Wednesday, Feb. 3rd, 5pm
A torpedo from a German submarine sliced into the USAT Dorchester shortly after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943. Of the 902 young men on board, only 230 survived. Many of the survivors owe their lives to the courage and leadership exhibited by the four heroic chaplains, who, in sacrificing their lives, created a unique legacy in celebrating the common human values embraced by all the world’s religions.
In honor of their sacrifice, the Second Annual Four Chaplains Memorial Service will be on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 5PM at the Veterans Memorial in Fountain Park. The ceremony will be hosted by the American Legion Post 58 and the Fountain Hills Interfaith Alliance. We are privileged to join thousands of others across the country who will be gathering on or near February 3rd to honor the Four Chaplains who sacrificed their lives for the sake of others.
Chaplains Fox, Goode, Poling and Washington were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart, and in 1948, Congress declared Feb. 3 to be Four Chaplains Day. Since 1951, The Chapel of Four Chaplains in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has spread the message of interfaith cooperation and selfless service, touching the lives of thousands of people across the country.
Please join us on Wednesday, February 3rd at 5pm! Following the Service, all are invited to Fountain Hills American Legion Post 58 for Chili.
“It was the finest thing I have seen, or hope to see, this side of heaven.”
— Survivor John Ladd, who watched the chaplains distribute life jackets, and when they ran out, removed their own and gave them to four young men. As Dorchester sank, the chaplains were seen linked arm in arm, praying.
The Veterans Memorial is located on the South side of Fountain Park at the intersection of El Lago Blvd and Kiwanis Drive.