United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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At the time of White's writing, there were nine ROK Navy chaplains on active duty, seven with ROK Marine units, two at naval bases. Further information was supplied by Chaplain A. M. Oliver, obtained from Korean Chaplain Won Dong Lee, sewing the 1st ROK Marine. regiment. Converted to Christianity by Presbyterian missionaries, Chaplain Lee was graduated from the Chosen Presby- terian Theological College and had served one pastor- ate before entering the Navy. He reported a gratifying response to his military ministry, saying that the non-Christians usually re- spected his effort and many listened to his preaching of the Gospel. I believe that one day Christianity will be the dominant religion throughout Koreaf' he added. It is the one cause in which both my people and the North Koreans can always linda common devotion. According to Lee, it was the remarkable impression made upon high ranking Korean military officials observing U.S. Marines attending Divine Service at the time of the Inehon landing that led some of them to ask American officers to explain the place and function of the chaplaincy in the United States military establishment. Although only a small percent of Koreans were Christian, it was decided to organize a Korean chaplaincy. Chaplain Chung Actually it appears that Chaplain Chung had had some such idea all along, even when he entered the Navy as a line jg and spent 3 years doing PIO work.13 The actual beginnings of the Chaplaincy predate its official commissioning. Admiral Soh Won Il, then ROK Chief of Naval Operations, allowed Chung time to carry on his religious ministry, including both counselling and holding services. The latter were held in private homes in Seoul, and after the retreat began, wherever Chung found himself. With the formal establishment of the Corps, Chung's first task was to recruit and send chaplains to the newly organized ROK Marine Corps, placing in direct charge Chaplain C. S. Park. Much time was spent expanding and consolidating the embryonic Corps. Lent a copy of the U.S. Navy Chaplains Manual by Chaplain White, together with copies of the Navy Chaplains Bulletin, Chung drew up a leadership man- ual for his own chaplains, compiled a bilingual hymn- book, a catechism, and a character guidance manual, '3 Navy Chaplains Bulletin CFall, 19545, D. J. Silver, Chaplain Chungis Corps, p. 13. Also A. M. Oliver, Of One Blood All Nationsf, ibid. CSpring-Summer, 19521, p. 12. and began publishing a monthly bulletin. After a while he was able to put chaplains aboard Korean vessels. Chaplain Frederick W. Brink, when serving at Fleet Activities, Sasebo, wrote the Chaplains Division that he had assisted ROK Chaplain S. F. Shin in the baptism of 21 officers and' men from the crew of ROK ship TAEDONG, all previously Buddhists. The sacrament was administered in the Fleet Activities Chapel. Supplies had been begged, borrowed, or scrounged from the beginning. Chaplain White helped when he could, and later, in 1952, Chaplain Harry F. Fenstermacher, lst 90-mm Gun Battalion, FMF Pacific, aided Chung 14 in regularizing the receipt of supplies through the Korean Base Section fArmyj. He managed to submit to the U.S. Naval Korean Military Advisory Liaison Group what one of their officers estimated as one of every three requests for supplies we received V' One of Chaplain Chung's most ambitious projects was the operation of a Navy-Marine Wounded Soldiers Vocational Training School, near the naval base at Chin Hai. The closest Korea comes to the Veterans Administration, one chaplain described it. Under the direction of Chaplain Park Bun, 200 disabled veterans every 6 months were being given vocational therapy and training in such fields as auto mechanics, farming, watchmaking, and even photography. On Solid Ground In 1954 Chaplain Chung, by then promoted to the rank of commander, visited the Chaplains Division in Washington. His dream was becoming an impressive reality. By then his Corps numbered 30 and he had established some 40 Navy and Marine Chapels. In 1953 the first Roman Catholic chaplain was commis- sioned and by 1954 there were four. QKorean Protes- tants are reported to outnumber Roman Catholics by more than 10 to 1.5 There was even a chaplains school, meeting in Chung's office-which will remind old hands of the beginnings of our own training pro- gram. The conduet of common worship held priority with Chungis padres, and counseling next, but there was no charitable cause or work of mercy in which they had not found a way to involve themselves. Described by his friends as a forceful man, Chaplain Chung was not to be satisfied until his work of building was set on a firm foundation. Publicly honored by the ROK Chief of Naval Operations and by the Minister H cp. p. 192. -107-

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International Conversation. Chaplain Walter S. Peck talks with Wong Dong Lee of the Korean Navy who is studying methods used by American Chaplains in sewing United Nations Forces. from patients that prayer groups and Bible study groups were held in frontline bunkers by lay person- nel. Ships without a chaplain reported that enlisted men and oflicers were conducting worship services, hymn sings, and Bible studyf' Anchored at Inchon, Olmon was frequently consulted for advice concern- ing such lay work, and made available supplies of religious literature. Well Donev Two of the hospital ships were honored with the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for serv- ice terminating during the period here under review. CONSOLATION was cited for the period 11 August 1950 through 31 August 1951. REPOSE was awarded the KPUC for service from 16 September 1950 through 31 July 1951. HAVEN would later receive the same award for service from 18 October 1950 through 25 June 1952. Korean Navy Chaplaincy Chaplain H. P. White, in the REPOSE, was early in contact with the Korean Navy Chaplain Corps in its formative stage. He wrote to Chaplain Salisbury: I have tried to assist the ROK Navy in every possible way, and in turn the ROK Navy has been very helpful to us in the