Dubuque Military Chaplains Day and Month 2025 Ceremony
The Dubuque American Legion Post #6, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 508, Disabled American Veterans Unit #6, Dubuque Marine Corps League, Tristate Women Warriors, Tristate Vietnam Veterans Association, and the University of Dubuque Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), announces the annual Dubuque Military Chaplains Day for Sunday, February 3rd, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held at Dubuque Community Church, 3490 Keystone Drive, Dubuque, and is open to the public.
The Dubuque American Legion Post #6, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 508, Disabled American Veterans Unit #6, Dubuque Marine Corps League, Tristate Women Warriors, Tristate Vietnam Veterans Association, and the University of Dubuque Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), proudly honors all chaplains that made the supreme sacrifice of their lives to the common cause of human freedom and justice for all so this ultimate loss shall not have been in vain. Chaplains Day and Month are a time to reflect on the service of those chaplains who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their God and our nation.
On the 3rd of February 1943, the troopship USAT Dorchester was sunk carrying to their deaths four U.S. Army chaplains of three faiths who stood united in prayer as the ship went down. These four chaplains gave their life jackets to four soldiers and thus sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others. The heroic deeds of Chaplains Lt. George L. Fox (Methodist Priest), Lt. Alexander D. Goode (Jewish Rabbi), Lt. Johnny P. Washington (Roman Catholic Priest), and Lt. Clark V. Poling (Dutch Reformed Minister) will be remembered always. This is why this date was originally selected.
On December 7th, 1941, Navy Lt. Junior Grade Aloysius H. Schmitt was serving on board the battleship USS Oklahoma during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor when a hit caused the ship to capsize. Many sailors, including Father Schmitt, were trapped in a compartment with only a tiny porthole as the means of escape. Father Schmitt helped several men through this porthole. When it came time to leave, he declined and helped more men escape. Father Schmitt died on board the Oklahoma and was the first chaplain of any faith to have died in World War II. Chaplain Schmitt is a 1932 Graduate of Loras College (then Columbia College) in Dubuque, Iowa.
On May 4th, 1966, Major William Joseph Barragy was the first chaplain to fall in combat in Vietnam. Father Barragy was the brigade chaplain at the time he died in a Chinook helicopter crash. The CH-47A (tail number 63-13138) was from the 147th Assault Support Helicopter Company “Hill Climbers.” It crashed 13 miles northwest of Nhon Co while deploying to a forward base. The crash, starting with fire from the transmission, had no survivors, with 5 crew and 15 passengers from the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry of the 101st Infantry Division. Chaplain Barragy is a graduate of Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa.