Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation Newsletter

THE CHAPEL OF FOUR CHAPLAINS
Issue: FALL 2014
Four Chaplains
Memorial
Foundation
Newsletter
A Letter from the Executive Director
First let me THANK YOU for your commitment to the legacy of the Four Chaplains. Since February
2012, I have been extremely blessed to meet and speak to so many of you from across this great
country. I am happy to report that we are regaining strength and looking forward to the future of
this organization. Please find in this newsletter the wonderful story of William Bunkelman, a
Dorchester survivor and a story from Irwin White’s family that was done for a brick dedication
ceremony in August, 2014.
Effective with this newsletter, we will be producing a monthly emailed newsletter and a quarterly printed
newsletter. If you have email and we do not have it on file, please contact us.
I look forward to sharing with you stories from all over the country of friends and families that are continuing to
tell the story of the Four Chaplains and keeping their memory and legacy alive.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fourchaplains.org;
Twitter: www.twitter.com/fourchaplains1
A lone survivor – W. Bunkelman
Bill Bunkelman vividly remembers the night of February 2, 1943. He was on submarine watch on the U.S.A. T.
Dorchester. At 12:55 am, he heard a muffled explosion and he was told the ship had been hit. He recalls the
strong smell of ammonia fumes and he immediately ran to his lifeboat station. He was urged by fellow soldiers
and the Four Chaplains to go over the side of the ship. He struggled in the water and managed to reach a raft
occupied by only one other person. They proceeded to drag other men into the raft and floated aimlessly in the
ocean amidst hundreds of Red Lights attached to life preservers of men that did not survive. They were rescued
THE CHAPEL OF FOUR CHAPLAINS
Issue: FALL 2014
about 7 hours later by the Coast Guard Cutter Comanche. Two other soldiers from Monroe were lost at sea that
night, Lawrence Dusseau and fellow basic trainee Albert DeKeyser. Bill Bunkelman, as pictured above/below is
now 80+ years old living in Monroe, Michigan. We would like to thank him and his daughter Dianna Tomkinson
for sending us his story and wonderful photos.
Issue: FALL 2014
THE CHAPEL OF FOUR CHAPLAINS
IRWIN WHITE BRICK DEDICATION IN SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA – August 2014.
“At the time WWII began, Irwin White, knows as Irv by his family was serving in the
Merchant Marine as an officer. When he was assigned to the USAT Dorchester, he was
serving as the 3rd Mate, or fourth in command after the Master or Captain of the ship
and the First and Second Mates.
When the Dorchester was struck by a torpedo in the early morning hours of February 3, 1943 off Newfoundland
by the German submarine U-233, it was transporting 914 troops, merchant marines and Naval Personnel in convoy
to the Army Command Base in southern Greenland. The damage was so severe that the ship sank by the bow in
20 minutes forcing those on board to enter the 34 degree water with an air temperature of only 36 degrees. Of
the almost 700 souls who perished, hundreds succumbed to hyperthermia. Only 230 men survived.
Irv suffered a frozen kidney from exposure, but continue to serve with distinction in the War as a naval officer with
a rank of Lt. Commander and had actually survived another torpedo attack on a second ship during the war.
He married his wife Renee and they adopted two children, Randy and Sandy. Irv passed away as a result of cancer
in 1962.
Irv’s sister, Bea Rudnick, 96 years old, and his brother
Robert White, 86 years old were in attendance. Also
thanked was the "Uncle Bob" for his own dedicated
service to our Country. Bob served at the end of
WWII with the U.S. occupation forces in Korea and
Japan and retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant
Officer 4 after 44 years of total service in both the
Active Army and the Army Reserve. Pictured are several family
members: Irv’s niece and daughter of Robert White, DJ Cutler, who
lives and works in Sebastian for Capt. Hiram’s Resort, and his
nephews, Frank Bronstein, Stanton Bronstein, Stu Rudnick and his
wife, Carol, Rob Volusher, and Steve White and his wife Johan, his great niece, Lisa Cutler, and great-great niece
and nephew. All were there to see 4 generations of the White Family experiencing their past and present.
All four died and have been honored here at this memorial, at the
headquarters of the Chapel of the Four Chaplains in Philadelphia and at other
locations throughout the United States Congress established February 3rd as
"Four Chaplains Day" to commemorate this act of heroism, and on July 14,
1960, created the Chaplain's Medal for Heroism, presented posthumously to
the next of kin of each of the chaplains by Secretary of the Army Wilber M.
Brucker at Fort Myer, Virginia on January 18, 1961.
Among the chaplains were a Catholic Priest, two Christian pastors, and Rabbi
Alexander B. Goode. Commemorative bricks were installed in honor of Irwin White, who was Jewish, near the
Rabbi. Historians of the role of Jews in American history frequently mention the fact that a Rabbi was among the
four chaplains on the Dorchester that fateful day. Thereafter, Jewish clergy were considered fully worthy of equal
respect among the other religious traditions. This respect has also helped reduce many of the prejudices of antiSemitism in the minds of the American public that permeated the perceptions of the day. Such discrimination and
prejudice in Europe helped to foster the tragedy of the Holocaust in Europe that was finally quelled by the bravery
and sacrifice of the men who served in our Armed Forces and whom we honor today.”
Issue: FALL 2014
THE CHAPEL OF FOUR CHAPLAINS
Legion of Honor Program
Our Legion of Honor Program (LOH) is strong and growing. If you are a past LOH recipient, please
remember that you are able to nominate “ordinary people for doing extraordinary things” also.
Please contact us for the most up to date guidelines and nomination forms. As the day of printing, we
are pleased to report that we have inducted 345 individuals into the Legion of
Honor Program this year.
See breakout here:
2
Gold Medallions
11
Bronze Medallions
11
Charles W. David, Jr. Life Saving Medallions
36
Humanitarian Awards
316
Legion of Honor
5
Junior Legion of Honor
WE ARE ON THE MOVE!
Chapel Coordinator, Michelle Nolfi with
display of memorabilia for purchase
Army Chaplain Corps Birthday
July 25, 2014- Arlington
Legion of Honor Presentation in
September, 2014 - VFW
9/11 Memorial Service with members of
Emer. Chap. Corp Ground Zero team
Memorial Day Service at Chapel –
5/2014
Chapel Board Members at
Picnic held in June
Arlington National Cemetery – 7/2014Survivor family member and others
LOH Award Honorees 06/2014
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National Headquarters
1201 Constitution Avenue – The Navy Yard, Bldg. 649 – Philadelphia, PA 19112
(215) 218-1943
Chapel@fourchaplains.org
www.fourchaplains.org