United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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INTRODUCTION TO HALT AGGRESSION On 25 June 1950 North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel and began an invasion of South Korea? Two days later the Security Council of the United Nations condemned this act of aggression as a breach of world peace and requested its members to come to the assistance of the Republic of Korea. The same day President Harry S. Truman announced that he had ordered United States naval and air forces to give the South Koreans cover and support. A blockade of the entire Korean coast was instigated? Japan- based Air Force units were authorized to bomb specific military targets north of the 38th Parallel. Gen. Douglas C. MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander of Far Eastern Occupation Forces, with headquarters in Tokyo, was made the Commander in Chief of the United Nations Command. On 29 June the President authorized him to employ certain supporting U.S. ground forces in Korea. ' For background on Korea and events leading up to the North Korean invasion, see L. M. Goodrich, Korea: A Study of U.S. Policy in the United Nations CNew York, 1956j, chs. I-IV. Chap. V deals with the United Nations response to the armed attack upon a free republic. See also: Lynn Montross and N. A. Canzona, U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-53, vol. I, The Pusan Perimeter fWashington, 19542, chs. I, II and the beginning of ch. III. Ibid.g vol. II, The Inehon-Seoul Operation fWashington, 19551, ch. I. Also M. W. Cagle and F. A. Manson, The Sea War in Korea CAnnapolis, 19571, ch. I. The North Koreans invaded the Republic of Korea at 0400, Sunday, 25 June 1950. Since Seoul is 14 hours ahead of eastern standard time, that was 1500 in New York and Wash- ington fthen on daylight timej, Saturday, 24 June 1950. Dates in this book are those of the place under discussion. The U.S. State Department received official notice of the invasion from Ambassador Muccio shortly past 9 p.m. on the Saturday night. By 3 a.m. of the Sunday morning Secretary General Trygve Lie of the United Nations was given the news at his home. The United States asked for a meeting of the Security Council, which met at 2 p.m. on Sunday. With the Russian delegate voluntarily absent and Yugoslavia abstain- ing, the Security Council put the blame for aggression directly upon North Korea and ordered a withdrawal of its troops from the South. 2 A lively account of the 7th Fleet's involvement from the beginning is Walter Karig, M. W. Cagle and F. A. Man- son, Battle Report, vol. VI, The War in Korea CNew York, 19521, chs. 1-5. On the Navy's blockade and bombardment missions, from the beginning to the end of the Korean War, see Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 9. Neither moral suasion nor economic sanctions had been sufficient in the years preceding the outbreak of World War II to prevent or halt the aggression of japan, Italy, and Germany. The League of Nations, helpless before naked power, had been eFfectively de- stroyed as the agent of international order. Now the United Nations Security Council Qwith Russia volun- tarily absent and Yugoslavia abstainingj determined not only to condemn but also to combat aggression. F ifty-three nations fexcluding only the U.S.S.R. and her satellites Poland and Czechoslovakia of the entire United Nations membershipj approved the decision of the Security Council and pledged military, medical, and economic assistance. A remote Asiatic peninsula, whose very location was unknown to many Americans, thus became, before the end of the year, the scene of the fourth most costly war effort in American history, both in blood and money? When hostilities began the Marine Corps had two divisions, both seriously understrength. Even with most of the men of the 2d Marine Division trans- ferred to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif., the combined strength was still so low that Reserves had to be called to active duty to build the lst Division up to full wartime strength. The mobili- zation of the Marine Corps Reserve was ordered by President Truman with the sanction of Congress on 19 July? Maj. Gen. Oliver P. Smith assumed com- mand of the 1st Division, consisting of the lst, 5th, and 7th Marines Cinfantry regimentsj and the 11th Marines Can artillery regimentj, together with the usual supporting battalions QHeadquarters, Ordnance, Medical, Supply, etc.j. Reserve units hastily as- sembled at Camp Pendleton were integrated into the Division. Only a cadre had been left at Camp Lejeune, N.C., around which to rebuild the 2d Divi- sion, largely of Reserves. A reinforced battalion of some 900 men Q3d Battalion, 6th Marines, 2d Marine ,lil Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, p. 1. - . ' Marine Corps Gazette fSeptember 19515. E. H. Giusti, Minute Men-1950 Model: The Reserves in Action. Also Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, ch. III, vol. II, ch. II. 3 ..1..

