January 15, 2023 9:50 a.m. 

The Four Chaplains Ceremony is set for Saturday February 3rd.It is being held on the 81st anniversary of the sinking of the USAT Dorchester. This is the 12th year the event has been held in Roseburg. It will be hosted by Westside Christian Church on West Harvard Avenue. The Legion of Honor induction service includes prominent citizens of the community whose identity is kept secret until they are identified during the ceremony.

The day acknowledges the tragic sinking of the US Army Transport Ship USAT Dorchester and the loss of 672 soldiers, sailors, merchant marines and women killed in the icy waters of the North Atlantic when the ship was sunk after being torpedoed by a German U-boat. Included in the 672 were four army chaplains – a Methodist minister, a Roman Catholic Priest, a Rabbi and a Dutch Reformed minister. These chaplains gave their life jackets to save four others, and in doing so, gave up their only means of survival. Of 902 young men and women aboard, only 230 survived.

The event includes light refreshments at 11:30 a.m. Those who come early can see a movie about the four chaplains at 11:00 a.m. The service will begin at 12:00 p.m.

For more information about the event, call 672-4635 or email: gunnerlittle@aol.com.