Danny Johnson lit the memorial candles during the Four Chaplains memorial service put on by the American Legion.

American Legion James E. Marshall Post 187 honored the famed Four Chaplains of World War II in a memorial service which was held on Thursday, February 6, at the Winfield Presbyterian Church.

On February 3, 1943, Allied troop transport ship SS Dorchester was struck by German torpedoes while traveling in the North Atlantic near Newfoundland. The ship’s four chaplains – Methodist minister Reverend George L. Fox; Rabbi Alexander D. Goode; Reformed Church in America Minister Reverend Clark V. Poling; and Catholic Father John P. Washington – assisted with the evacuation of the ship. They handed out life jackets to their fellows, and when there were no more left, they selflessly gave up their own so that others might have a chance of survival. Making the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow sailors, the chaplains stayed on board the SS Dorchester, singing hymns as they went down with the ship.

Each February, American Legion posts all around the country hold Four Chaplains Memorial Services to commemorate the sacrifice of these brave men. Emphasis is placed upon the various faiths practiced by the four chaplains, and how differences of religion did not matter to them when they helped their fellow sailors.

During the ceremony, Commander David Bush gave a brief history of the sinking of the SS Dorchester and the efforts that the four chaplains made to help evacuate the ship. The service featured a table with photographs of the four chaplains and memorial candles dedicated to each man. As the candles were lit, American Legion members read the biographies of the chaplains. The service ended with the poignant melody of “Taps.”