United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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an area which justifies the use of a great amount of program resources in the field of morality training. As you know, there are no established Training Aids Sections nearer than Guam. We are quitevwilling to furnish the program re- sources if you or Chaplain Mahler will indicate from where they can be circulated. From here, we are not certain where the program resources should be sent that they may be available to a large number of chaplains. I am sure I speak for the Chief when I say we want our chaplains in the forward area to receive everything they think they need. We are willing to reduce supplies for other chaplains in order to meet this top priority need. Therefore, feel perfectly free to come directly to us with your require- ments, making sure that the shipment instructions are ade- quate to insure delivery, and we will get the material to you. We can worry about going through channels when you are out of an emergency situation. In August Barnes fiew to Japan to confer with Mahler and others about the marriage of Marine per- sonnel to Japanese nationals. More than once the chaplains pointed out that their approach to problems of .morals and morale aimed to be positive, not simply prohibitory. Strenuous efforts were made to acquaint service personnel with the better aspects of Japanese and Korean culture and life, and to remind them of the values of their own. On one occasion, 3,000 pa- per bound books were received by air shipment and distributed through the Wing. Early in June Chap- lain Barnes had taken steps to secure books through the Library Services Branch, Bureau of Naval Per- sonnel. Venereal disease was of course a continuing prob- lem in units more or less permanently located. While the chaplains willingly cooperated with their com- mands and Medical Departments, their primary con- cern was never either disciplinary or therapeutic measures, but moral and spiritual health as a positive factor in a happy, wholesome life. The chaplain's ministry is first and always a concern for the well- being of total personality. Barnes subsequently wrote that an active moral guidance program was under way and indicated that the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Chaplain was in an excellent position to act as custodian and distribution source for chaplains, films. Therefore in December 1951 Chaplain Mannion, Assistant Director of the Chaplains Division, made arrangements for certain films to be forwarded to the Wing Chaplain. He wrote: As other films become available, we shall forward them directly to you for use with the Wing and the rear echelon units of the 1st Marine Divisionf, Late in April 1952, after Chaplain F. Parker, S. Baptist, had become Wing Chaplain, the Chaplains Division would send to the Wing two of the recently developed Black Magic' boards with accompanying cardboard symbols to be used in moral guidance lec- tures. This expensive visual aid equipment was in- tended to be circulated from the W'ing Chaplain's ofiice for use in individual commands. Chaplain Barnes' Diary The following notes have been taken from Chap- lain Barnes' monthly contribution to the lst Marine Aircraft Wing Historical Diaryf They are here paraphrased. 13 July 1951. Visited Dr. Appenzeller, Executive Head, Church World Service in Korea, at Pusan. Delivered to him eight cartons of refugee supplies shipped from churches in the States and Kobe, Japan. 17 July. Accompanied Wing Surgeon to visit Danish hos- pital ship JUTLANDIA and refugee childrenis hospital, Pusan. 18 July. Attended commencement exercises of Chosan Seminary, addressed them through an interpreter. Marines of Air Wing and Protestant congregation at Pusan contrib- uted S280 and scrap lumber for rebuilding. 29 July. Offering of S68 for a graduate of Chosan Sem- inary going to Japan for further study. 30 July. Address through interpreter at commencement exercises of Methodist Seminary of Seoul, now in Pusan. Needless to say, such contacts between Navy chap- lains and the leading institutions of the Korean Chris- tian community were helpful in building good rela- tions between United States military forces and K0- rean nationals. 2 September 1951. Visited Chosan Seminary with Ser- geant Powers to present donation of 600,000 won 181001, a gift from Powers' mother's church in Texas. PIO pictures and story prepared for release in San Antonio papers. 12 September. Concert by the All-Korean Pilgrim Choir, 30 trained voices, all in English. Reception at Gen- eral Schilt's quarters for distinguished missionaries and Ko- rean guests before concert. 22 September. Chapel at K-3 Pohang finished and fur- nished except for seating. Chapel chairs on order. 24-28 September. Attended Protestant Chaplains an- nual retreat at GHQ Chapel Center, Tokyo. Speakers were George Buttrick, Edmund D. Soper, and Laton Holmgren. Arranged by Army chaplains in Tokyo. Barnes' letters to the Chief from the middle of Sep- tember on indicated the lst Marine Aircraft Wing in process of moving most of its units, thus requiring new plans for chaplain coverage. Chaplain Edwin R. Weidler, Evan. 81 Ref., had reported on 21 August, relieving George W. Cummins in MAG 12, who left for home. On 17 September Chaplain Howard A. Seymour, Methodist, arrived, and was assigned at Filed in the Historical Section, G-3, Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington, D.C. -101-

