The Four Chaplains Poem

SG-19, a six-ship convoy,
Left New York Harbor in January 1943;
Three troop transports, three Coast Guard cutters,
With One ship bound for destiny.
On February 3rd the Dorchester was hit
By a torpedo from U-Boat 223;
The ship lost power and in the dark,
The Dorchester started to sink into the sea.
The ship was sinking very fast,
Into the depths of the Atlantic;
Four Chaplains came to the rescue,
They did their best to stop the panic.
George Fox, he was a Methodist,
Alexander Goode was a Jewish Rabbi;
Clark Poling, he was Dutch Reformed,
John Washington was the Catholic guy.
They helped to calm a lot of fears,
They passed life preservers to the men;
They gave up their own life jackets,
They worked their miracles again and again.
Although the ship was going down,
The four had all intentions of staying;
When the four men were last seen,
They were holding hands, singing and praying.

Bravery is something that cannot be measured. "The Four Chaplains" displayed bravery above
and beyond the call of duty. These four chaplains faced their greatest enemy, fear, and defeated
it. This poem is dedicated to all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom.
I would also like to thank The American Legion for telling "The Four Chaplains" story, which inspired this poem.