All veterans who served in eligible locations should complete the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Participation in the registry is very important as it will allow VA to track burn pit exposure and draw inferences regarding associated adverse health effects. Exposure to burn pits may be associated with respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). VA recently added asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis as presumptive conditions related to particulate matter exposure. The VFW encourages anyone who has not already filed a claim for these conditions or had their medical records or any previous claims recently reviewed, to reach out to an accredited service officer for assistance.
The History of Four Chaplains Day
On Jan. 23, 1943, the USAT Dorchester left New York City en route to Greenland, with 900 onboard, as part of a three ship convoy escorted by Coast Guard Cutters Tampa, Escanaba, and Comanche. On Feb. 3, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine U 223 of Newfoundland, in the North Atlantic. It was only 150 miles from its destination. Most of the men were seasick because of the bad weather. The German sub fired a torpedo striking the ship in the stern, hitting the boiler room, destroying the ship’s electric supply, and releasing suffocating clouds of steam and ammonia gas. Because security reasons prevented the use of distress flares, escort vessels, still close enough to assist, pushed on into the darkness, unaware that the Dorchester was sinking. As the ship was sinking, four Army Chaplains, George Fox (Methodist), Alexander Goode (Jewish Rabbi ), Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), and John Washington (Roman Catholic), helped hand out life jackets. When the supply ended, they took off their life jackets and gave them to others. When last seen, as the ship was sinking, they were standing together on the deck, with arms linked together leading the men in prayer.
Important Dates in February
The month of February has many important days, here are just a few:
Black History Month
Feb. 2 – Groundhog Day
Feb. 3 – Four Chaplains Day
Feb. 4 – USO birthday
Feb. 14 – National Salute to Veteran Patients
Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Day
Feb. 19 – Coast Guard Reserve birthday
Feb. 21 – Presidents Day
POW/MIA Update
Navy Shipfitter 1st Class Charles F. Perdue, 32, of Salisbury, Maryland, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. He will be buried May 16, 2022, in Lancaster, California.
Army Pfc. Bill Morrison, 29, of Birmingham, Alabama, was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on Nov. 8, 1944, after his unit was engaged in battle with German forces in the Raffelsbrand sector of the Hürtgen Forest in Germany. Morrison will be buried in Spanish Fort, Alabama. The date has yet to be determined.
Army Sgt. Roy C. Delauter, 21, was assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
