Join us in recognizing and remembering that fateful day in February 1943 as Chaplains Fox, Goode, Poling and Washington made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow men aboard the USAT Dorchester.

The ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 am on February 7, 2026, at 491 West Broadway Street, Oviedo, FL  32765.  Limited seating is provided so please bring a lawn chair.

On February 3, 1943, the troop transport ship USAT Dorchester was en route to Greenland carrying 901 soldiers.  Among these men were Four Chaplains:

Methodist Minister Rev. George Fox

Jewish Rabbi Alexander Goode

Dutch Reform Minister Rev. Clark Poling

Catholic Priest Father John Washington

At 12:25 AM a German U-boat fired a torpedo and hit the right hull of the Dorchester where soldiers were sleeping.  They were killed instantly.  The ship lost power and went dark.  Panic overwhelmed the soldiers.  The Four Chaplains made their way, in the freezing cold, to the top deck to guide soldiers to lifeboats and pass out life jackets.

After giving out the last of the life jackets, the Four Chaplains removed their own and gave them to four soldiers.  The ship sank within eighteen minutes.  Witnesses testified the last thing they saw were the Four Chaplains on the stern with locked arms, singing hymns in English, Hebrew and Latin and praying as the ship went down.

Plan on attending Saturday, February 7^th, 2026 to hear more about these heroes and this moment in history.