On February 3, 1943 the USAT Dorchester was sunk by a German submarine off Newfoundland, with 672 of the 902 men on board dying in the freezing Atlantic. Men rushed to the top deck to escape by lifeboat, but found many were unable to be used, either due to icing, or due to the extreme tilt of the ship — the result of taking on water from the torpedo. Some men simply jumped overboard to avoid going down with the ship.
As the ship sank into the water, the four chaplains did their best to attend to the needs of frightened servicemen by calming them, tending to spiritual needs, helping the wounded and guiding them to safety.
When life vests ran out, all four chaplains removed their own, gave them to soldiers, and stood arm-in-arm, praying together as the ship sank.
All four chaplains eventually succumbed to the icy waters of the Atlantic. Of the more than 900 men on board the ship, 672 died.
All four chaplains have since been awarded Purple Hearts and Distinguished Service Crosses for their actions that day. Congress additionally created a “Four Chaplains’ Medal,” which was presented to their survivors in 1961.
Four Chaplains Day honors these four U.S. Army chaplains: Lt. George Fox (Methodist), Lt. Alexander Goode (Jewish), Lt. John Washington (Catholic), and Lt. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), who sacrificed their lives on that day.
Congress designated February 3 as Four Chaplains Day in 1988.
You can read their story here.