as “Torpedo Junction.” Aware of the dangerous passage, Captain Danielsen ordered everyone to wear their clothes and life jackets to bed; everyone did not obey the order.

The convoy was attacked by a German submarine U-233 which launched three “fish” toward the ships at 0055 hours. Only the Dorchester was struck.

In the chaos that ensued, few of the lifeboats could be released, and many jumped into the 34-degree water with a 20-minute chance for survival. Almost one-third of them were lost when the torpedo hit. Fortunately, the other ships in the convoy were able to rescue 230.

The four chaplains were assisting those who had to abandon ship, giving up their own life jackets and gloves. Survivors told of how the four chaplains locked arms and prayed together as the Dorchester sank. These men were self-giving to the end and died with no regrets.

Many thought that the four should be awarded the Medal of Honor. Instead they were posthumously awarded Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross. None of them would have even expected any rewards.

As a side note, military chaplains are called upon to minister to anyone regardless of their religious affiliation—or even a lack of one.

—Deacon Tom