One would expect the archives of the Archdiocese of St. John's to have accurate information about the priests who served under the archbishop, but that is not always the case. With regard to those men who served at Holy Rosary Parish in Argentia, and later at Freshwater, it has published some misinformation — other than statistical data contained in official ledgers — that it collected from various local sources after the death of those priests.

Regarding Father Dee, it printed the following:

•  “He also moved the civilian cemetery to increase the size of the Argentia Naval Base for the US Forces.”

•  “In 1928, he owned the first automobile in Argentia.”

•  “Father Dee was a Chaplain for the US Armed Forces at the US Argentia Naval base and other US Forces in Newfoundland during the war (1941-1945).”

Repudiation of Statements by St. John's Archdiocese

The preceding information was gleaned from local sources such as Brother Francis Foran and Eileen Houlihan, each of whom published much misinformation about Argentia in the 1990s. See Misconceptions and Fabrications of Eileen Houlihan, Misconceptions and Fabrications of Brother Francis Foran, and Misconceptions and Fabrications of Patrick O'Reilly for details.

Father Dee was not responsible for moving the three cemeteries in Argentia to Freshwater. Even when the cemeteries were relocated to Freshwater, it was not to increases the size of the "Argentia Naval Base for the US Forces." A group of American civilian volunteers carried out the project under the direction of Alexander Bishop, the chief inspector for Public Health and Welfare division of the commission of government. The idea for moving the cemeteries originated with the residents, and not the parish priest. Father Dee only acted on their behalf because they believed he would have more influence with officials from the Commission of Government and U.S. Navy.

Father Dee brought the first car — a 1923 Model T Ford — to Argentia in 1924, not 1928.

Father Dee was not the chaplain for “ US Armed Forces at the US Argentia Naval base and other US Forces in Newfoundland during the war (1941-1945).” Since the “other US Forces” were located at St. John's, Stephenville, and Goose Bay, Labrador, it would not have been practical for that situation to exist. He acted as chaplain for American civilian construction workers and U.S. military personnel at Argentia from January 1941 until their own chaplain arrived on Friday, January 31, 1942 … not from 1941 to 1945.