pagesofhistory Cozy No More

A Maryland restaurant with an 85-year history of serving home- cooked meals to politicians, members of the White House press corps, and ordinary citizens closes its doors for good.

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hey say location is key to a successful business — and that’s especially true of Cozy Restaurant

in Thurmont, Md. For 85 years, the family- owned eatery and inn, just 10 minutes from Camp David, fed politicians, members of the White House press corps, and ordinary citizens hungry for a home-cooked meal. But all good times must come to an end.

On June 8, 2014, the Cozy closed its doors for good and auctioned off everything inside, including its sizeable collection of Camp David memorabilia. Owner Jerry Freeze said President

Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Min- ister Winston Churchill dropped by the Cozy in May 1943 on their way to Wash- ington, D.C., so Churchill could get a beer and listen to the jukebox. In the ensuing years, White House staffers and members of the press were frequent customers, as was first lady Mamie Eisenhower, who became friends with Freeze’s mother, Mary. The Restaurant Association of Maryland

recognized the Cozy as the state’s oldest restaurant continuously run by the same family. Freeze’s father, Wilbur, opened the diner in 1929.

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The Four Chaplains Continue to Inspire — 72 Years Later orld War II saw count- less acts of valor, including the four chaplains who gave

their lives so others could live as USAT Dorchester sank Feb. 3, 1943.

PHOTO: DOUG KAPUSTIN/THE BALTIMORE SUN Escorted by three Coast Guard cutters,

Dorchester left New York Harbor bound for Greenland Jan. 23. On Feb. 2, a submarine was detected in the area, but the cutters were unable to locate it. At 1 a.m. Feb. 3, a German tor-

pedo struck Dorchester, causing the boiler room to explode and unleashing a cloud of deadly am- monia gas. As the ship began to sink, four chaplains — Lt. George Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander Goode, Jewish; Lt. Clark Poling, Reformed; and Lt. John Wash- ington, Catholic — moved quick- ly to calm the panicked crew and help them off the rapidly listing ship. When available life jackets ran out, the chaplains gave theirs to crew members.

As the ship sank, the four chaplains remained on Dorches- ter, heads bowed and arms linked in prayer. They helped many passengers and crew survive the disaster. In 1944, the four chaplains were post- humously awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. This event, which occurred 72 years ago this month, recently inspired a long-time MOAA member to establish a designated scholarship in the chaplains’ memory.

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— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free- lance writer, authors this monthly column.

FEBRUARY 2015 MILITARY OFFICER 67

History Lesson On Feb. 10, 1942, 2nd Lt. Alexander Nininger, USA, for his heroism during the Battle of Bataan, posthumously became the first American soldier to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II.

Cozy Restau- rant closes its doors after 85 years of service.