United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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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-

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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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manual can ever encompass the intangibles which are most vital in every chaplain's ministry. By Executive Order No. 10179 the President of the United States on 8 November 1950 established the Korean Service medal to commemorate the service of members of the Armed Forces of the United States during operations in the Korean theater, the in- clusive dates were eventually set as 27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954.7 It was awarded for land service in Korea, air service over Korea and service within waters adjacent to Korea, within prescribed bound- aries, or in such other areas as Commander, Naval Forces, Far East, should designate as having directly supported the military effort in Korea. Engagement stars were eventually authorized for ten separate periods, ending with the signing of the armistice agreement at Panmunjom on 27 July 1953. Each of the following rated a battle star on the Korean Service ribbon. K-1 North Korean Aggression, 27 June-2 November 1950. K-2 'Comnidnist China Aggression, 3 November 1950-24 January 1951. K-3 Inchon Landing, 13-17 September 1950. K-4 First United Nations Counteroffensive, 25 January- 21 April 1951. K-5 Communist China Spring Offensive, 22 April-8 July 1951. K-6 United Nations Summer-Fall Offensive, 9 July-27 November 1951. K-7 Second Korean Winter, 28 November 1951-30 April ,1952. K-8 Korean Defense, Summer-Fall, 1952, 1 May-30 November 1952. K-9 Third Korean Winter, 1 December 1952-30 April 1953. K-10 Korea, Summer-Fall 1953, 1 May-27 july 1953. This scheme of periodization will provide the basic outline of the following account of Navy chaplains during the Korean War, with some adjustment. It will be noted that the oflicial code given above num- bers the Inchon landing third and awards a battle 7 U.S. Navy and Marine Corp: Awards Manual. NAV- PERS 15,790g revised 1953 and further revised by current Official Change Memoranda. star only for the 5 days 13-17 September, this short period is therefore chronologically comprehended within the first period, 27 June-2 November 1950. In order to follow the action of the lst Marine Divi- sion more closely, our first chapter will deal mainly with the Pusan Perimeter operation, followed by a second chapter on both the Inchon landing and the Seoul operation, covering the period 13 September-7 October 1950. Chapter 3 will deal mainly with the Chosin Reservoir campaign, which fell within the K-2 dates g the Marines were in their Masan rest camp by Christmas 1950. Beginning with chapter 4 our account will follow precisely the dating of engagements listed in the code. Following the chapter dealing with K-10, chapter 11 will be occupied with chaplains in Korea following the Panmunjom armistice agreement. The 1-year period 27 July 1953-27 July 1954 rates the award of the Ko- rean Service medal, but does not carry with it any en- gagement star. Inevitably the larger share of attention is devoted to chaplains serving with the lst Marine Division and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. There were others on board the larger ships in Korean waters, as well as circuit riders serving smaller vessels on rotation schedules. On occasion casualties were received as the result of enemy fire from shore, or from mines, the larger number were sustained by Navy and Marine flyers operating from carriers. In addition to other duties, chaplains aboard such ships ministered to the wounded and oliiciated at the last rites paid the dead. Still other padres were attached to various units under Commander Naval Forces, Far East, mostly based in Japan. Those aboard transports carrying troops to and from combat areas, as well as those on hospital ships, found many opportunities to minister to the physical and spiritual welfare of Navy and Ma- rine Corps personnel. F or all these, as also for those chaplains only indi- rectly involved in the Korean War, this present volume of The History ofthe Chaplains Corps, U.S. Navy may serve as a memorial to their devotion to the service of God and man. 535332 0-60--2 - 3 -