Ailene D’Avanzo remembers her late father

Ailene D’Avanzo continued to recognize the heroism of four chaplains who saved her father and other crewmates when the SS Dorchester was torpedoed in the Atlantic during World War II.

Local officials, veterans and community members packed Baldwin American Legion Post 246 headquarters, at 2754 Grand Ave., last Wednesday for the annual Four Chaplains Commemoration Ceremony.

For 80 years, Post 246 has held a ceremony to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of Lt. George Fox, a Methodist minister; Lt. Alexander Goode, a rabbi; Lt. Clark Poling, a Dutch reform minister; and Lt. John Washington, a Catholic priest.

World War II was raging when a German U-boat torpedoed the SS Dorchester, a U.S. military personnel transport vessel, on Feb. 3, 1943, in the North Atlantic, between Labrador and Greenland. Of the 904 people aboard, 675 perished in the attack.

D’Avanzo’s father, Joseph, who was a Baldwin resident, was the last known survivor of the vessel.

In the final moments before the ship sank into the frigid Atlantic, the four chaplains linked arms and recited prayers to give hope to the dying men. As the Dorchester began to sink, the chaplains helped the soldiers board the lifeboats, and relinquished their life jackets so that others would survive. The four, often referred to as “the Immortal Chaplains,” ultimately died in the tragedy.

“We recognize this event as perhaps no greater example of selfless service in the military than the story of the four chaplains,” Bob Fare, commander of the Baldwin post, said. “They made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II.”

At last week’s ceremony, the American Legion left four seats empty, with only life vests on them, to commemorate the chaplains. At the beginning of the event, a video recounted the story of how the Dorchester went down. The video explained that although all four chaplains were from different religious backgrounds, they came together to help others.

“America in 1943 was deeply divided,” the narrator stated in the video. “Those who did not share the same skin color or worship God in the same way, lived largely apart, separated by prejudice, suspicion and hate.”

However, the four chaplains put aside those differences and worked together. Instead of them taking the lifeboats for themselves and heading to shore, the chaplains united to help crewmembers get on the boats.

All four chaplains were posthumously awarded Purple Hearts and Distinguished Service Crosses for their heroic actions.

After the video, a candle-lighting ceremony was held with four Post 246 members reading a biography of each chaplain.

“I think this is a beautiful thing they do every year,” Ailene D’Avanzo said.

She explained that her father would attend the ceremony every year until he died in 2009. She added that her father was a very understanding and non-judgmental man, who was also a calming presence.

“A stone was dedicated to my father in Eisenhower Park,” she said. “This dedication occurred the year my dad died, and it was a really beautiful ceremony.”

D’Avanzo said that she couldn’t imagine her father jumping into the freezing cold waters of the Atlantic. She recalled how thankful she was to the four chaplains who got the crewmates to safety.