[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1072]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             FOUR CHAPLAINS

  (Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
incredible story of the USAT Dorchester's four chaplains. The brave 
``immortal chaplains,'' a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, and two 
Protestant ministers, selflessly provided comfort and guidance to their 
interfaith community aboard the transport ship as it sunk into icy 
waters on February 3, 1943. These leaders of different faiths gave up 
their lifejackets and stood strong, singing prayers and hymns, sharing 
words of healing and peace as the ship went down.
  We are so fortunate to have Rabbi Astrachan here with us today to 
help honor their sacred memory. Rabbi Astrachan currently serves the 
same congregation in York, Pennsylvania, where Rabbi Goode, one of the 
four chaplains, once served, continuing to honor his legacy.
  The four chaplains, Reverend George Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, 
Father John Washington, and Reverend Clark Poling, serve as 
inspirations in their military service and their sacrifice for our 
country. Their quintessentially American tale of faith and courage now 
has an ending we can proudly commemorate, as all four of these men are 
honored and memorialized together on Chaplain's Hill at Arlington 
National Cemetery.
  For nearly 200 years, our Nation's breathtaking military cemetery has 
been a place to honor all of America's fallen soldiers, providing the 
sacred and majestic setting fitting to our Nation's heroes. Thanks to 
the dedication of many of my colleagues, we now have monuments at 
Chaplain's Hill to each of these faith groups, where we can honor their 
sacrifice together. This is a testament to the courage and commitment 
of all who have served our Nation in this way, and I am so honored to 
share in this observance with chaplains, members of the military, 
veterans, religious community advocates, family, and friends.

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