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Rear Adm. George A. Rosso, CHC, USN Chief of Chaplains. FOREWORD This is the sixth volume of History of the Chaplains Corps, United States Navy. The first volume pub- lished in 1949 presents a narrative account of the de- velopment of the Corps from the Revolutionary War to the declaration of a state of emergency on 8 Septem- ber 1939. The second volume continues the narrative history of the Chaplains Corps from 8 September 1939 to the spring of 1949. The next three volumes are biog- raphies of Navy chaplains. The present volume narrates the history of the Chaplains Corps during the Korean Conflict from 27 June 1950 to 27 June 1954. It primarily concerns the chaplains in combat. Therefore, naval chaplains who were assigned to the lst Marine Division and supporting units are most often mentioned. The latter category would include the 1st Marine Air Wing where chaplains worked with replacements and wounded brought from the front and still found time to do relief work. It also refers to the chaplains who were assigned to ships which were involved in surface and air action, and those who served aboard hospital and MSTS ships giving needed aid and support to all United Nations troops in Korea. There were others who served in more secondary but important billets. There is always a danger in the composition of a history that almost assuredly some unsung heroesl' will fail to receive recognition for their accomplish- xii ments. Every attempt has been made to let the chaplains speak . Much of this volume will record their own accounts of what took place. The History of the Chaplain Corps, United States Navy, volume VI, has been the product of three chaplains working successively. As a result there was the situation of planting, watering, and reaping. The last writer has attempted to retain much of the structure and planning to which he fell heir. Chaplain Clifford M. Drury fretiredj , formerly the Chaplain Corps historian and writer of the first four volumes, started this history. Chaplain Paul S. Sanders continued the collection of material and organizing the book. Special tribute should be given to Reserve Chaplain W. Ivan Hoy, associate professor of religion at the University of Miami, who was the final writer of the text. He successfully followed the pattern set by previous writers, coordinated the loose details, and completed the volume for publication. This volume has evolved from the plans to publish a volume of the history treating with the period from the spring of 1949 until the present. One chapter was to have dealt with the Korean Conflict. It became apparent that one chapter of reasonable size in a volume of this type would not do justice to the activi- ties of the chaplains in Korea. It was, therefore, de- termined that a separate volume on Korea be pro- duced. This was to be followed with the publication of the other material in an additional volume. Be- cause of this decision some of the material from For- mosa, Japan and other Far Eastern areas has not been included. It was decided that the present volume should deal for the most part with chaplains immedi- ately concerned with the conflict. It is to be desired that all material not directly concerned with Korea, but dealing with the Orient, be considered in the volume yet to be produced. In these pages you will find the thrilling and in- spiring service of Navy chaplains. Their dedication to God and their country should go down in the an- nals of our great nation. As the present Chief of Chaplains I look back at the Corps during those fateful Korean War days and proclaim that I am proud to be associated with such a dedicated group of clergy- men. They answered a call to serve and they did so in an outstanding manner. GEORGE A. Rosso, Rear Admiral, CHC, USN, Chief of Chaplains. November 1959.

