United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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warm hearts at Freedom Village in the lst Marine Division sector. Everything possible was done to welcome them and make them comfortable. This event marked one of the greatest opportunities for chaplains in the U.S. Naval Service. We were standing in our section of the processing lines by our altars ready to extend the hand of Christian fellowship to soldiers and Marines of many nations. They were eager and happy to receive our spiritual ministry. Many wept with joy in their hearts. We had prayer with them. We served Holy Com- lmuniong gave them New Testaments, Missals, and rosaries. We made our sections as attractive as possible by getting flowers from the hillsides. We pinned the religious posters, church pennants, and spare altar cloths to the walls of the tents. The impression on the prisoners was terrific-as well as on generals, newspaper men, photographers, and all hands who were engaged in the processing work. I was never so proud and humble in trying to minister as a military chap- lain. I remember one man who wanted me to read a few verses from the Bible. He had been a prisoner for 29 months, I read the 23d Psalm. If I had not known it from memory I would have stalled on the verse: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Both his and my eyes were full of tears. Then I read the Beatitudes and a part of I cor. 13. It seems that they were allowed to conduct church services by holding prayer meetings and singing a few familiar songs from memory while prisoners. The ones with whom I talked aid that they did not have any clergyman or priests to elp them. Tomorrow we will be back. Our chaplains in the lines nd medical companies are ministering to battle casualties very day and night. Every chaplain I have is doing a wonderful job. This letter speaks for itself, and bears eloquent testi- mony as to the work of the chaplains on this memo- rable day. Chaplain Meachum's own activity was pictured in a number of press releases. There are other accounts of Little Switch as given by participating chaplains. The chaplains had ar- ranged folding altars at the exchange site for Protes- tants, Catholics and jews in one of the long rows of hospital tents erected by the United Nations. Their part in the operation became quickly apparent when the first 50 American prisoners arrived and sought first of all spiritual comfort after their long ordeal of sickness, pain, and captivity. Of those first 50, 35 took communion as their Hrst act of freedom. A number of the chaplains state that much of the credit for setting up the program should go to Chap- lain Meachum. The men were brought in ambu- lances from the Panmunjom exchange point and un- loaded. They were separated into four lines which went through two tents each. In the first tent Chap- lain E. Vaughan Lyons, Jr., states that, the returnee . . . was given a physical examination, preliminary medi- cal treatment, and a new issue of clothing. He was then taken to the records section to establish identity and clarify his status. From there he was ushered into the press tent for interviews by representatives of the press, provided the returnee was willing for such an interview. From the press he was taken to the nourishment section where he sat down and was given a cup of soup or coffee. It was at this stage that chaplains talked with the men. Chaplain Leo F. Rice, Roman Catholic, de- Freedom Sign A marine of the lst Engineer Battalion puts the finishing touches on the sign to be placed at the medical camp where the prisoners will be received. 1. 'e' -g,:L,e.L.t:. ' .... - . - i l K., Released POW Pfc. Billy Brown talks with Chaplain Andrew J. Barry, Jr., upon arrival at Freedom Village.

