ARLINGTON, Va. – A memorial service with full military honors was conducted for Chaplain (1st Lt.) George L. Fox in section 35 at Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 4.
Family and friends gathered to honor the life and legacy of Fox, who was one of the Four Chaplains immortalized by their self-sacrifice on Feb. 3, 1943, when the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester sank on its journey to Europe after being struck by a German torpedo.
A memorial marker honoring Chaplain Fox is located in Memorial Section F at ANC.
The Four Chaplains
Family and friends gathered Sept. 4, 2024, at Arlington National Cemetery, to honor the life and legacy of Fox, who was one of the Four Chaplains immortalized by their self-sacrifice on Feb. 3, 1943, when the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester sank on its journey to Europe after being struck by a German torpedo. VIEW ORIGINAL
The medal was approved by an Act of Congress on July 14,1960 (Public Law 86-656, 74 Stat. 521) and reads: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the President is authorized to award posthumously appropriate medals and certificates to Chaplain George L. Fox of Gilman, Vermont; Chaplain Alexander D. Goode of Washington, District of Columbia; Chaplain Clark V. Poling of Schenectady, New York; and Chaplain John P. Washington of Arlington, New Jersey, in recognition of the extraordinary heroism displayed by them when they sacrificed their lives in the sinking of the troop transport Dorchester in the North Atlantic in1943 by giving up their life preservers to other men aboard such transport. The medals and certificates authorized by this Act shall be in such form and of such design as shall be prescribed by the President, and shall be awarded to such representatives of the aforementioned chaplains as the President may designate.”
#FourChaplains
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Chaplains Lt. George L. Fox, a Methodist minister; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, a Jewish Rabbi; Lt. John P. Washington, a Roman Catholic Priest; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, a Dutch Reformed minister, collectively, are known as the "Four Chaplains."
The USAT Dorchester was carrying 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilians on a transport mission across the North Atlantic when it was struck by a German torpedo. The attack punctured the hull and disrupted the ship's electrical system, forcing the crew to evacuate in darkness.
Amid the chaos, the chaplains helped guide the wounded and panicking men to safety. Life jackets were in short supply, and the chaplains removed their own jackets and gave them to others. They helped as many men as possible into the lifeboats, and then linked arms on the ship's deck, singing hymns and prayers as the ship sank into the sea.
For their actions, the men were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. Later, Congress authorized a one-time only Special Medal for Heroism, the Four Chaplains Medal, that was awarded to the next of kin on January 18, 1961.
U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. Bill Green Jr. delivered the memorial service message:
“Chaplain Fox was a man of profound humility and modesty. He would have been the first to consider others more worthy of recognition than himself. Yet, few are as deserving of our highest esteem and emulation. Chaplain Fox served in our nation's Army, not with a romanticized notion of heroism, but rather with a simple burden to care for others above himself. Ultimately, this was his selfless service to others that set him apart. He distinguished himself as a Soldier at an early age.
"At the age of 17 years old, he joined the Army to serve as a litter bearer during World War One. In that role, Chaplain Fox repeatedly risked his life under the threat of gunfire, artillery barrages and mustard gas to bring wounded and dying men off the battlefield and back to safety. It was only by the grace of God that he survived the terrors of war and was granted a chance to return home, where he started a family and began a new kind of sacred service, if you will, as a Methodist minister. When the Second World War began, Chaplain Fox would later choose to make the decision to join in that war. He was already a decorated Soldier with a family to care for and a parish to pastor, and yet, knowing better than most, the horrific toll the wars exact on human souls, he made a decision to return to the battlefield, not for glory, but to share Christ's presence with others in the midst of what he knew would be humanity's most trying and sometimes darkest moments.
"Chaplain Fox calmly gave away his life jacket to save a man who otherwise would have drowned in the depths that night. George and his three fellow chaplains: Chaplains Poling, Washington, and Goode brought aid and the presence of God to those around them. Chaplain Fox' entire life stands as a noble example of love in action - holy love, heroic love, extravagant love, sacrificial love; love that always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres; love that never fails, but willingly sacrifices for others. In the many decades since he gave his life, his legacy has loomed large. His story has been told and retold, and that story of resolute love has shaped not just you, his family and friends, but it has shaped chaplaincies across the military and especially the United States Army chaplains.
"Today, we honor Chaplain Fox' memory and example as our Army has done for over 80 years. We pray that our Chaplain Corps, both present and future, may always be found as faithful to their sense of calling as Chaplain George Fox was to his.”
View the memorial funeral service: https://my.anc.media/44KHxh7
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