REPOSE. For sometime, Admiral Sohn lSoh Won Il UH of the ROK Navy was a patient aboard this ship, and we were fortunate in having his Navy band, more than 50 pieces, aboard for a concert .... The Hrst Chief of Chaplains of the Republic of Korea Navy was Lt. Comdr. Dall Bin Chung, origi- nally commissioned a line oilicer in 1948. Graduate of the Kwang Sung Methodist mission school, he later received a divinity degree from the Kwan Sei Uni- versity in Japan. Pastor and teacher before entering the Navy, Chaplain Chung had headed the educa- tional department of Methodist headquarters in Seoul and served as chaplain to the well-known Ewha Girls School there. In the Navy he rose to the position of Chief of Education and Information, and on 24 May 1951 was appointed to head the newly organized Chaplain Corps. Chaplain White's letter continued: When Chaplain Chung was made Chief of Chaplains, I did everything possible to help him get started. Words of gratitude and appreciation arrived from Admiral Sohn for this service. Chaplain Chung's office is not too far from the REPOSE, and I go over there as often as I can to assist him in getting his organization set up. He makes frequent visits to my office, and lim sure this splendid relationship will prove enriching and rewarding, 106-

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of Defense, his solidest monument is, as Chaplain Daniel J. Silver wrote, the thriving existence of a Chaplain Corps which bears his signature and imprint. Nationalist Chinese Chaplaincy Brief notice may be taken of the emergence of another Chaplain Corps in the Far East, serving the Nationalist Chinese armed forces on Taiwan fFor- mosaj. Although sanctioned by the government, it had no official military status, being recruited and supported by ladies meeting in a Prayer Group with Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Concerned for the morale and welfare of Nationalist troops concentrated in the already overcrowded city of Taipeh, these ladies looked for evangelists and pastors to work among the troops. Supervising the program was the Reverend Wei- ping Chen, retired clergyman from the mainland and personal pastor of the Generalissimo and Madame Chiang. Begun in May 1950, by 1952 this Corps had 14 chaplains serving, one in a recruit training center, another in the Navy base, most of them in military hospitals. Chaplain W. W. Parkinson, on duty with the. Patrol Squadrons of 7th Fleet, occasionally made contact with the Nationalist Chinese Chaplaincy and helped in whatever ways were possible. Writing to Chaplain Salisbury in October 1951, the Reverend Wei-ping Chen stated: Our work in these hospitals C211 is very successful. Some superintend- ents of these hospitals are Christians. They welcomed us from the beginning while others hesitated. Today, however, they all appreciate our servicef, He re- ported that some of the worst troublemakers among the military patients had responded to the Gospel ministry, some even had become chaplain's assist- ants, doing valuable work in teaching the Bible and hymns to other patients. Unit Citations The lst Marine Division was awarded its third Presidential Unit Citation during the Korean hostili- ties Q the Division's sixthj for its gallantry in action during three periods of intense combat: 21-26 April, 16 May-30 June, and 11-25 September, all in 1951. The first two periods fell within the 5th Korean Cam- paign, the initial one covering the Chinese Communist offensive in April, the latter covering the counter- offensive which brought the Marines to the southern rim of the Punchbowl. The third period was the September drive which for the Marines constituted the heart of the United Nations fall offensive. The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing also received a Presi- dential Unit Citation covering the dates 8 March- 30 April, 18 May-30 June, and 3 August-29 Septem- ber, 1951. These dates reflect missions flown largely in support of Division operations during approxi- mately the same periods. The Navy Unit Commendation was awarded a number of ships and smaller commands for varying periods of service. BADOENG STRAIT and SICILY each was cited for the period 3 August 1950-1 August 1951. VALLEY FORGE received the unit decora- tion for the period 3 July-18 November 1951. LEYTE had already been cited for her service from 9 October 1950 to 19 January 1951, and PHILIP- PINE SEA had received two awards, the first covering the period 4 August 1950 to 30 March 1951, the second, 31 March-31 May 1951. PRINCETON's unit commendation covered the period 5 December 1950 to 10 August 1951. Winterizing While acting Division Chaplain, Fitzgerald had re- ported the arrival of John L. Curtis C Southern Bap- tistj, who was assigned to the 11th Marines. On 8 October Joseph P. F. Gallagher fRoman Catholicl reported in and was assigned to Motor Transport. Commenting on the activities of the Division Chaplain for the period 15-23 October, Peck noted the arrival of four more new chaplains, assigned as follows: BAPT my Shore Party Bn.. William E. Brooks. . LCDR Medical Bn ..... Vincent Lonergan LCDR RC METH 7th Marines ..... Alan R. Gibbons. . . LTJG RC Ordnance Bn. . . Barney L. Jones. . . . LT The United Nations drive during the summer and fall of 1951 was the last big offensive of the Korean War. By the end of October the frontlines were fairly well stabilized and hostilities were largely re- stricted to outpost warfare and patrol activities. Peck wrote to Salisbury on 25 October: We seem to be digging in for winter, and it is none too soon. The nights are getting bitter cold, although the days when the sun is out are fairly comfortable. The lines are becoming more fixed. Continual' raids and patrol actions by both sides cause daily casualties although not as many as on a push, I am encouraging the chaplains to prepare themselves for a program to combat the loneliness and depression which will come to their men through the winter if the front remains stable. He added: I wish to say that the main impression I have gained is to be deeply impressed with the work of the chaplains out here, from all sides, officer and enlisted, comes nothing but high praise. On 31 -108-