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il. Rainbow Village-Site of Little Switch. An overall view of the village set up by the lst Engineers Battalion. The main entrance is on the left. Chaplain of the Year-Reserve Oficers Association The Reserve Officers' Association chose Chaplain Sobel as the Chaplain of the Yearl' Q1955j noting his work with Marines in Korea. The Four Chaplains Award was made by the Department of the District of Columbia at the dedication of the 2 p100,000 Four Chaplains Memorial Fountain at National Memorial Park, Falls Church, Va., on 25 September 1955. Chaplain E. B. Harp, Jr., Chief of Chaplains accepted for Chaplain Sobel who was stationed overseas at the time. In part the citation read, As the only Jewish Chaplain in the Marine Division he, without regard to his own personal safety, made frequent trips to the front lines and spent many days and nights with the men under heavy artillery and mortar fire in order to bring them the strength and consolation of their faith as well as many physical comforts and food. Disregarding his personal comfort, he ministered to the spiritual needs of the wounded and dying at the front lines, forward aid stations, and medical companies of the Division. As a result of his spirit of self-sacrifice he was wounded in action. Truce Talks The resumption of the truce talks in April which were to lead to Little Switch focused world atten- tion upon the participants in the true talks. Some in- dication of the character of the chief U.N. negotiator may be gained by the comments of two chaplains. Chaplain Newman stated that he served as Protestant Chaplain in the United Nations Peace Camp, conduct- ing services for the delegates at Munsan-Ni. He testi- ties that Maj. Gen. William K. Harrison was a frequent attendant at these services and that he gave encouragement to the chaplain in his work. Chaplain Schnick while serving with the lst Service Battalion also conducted worship services at the United Na- tions Base Camp. He tells of General Harrison, as he was leaving one of the services, taking the hand of the chaplain and saying, Chaplain, you believe in the Bible, don't you? Chaplain Schnick replied Yes, sir, I do. The chaplain states, He then said, in a way I won't forget and with feeling 'I do too.' This was one of the most memorable experiences that I had while serving in Korea. Little Switch Finally on 20 April the day had come when the prisoners, some of them after long periods of cap- tivity, were to be returned. The Division Chaplain writes to Chaplain Harp concerning the exchange of prisoners, commonly called 'KLittle Switch, which occurred on 20 April, Today was a day of liberation for some of our prisoners of war who came through Panmunjom into open arms and 174-

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Scenes From Little Switch Chaplain Lonnie Meachum serves communion to Billy Penn shortly after his repatriation from the Communists. Chaplain Richard W. Shrefiier prays for Pfc. Reggie A. Sul- livan shortly after the latter's release and arrival at Freedom Village. scribes his experiences in a paper entitled Rebirth in Freedom Village? He affirms that, In the Marine tents we chaplains were placed in an ideal location. After the men had been given a military briefing, had been interviewed by the press, had changed from their blue Chinese uniforms of repatriation into the uniforms of free peoples, they were brought to the nourishment section. Here we chaplains were invited to meet them. In the four lines of tents each line was terminated by a visit to a little chapel. In this part of the tent a Protestant altar was set in one corner, a Catholic altar was in the other corner, and the Jewish chaplain was called when needed. The men with whom I talked touched me deeply. They came in various conditions: some healthyand trim looking fwith a wind burn from their long ride of several hundred milesj, some just skin and bones. Some had stumps of legs left, some had withered arms .... Some looked as though they were TB cases, some looked emotionally aroused and confused. In some cases their hearing was impaired. Our job as chaplains was not so much to question them on what had happened in general but to make them feel at home, to get them to relax a moment, to direct their thoughts along a religious line, and then to see if they wanted to make an act of thanksgiving to Almighty God. In general, most of the men did want just that, ASKED for it, and the greater majority of them wanted to receive Holy Communion. When we met them at the coffee table usually a Catholic priest and a Protestant chaplain seated themselves with the man. We asked if they had been to church. They usually said: On Christmas and Easter yes, but not most Sun- days. One man showed us some pictures he had taken with a camera up there-and some pictures of what he said was -176 a religious ceremony. They told us that sometimes a man was allowed to keep his New Testament with him. I know of only one Catholic man who had an English missal with him on his return-although they had them when captured. Chaplain Lyons records, A very large percentage of the returnees requested com- munion, it was the first time that some of them had received the sacrament for 2 or more years. While prisoners they were permitted to hold religious services. At least that was true in the later months of their imprisonment. In the early days of the war, services were prohibited. Since there were no chaplains in the camps the men or- ganized their own services of worship. They sang hymns which they remembered. A few of-them managed to keep New Testaments or Bibles, but most of them were con- fiscated when they were taken prisoner. The men reported that Chinese guards who understood English were present for each service and the scripture lesson as well as the hymns and sermon had to be cleared in advance of the service. Chaplain Lyons gives testimony to the fact that, The privilege of distributing the sacrament to these men will long live in my memory as one of the great thrills of my ministry in the service. Participating in these individual communion services I gained a new appreciation of the meaning and significance of the sacrament. Chaplain Rice speaks of the reports concerning worship, Some Protestant men told me the Catholics would gather for devotions. Other men tell us that when the rosary was said the Communists would break up the meeting because