Vermont Legion posts to honor Dorchester chaplain

Gilman Methodist Church – once the center of the Gilman, Vt., community – sits empty. There have been no services in this church for over 12 years. The Methodist governing council has deemed it ready for closure and deconsecrating.

What makes this church so noteworthy? If you look back into the history of the church, you will find listed as one of the ministers a Rev. George L. Fox. Rev. Fox ministered to several churches in the area, but Gilman was his home church. Many will ask what the significance of this is, and the answer can be found in the story of the Four Chaplains of World War II – four men who gave up their lives while saving the lives of many others. One of those chaplains was Fox.

At the end of their September 2022 monthly meeting, several members of American Legion Northland Post 47 in Canaan, Vt., were talking about their sister post in Gilman, and that the membership was dwindling and looked like it was heading for closure. Commander Scott Leigh felt very strongly that if there was something Post 47 could do to help Moore-Fox American Legion Post 41 they should at least ask. He dispatched me, the Post 47 adjutant, to make contact with the adjutant of Post 41 and set up a meeting with any of their members who could make it. Post 41 Adjutant Edson “B” Thomas proved to be a treasure trove of information. One comment made during the meeting was the fact that the church in Gilman was to be sold and the new owners could do whatever they wanted with the building. Upon hearing that this was Rev. Fox’s home church, Leigh told the group, “This is not going to happen; that man walked those floors and we need to save it as a memorial to him, if nothing else.”

Everyone present got on board and over the winter months sought out areas where they could generate funds to purchase the building. Leigh spoke at the spring 2023 department DEC meeting, and from that he was contacted by Senior Vice Commander Mark Cloutier and former state Auxiliary President Corinna Colson. These two were very much on fire about saving the church for the Fox family and as a lasting tribute to a great man. Things moved rapidly after that. I found a contact at the National Society for the Four Chaplains. Colson went to work, tirelessly creating an account where donations could be sent and numerous fliers the other committee members took them throughout the North Country.

Over the following months, money was raised to make the purchase of the church. Bobby Siewierski, a member of Post 47 who had just finished divinity training, agreed to become the resident chaplain at the Rev. George L. Fox Memorial Chapel. As of this writing, there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done to bring the building back to life, but the determination of the members of these two posts has not diminished since the start of this project. Donations are very much appreciated, and future plans are to conduct Four Chaplains Sunday services here each year. Plans are in the works to make this church part of the study process for future military chaplains.

One of the stories worthy of note from the past few months comes from one of the committee members from Post 47, who upon relating the story was approached by a 67-year-old woman who held out $10 as a donation. Her comment being, “I wish it was more, but that’s all I have left.”

This project continues and has several issues to resolve before being able to open, but plans are to try to have services there on Four Chaplains Sunday 2024. More information, including the opportunity to contribute to the project, can be seen at the project’s Facebook page, Rev. George L. Fox Memorial Chapel.