WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – On Sunday, there was an annual remembrance ceremony for four army chaplains who gave their lives during World War II.
The Watertown American Legion honored the lives and legacies of Lieutenants George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington, and Clark Poling. All were aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester when it was sunk by a German submarine in 1943.
Survivors said the four chaplains gave up their life vests to others, and said prayers as the ship was sinking. The four chaplains, along with more than 600 others, died in the attack.
“They sacrificed their own life preservers or life vests to save others. And it was a selfless act,” said American Legion Post 61 Commander Wayne Sibley.
All four chaplains were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Wayne Sibley says it’s important to keep their story alive for the next generation.
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