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Our greatest need is for adequate shipping instructions. . . Please let us have your G-4's reaction to this. Air Wing From the Punchbowl area and the Division's front ground lines our attention must be turned now to the air-support units and their headquarters far to the south. On 12 August Wing Chaplain Barnes wrote to Chaplain Salisbury: As for the truce', talks, no appreciable progress seems to have been made. The troops at the front have had a lull, but not so the aviators. This command is carrying as heavy a load as ever or more so. We are regularly losing planes and pilots. The ground fire has seriously increased in volume and accuracy. With the arrival of Chaplain Stephen G. Horvath the lst Marine Aircraft Wing was able to provide Roman Catholic ministrations for its personnel at Pusan. Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Cushman, command- ing the Wing, wrote to the Reverend Brian Geraghty, Superior of the St. Columban Missionary Society: During the absence of a Catholic chaplain . . . you and other priests of the Columban Order have graciously extended to us the deeply appreciated ministry of your services at Mass, Confessions and personal counseling. Please accept my grati- tude and that of my officers and men. Some of the more interesting of Wing Chaplain Barnes' reports concern the work of Marines in aiding the often destitute and homeless Korean civilians. On 12 August he wrote: My work here has thrown me into contact with mission- aries and refugee church groups, as it did John Murphy. Among others is a Presbyterian Seminary, which, formerly in Seoul, is now in Pusan. Out of a student body of 300 they have assembled from the far corners 170 students and 5 pro- fessors. Their Christian faith and courage is astounding. We and other commands have helped them with offerings, sur- veyed tenting, and scrap wood. They are living and holding classes in two squad tents and a few nondescript shacks they have built .... Their chow consists of two bowls of rice per day. It was my privilege to give one of the commence- ment addresses via interpreter, who by the way was the dean of the seminary and holds a Ph D. degree from Toronto University. The whole of South Korea is filled with amazing stories, stories which should thrill the church at home with the heroic Christian courage of this infant church to absorb punishment, adapt itself to disruptive and chaotic conditions, gather together in the most unexpected places, and hold church, Sunday School, and study classes. One group of refugee pastors on Chejudo Island of all things asked me to get them 20 Greek New Testaments! Believe it or not, they were organized into a Greek New Testament class, meeting every day. The singing of these church people is inspiring. I have invited two Korean church choirs and the Korean Navy Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus to K-1 IPusanJ for con- certs. The officers and men could hardly believe their ears when these people rendered portions of the Messiah, Open the Gates of the Temple, Stephen Foster folk songs and other numbers, and all in English. fThe Korean Navy organization was acquired by simply taking the whole Seoul symphonic organization, men and women, into the Korean Navy.D The Wing continued short of its complement of chaplains. On occasion Chaplain Cummins of MAG 12 went for a week to the Itami fJapanj units, and Barnes had himself gone over twice for counseling on some critical cases. The Wing's new commander, Maj. Gen. C. F. Schilt, on his own initiative pressed the matter of chaplain shortage, especially at Itami. Barnes wrote to Salisbury: I gave him the picture and told him I had been in correspondence with you and that you were aware of the problem and were doing everything possible to bring us up to TKO. Moral Welfare Program Barnes wrote that General Schilt was greatly con- cerned about the moral problems confronting the command. During June Chaplain Cummins was given T.A.D. ftemporary additional dutyj at Itami to cooperate in a venereal disease control program di- rected by the Medical Department. On four after- noons the chaplain and a doctor gave lectures, and the new film produced by the Chaplains Division To Be Held in Honor was shown. During July and August the film, borrowed from ComNavFE Chaplain Mah- ler, was shown in all units of the Wing except a few isolated radar groups. Writing to Chaplain Edward J. Hemphill, Assistant to the Chief of Chaplains for Material and Special Projects, Barnes reported agree- ment among doctors and chaplains that the film was well done. The response of the men had been favor- able, although some wiseguys always find opportunity to make cracks. Hemphill in his reply emphasized the importance of audience preparation. It was not intended that this film would be shown . . . without first preparing them for the subject it treatsf, He suggested the fol- lowing as a useful procedure: 1. A lecture by the chaplain on the moral factors of lnC0ntll'1CI1CC. 2. The screening of the film. 3. A discussion by the group of the meaning for them of the points included in lecture and film. 4-. Second screening of the film. Barnes and Mahler were agreed that Far Eastern commands deserved a high priority on distribution lists for moral guidance materials. Hemphill replied: We are quite conscious of the fact that you are located in -100-

