Learn story of four brave WWII chaplains at Arlington Heights library

The story of four chaplains who worked to save soldiers on a World War II military transport about to sink in the Atlantic Ocean will be presented in a free performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, at American Legion Post 208, 121 Douglas Ave., Arlington Heights.

The Four Chaplains Memorial program tells of the courage and selfless acts of heroism of members of the Military Chaplains Corp. The 9th District American Legions, Cook County 1st Division, presents the program to bring to life their actions and stories in an action-packed, multifaceted stage and multimedia performance for people of all ages and beliefs.

"This is a profound and moving experience that everyone should attend at least once," said Greg Padovani, chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights. The event is free and open to the public.

The troop ship SS Dorchester was full of U.S. Army soldiers headed to England to participate in the D-Day invasion. During the early morning hours of Feb. 3, 1943, the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine U-223 off Newfoundland in the North Atlantic.

The ship's captain gave the order to abandon ship and panic set in among the 902 men on board, many of them raw recruits trapped below decks.

Four U.S. Army chaplains - Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed - sought to calm the men and organize an orderly evacuation. They helped guide wounded men to safety. When the supply of life jackets ran out, each chaplain removed his life vest to give to others.

They helped as many men as they could into lifeboats, and then linked arms and, saying prayers and singing hymns, went down with the ship, which sank in less than 20 minutes, becoming an enduring example of extraordinary faith, courage and selflessness.

The memorial explains the circumstances of the sinking of the ship, the loss of life, and the emotions of survivors.

Of the men on board, 672 died. One of the 230 survivors was private William B. Bednar, who recalls floating in oil-smeared water surrounded by the dead.

"I could hear men crying, pleading, praying," he said. "I could also hear the chaplains preaching courage. Their voices were the only thing that kept me going."

More information is at http://www.fourchaplains.org/the-saga-of-the-four-chaplains.