had been damaged and the four chaplains began to organize frightened soldiers. They distributed life jackets from a locker; when the supply of life jackets ran out, each of the chaplains gave theirs to other soldiers. When the last lifeboats were away, the chaplains prayed with those unable to escape the sinking ship. Twenty-seven minutes after the torpedo struck, the Dorchester disappeared below the waves with 672 men still aboard. The last anyone saw of the four chaplains, they were standing on the deck, arms linked and praying together. As to official military decorations, each of the four chaplains was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. Award creation In 1957, The American Legion, at their 39th National Convention in Atlantic City, passed a resolution asking Congress to award the Medal of Honor to the Four Chaplains; however, criteria for the Medal of Honor included "combat with the enemy." The special medal — intended to have the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor — was approved by the Senate in 1958, and by the House in 1960. In 2006, The American Legion, at their 88th National Convention in Salt Lake City, passed a new resolution in support of awarding the Medal of Honor to the Four Chaplains. See also United States military chaplains Awards and decorations of the United States military References Further reading Thornton, Francis Beauchesne (c. 1953). Sea of glory; the magnificent story of the four chaplains. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall. pp. 243 Medal Military awards and decorations of the United States Awards established in 1960 1960 establishments in the United States