The Four Chaplains, Tear Gas, and Me

On 3 Feb 1943, 68 years ago today, the USS Dorchester, a troop ship with more than 900 soldiers and sailors headed to the European front during WWII was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. Only 230 survived and among the dead were four chaplains, George Fox (Methodist), Alexander Goode (Jew), Clark Poling (Reformed Church of America), and John Washington (Catholic).

After the ship was hit these four chaplains helped calm and organize the evacuation. They escorted sailors and soldiers to the escape boats and handed out life preservers. When all of the life preservers were used up they took off their own and handed them to the evacuees.

As the ship sank the last reported sighting of the four chaplains was them locked in arms praying. I wonder what they thought about as they took off their life preservers and gave them away. They had to know it was already a long shot but once they took those vests off they probably realized the end had arrived.

This is a big deal for all chaplains but especially army chaplains. Congress approved a special medal awarded posthumously to the families of the lost chaplains. Though I have no desire to die in a sinking ship and hope it never comes down to such an act I am proud to be part of such a diverse group of men and women whose sole purpose is to comfort those of all faiths or none-thereof in their times of need.

Now for a lighter side. Everyone has probably heard about the Gas (tear gas) Chamber that all soldiers must pass through at some point early in their career. I have now done it twice, it seems like this time was worse. It was awful and thanks to YouTube you can now see what it was like. Below is my class, I come out the right door a little over two minutes into the film: