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On this day in Chaplain Corps history
On 28 May 1948 the United States Post Office issued a stamp honoring the four chaplains who perished ministering to others when the Dorchester sunk after being torpedoed by a German Submarine in World War Two. Here’s a little more history about the stamp with a lot of samples of the First Day Covers.
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The Five Chaplains of the SS Mallory
7 February 1943 proved to be one of the deadliest days of combat for Army chaplains during World War Two. The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps reported the following chaplain deaths occurred on that day: Chaplain (1LT) Horace E. Gravely, Chaplain (1LT) James M. Liston, Chaplain (CPT) Ernest W. MacDonald, Chaplain (1LT) Valmore G. Savignac, and Chaplain (CPT) David H. Youngdahl.1 These five chaplains all died in the attack on the S.S. Henry R. Mallory while being transported through the North Atlantic to their next wartime assignments.
Before departing on the Mallory many, if not all, of the chaplains who would be traveling together got to know each other, as well as the four famous chaplains who would later die when the U.S.A.T. Dorchester was sunk just a few days before the Mallory experienced the same fate.
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“Four Chaplains” Ballad Sung by Fred Neil
I recently came across a radio single of “Four Chaplains,” a song that is not very familiar to many. The words and music are by R. Alfred and W. Gold. It was performed by Fred Neil and released as a single in 1960. It also appears on the album, Trav’lin Man: The Early Singles (2008). This is a ballad about the four World War Two chaplains who gave up their lives as they gave away their life jackets to other Soldiers after the USS Dorchester, which they were being transported on, was attacked by a German submarine (digitalized from a “Radio Station Copy,” author’s collection).
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Radio Station Copy of “Four Chaplains” performed by Fred Neil (author’s collection).
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You can read more about the Four Chaplains on this site at History > Chaplain Stories > The Four Chaplains.
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The Chaplain Kit 