PRINTER'S NO. 364
No. 19 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY O'PAKE, THOMPSON, LOEPER, LAVALLE, HELFRICK, WENGER, STAPLETON, BODACK, HART, TILGHMAN AND WAGNER, FEBRUARY 8, 1999
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, FEBRUARY 8, 1999
A RESOLUTION 1 Paying tribute during February 1999 to four Army chaplains for 2 their selfless ultimate sacrifice during World War II. 3 WHEREAS, On January 11, 1943, the United States Army 4 Transport Dorchester sailed from its home pier carrying 904 5 American soldiers, merchant marines and civilian support forces 6 to Greenland as part of a convoy; and 7 WHEREAS, On February 3, 1943, a German torpedo slammed 8 through the hull of the Dorchester and detonated deep within the 9 ship; and 10 WHEREAS, Many of the passengers had been killed or injured, 11 and survivors were stunned and disoriented; and 12 WHEREAS, Four Army chaplains: Lieutenant George L. Fox, 13 Methodist; Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; John F. 14 Washington, Roman Catholic; and Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed, 15 calmed the survivors and helped them find and don life jackets; 16 and 17 WHEREAS, As crowded life boats ran out, the chaplains removed
1 their own life jackets and gave them to those who had none, 2 without regard to their religious beliefs; and 3 WHEREAS, In so doing, the chaplains gave up their only hope 4 for survival; and 5 WHEREAS, The four chaplains were awarded the Purple Heart and 6 the Distinguished Service Cross and on July 14, 1960, the 7 Congress of the United States awarded a special medal for valor 8 given in memory of the four chaplains and never to be repeated; 9 and 10 WHEREAS, The permanent memorial to the four chaplains who 11 went down with the U.S.A.T. Dorchester will be constructed at 12 its new location near Valley Forge in the historic heart of our 13 Commonwealth; and 14 WHEREAS, This memorial will be an interfaith shrine with 15 remembrances for members of the Catholic, Jewish and Protestant 16 faiths, calling all to the unity the four chaplains so 17 heroically demonstrated; and 18 WHEREAS, The four chaplains are commemorated in the 19 distinguished "Four Chaplains Award" which is given in 20 recognition of outstanding service for the benefit of veterans 21 of all prior wars and military actions; therefore be it 22 RESOLVED, That the Senate hereby pay tribute, during February 23 1999, to the four Army chaplains for their selfless ultimate 24 sacrifice during World War II. B4L81DMS/19990S0019R0364 - 2 -