LEWISTON — Area veteran organizations and the public are invited to the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Feb. 7, at Trinity Episcopal Church. The Rev. Steven Crowson, rector of the church, and American Legion Post 22 Adjutant Jerry DerBoghosian will offer prayers in commemoration of the Four Chaplains.
This year is the 67th anniversary of the sinking of the U.S. Army transport, S.S. Dorchester, that was sunk by a German submarine on Feb. 3, 1943, off the coast of Greenland.
The ship was within 15 miles of her destination when a torpedo hit the Dorchester, striking the starboard side, below the water line. Four U.S. Army chaplains gave their life jackets to servicemen and went down with the ship, which sank in 27 minutes.
Only 230 servicemen survived out of a total of 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilian workers who were aboard. Survivors in life rafts could see and hear the chaplains, arms linked, offering prayers as they went down with the ship.
For more information, call DerBoghosian at 782-5700 or 353-7435.
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