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Divisionj attached to the 6th Fleet in the Mediter- ranean was sent around the world through the Suez Canal 5 arriving in Kobe, Japan, on 7 September it would be assimilated into the 7th Marines and dispatched to Inchon. A Marine division in World War II had an allow- ance of 16 chaplains. Following the war, the Tables of Organization of the Marine Corps were revised to call for 26 chaplains to a division, plus any addi- tional who might be assigned to attached units. The increase in chaplain strength was partly the result of the enlargement of the total strength of a Marine combat division, it was in part also a recognition by the Marine Corps of the fine work done by Navy chaplains serving with Marines in World War II. At the time of the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, 21 Naval Reserve chaplains, on inactive duty, were attached to various Organized Marine Reserve units scattered throughout the country. When these units were activated the chaplains concerned were also called to active duty. The fact that they had re- ceived compensation for their service with Organized Reserve units was taken by the Bureau of Naval Personnel as an indication that they had already volunteered for active duty. Three of the twenty-one were released to inactive duty shortly after reporting. Among those recalled who served with the lst Marine Division in Korea in the opening months of the conflict were Chaplains William N. Lyons, Preston D. Parsons, and Robert L. Patton. Chaplain Godfrey J. Reilly had returned to active duty in June 1950 shortly before the North Korean invasion. In answer to General MacArthur's request for at least a Marine Regimental Combat Team, there was assembled at Camp Pendleton the lst Marine Pro- visional Brigade 5 activated on 7 July, it sailed from San Diego on 14 July some 6,500 strong.5 A com- bined ground-air team, the Brigade's ground forces consisted of the 5th Marines, at that time the only Marine infantry regiment of approximate combat strength, the lst Battalion, llth Marines fartilleryj, and company-sized support units. Air support was Marine Aircraft Group 33, consisting primarily of three fighter squadrons. Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr., was the Brigade chaplain, and there were three others with the ground units: Bernard L. Hickey, 5 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 49ff. A lively account may be found in Andrew Geer, The New Breed fNew York, 19525. Ch. I is entitled A Fire Starts, the Fire Brigade Is Called. See appendix Bill of this present volume for comments regarding chaplain activities on Troup Transports, in Chap- lain Orlando Ingvoldstad's Battle Report of 14 July-12 September 1950. William G. Tennant, and Otto E. Sporrer. John H. Markley was chaplain for the aircraft unit. So hastily were the Marines hustled aboard trans- ports for Korea that there was no time to check them aboard. A head count was made after the ships were at sea. On one the results showed plus l2! Gen. Randolph MCC. Pate, when afterward as Comman- dant of the Marine Corps he recounted this story to a Navy League convention, commented that the 12 were read off publicly, commended privately, and the matter closed. The main body of the lst Division sailed from San Diego 10-22 August and completed debarking at Kobe, Japan, on 3 Septemberfi Chaplain Joseph G. Power, in his reply to a questionnaire distributed by the Chaplains Division in March 1954, commented on the work of chaplains in the trans-Pacific crossing: I remember the services in the GENERAL M. C. MEIGS on the way to Japan, with four Protestant chaplains holding Divine Services in different parts of the ship simultaneously. Each service must have had well over 200 Marines in at- tendance. Roman Catholic chaplains were also affording a spiritual ministry to the men of their faith. Navy chaplains were again observing a phenomenon fre- quently noticed during World War II-an increased interest in religion on the part of men facing grave danger. The old proverb was illustrated anew, that man's extremity is God's opportunity. The duties of chaplains serving with Marines were outlined in the U.S. Marine Corps Staff Manual, 1948, paragraph 241, as follows: Chaplain: a. Advises the commander and staff in religious and moral activities of the command. b. Supervises the spiritual welfare of the command. c. Conducts religious services, including funerals. d. Gives spiritual ministrations to the sick and wounded. e. Corresponds with relatives of deceased personnel. f. Coordinates the religious work of the various welfare agencies. g. Supervises and coordinates the assignment, training, and work of the chaplains of subordinate units. h. Prepares estimates and allotments of funds for religious activities not specifically charged to other agencies of the command. Naturally the duties of a chaplain can never be fully reduced to writing. How can oflicial regulations de- fine the inspiration which flows forth from daily ex- emplary living? Or how can one adequately describe the ministry of giving spiritual aid and comfort to individuals on the battle line or in the hospital? No 6 Montross and Canzona, op. sit., vol. II, pp. 74ff. -2-