United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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CHAPTER NINE THIRD KOREAN WINTER 1 December 1952-30 April 1953 Once again winter descended upon Korea and with it an accompanying decline in military activity. For over a year the conflict had been in a state of stale- mate. During this period both sides had so reinforced their positions that they could be captured only at great cost to the attacker. On 5 December President-elect Dwight D. Eisen- hower left to visit the forces in Korea. A number of other visitors were to pay a call upon the military forces before the New Year. The truce talks had been indefinitely suspended in October and many men looked quizzically at the beam of the searchlight at night and the balloons at day which marked the location of Panmunjom, the site of the negotiations. They were wondering when will it all end? Naval action was confined to minesweeping, block- ade escort duty, carrier strikes, surface and aerial pa- trols in the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Korean straits and the coastal waters of Formosa. As early as October the Cherokee plan was developed, which was defined as a plan to destroy enemy's logistics at the battle line. 1 A number of sorties just behind enemy lines were made by the planes of KEARSARGE, PRINCETON, and ESSEX. These were referred to by pilots as hot strikes because of the amount of flak which was encountered on these missions. November 18 marked the first encounter with Rus- sian MIGs. The three American pilots who partici- pated in this engagement were interviewed by Eisen- hower during his December visit. January saw a few meetings between liaison officers at Panmunjom. February marked an upsurge in the Cherokee strikes. The following month, March, was the one well remembered by Marine chaplains. On the 5th Stalin died, the month also saw riots by die- hard Communists, this time on Yongcho and Koje Islands, but it was the activity on the front held by 1 Cagle and Manson, op. vit., p. 462. the 1st Division which the Marines remembered best. On the 26th a sector of the I Corps was under attack and lost ground. This attack included the battles of HOOK, VEGAS, RENO, and CARSON. By launch- ing a strong counterattack the Marines in this sector were able to regain their positions. April brought a more hopeful outlook at Panmun- jom. On the 6th talks began which led to an agree- ment on the 11th to what was called Operation Little Switch. This operation consisted of the ex- change of prisoners which occurred on the 20th when 6,670 Communist personnel and 684 UN prisoners were exchanged. Of the latter 149 were U.S. person- nel. Finally, after a suspension of 199 days, the ar- mistice negotiations were resumed. Ist Marine Division Chaplain Lonnie W. Meachum reported as the Di- vision Chaplain of the lst Marine Division on 10 December. Chaplain Slattery wrote to the Chief of Chaplains on the 17th indicating that a painting of Christ is to be presented to General Pollock for his promotion of chaplains' activities. In this same letter he mentions that Billy Graham is expected to preach at a pre-Christmas Service on Monday the 22d, and that Cardinal Spellman is to celebrate Mass on Christ- mas. Chaplain Meachum's reaction to his new duty assignment is revealed in his letter of the 30th to the Chief of Chaplains in which he says in part, This has been a madhouse since the day I arrived. Chap- lain Slattery said that the pace is normal procedure. The oflice is like 4-2d and Broadway with visiting fire- men from UN outfits, our own chaplains, and VIPs from the States. It seems that everyone coming to Korea wants to visit the Marines. We had Billy Graham on 23 December. About 1,000 Ma- rines gathered to hear him. Approximately 200 stood when he challenged them to rededicate and consecrate their lives to Christ. At first the General was not going to stay for his sermon, but upon meeting him he fthe Generalj was charmed with Graham's personality. General Pollock was -161-

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if you see a little hospital or clinic or asylum, you just know there's a chaplain behind it. 4. These chaplains are true missionaries of the Christian faith .... The great missionary enterprise in East Asia is being carried out by our chaplains, and I hope that the mis- sionary world will capture something of their imagination. 5. These chaplains are going to be the leaders of the church of tomorrow. Some day the soldiers are coming back with their frustrations and bewilderment and embitter- ment, and they are going to ask some uncomfortable ques- tions. They will say to us, Brother, where were you when we were in Korea? But when the chaplain stands there with them, they will believe him and follow him.5 Stalemate The Department of Defense would later designate 30 November 1952 as the end of the 8th Korean Campaign. The date itself meant next to nothing. The front lines remained substantially where they had been at the beginning of the campaign. The peace talks continued, but an impasse seemed to have been reached on the issue of involuntary repatriation of prisoners of war. The end for which the United Nations had gone to Korea-to counter Communist aggression and to bring peace as quickly and penna- nently as possible to that devastated land-remained after twenty-nine months unaltered but unaccom- plished. Men continued their monotonous vigils in outposts and bunkers, and occasional outbursts of vio- lence added to the already long roster of the wounded 5 The Chaplain, vol. 10, No. 3 Cjune 1953j. and dead.G And now the raw winds began to sweep down from the North, bringing the first snows of winter. Navy chaplains, ministers of the peace of God, prepared themselves and their fellow-country- men to celebrate' a third Korean Christmas. The Corps Thus far in the Korean War another splendid chapter had been written in the annals of the Navy Chaplain Corps. By 1952 some 800 regular and re- serve chaplains were on active duty, approximately 130 of these assigned duty at Marine stations and with Fleet Marine Force units. From 30 to 35 chaplains were on duty with Marines in Korea, and others serv- ing in ships or stations in the Far East area. Though new conditions frequently demanded unusual initia- tive and flexibility in the performance of duty, the mission of the Corps remained the same: to protect, encourage, and train personnel of the naval establish- ment in the realization and development of moral and spiritual values consistent with the religious beliefs of the individual concerned. Unfortunately the number of chaplains available was not sufficient to enable the Bureau of Naval Per- sonnel to fill all billets. Total United States casualties through 24 October 1952 were 123395, of which the Navy had suffered 1,679, the Marine Corps 23,193. There had been 21,471 deaths, 91,260 personnel had been wounded, and there were 12,868 missing. The Marines alone had suffered 20,218 wounded and 2,928 dead CBritannica Book of the Year, 19535 article, Korean War D. -160-

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Christmas Visitor. Billy Graham chats with Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Pollock, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division during Graham's visit to Korea during the Christmas season, 1952. Chaplains. General Pollock has his picture taken with the chaplains of his division. The photograph was taken 19 December 1952 at Yongji-ri. Mural. This painting is the work of artist, Sgt. Russell Vickers, and was given to the 1st Engineer Battalion Chapel where it was placed over the altar. New Chapel. A new chapel is erected near Wosan- ri by the lst Engineer Battalion to which Chaplain Karl H. Ernest is assigned. The chapel was dedi- cated 4 January 1953 with General Pollock and Chaplain Meachum participating in the service. The Predecessor. Here is pictured the chapel formerly used by the lst Engi- neering Battalion. Note the stacks which indicate the presence of an underground heating system fashioned after the Koreans. 5 'I 2 --as -152- .aa- uvft--as -v' f'.,- fix M . I I I ..s W .V , ' - 1, -- AW ,