Gen. S. D. Butler Detachment Members Receive Chapel of the Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Award

This year the Chapel of the Four Chaplains has approved 11 Legion of Honor Awards to members of the Marine Corps League and, new this year, to two members of the Montford Point Marine Association.

The Chapel of the Four Chaplains seeks to encourage observation of the unity which binds together Americans of all faiths. Patriotic in its nature, the Chapel celebrates the characteristics generosity, devotion to God and country, and love of fellow man which we share in common.

Shortly after the Chapel’s dedication by President Harry S. Truman in 1951 the founding trustees established the Legion of Honor Program to publicly recognize persons whose lives model the kind of selfless service to community, nation and humanity without regard to race, or creed, so dramatically exemplified by the Four Chaplains.

By now almost everyone is familiar with the Saga of the Four chaplains on the ship, the USAT Dorchester which, when it was struck by a Nazi torpedo on February 3, 1943, the Four Chaplains gave away their only chance of survival by giving their own life jackets to terrified soldiers. These four Chaplains, two Protestants, a Catholic and a Jew showed the greatest of interfaith harmony and selfless service by their actions. The last thing survivors of the sinking Dorchester saw was the Four Chaplains, on their knees, arms entwined, praying together before they were swept away by the freezing North Atlantic Ocean.

Marine and Leaguer Earle Drake was called upon by The Chapel of the Four Chaplains Foundation to make two special award presentations at the Detachment's July 5 meeting. These awards are presented for service to the local community. Some notable recipients of this award include Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Carter and Reagan. Luminaries such as Bob Hope, John Glenn, Martha Raye, James Michener, Marian Anderson, C. Everet Koop, Tommy Lasorda and Shirley Chisholm are also recipients of this award.

Membership in The Legion of Honor of the Chapel of the Four Chaplains is awarded on the basis of documented acts of selfless service. Selfless service consists of deeds and actions on behalf of others irrespective of their race, ethnicity or faith. There are many persons whose everyday job responsibilities call for them to serve in a helping/caring capacity. However the performance of their job responsibilities alone does not qualify as “selfless service”. Selfless service constitutes going the “extra mile” beyond what their job responsibilities calls for to serve others.

No tradition of American society is more precious to, or characteristic to our culture, than that of voluntarily reaching out to neighbors in need. Such selfless service is part of our civic and religious heritage.

Marine Drake said, "I am honored to present The Legion of Honor Award to two of our own. They both work tirelessly for our community by participating in many, many activities." The recipients are:

Thomas P. McGovern, a member of the General Smedley D. Butler Detachment, the VFW, and the American Legion.

Tom served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He served as a Hospital Corpsman, Marine Amphibious Task Force. Tom works primarily with the VFW where he serves as Chaplain. He has spent many years raising funds with the General Smedley D. Butler Detachment of the Marine Corps League, the funds going primarily to active duty service persons and their families. The funds are also distributed to worthy veterans groups, the USO and the VA Health Centers in Philadelphia and Coatesville, PA

Tom is a Founding Member of the Marple Newtown Combined Veterans Alliance, a group that provides Graveside Honors for fallen comrades. He currently participates in over 50 such services each year. Tom has been recognized as American Legion Commander of the Year.

William Kinney, General Smedley D. Butler Detachment

Bill is a Marine who served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged. He is a member of the General Smedley D. Butler MCL Detachment who has been elected Director several times. A much more important office than usually thought, the duties of Director include to over-seeing the operations of the Detachment, conducting an annual financial audit of the finances of the Detachment and formulating the annual budget within 30 days after elections.

Bill is an active participant in the Butler Detachment’s Toys for Tots program, Adopt-a-Highway program, a parade participant and a regular fund raiser for the HUHO, “Help Us Help Others” program that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for distribution to worthy persons and veterans programs.

Tom's and Bill's dedication to the community is an on-going and daily endeavor. They are always available to lend a hand to a veteran, a neighbor, or to a needy family. Leaguer Drake concluded by saying, "I am honored to present The Chapel of the Four Chaplains Legion of Honor to both of them."

In the left photo, Marine Bill Kinney receives his Legion of Honor Award from Detachment Awards Committee Chairman Marine Jim Herbst. In the right photo, Navy veteran and Detachment member Tom McGovern receives his Legion of Honor Award award also from Chairman Herbst.