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Itami. A Marine antiaircraft artillery battalion was being established at Pusang their commanding officer had requested a chaplain's billet but it was disallowed. Barnes wrote that once the MAW had left Pusan, he would try to get Army or Air Force chaplains to cover that unit. On 12 October Chaplain Horvath was injured when a weapons carrier in which he was riding went off the road. A plane had gone down about 15 miles short of the base and Horvath was in the searching party. He suffered a broken hip and was evacuated to Yoko- suka Hospital. Barnes' last letter from the period of the 6th Korean Campaign reported further moves by the Marine air units. The Wing continues to fly heavy schedules and we continue to lose planes and pilots. The new HMR-161 boys have been making the news with their helicopter lifts up at the front' Once again it was necessary to rely on missionary priests for Roman Catholic coverage and Barnes was hard put to dis- tribute the services of his chaplains to best advantage. Helicopter Troop Lifts Barnes' reference to the HMR-l6l boys deserves comment. During the lst Division's rugged fight at the northern rim of the Punchbowl, 11-18 September, in terrain of appalling difiiculties, helicopter squad- ron HMR-l61 began ferrying in supplies and evac- uating casualties. On 21 September they completed the first troop lift in combat, a move dubbed Opera- tion Summitf' During the weeks that followed they moved company-sized units, and in October a whole battalion. These maneuvers have been hailed as opening a new phase of Marine Corps amphibious doctrine.7 The evacuation of casualties by helicopter also initiated a new technique of medical care and has been credited with saving countless lives of seri- ously wounded personnel. Track Bustingv September saw the interdiction effort of the carrier task force enter a third phases fThe first had been breaking the Yalu bridges and those of the rail net in the northeast. The second, dubbed Operation Stranglef, was the effort during the summer of 1951 to cut the highways.J Now relieved of their missions in support of the September ground advance, by mid- October the BON HOMME RICHARD, the ESSEX, and the ANTIETAM were concentrating on pinpoint 'See Lynn Montross, Cavalry of the Sky CNew York, 19541, ch. IX. 9 Cagle and Manson, 011. cit., pp. 241-260. bombing of rail lines. Though no night carrier was in service, the carriers worked round the clock, for it was soon obvious that the Communists worked at night to repair the damage. BON HOMME RICHARD From February 1951 to january 1953 the senior chaplain in BON HOMME RICHARD was Howard M. Day, a Southern Baptist. The following excerpts from his questionnaire reply present a vivid picture. The executive officer asked me if I would say grace before each meal in the wardroom. This was quite an unusual procedure at that time, though I understand it is now becom- ing commonplace. The Catholic chaplain said grace at the first sitting and I at the second, at lunch and dinner. No blessing was said at breakfast since it was served over a period of time. The reaction was universally favorable . . . and several expressed regret that it was not feasible to have a similar arrangement for the general mess. Un the general mess there are no sittings, but con- tinuous serving by means of a cafeteria line. Grace at meals has, of course, had a long, if sporadic, history in the Navy.j Chaplain Day's account continued: When operating off Korea it was not possible to use either the mess decks or the hangar deck for Sunday services. We therefore held services in the wardroom, utilizing the lounge and main section. About 400 could be accommodated by using folding chairs and having many stand. This resulted in considerable inconvenience for our officers, who had to eat breakfast in .the small after-section of the wardroom on a hot seat basis. My executive officer was somewhat dubious as to the reaction . . . to this arrangement, but there were no complaints at all. In fact several officers started attending as a result of hearing our services on the public address system while eating their breakfasts. As one jokingly expressed it, Efficiency is a good thing, but trying to feed the body and the spirit at the same time is carrying efficiency too far. I'm going to do my eating between services and start attending as I should. As on many ships, there were evening prayers just before Taps over the P.A. system. Chaplain Day alternated this duty with John A. Keeley, Roman Catholic chaplain from May 1951 to January 1952. At first we thought to have such prayers only while at sea. When we stopped the practice, upon tirst entering port, a large number of men wanted to know why we had stopped. Thereafter prayers were said both at sea and in port .... There were a great many favorable comments from both Christian and non-Christian men. Chaplain Day made use of laymen in holding two Bible classes each week, one for elementary, another for more advanced study. He thought discussion was better when laymen were in charge. It did not reduce my workload, however, he wrote, since I still had to prepare each lesson, assist the teacher in his prepa-