World War II Honoree

John P. Washington

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Newark, New Jersey

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

SHORTLY AFTER THE PEARL HARBOR ATTACK OF DECEMBER 7, 1941, HE RECEIVED HIS APPOINTMENT AS A CHAPLAIN IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. HE WENT ON ACTIVE DUTY MAY 9, 1942 AND WAS NAMED CHIEF OF THE CHAPLAINS RESERVE POOL, FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON, INDIANA. IN JUNE 1942, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 76TH INFANTRY DIVISION IN FORT GEORGE MEADE, MARYLAND. IN NOVEMBER 1942, HE REPORTED TO CAMP MYLES STANDISH IN TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND MET CHAPLAINS FOX, GOODE AND POLING AT CHAPLAINS SCHOOL AT HARVARD. FATHER WASHINGTON BOARDED THE U.S. ARMY TRANSPORT DORCHESTER AT THE EMBARKATION CAMP AT BOSTON HARBOR IN JANUARY 1943 EN ROUTE TO GREENLAND. ON FEBRUARY 3, 1943 AT 12:55 A.M. TORPEDOES FROM A GERMAN SUBMARINE STRUCK THE U.S. ARMY TRANSPORT DORCHESTER. 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 WAITED. MEN JUMPED FROM THE SHIP INTO LIFEBOATS, OVER-CROWDING THEM TO THE POINT OF CAPSIZING, ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES. OTHER RAFTS, TOSSED INTO THE ATLANTIC, DRIFTED AWAY BEFORE SOLDIERS COULD GET IN THEM. THROUGH THE PANDEMONIUM, ACCORDING TO THOSE PRESENT, CHAPLAIN WASHINGTON ALONG WITH THREE OTHER ARMY CHAPLAINS, GEORGE L. FOX, ALEXANDER D. GOODE AND CLARK V. POLING BROUGHT HOPE IN DESPAIR AND LIGHT IN DARKNESS. QUICKLY AND QUIETLY THE FOUR CHAPLAINS SPREAD OUT AMONG THE SOLDIERS. THERE THEY TRIED TO CALM THE FRIGHTENED, TEND THE WOUNDED AND GUIDE THE DISORIENTED TOWARD SAFETY. WITNESSES OF THAT TERRIBLE NIGHT REMEMBER HEARING THE FOUR CHAPLAINS OFFER PRAYERS FOR THE DYING AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIVE. BY THIS TIME, MOST OF THE MEN WERE TOPSIDE, AND THE CHAPLAINS OPENED A STORAGE LOCKER AND BEGAN DISTRIBUTING LIFE JACKETS. WHEN THERE WERE NO MORE LIFE JACKETS IN THE STORAGE ROOM, THE CHAPLAINS REMOVED THEIRS AND GAVE THEM TO FOUR FRIGHTENED YOUNG MEN. 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. THAT NIGHT THE FOUR CHAPLAINS PASSED LIFE'S ULTIMATE TEST. IN DOING SO, THEY BECAME AN ENDURING EXAMPLE OF EXTRAORDINARY FAITH, COURAGE AND SELFLESSNESS. THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AND PURPLE HEART WERE AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY DECEMBER 19, 1944, TO THE NEXT OF KIN BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL BREHON B. SOMERVELL, COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE ARMY SERVICE FORCES, IN A CEREMONY AT THE POST CHAPEL AT FORT MYER, VIRGINIA. A POSTHUMOUS SPECIAL MEDAL FOR HEROISM, NEVER BEFORE GIVEN AND NEVER TO BE GIVEN AGAIN, WAS AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS AND AWARDED BY THE PRESIDENT JANUARY 18, 1961. CONGRESS WISHED TO CONFER THE MEDAL OF HONOR BUT WAS BLOCKED BY THE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS WHICH REQUIRED HEROISM PERFORMED UNDER FIRE. THE SPECIAL MEDAL WAS INTENDED TO HAVE THE SAME WEIGHT AND IMPORTANCE AS THE MEDAL OF HONOR.