Sterling Legion chaplain hopes to revive World War II story of brotherhood, selflessness

STERLING - Sterling American Legion Chaplain Gordon E. Harris is reviving a mostly forgotten story about the sinking of the United States Army Transport Dorchester during World War II and the selfless acts of four chaplains on board.

“A lot of people don’t know this story,” Harris said. “It’s really one about brotherhood. I get emotional just talking about it.”

The steamship was torpedoed by a German U-boat just after midnight Feb. 3, 1943, while heading to a U.S. command base in Greenland. Of the 902 people on board only 230 survived. It’s believed to be the worst single death toll for a U.S. convoy in World War II, according to fourchaplains.org.

In honor of that day, Harris - also the Illinois American Legion District 13 chaplain - plans to show an hour-long video telling the story of the Dorchester’s four chaplains at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Sterling Legion Post, 601 First Ave. in Sterling. The event is free and open for anyone to attend.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 5

Sterling American Legion Post Chaplain Gordon E. Harris talks about four chaplains' heroic acts aboard the United States Army Transport Dorchester as it sank during World War II. (Alex T. Paschal)

He also plans to speak about the four chaplains at the American Legion District 13 meeting at Rock Falls Legion Post 712. That meeting is only open to Legion members.

The ship’s sinking is most remembered for the sacrifice of the four chaplains - Lt. George L. Fox, a Protestant minister from Pennsylvania; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, a rabbi from New York; Lt. Clark V. Poling, a Protestant minister from Ohio; and Lt. John P. Washington, a Catholic priest from New Jersey, according to armyhistory.org.

Even though the chaplains came from different faiths they all joined together to help the people aboard the ship, Harris said.

The day before it sunk, the soldiers and other passengers on board were sailing through rough, icy waters. They feared being blasted by German U-boats that had already targeted several other ships in the area. The chaplains spent that day comforting the young, nervous soldiers, according to fourchaplains.org.

That night, the Dorchester’s captain told everyone on board to sleep dressed in all their clothes and lifejackets in case the ship went down. Some people who slept in the bottom of the ship didn’t because they were near the ship’s engine where it was very hot, Harris said.

When the torpedo hit, the four chaplains guided those on board to lifeboats and handed out lifejackets, even giving up their own. One soldier went to one of the chaplains because he didn’t have any gloves. The chaplain gave the soldier his gloves, telling the soldier he had an extra pair; but, in reality, the chaplain did not, Harris said.

The four chaplains went down with the ship. As it sunk, the chaplains were seen by surviving passengers linked arm-in-arm on the deck, saying prayers and singing hymns, according to fourchaplains.org.

All four chaplains were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart. In 1961, they were also awarded “The Four Chaplains Commemorative Medal,” according to nationalmuseum.af.mil.

Since then, Feb. 3, is recognized as Four Chaplains Day, but isn’t widely celebrated - at least in the Sauk Valley area.

“Nobody’s been celebrating it here,” Harris said. “No one has ever done it here [Sterling] or in the surrounding area Posts.”

In fact, Harris didn’t know about the four chaplains until he became Sterling Legion chaplain about 12 years ago. When he started as chaplain, he didn’t really know what his role was - other than saying the opening prayer at the meetings and other such duties - so he started studying the Legion’s Chaplain Handbook.

That’s where he came across the story of the four chaplains.

From there, he introduced the story to the Sterling Legion. Later on, he was approached by former District 13 Commander Lee Gibbs to become district chaplain.

In that role, Harris met other district chaplains and those within District 13 - which covers Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties.

Harris recalled how the Galena Legion Post chaplain asked if any of them had done the story of the four chaplains and nobody had, Harris said.

Harris got a copy of a video of the four chaplains - the one he plans to show Sunday - from Gibbs and brought that to the Sterling Legion Post. In 2024, he played it at the Post “and everyone really enjoyed it,” he said.

“I want to start celebrating it [in the Sauk Valley] and make it a yearly thing. The same way that we celebrate Veterans Day or Memorial Day,” Harris said.

In the future, he hopes to bring Sauk Valley’s different religious denominations together to honor the story. He’s also been contacting area schools to see if they’d want to use the story for a theater production.

For information, visit the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation website.