United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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n positively necessary that he might attend to family matters, emergency leave was not 'normally granted in the case of the death of a parent. On this entire matter Slatery wrote on 17 October: Speaking of morale, we have a new directive from the Marine Corps Commandant, which is much more humane, on emergency leave requests, and a new Chief of Staff who is not quite so adamant as was the former Chief of Staff. The proper balance beween a man's own assessment of his personal needs and the command's judgment concerning his usefulness to the military service is not one always easily arrived at. At this point chaplains often are able to be of service both to 'the command and to its members g and sometimes, as this account shows, a chaplain was himself involved in the dilemma. Bunker Hill Reduced for the most part to trench warfare this summerls lighting was only occasionally punctuated by violent combat. Such were the furious episodes which occurred in August over two hill outposts, dubbed by the Marines Bunker Hillv and Siberia.,' Directly involved in both were units of the lst Ma- Prelude to Bunker Hill. Chaplain Oscar Weber holds communion services for marines before they join in the fight for Bunker Hill. rines. Writing soon afterwards, on 17 August, Slat- tery told the Chief: Two of your chaplains distinguished themselves by their devotion to duty .... Chaplains McCabe and Callahan stood by their men through the long nights. At one time McCabe was at an aid station which was surrounded .... Neither suffered any wounds, though both looked extremely weary when I went up to see them on Wednesday. And he went on: Chaplains Weber and Guillaume backed up their efforts by working at the front, although both their battalions had been in reserve. Tex Robertson followed his Tankers right into the thick of it too. At the medical companies an outstanding job was done by Chaplain Barlik, who shifted from the Operating Room to the Admission Ward, saw wounded off in the 'copters and at the same time managed to sandwich in his services with the Korean Marine Corps unit nearby. The Korean Marines, incidentally, expect the assignment of a Korean Catholic chaplain shortly, which will relieve us of the responsibility. Flying over the 3d Battalion, lst Marines, com- mand post during the Bunker Hill holocaust was a green brocade banner depicting the Archangel Mi- chael, his feet resting on the vanquished hammer and sickle of Communism. Lt. Col. G. T. Armitage, bat- talion commander, deciding that his men needed to be reminded of the dependence of their cause on God, secured permission from Headquarters, Marine Corps, to fly the banner. Designed by Capt. B. Ord, a company commander, it was embroidered by Korean children in the Star of the Sea Roman Catholic or- phanage at Inchon. On 25 July the Roman Catholic personnel of the battalion were dedicated to the protec- tion of St. Michael, and each company furnished a burgee of the banner. Capt. H. J. O'Conner, a com- pany commander, commented: 4'Regardless of their creed, our men felt the banner to be a very personal in- centive. Flown for the first time at Bunker Hill, the flags accompanied the battalion in subsequent ac- tions and were still flying when the guns at last grew still across Korea. When the original had become bat- tleworn beyond repair, it was duplicated by wives of Korean Marines and the tattered relic sent to Marine Corps Headquarters. Siberia Siberian was a hillcrest in the Panmunjom corri- dor where a terrible, indecisive 24-hour battle took place. During the darkness a United Nations outpost manned by ten Marines was overrun by a reinforced company of Chinese 5 two were killed and seven of the remaining eight wounded. An undersized platoon attempting a counterattack was quickly beaten back. With morning close air support was brought into play -146-

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Commission Visitor. Dr. Steward Robinson Ccenter, first rowj, Chairman of the General Commission of Chaplains meets with the Protestant chaplains of the lst Marine Division in Korea. Standing Cleft to rightjc Chaplains Oscar Weber, First Medical Bat- talion, Robert H. Willets, lst Battalion, 7th Marine, Ernest A. Wolfram, Jr., lst Engineer Battalion, Alexander W. Boyer, lst Motor Transport Battalion, Alla W. Robertson, lst Tank Battalion, Thomas A. Newman, Jr., lst Service Battalion, and Carl W. Herrick, 2d Battalion. Sitting Cleft to rightj Ward D. McCabe, 2d Battalion, lst Marines, F. E. Morse, deputy Army chaplain QEUSAKM Dr. Robinsong A. D. Prickett, assistant chaplain of the division and John H. Muller, lst Shore Party Battalion. 0 Leave requests are extremely tight here. In the event that he is granted leave our G-1 intends to request his detachment. We have orders for his detachment in July, his reporting date here was 20 December 1951. Will you be kind enough to alert the proper desk for such a con- tingency and perhaps send out a replacement for him quicker than anticipated? We will be able with a little juggling to cover the Protestant services he has been handling. Wolfe's leave was denied, but upon further assurance from Slattery that the situation in the Division could be adequately covered, Salisbury ordered him de- tached on 23 June. Wolfe left, as Slattery wrote, deeply grateful for your consideration in sending or- ders for detachment earlier than Julyf, On 5 August he wrote: Perhaps you have heard that Chaplain Callahan's mother died on 26 July. In accordance with policies then in effect the chaplain was denied emergency leave. On Saturday, 2 August, the Catholic chaplains went to Callahan's battalion where we sang a Solemn Requiem Mass assisted by Pat Adams and Gus Mendonsa. The rest of us sang the Mass and were a little bit pleased with our memory of the music, as many of us have not been at a Solemn Requiem in some time and had neither notes nor organist to accompany. The results were neither lugubrious nor ludicrous and I am sure Chaplain Callahan's spirits were lifted consider- ably. Due to Dr. Robinson's tour our fellow chaplains were not able to attend. One consoling note was the turnout of enlisted men of the battalion. Protestant lads stood the outposts for the Catholic lads who came to kneel in the rain and mud, garbed in full battle dress of helmet and armored vest. A month later Slattery was writing to the Chap- lains Division, Chaplain Weber's father died on 10 September. He received the telegram notifying him of the death but no further details have arrived as yet.', Unless the servicemanls presence was adjudged

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a QL International Chaplains, Conference. Chaplain Ward D. McCabe is host to visiting chaplains. Left to right Chaplain Roy H. McKenzie, Unit No. 16 Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, lst Commonwealth Division, Chaplain McCabe, and Chaplain Roy Liddell, lst Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Battalion. and a reinforced platoon charged the hill, but after an hour and a half ordered to withdraw, so devastat- ing was the opposition. Air strikes were made on Siberia all afternoon and at first dark, as a ripple of rockets hit the hill, the Marines moved out once more. By midnight the battle had become, as Marine Corps Combat Corre- spondent T. Sgt. Jim Coleman put it, a hand-to- hand slugging matchf' Although driving the Chinese down the reverse slope the Marines were finally un- able to hold the hill and were ordered to withdraw. Throughout the Fight Chaplains McCabe and Calla- han stayed with their Marines, helping the wounded and acting as stretcher bearers when not attending to their religious duties. Both chaplains were subsequently given the Letter of Commendation award. That of Chaplain Ward 52.5332 O-604-11 - 147 D. McCabe covered the period 28 April-31 August 1952. During periods when the regiment was en- gaged in combat against the enemyf' the citation read in part, he worked long, tedious hours, with no con- cern for his personal safety, to aid and comfort the sick and wounded. His courage and initiative in helping to evacuate the wounded were an inspiration to all who observed him. Chaplain James T. Calla- han was cited for services from 22 March to 26 Sep- tember, the citation reading in part: During periods when the regiment was engaged in combat against the enemy, he devoted long, arduous hours, with complete disregard for his personal safety, providing aid and comfort to the sick and wounded .... His cheerfulness, sympathetic understanding of individual problems and his ever ready willingness to offer advice and comfort to all were outstanding.