United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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X ' 4 1 1 7 . rv 1 .,, - -4 ,tum .- -0 f -. Q' Chapel for MAG 12. This is a chapel located on the east coast at K-18 above Pohang. The group was later moved to K-1 Chaplain Weidlcr and Sergeant Pearson A New Dress. admire a little Korean girlls new dress which has arrived from America --1l3-

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for no light was permitted, sang Christmas carols far into the night. Presently the sound of the singing carried to other ships. While we were too far apart to sing together, they caught the spirit and we could hear them singing. It had been a good Christmas. Ist MAW Chaplain E. R. Barnes was detached before the arrival of his relief and on 27 November 1951 Chap- lain Howard A. Seymour, who had been at Itami since his arrival in September, was ordered to duty as Acting Wing Chaplain by the Wing Chief of Staff. Writing to Chaplain Salisbury on 14 December, Seymour indicated progress along several lines: a new jeep for the chaplain, a much better qualified chaplain's assist- ant, a chapel in the Wing's new location, including oflice space for the chaplain, and living quarters in a building rather than a tent. Seymour had, in addition to taking Protestant services at Wing headquarters, arranged for missionary priests to afford Roman Catholic coverage where needed. He noted preaching in a nearby Presbyterian Church through an inter- preter, keeping in touch with the chaplains of the Wing, and attending the Command Staff meeting on Monday mornings. Concerning relief work he wrote: In line with the policy of the command, clothing sent to the Wing from the States for the refugees and all excess food has been distributed from this ofiice through proper organi- zations. We have concentrated our efforts on the Presby- terian Seminary in Pusan and the Korean Blind School. However, because of the extremely cold weather here we have handed out many coats directly to Korean refugees who live near by. Christmas in the Air Wing The Wing headquarters had before Christmas nearly completed its move from Pusan to Pohang, farther up the east coast. fSee ch. 6.1 The new chapel was unfinished 5 Seymour described it as an adequate. structure seating 160 personnel, adding that through his contacts at Itarni he had scrounged white paint for the interior. The General insists upon a dedication service before the arrival of the Wing Chaplain, so Chaplain La Duca and I are aiding him Chaplain Stephen Horvath reads the epistle at Christmas Eve mass at the First MAW chapel. A -- S 1

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in that service on Sunday afternoon, 13 January. Roman Catholic Chaplain Paul J. La Duca reported the first week in January. Concerning Christmas activities Seymour wrote on 6 January: Our Christmas activities at the Wing were not as complete as we would have desired due to the fact that the camp was in process of moving. However, we had a Mass and a Protestant Divine Service in the unfinished Chapel on Sunday, 23 December. On Christmas Eve we had a Protestant Communion service at 2330 and a Catholic Mass at 2400. We were able to find a French priest who was very willing to aid us, even though he could not speak English. A newly formed choir from the band aided in both services. We had a watch night service on New Year's Eve. Chaplains Horvath Cwho had returned to dutyj and Weidler were building a chapel at Marine Aircraft Group 12, which was far enough along to be used for Christmas services. MAG 12 was now located at Kangnung, just south of the 38th Parallel on the east coast. On 24 December at 1900 Chaplain Weidler led the Christ- mas carolers to Kangnung where carols were sung at the two orphanagesg later the party returned to the base and sang at the enlisted menls club. At 2200 he offered Christmas Eve Communion in the group chapel. The choir of Central Church, Kangnung, sang at this service. At 2400 Chaplain Horvath offered High Mass and the orphans of the Kangnung Catholic Orphanage sang the Mass. On 25 December Sunday schedule was maintained. On Christmas Day orphans from the four Kangnung homes fone Roman Catholic, the others administered by the UN Civil Assistance Commission, Koreaj were guests of MAG 12. They were treated to dinner, movies, and a complete outfit of clothing. Chaplains Sullivan and Cleaves were doing out- standing work in Marine Aircraft Group 33, at Po- hang. According to Seymour's report to the Chaplains Division, Cleaves was especially active in refugee work, having aided in building a church and establishing an orphanage. Their Christmas activities consisted of the regular services with a Christmas emphasis on Sunday, 23 December, a Christ- mas Eve Protestant Communion Service at 2100 and a Cath- olic High Mass at 2400. Chaplain Cleaves superyised a caroling party which sang at all commands in the area. Both chaplains attended Christmas parties at orphanages. Chaplain Charlie R. Harrison had reported in No- vember and had been left with the units remaining behind at Pusan. He acted also as Supply Chaplain for the Wing, being the only one left near the Army Chaplains Supply Depot. Conducting Protestant worship, he had secured the services of a civilian priest for Christmas masses. The Wing units at Itami had been covered by Air Force chaplains. Cardinal Spellman arrived in the Wing on 29 De- cember. Seymour wrote: We had a schedule arranged for him and he followed it to the letter. Chaplains Sullivan, Horvath, Cleaves, and I ac- companied the generals and the Cardinal in the tour of our activities. Arrangements were made for him to meet the troops, which he did very graciously. The commanding general, Maj. Gen. C. F. Schilt, is very kindly disposed to- ward the Chaplainls Department and took the entire day attending . . . the Cardinal. Wisconsin During the winter months from November 1951 onward, the Division faced an enemy securely dug in on the reverse of the heights, manning the forward slopes with mere .sentry forces? It was the opinion of Maj. Gen. T. Selden, lst Marine Division com- mander, that only naval gunfire could effectively destroy such positions, some of them regimental com- mand posts, often connected by long tunnels with the exposed forward positions. Consequently, for 2M months, guns of the WIS- CONSIN and the cruisers ST. PAUL, ROCHES- TER, and MANCHESTER supported the Division by deep naval gunfire, at a range of from 10 to 16 miles. Not only were enemy bunkers and artillery emplacements reduced, but enemy morale was notably shaken. One prisoner revealed' that his battalion's political Hcommissarl' had thought the American Navy was using atomic artillery, so huge were the craters resulting from the explosion of 16-inch shells. The WISCONSIN was the third battleship recom- missioned and ordered to duty in Korea. QMIS- SOURI had been relieved in March 1951, and would return in October 1952. NEW JERSEY was relieved in November 1951, returning to the war in April l953.J In December she participated in a heavy bombardment of the east coast port of Wonsan, as part of the siege which had been going on since February? The Roman Catholic chaplain in WISCONSIN was Eugene J. Kapalczynski, who had reported to the ship in Norfolk on 21 October 1951. Attached to the 2d Marine Division, Kapalczynski had received his orders in the field, for the Division was engaged in maneuvers on the island of Vieques, P.R. After flights via Roosevelt Roads and San Juan, P.R., Miami, and Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C., L' Cagle and Manson, op. sit., pp. 332-4. 1Ibid.,p.414.