United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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Care for the Wounded. Chaplain J. P. Trodd administers rites to a wounded marine as the corpsman gives him plasma. A Letter Home. Chaplain Elihu Rickel takes dictation at an aid station for a wounded marine. Makeshift Altar. It is said necessity is the mother of invention. Pictured here is a demonstration of one of the methods used to set up an altar near the front. protect the wounded men. With complete disregard for personal comfort and fatigue, he spent long hours, day and night, at the evacuation relay point, giving comfort to the casualties and writing letters home for them. During an- other period, when two battalions of the regiment were being subjected to daily counterbattery fire, he continued to make frequent visits to the two units, comforting and inspiring the wounded, as well as those who had to continue their work under fire. ' Chaplains serving in the Division during this Sixth Korean Campaign received live Bronze Star awards, seven Letter of Comrnerrdation awards, and two Purple Heart awards. Approximately 50 percent of the Chaplain Section were decorated, not considering those who had earlier received citations or would later do so. Never before in the history of the Navy Chaplain Corps had so many from such a relatively small group won such recognition in so short a time. Chaplain Peck Comes Aboard From 1 August until Chaplain Kelly was relieved, the following new chaplains had arrived: Edmund W. Pipho CLutheranj, James F. Follard CRoman Catholicj, Walter J. Vierling tLutheranj , Robert N. Ruleman QMethodistj, and John O,Neill CRoman Catholicj. On 10 September Kelly wrote to the Chief: Colonel Krulak asked me again the other day when an Episcopal chaplain was coming. General Shepherd, FMF Pacific, was here for a visit and commented that there is no Episcopal chaplain in any part of FMF Pacific. I know Krulak is Episcopal, so I guess General Shepherd must be also. Chaplain Kelly had been suffering from dysentery. He wrote on 17 September that the doctors had or- dered him to the hospital ship CONSOLATIONQ the next day, upon his evacuation, Chaplain C. Fitz- gerald was assigned duty as Division Chaplain until Chaplain W. S. Peck, Jr., on his way as Kelly's relief, should report in. Peck reported to the Division CP on 8 October 1951 and Fitzgerald was detached to return to the States. The Chief, replying to Peck's first letter from Ko- rea, requested that as Division Chaplain he continue certain practices which his predecessors had evolved

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Chaplain Harold H. Cummings also worked with a medical company during these harrowing days. Al- most overwhelmed with casualties, the medics worked around the clock, and the chaplain along with them. Later he was cited for the period 15-21 Sep- tember, being awarded the Letter of Commendation, which speaks of his spending approximately 18 hours a day administering spiritual aid to wounded and dying Marinesf' Vignettes Two incidents from the heavy Fighting in Septem- ber, 1951 may serve to document the experience of chaplains in combat. The 3d Battalion, 1st Marines was on the east coast north of the 38th Parallel. Mov- ing up with the forward aid station, Chaplain K. H. Capers would set up what came to be known as the Chaplain's Galley? There honest-to-goodness coffee and even steak, bacon, and eggs were offered casualties and battle-weary Marines who chanced by. The helicopter pilots evacuating the wounded would replenish the larder on their return trips. On one occasion, when the aid station had just moved forward, it became impossible for bearers to evacuate litter cases over the mountainous terrain to the rear aid station. Until helicopters should arrive, there was a long wait. Capers rigged for church, 65 stretchers providing pews for that many seriously wounded, with less serious casualties sitting around. The chaplainis organist, Pak, interpreted for the enemy casualties, among whom was a North Korean ofiicer, seriously wounded, who had refused coHiee and cigarettes and had sneered at the chaplainis efforts to be comforting. During the service, however, he ap- peared to be listening and afterward asked to talk to Capers. Pak interpreted: The prisoner says that he knows the imperialists are butchers and show mercy only to gain their own ends. But he says he likes that Man you were talking about and would like to save your life. He says yould better get out of here be- cause the North Koreans are going to attack tonight in great strength to rescue him, and if you don't es- cape you will be killed with the rest of the Americans. In fact, the Communists did not attack, though they were well able to do so. But that Communist pris- oner had been provided every ministry our own troops received and was evacuated by helicopter with our own wounded. Chaplain Capers was given the Letter of Com- mendation award for service during the period 27 April-9 October. His citation reads in part: He moved with the battalion under all conditions and re- mained with the forward aid station where his work could best be performed. His faith and sincere in- terest in all gave strength to the wounded and the weary. Further Awards By the third week in September fighting in the 1st Marine Division sector of X Corps front began to show results. There was much more to come, how- ever, both in the 2d Infantry