United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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Cardinal in Korea-1951. Francis Cardinal Spellman thanks men of MAG 33 for the wonderful job you're doing for America here in Koreaf, Mass Aboard Ship. The Morning Scripture Lesson. Chaplain Eugene J. Kapalczynski holds Mass aboard the Personnel of the WISCONSIN hear the reading of Scripture WISCONSIN of the U.S. 7th Fleet. by their chaplain, H. W. Buckingham. 525322 0-auf-fa Y- l 15 -

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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.

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the chaplain was detached by Commanding Officer Q Rear Echelonj, at Camp Lejeune, and proceeded to join his ship. He was, he wrote the Chief of Chap- lains, received most cordially by Chaplain Herbert W. Buckingham, Bapt. CAD , who had been aboard already since January. During service in the war theater the chaplains kept busy. Kapalczynski reported that during General Quarters he took his battle station on the bridge. It was his practice to pronounce a General Absolution and the Lord's Prayer over the I.M.C. fan internal communication system operating directly from the bridgej. Like so many others, he offered his services to ships without a chaplain. Even during opera- tions, on and off the Korean bombline, Sunday Divine Services were conducted for destroyers. Transporta- tion was by helicopter or highlinef' Cardinal Spellman came aboard during Christmas- tide, arriving by helicopter, and was greeted by Vice Adm. H. M. Martin, Commander 7th Fleet, whose Hag had been transferred to WISCONSIN. During a day of touring the ship he chatted with officers and men, delivered a Christmas message over the ship's radio station, WHIZ, and offered to send a personal message, when he returned home, to next-of-kin of any personnel desiring it. fMore than 600 took him up on the ofTer.j Next day, following an early Mass, the Cardinal returned ashore. Chaplain Buckingham reported that occasionally members of ship's company were wounded by enemy fire and sometimes others brought aboard for treat- ment. In December an unidentified North Korean prisoner of war, severely wounded, was transferred to WISCONSIN. A hospitalman, Harold Berger, do- nated blood for use during an operation but strenuous efforts to save his life failed. The next day, in a Casualty Coming Aboard. Helicopter approaches the landing platform of the CONSOLATION with a casualty. W -116-