Four Chaplains Sunday

Before we set out on our full-time adventure Lori and I were pretty set in our routines.  I had my veteran’s events and Lori handled Anti-Bullying.  We appreciate the effort that goes into pulling off events and in return, we try to attend as many ceremonial events as we can in the area we happen to be.  The first Sunday in February is considered “Four Chaplains Sunday” and is celebrated by many American Legion posts throughout the country.  It only took one call to find the Four Chaplains event in Phoenix, AZ.  For those unfamiliar with the story the chaplain were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel as the troop ship SS Dorchester sank on February 3, 1943, during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. The chaplains joined arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship.

As relatively new chaplains they all held the rank of first lieutenant. They included Methodist minister the Reverend George L. Fox, Reform Rabbi Alexander D. Goode (PhD), Roman Catholic priest Father John P. Washington, and Reformed Church in America minister the Reverend Clark V. Poling. Their backgrounds, personalities, and denominations were different, although Goode, Poling and Washington had all served as leaders in the Boy Scouts of America. They met at the Army Chaplains School at Harvard University, where they prepared for assignments in the European theater, sailing on board Dorchester to report to their new assignments.

On Feb. 3, at 12:55 a.m., a periscope broke the chilly Atlantic waters. Through the cross hairs, an officer aboard the German submarine U-223 spotted the Dorchester. The U-223 approached the convoy on the surface, and after identifying and targeting the ship, he gave orders to fire the torpedoes, a fan of three were fired. The one that hit was decisive–and deadly–striking the starboard side, amid ship, far below the water line. Captain Danielsen, alerted that the Dorchester was taking water rapidly and sinking, gave the order to abandon ship. In less than 20 minutes, the Dorchester would slip beneath the Atlantic’s icy waters.

The Dorchester was only 150 miles from its destination, the captain had ordered the men to sleep in their clothing and keep life jackets on. Many soldiers sleeping deep in the ship’s hold disregarded the order because of the engine’s heat. Others ignored it because the life jackets were uncomfortable.

Aboard the Dorchester, panic and chaos had set in. The blast had killed scores of men, and many more were seriously wounded. Others, stunned by the explosion were groping in the darkness. Those sleeping without clothing rushed topside where they were confronted first by a blast of icy Arctic air and then by the knowledge that death awaited.

The chaplains sought to calm the men and organize an orderly evacuation of the ship, and helped guide wounded men to safety. As life jackets were passed out to the men, the supply ran out before each man had one. The chaplains removed their own life jackets and gave them to others. They helped as many men as they could into lifeboats, and then linked arms and, saying prayers and singing hymns, went down with the ship. According to some reports, survivors could hear different languages mixed in the prayers of the chaplains, including Jewish prayers in Hebrew and Catholic prayers in Latin. Only 230 of the 904 men aboard the ship were rescued. Life jackets offered little protection from hypothermia, which killed most men in the water. By the time additional rescue ships arrived, hundreds of dead bodies were seen floating on the water, kept up by their life jackets.
"As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets." — Grady Clark, survivor

Another sailor, Petty Officer John J. Mahoney, tried to reenter his cabin but Rabbi Goode stopped him. Mahoney, concerned about the cold Arctic air, explained he had forgotten his gloves.

“Never mind,” Goode responded. “I have two pairs.” The rabbi then gave the petty officer his own gloves. “It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven,” said John Ladd, another survivor who saw the chaplains’ selfless act.

“It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven,” said John Ladd, another survivor who saw the chaplains’ selfless act.

I hope next super bowl Sunday you start your day by attending the Four Chaplains ceremony closest to you!

Walker Aviation Museum

 

Roswell, NM is a unique city.  There are a few cities that we have come across that remind me of the prize fighter who has been knocked down and then gets off the mat and wins the fight.  Roswell is one of those towns.  At one point it was a hub of military aviation. In the Nixon era Walker Air Force Base (formerly Roswell Army Air Field) was closed as were many in New England and elsewhere.  Today the former airstrip still exists but it is primarily a commercial aircraft bone yard where all kinds of jetliners that are no longer airworthy are cannibalized for parts. 

The only flights arriving to the airport originate at Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix.  Since there are only a few commercial flights into the Roswell International Air Center there is little of the terminal used.  Some of the left over area is now the Walker Aviation Museum while a larger, more suitable location is determined. While the museum is small there is a lot of information, you will find historical information about the base and the men and women that served our country from this base.

Roswell Army Air Field and Walker Air Force Base was home to the Strategic Air Command’s strongest fighting force.  At the time of its closing it was the largest base in the Strategic Air Command. 
While a good portion of the museum covers the history of the base a new display, “Peace Through Strength,” is the centerpiece. Peace Through Strength features materials, memorabilia, and a timeline for the Walker Air Force Base from December 1, 1945 through November 23, 1955. It was during this period that the base entered a new phase of operation as a major part of the Strategic Air Command, maintaining peace throughout the world during the Cold War.

The display begins with events that brought World War II to an end. The 509th Bomb Wing traces its historical roots to its World War II ancestor, the 509th Composite Group, a unit formed with one mission in mind: to drop the atomic bomb. The group made history on August 6, 1945, when the B-29 “Enola Gay,” piloted by Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The “Bockscar,” piloted by Maj. Charles Sweeney visited the Japanese mainland three days later and dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

In late 1945, the group settled into Roswell Army Air Base, later named Walker Air Force Base, where it became the core of the newly formed Strategic Air Command. In August 1946, the renamed 509th Bombardment Group returned to the Pacific to participate in Operation Crossroads. During this operation, the B-29 Dave’s Dream dropped an atomic bomb on an armada of obsolete and captured ships moored off the Bikini Atoll.

The 6th Bombardment Wing (Medium) was activated at Walker Air Force Base on January 2, 1951. The unit consisted of the 24th, 39th and 40th Bomb Squadrons and was equipped with B-29 Superfortress, B-36 Peacemaker, the KC-135, and the B-52.  The 307th AREFS was also attached until 1952 and operated KB-29s. Information about all of these aircraft and others stationed at WAFB during this time period is on display.  

The new display features a flight jacket and other memorabilia from the estate of Col. Clyde H. Camp, Jr. USAF Ret., who was Base Commander at WAFB from 1954-1957, following his Korean Bombing Mission.

From 1961 until 1965 the 579th Strategic Missile Squadron and its Atlas missiles were part of the 6th Bombardment Wing. The museum also houses a permanent display funded by a grant from the 579th Missile Squadron Reunion Group.

For the gun enthusiast there is a display of WWII era Russian, German, and Japanese rifles and bayonets donated by Walker Vet Roger Grommesch. In addition to these items and information about the planes and crews stationed at WAFB during this period, the new display provides a fascinating glimpse into family life in the military and at WAFB

The Walker Aviation Museum is located inside the Roswell International Airport, #1 Jerry Smith Circle, and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Special arrangements can be made for groups and out-of-town guests by calling the museum, 575-347-2464. The museum is free and open to the public. The museum’s website is www.wafbmuseum.org.