The USAT Dorchester was transporting troops across the Atlantic during World War II. A group of men were playing cards when one of them called out to Chaplain John P. Washington. “Bless my hand, father!” the soldier pleaded.
The priest strolled over to the game and looked over the card player’s shoulder. “You want me to waste a blessing,” he said, “on a lousy pair of threes!”
Father Washington was one of the four chaplains who gave up their life preservers as the Dorchester sank on Feb. 3, 1943. The clergymen, of four different faiths, locked arms and sang hymns as the ship went under.
Last Saturday the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor paid tribute to their sacrifice. The 60-seat theater in the lower level of the building was full. Program Director Peter Bedrossian provided the introduction. “Interfaith [activities] are taken for granted today,” he said. “But that was not the case in the 1940s…. The survivors focused on the camaraderie of the four men.”
And so did the Saturday afternoon program, which included a video with interviews with a few of the men who were rescued. They recalled the example set by the four chaplains — even before the ship was torpedoed. The chaplains responded to troops of all religions. When Friday night came, Father Washington made sure the galley was clear so that his Jewish colleague could conduct a worship service.
One survivor recalled looking up at the ship as it was rapidly submerging. There were tiny red lights twinkling up and down the deck, he recalled. It looked like a Christmas tree.
Following the video, Dennis Sciba and Ed Purcaro took turns reading brief biographies of the chaplains. After each narrative, a volunteer lit a candle in front of the chaplain’s picture.
Then Mr. Bedrossian held up a life preserver that was the centerpiece of the display in the front of the room. He said it was issued in 1941, and resembled the ones given away by the chaplains — except that the Dorchester preservers had tiny red lights in the center. And those were the lights the survivor saw as the ship plunged into the ocean.
“This is an emotional day for me,” Mr. Bedrossian admitted. “I’m usually very talkative, but today it’s really hard to say anything.” At the end of the program, guests came forward to photograph the display in the front of the room.
NOTE: The four chaplains were George L. Fox (Methodist), Alexander D. Goode (Jewish), Clark V. Poling (Reformed) and John P. Washington (Catholic).