Division's sector, and further west, along the IX Corps front. A fifth chaplain, Joseph P. Trodd, would be awarded the Bronze Star for outstanding service dur- ing this period, speciflcally for 16 September-8 Oc- tober. While his battalion was engaged with enemy forces in the vicinity of E-dong, Trodd remained at the forward aid station, assisting with the casualties. Taking no thought for his own danger or fatigue, tirelessly he ministered to the men who passed through the aid station, ofTering solace and reassur- ance and spiritual strength. Three others received the Letter of Commenda- tion: Chaplain Donald W. Jolly for excellent service during the period 8 july-18 October, Arthur M. Kulinski for 25 August-27 October, and William A. Taylor for the period 9 May-19 November 1951. Jolly was in the 5th Marines. His citation espe- cially mentions an occasion when the command post was subjected to artillery barragesg the chaplain moved about the area fearlessly, giving comfort and spiritual aid to the wounded men, and through the night maintaining a cheerful conversation .... Chaplain Kulinski was serving in the Medical Bat- talion. He followed an exhausting schedule to pro- vide Roman Catholic ministrations for adjacent units lacking a chaplain of that faith. He voluntarily spent many hours at the medical companies, minister- ing spiritual reassurance and comfort to the wounded. When an artillery unit was subjected to the counter- battery fire, he proceeded to that unit to make him- self available for those wounded who sought comfort in his encouragement and confidence. Taylorls award covers a long stretch, but his cita- tion centers upon a particular incident when his regi- ment f llth Marinesj occupied positions in the area of Yanggu. He learned that an adjacent infantry regiment was suf- fering heavy casualties and was endeavoring to evacuate its casualties under serious handicaps and lack of facilities. He promptly went to the regimentis aid and established commu- nications, arranged transportation, and assisted in securing additional medical aid for the wounded. When it began to rain, he sought out blankets, ponchos, and shelter halves to -97-

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Seminary Gift. Chaplain Richard E. Barnes looks on as Sergeant Powers hands Dr. Kim Cha Choon, Acting President of Chosen Presbyterian Seminary a monetary gift for his institution. for keeping the Chaplains Division cognizant of the situation there. I would appreciate, for example, a weekly letter from you, no matter how brief, which will enable me to keep abreast with the status of our chaplains in the Division. Any letters of length which you have time to prepare will also be much appreciated, since we peruse every line with an eagle eye. We shall expect you to make recommendations with regard to your chaplains, particularly if any are not well or should, in your opinion, be rotated for other reasons in advance of the normal date. We would also like to receive from you a monthly roster of your chaplains, indicating especially their current as- signment and their date of reporting to the Division .... For your information, I send the word that we will no longer order chaplains to Korea to relieve others by name. We have found in several cases that the system resulted in some chaplains serving over the required time and others being returned to the States short of their normal period. We shall instead detach chaplains on or about the seventh month after reporting regardless of the arrival of reliefs and will depend on you to keep us current at all times as to the number of chaplains aboard, desirable denominational dis- tribution, and any other matters of that sort on which you have an opinion. We want you to feel that you have top priority of all commands in the field, and that you will get what you want if you let us know what it is, within the limitations under which this ofiice works. On October 13-16 Pacific Fleet Chaplain George A. Rosso and FMF Pacific Chaplain Martell H. Twitchell made a visit of inspection, and were af- forded opportunity to see many of the chaplains in the field. On 29 October Peck issued his First Memorandum as Division Chaplain, establishing an SOP for the requisition of chaplain supplies and appointing the Combat Service Group chaplain as Supply Chaplain. Apparently the problem of supplies was a continuing one, for on 4- December Chaplain P. Mannion, Assistant Director, Chaplains Division, wrote to Peck as follows: We are constantly receiving complaints regarding the availability of chaplains supplies and equipment for the Division. The truth of the matter is that we have never received a request from the Division since it has been in Korea for either supplies or equipment. We know that some supplies have been furnished by the Staff Chaplain, Com- mander, MSTS, Pacific. It is proper to rely, in so far as necessary, upon the Army for equipment and supplies. However, there are certain items . . . which we normally supply which the Army does not have available. Would it be possible to discuss the following with your G-4? We are quite willing to make available, without re- imbursement, all portable equipment needed by our chap- lains. We anticipate that under the conditions under which! you operate you need both equipment for immediate use and equipment in reserve. If you will give us your requirements by letter or by requisition, we will act on it immediately. 535332 O-604-S - 99 -