Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)
- Who said, “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”?
- In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, “We are not worthy.”?
- In what song (and who sang it) did we hear:
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day
February 3, 1943—somewhere in the North Atlantic waters…
The Story
The SS Dorchester left New York on January 23, 1943, en route to Greenland, carrying approximately 900 servicemen, merchant seamen, and civilian workers. Once a civilian liner originally designed for 314 civilian passengers, she’d been converted for military service in World War II as a War Shipping Administration troop transport.
The 5,659-ton Dorchester was moving steadily across the icy waters from Newfoundland toward an American base in Greenland. She was one of three ships in the SG-19 convoy, accompanied by Coast Guard cutters, Tampa, Escanaba, and Comanche.
The ship’s captain, Hans J. Danielsen, learned that CGC Tampa had earlier detected a submarine in the area with its sonar. German U-boats were constantly prowling these sea lanes and had already torpedoed and sunk several ships. He knew he was in dangerous waters.
Even though the Dorchester was only 150 miles from its destination, Danielsen had placed the ship on high alert and ordered his men to sleep in their clothing and keep life jackets on. However, many of the men ignored his order—life jackets were uncomfortable.
At 12:55 a.m., February 3, 1943, a periscope broke the waters just off Newfoundland… a German U-boat (U-223) periscope.
After identifying the Dorchester as a target, the German submarine commander gave orders to fire. The torpedoes were deadly, striking Dorchester’s starboard side, amid ship, far below the waterline.
Captain Danielsen sent out an alert to nearby ships that the Dorchester was rapidly taking on water and sinking, and gave the order to abandon ship. Unfortunately, the torpedo knocked out power and radio contact with the three escort ships.
The CGC Comanche had seen the flash & subsequent explosion and responded, rescuing 97 survivors. CGC Escanaba then circled the Dorchester, rescuing an additional 132 survivors.
The explosion immediately killed hundreds of men, and seriously wounded many more. Others, who were not immediately killed or wounded, groped their way through the darkness. Panic and chaos everywhere.
While many men died in the fire and below decks, most died of hypothermia from the icy cold waters of the North Atlantic. The water temperature was 34° F and the air temperature was 36° F.
The Four Chaplains
Also aboard the Dorchester were four Army chaplains: Lt. George L. Fox (Methodist); Lt. Alexander D. Goode (Jewish); Lt. John P. Washington (Roman Catholic); and Lt. Clark V. Poling (Reformed). They had met at the Army Chaplains School at Harvard University, where they prepared for assignments in the ETO (European Theater of Operations), sailing to report to their new assignments.
Through the pandemonium, these four chaplains spread out among the soldiers, trying to calm the frightened, tend to the wounded, and guide the disoriented toward safety in the lifeboats. In the process, the chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets. When there were no more to hand out, all four chaplains removed their own life jackets and gave them to four frightened young men.
As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts witnessed these four chaplains—arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could be heard singing hymns and offering prayers, even as they slipped beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic, making them… “immortal.”
In all this confusion, Dorchester went down in 27 minutes. Of the 904 men aboard Dorchester, only 230 were rescued.
The four chaplains were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. While they had been nominated for the Medal of Honor, they were found ineligible, as they had not engaged in combat with the enemy.
Instead, Congress authorized a special medal for them—a posthumous Special Medal for Heroism, The Four Chaplain’s Medal. The Secretary of the Army, Wilber M. Bricker, awarded the medals on January 18, 1961 to the next of kin of the four chaplains; never given before and will never be given again.
The Chapel of the Four Chaplains
President Harry S. Truman dedicated the Chapel of the Four Chaplains on February 3, 1951, to honor these chaplains of different faiths. In his dedication speech, President Truman stated, “This interfaith shrine will stand through long generations to teach Americans that as men can die heroically as brothers, so should they live together in mutual faith and goodwill.”
Such is the brotherhood of our military; not just the Army, but the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. We lived through challenging times, but we faced them all together. We were never alone.
Besides the supporting work exemplifying action interfaith, the Chapel presents awards to individuals whose work reflects interfaith goals.
Humbled—The Legion of Honor Award (2007)
In June 2007, Becky & I took a 3-week vacation in Europe to “follow our father’s footsteps” in World War II.
With a rented car and a Michelin map (GPS was not widely available back then), we began our trip in Normandy where her father, Dr. Rufus K. Broadaway, dropped in on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne, fought the bloody La Fiére Causeway battle, made the Market Garden drop, and was, for a while, aide-de-camp to General James Gavin, Commanding General of the 82nd.
After those initial days, we drove across central France (“Castle Country” as we described it), toured several medieval castles, and ended up in Luxembourg with a guided tour for 80th Division Veterans and their families. My father, A.Z. Adkins, Jr., was an officer in the 317th Infantry Regiment.
Several days into the tour, we stopped in Hamm, Luxembourg, where the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is located. After the ceremony, including the playing of Taps, we wandered through the cemetery where 5,076 American servicemen are buried. We found a few graves we’d wanted to visit and honor, including my dad’s best friend in his heavy weapons company, Lt. Saul “Kad” Kadison; I’ve written about him previously.
Then, back onto the bus (you know how these tours proceed… like herding cattle), and back into town.
After a wonderful dinner, hosted by the locals and the US Veterans Friends-Luxembourg, we entered the reception hall to listen to several speeches by various local dignitaries. There were several recognitions being made in honor of The Chapel of the Four Chaplains. I began this week’s blog with that story.
(Click to enlarge)
The dignitaries presented awards & certificates to those who continue to contribute and help our veterans without pageant, payment, or recognition. Some recipients were veterans; others were members of the US Veterans Friends—Luxembourg.
The last name called was “Andrew Adkins.” I was literally dumbfounded. I looked over at Becky and asked, “Did you know about this?” She shook her head, “No.”
I walked to the podium looking somewhat confused and graciously accepted the award, shook hands, and smiled for the camera.
Lots of “Merci!”
I later learned from Virgil Myers (who’d fought with the 80th Division alongside my father in the 2d Battalion, 317th Infantry Regiment) that he’d submitted my name because of the work I’d been doing with the 80th Division Veterans since 2005, the website I created and continuously update (www.80thdivision.com), and the research to help 80th Division veterans and their families find information about their troopers. It was a total surprise.
To this day, I remain humbled by this recognition. Maybe that’s why I, like many veteran volunteers, continue to do what I do.
Until we meet again,
Andy
Answers
- Rikki Rogers.
- Wayne’s World (1992), Wayne Campbell & Garth Algar (Mike Myers & Dana Carvey).
- Morning Has Broken (1972), Cat Stevens; written by Cat Stevens & Eleanor Farjeon.
Previous posts mentioned in this blog:
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Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran’s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE.
Tremendous narrative, thanks for posting.
It truly is a powerful story. Thank you.