The Forgotten Chaplain
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The North Atlantic, February 3, 1943. A German submarine, the U-223 torpedoes the USAT Dorchester. The ship sinks within a few minutes with the loss of over 700 lives. The official Naval Records indicate that four Army chaplains aboard the ship gave their lifejackets to frightened soldiers. Praying together the chaplains stayed on the sinking ship. They are known today as the Four Immortal Chaplains, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, and two Protestant ministers. There is evidence that a Fifth Chaplain, a Black sailor in the Coast Guard, also saved many lives that terrible night. His story, lost in history, should also be honored for his courage and sacrifice at a time when racism was endemic in the Navy.