36 Year Navy Veteran, Chaplain, Rabbi to Receives Legion of Honor Distinguished Service Award

Philadelphia, PA, February 05, 2025 — The “Legion of Honor Distinguished Service Award” will be given to Rabbi Harold Robinson, Ch, RADM, USN, (Ret.) by the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation in Philadelphia.

The presentation will take place at the 57th Annual Four Chaplains Banquet at the IATSE Ballroom on February 4th, 5:30 p.m. (ET) before an expected audience of 300 veterans, civic and religious leaders.

The event honors the 82nd anniversary of the loss of the famed “Four Chaplains” during WWII and the 250th Anniversary of the Army Chaplains Corps.

“I am truly humbled and honored by this recognition of my life’s work,” noted Rabbi Robinson. He added, “I emphasize that my work is not done. I continue to beseech all stakeholders to complete the tribute to military chaplains as planned for Arlington National Cemetery. I urge patriotic citizens to reach out to their congressperson to take action to approve the project.”

A resident of Centerville, Massachusetts, Rear Admiral Harold L. Robinson was honored for his service as Navy Chaplain and continued service upon retirement. Rabbi Robinson served as a Naval Reserve Chaplain for 36 years, of which 26 were with the Marine Corps.

Admiral Robinson led efforts resulting in the placement and dedication of the Jewish Chaplains Monument on Chaplains Hill in Section 2 at Arlington National Cemetery in 2011.

On the night February 3, 1943, the American troopship U.S.A.T. Dorchester sailing from New York in the North Atlantic was struck by torpedoes fired by a uboat and sank in minutes with the loss of 674 soldiers and civilians.

Among this who perished were four chaplains, a Catholic priest, two Protestant ministers and a Rabbi. The four Army officers were noted for their heroism in helping as many passengers escape the doomed ship as possible, offering up their own life jackets, and were last seen praying together.

The heroism of the Four Chaplains became an iconic WWII story celebrated each year in early February by veterans, civic, and religious organizations.  

The Chaplains Hill, Arlington National Cemetery project, championed by the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces (NCMAF), is an effort to add 81 names of chaplains who died in service to the Protestant and Catholic Memorials on Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. This would honor and include the chaplains who died in service from Korea to Iraq and Afghanistan not already listed.

The NCMAF’s membership is comprised of nearly 150 religious organizations who endorse military and Veterans Affairs hospital chaplains.

Rabbi Robinson was Rabbi of Temple Israel of Gary, Ind., 1974-1977, the Cape Cod Synagogue (1977-1998) and B’nai Zion Congregation in Shreveport, La, 1998-2006. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, including twelve years on the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, six years on the Resolutions Committee of Reform Judaism and four years on the Commission on Religious Living of Reform Judaism. He served for seven years as Chair of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Cape and Islands Advisory Council. Rear Adm. Robinson served  as the Director of The Jewish Welfare Board – Jewish Chaplains Council in New York City 2006-2016 and as part time instructor of Doctoring at Alpert Medical School, Brown University 2017-2019.

Commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Seminarian Student Program, in 1971, Rear Adm. Robinson received a superseding commission as a Chaplain in 1975. His Reserve Component assignments have included, Individual Ready Reserve unit 417; MAF Rel 713; Training Officer, Executive Officer and twice Commanding Officer of MAF Rel 101; and Regimental Chaplain, 25th Marine Regiment 4th Marine Division. He was assigned in 1989 as Executive Officer and then in 1990 as Commanding Officer of SUBLANT Rel 101, and as REDCOMREGONE Staff Chaplain, 1992-1994. He was Force Chaplain, Iceland Defense Force, 1995-1996, Group Chaplain 4th Force Service Support Group, MFR USMC, 1995-1998 and Contingency Directorate Chaplain at Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Seabee National Chaplain 1998, and as Special Assistant for Reserve Manpower Office of the Chief of Naval Chaplains 2000-2004.

The Admiral’s personal awards include The Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Naval Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, the Fleet Marine Force Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Deployment Ribbon.

For information about the Chaplain’s Hill project proposed for Arlington National Cemetery, visit

https://www.ncmaf.com/

https://fourchaplains.org;

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