[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 28, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE FOUR IMMORTAL CHAPLAINS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 28, 2009

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to speak about 
an important resolution that I have reintroduced that honors the legacy 
of the Four Immortal Chaplains who sacrificed their lives over 65 years 
ago. (H. Res. 86)
  On February 3, 1943, the U.S. Army Transportation Service troopship 
Dorchester was torpedoed in the North Atlantic by a German submarine. 
Of the 900 passengers and crew, 597 were military personnel, and four 
of those men were the ship's chaplains--Methodist chaplain George 
Lansing Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Dutch Reformed minister Clark V. 
Poling and John P. Washington, a Roman Catholic priest. Each chaplain 
distributed life vests as the ship went down and then gave up their own 
when supply ran out. As the ship went down into the icy waters, 
survivors in the nearby rafts could see the four chaplains with their 
arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. According to 
eyewitnesses, the chaplains were heard offering prayers for the 
soldiers who had died in the wreckage.
  In 1948, a stamp was issued honoring these four chaplains as true 
examples of ``Interfaith in Action.'' They were recognized by Congress 
and the President with a special Medal of Honor for their selfless acts 
of courage, compassion and faith.
  The heroism of these brave men should serve as an example of love for 
others without regard to race, religion or creed, and an acknowledgment 
of the potential for human compassion. This message rings true today 
more than ever!
  That is why I have reintroduced a resolution, which remembers the 
Four Immortal Chaplain and requests the President issue a proclamation 
calling on the Federal Government, States, localities, and the people 
of the United States to observe a day in their honor with appropriate 
ceremonies, programs, and activities.
  It is important their story of extraordinary faith, courage, and 
selflessness is heard and should guide the way we live out lives with 
compassion for others, in the spirit of the four Chaplains. I invite my 
colleagues to join with me in honoring the Four Immortal Chaplains by 
supporting this important resolution.

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