Four Chaplains Day

On February 3, 1943, in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, four chaplains aboard the SS Dorchester made the ultimate sacrifice. As a German torpedo sent the overcrowded troopship to its doom, Methodist minister George L. Fox, Jewish rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Dutch Reformed minister Clark V. Poling, and Catholic priest John P. Washington gave their life jackets to others, choosing faith and unity over survival. Their final act—standing together, arms linked in prayer—became an enduring symbol of selflessness. This episode honors their legacy, the men they saved, and the establishment of Four Chaplains Day.