LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Wantagh American Legion Post 1273,
Nassau County upon the occasion of its Four Chaplains Memorial Ceremony
honoring the four chaplains who gave their lives so that others might
live

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved with great respect and reverent
esteem to pay tribute to the men and women who so courageously and hero-
ically serve and have served in the Armed Forces of the United States;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Wantagh American Legion Post 1273, Nassau County upon the occasion of
its Four Chaplains Memorial Ceremony honoring the four chaplains who
gave their lives so that others might live; and
WHEREAS, This auspicious occasion will be commemorated by a cele-
bration of interfaith solidarity in a unique memorial service to be held
on Sunday, February 5, 2012, at the Wantagh American Legion, 3484 Park
Avenue, Wantagh, New York; in addition to the traditional representation
of Catholics, Jews and Protestants, representatives of other faith
groups in the Wantagh, New York, area will participate; and
WHEREAS, February 3, 2012, is the 69th Anniversary of the sinking of
the United States Army transport Dorchester, an event that resulted in
the loss of nearly 700 lives in 1943 and for which witnesses have
recounted in the Congressional Record the heroism of four chaplains of
different faiths, Lieutenant George L. Fox, Methodist; Lieutenant Alex-
ander D. Goode, Jewish; Lieutenant John P. Washington, Catholic; and
Lieutenant Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed; and
WHEREAS, Each of the four chaplains was awarded the Purple Heart and
the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously; the citation of each
reads: "For extraordinary heroism in connection with military oper-
ations against an enemy of the United States. On the night of the 3rd of
February, 1943, a loaded troop transport was torpedoed, without warning,
by an enemy submarine in the North Atlantic and began to sink rapidly.
In the resulting confusion and darkness some men found themselves with-
out life jackets and others became helpless through fear and the dread
of plunging into the freezing water. These four chaplains heroically and
calmly moved about the deck, encouraging the men and assisting them to
abandon ship; after the available supply of life jackets was exhausted,
they gave up their own; they remained aboard ship and went down with it,
offering words of encouragement and prayers to the last"; and
WHEREAS, On July 14, 1960, the United States Congress awarded a
special medal for valor, given in memory of the four chaplains, never to
be repeated; a memorial tribute to the four chaplains in the form of a
commemorative coin-medal; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that these four
chaplains, who removed their own life jackets and gave them to others to
save their lives and who were last seen arm-in-arm in prayer on the hull
of the ship, demonstrated a unique ecumenical spirit and love for their
fellow man and should never be forgotten; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Wantagh American Legion Post 1273, Nassau County upon the occa-
sion of its Four Chaplains Memorial Ceremony honoring the four chaplains
who gave their lives so that others might live; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Commander John Menechino, Wantagh American Legion Post 1273,
3484 Park Avenue, Wantagh, New York.