Four Chaplains Day at the Alaska Veterans Museum (AVM)
The Four Chaplains Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, 3 Feb 2026 at 2pm at the Alaska Veterans Museum at 411 W. 4th Ave, Anchorage in the yellow sunshine building.
The sinking of the US Army Transport Dorchester on February 3, 1943, was a tragic event during WW II, caused by a German torpedo. Of the 902 men aboard the USAT Dorchester, 672 died, leaving 230 survivors. When the news reached American shores, the nation was stunned by the magnitude of the tragedy and heroic conduct of the four chaplains. As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains-arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could also be heard offering prayers for the dying and encouragement for those who would live.
“Valor is a gift,” Carl Sandburg once said. “Those having it never know for sure whether they have it until the test comes.” That night Reverend George L. Fox, Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, Reverend Clark V. Poling and Father John P. Washington passed life’s ultimate test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Chaplains In doing so, they became an enduring example of extraordinary faith, courage, and selflessness.
The Alaska Veterans Museum requests your presence to celebrate with us their legacy with the vision to impart the principles of selfless service to humanity without regard to race, creed, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.
Submitted by
Robert Sherrill, Lt Col, USAF retired
Executive Director and President
Alaska Veterans Museum