Alexander David Goode was born Alexander David Goodkowitz in Brooklyn, New York on May 10, 1911. He was the first child of Hyman Sulman and Fanny (Aronin) Goodkowitz. His parents had both emigrated to the United States from Russia. Alexander’s siblings, Joseph, Moses, and Agatha were born over the next four years. In 1925, the family was living at 959 Myrtle Ave in Brooklyn. It’s likely that the family then moved to Washington, D.C. since Alexander attended high school there. He earned medals in tennis, swimming, and track at Eastern High School, where he graduated in 1929.

Knowing that he wanted to become a Rabbi like his father, Alexander earned an associate degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1934. On October 7, 1935 in Washington, D.C, he married Theresa Flax, a niece of singer and motion picture star, Al Jolson. He then attended Hebrew Union College, graduating in May 1937. On December 18, 1939, Alexander and Theresa’s daughter, Rosalie, was born. The following June, Alexander graduated from John Hopkins University with a doctorate in Philosophy. During this time, he was also serving as the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in York, Pennsylvania and the family was living at 582 West Market St. In early 1941, he applied to the United States Navy as a chaplain but was declined. That same year, Alexander founded Boy Scout Troop 37 in York as a multi-cultural mixed-race troop, the first troop in the U.S. to have scouts earn Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant awards.

When the US entered WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Alexander applied to the United States Army and was accepted as a chaplain. His Service Number was 0-485093. On July 21, 1942 he received his commission and began active duty on August 9th, training at the Chaplain School at Harvard. While there, he first met Methodist chaplain, George Fox, Dutch Reformed chaplain, Clark Poling, and Catholic chaplain, John Washington. Alexander was then assigned to the 333rd Airbase Squadron at Seymour Johnson Field in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and served there until October 1942. The following month, he was transferred to Camp Myles Standish in Taunton, Massachusetts, where he was reunited with Chaplains Fox, Poling and Washington.

In January 1943, the four chaplains, all first lieutenants, embarked on the converted ocean liner USAT Dorchester, which was transporting 902 servicemen, merchant seamen, and civilian workers to Great Britain via Greenland as part of convoy SG-19. Along with the Dorchester, the convoy included two freighters and three U.S. Coast Guard cutters. On January 29th, the Dorchester departed St. John’s, Newfoundland, experiencing bad weather almost as soon as it entered open water. On Feb 3rd, not long after midnight and when the convoy was only 150 miles from its destination, the Dorchester was torpedoed on its starboard side by a German U-boat, U-233. The ensuing explosion rent a hole near the engine room from below the waterline to the top deck, resulting in nearly one-third of those aboard being killed in the first moments of the disaster. Aware of the danger of U-boats in the area, the commander of the Dorchester had given orders the previous evening for all onboard to sleep in their clothes and wear their life jackets. But not all had heeded this order. Panic set in as men tried to find their way to lifeboats through the dark as the ship listed, many not dressed and facing cold and wind. The four chaplains onboard, Goode, Fox, Washington, and Poling, quickly worked to calm the frightened and disoriented men. Once topside, the chaplains opened a storage locker and distributed life jackets. Survivor Engineer Grady Clark then witnessed an astonishing sight. When there were no more lifejackets in the storage room, the chaplains simultaneously removed theirs and gave them to four frightened young men. The Dorchester sank 18 minutes after being hit. As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains with their arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could also be heard offering prayers and singing hymns. The USCGC Escanaba one of the ships in convoy SG-19, and other Coast Guard vessels rescued dozens of men from the water, but hundreds didn’t survive the frigid 34-degree water. Of the 902 onboard, only 230 survived, making it one of the worst sea disasters of WWII. Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode and his three fellow chaplains were among those who perished.

Lt. Alexander D. Goode is memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, Section MF, Grave 40-2 and at the East Coast Memorial, Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA – Tablets of the Missing. He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, and siblings.

Lt. Goode was awarded the Purple Heart. In Dec 1944 when the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded posthumously to Lt. Goode and his three fellow chaplains, the Army’s Chief of Chaplains, Brig. Gen. William R. Arnold gave this tribute:
“The extraordinary heroism and devotion of these men of God have been an unwavering beacon for the thousands of chaplains of the armed forces. Their example has inspired and strengthened men everywhere. The manner of their dying was one of the most noble deeds of the War. Two of the chaplains – Chaplains Poling and Fox – were Protestants, Chaplain Washington was a Catholic. Chaplain Goode was Jewish. The churches of America can be proud that such men carried their banners into this war, and men of all faiths can be proud that these men of different faiths died together.”

The Four Chaplains' Medal was established by act of Congress on July 14, 1960, and was presented posthumously to their next of kin by Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker at Ft. Myer, Virginia, on January 18, 1961.

Numerous tributes across the country commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of Lt. Goode and his fellow chaplains:

Alexander Goode is portrayed in an outdoor mural displayed at 137 W. Market St., York, Pa.
An elementary school in York, PA is named in Rabbi Goode's honor. A mural of Rabbi Goode and the other three chaplains who died with him is displayed in the school's lobby.
A Four Chaplains stamp was issued on May 28, 1948
A chapel in their honor was dedicated on February 3, 1951, by President Harry S. Truman at Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia.
Ceremonies and services are held each year on or around February 3 “Four Chaplains Day” by numerous military and civilian groups and organizations.
Multiple memorial foundations have been established
Numerous chapels and sanctuaries honor the four chaplains
A dozen stained glass windows, including one installed at the Pentagon, portray the four chaplains.
Sculptures and plaques honoring the four chaplains are in parks, churches, and schools across the country.
Culturally, the four chaplains have been featured in print, music, and art.

Sources:

New York, State Census, 1925
U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995
1940 United States Federal Census
The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, MD, 04 Jun 1940, Tue · Page 11
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
https://en.wikipedia.o
The Cincinnati Post, Cincinnati, OH, 01 Mar 1943, Mon · Page 17
The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 26 Mar 1943, Fri · Page 4
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22272138
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62499098..
The Gazette and Daily, York, PA, 04 Dec 1944, Mon · Page 2
Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966
https://armyhistory.org

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served and on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

If you have any details, photos, or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking on my name.

Pat Nauseda - Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars

SBTS/ York/Pennsylvania

Goode, Alexander D., 1LT