Jesus Party kids Katrina Jones and Hunter Knowlton are pictured with the ministry’s patriotic mentor, Jerry DerBoghosian.
Jesus Party kids hear Dorchester story
LEWISTON – Jerry DerBoghosian, adjutant, Post 22, American Legion, and patriotic mentor of the Jesus Party youth outreach, recently shared the story of the sinking of the USS Dorchester on Feb. 3, 1943.
The ship was sunk by a torpedo fired from a German U-2 submarine. The attack was decisive and deadly. The Dorchester was carrying 902 passengers made up of servicemen, merchant seamen and civilian workers. Within less than 27 minutes the Dorchester slipped beneath the Atlantic’s icy waters.
On board were four U.S. Army chaplains – a Methodist clergyman, a Jewish Rabbi, Roman Catholic priest and a Reformed minister. Together through the pandemonium, they brought calmness to the frightened, tended to the wounded and guided the disoriented.
The ship had run out of life jackets and the four chaplains removed theirs and gave them to four frightened young men. The chaplains joined arms and prayed as the boat disappeared in the waters. Out of the 902 aboard, 672 died, leaving 230 survivors.
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