United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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1 It was the men who had good religious and home training rho stood their ordeal best, the chaplain said. General Mark Clark states, We have solid evi- ience after all the returns were in from Big Switch hat the Communists still held 3,404 men prisoners, ncluding 944 Americans. In September Chaplain O'Leary issued the follow- ng roster of Chaplains of the Division: Church Name Rank Assignment afhliation VLEARY, F. T. ..... CDR Div chap .... RC LTJG Hq Bn ...... RC IOORE, J. T ...,... LOTHMAN, M. I .... LTJG Hq Bn ...... JEWISH DWARDS, T. V .... LT Sh Pty Bn. . . RC IAMMERL, P. C .... LTJG E Med .... RC 'IEPER, P. F. W .... LTJG Sh Pty Bn. .. LUTH JCE, L. F ........., LCDR ist CSG ..... RC CHNICK, H. L ..... LTJG lst Svc Bn. .. BAP qsp CHROFRLUKE, LTJG 1stArrn EVANSL H. P. Amph REF MITH, R. w .... . LTJG 7th MT Bn.. BAP qsp 'ACKI-LTT, J. H ..... LTJG 1st Eng Bn.. METH 'INSON, w. H ,..... LTJG lst ora Bn.. BAP tsp lST MARINES 1oFF, c. P ......... LCDR ist Bn ....... LUTH :HAMBERs, s. D.. . . LT 2d Bn .... . PRESBY VRENGARTNER, LT 3dBn .... . RC R. E. 5TH MARINES .YoNs, E. v ..... . LCDR 1st Bn ....... PRESBY LAKKER, P. J .... . LT 2d Bn ....... BAP QAJ :RNsT, E. F... . LTJG 3d Bn ..... .. RC 7TH MARINES IORDBY, W. H ..... LT 1st Bn ....... LUTH 'LOYD, E. o ..... . LTJG 2d Bn ....... BAP qsp LARRY, A. J. .. . LTJG 3d Bn ..... .. RC 11TH MARINES TTRETCH, R. N ..... LCDR Hq Buy ..... PE LASSETT, W. T ..... LTJG ......... . BAP QSD :oNLoN, J. G ...... LTJG 4th Bn ...... RC JOWD, F. A ..... . LT ......... . RC lANE, A .... . LTJG ....... . RC 4wards Two chaplains were given Letters of Commendation. I'-haplain E. Vaughn Lyons as regimental chaplain . . displayed outstanding ability and professional skill. Fhroughout the period, he diligently provided moral and piritual guidance and comfort to the men of the unit. During periods when the regiment was engaged in combat, le devoted extremely long hours and disregarded his per- onal fatigue in order to aid and comfort the wounded vfarines. On numerous occasions, he rendered invaluable tssistance in evacuating the casualties. His outstanding Lttention to duty, initiative and resourcefulness served as tn inspiration to all who observefdl him. Similarly, it is said of Chaplain Richard G. Hutcheson, Jr., that he . . . displayed outstanding ability and professional skill. When the battalion was deployed in support of the main line of resistance, he labored unceasingly in ministering to the moral and spiritual needs of all Marines in his care. He made himself constantly available and sought opportunities to counsel and aid those in need. Despite heavy artillery and mortar fire, he could always be found in an endangered area rendering medical and spiritual aid. His outstanding example of integrity and physical and moral courage served as an inspiration to men of all faiths and contributed materially to the high morale of the battalion. Lieutenant Hutcheson's indomitable spirit and conduct throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. With the cessation of fighting on the front there was an accompanying increase in attendance at Divine Worship in the Division. Chapel G? Worship A great deal of interest was paid to the construc- tion of houses of worship by the various units. Win- ter would arrive all too soon and buildings would not only provide shelter but would also enhance the spirit of reverence at the services. One such project was that of the 2d Battalion lst Marines. Chaplain Chambers states that, The last engagement of the war before the ceasefire had been very intense, fraught with heavy casualties on Boulder Cityll and East Berlin. Consequently, when we moved off of the MLR on the appointed day after the truce, the men were anxious to have their own chapel of more permanent construction than merely a tent or a cleared spot on the side of a hillg and they wanted a memorial chapel to the memory of those who were left behind. What they turned out was a prize of ingenuity. The MLR had to be vacated within 72 hours, as I recall, and a demilitarized zone established. That meant that what- ever was to be salvaged from the line bunkers had to be brought south quickly. The men of the battalion worked around the clock to dismantle and save the tremendous amount of wood, metal, and other construction items stowed up forward. Captain Paul Reigert, our S-4 officer, provided one truck for the chapel and into it went a load of the huge timbers used in the bunker construction. The beams were 12 x 12 x 16 feet long. They were taken right out of the front line fortifications. Our problem, however, now was to get these into usable timber for a chapel. Three cartons of cigarettes did the trick. An old Korean with a sawmill worked feverishly to cut these monsters into 2 x 4's and 4 x 4's. We selected the highest hill of our new encampment for the chapel site. A dozer cleared a level plain and the con- struction began. The beams cut by the Korean provided the framework and skeleton of the chapel. It was 24 feet wide and 70 feet long with a 10-foot chancel area. Around the frame we stretched chicken wire 3 feet high on both sides -201-

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little out of place to have such a grandiose welcome by tele- vision, bands and speeches upon arrival in the States-these men who simply wanted to return to the peace and quiet of their homes. Chaplain Bakker tells of the return of General Dean, stating that he . . . was returned just like the rest of the officers and men. He rode in the same ambulance, went through the same line, and knelt in prayer in the same chapel for a prayer of thanks- giving. He wanted everyone to know that, I was not hunt- ing tanks with a bazooka when I was captured. It was during '4Big Switch that Chaplain Meachum was relieved by Chaplain Francis T. O'Leary as Division Chaplain of the lst Marine Division. As a result both participated in the pro- gram. Both were cited for their work. Concerning the work of Chaplain Meachum, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star, one reads, . . . Frequently making trips throughout the division area, ir most adverse conditions, he expressed complete disregard foi his personal welfare in order that all the Marines migh' receive the opportunity to attend services of their owr particular faith. During the repatriation of United Nation: personnel from enemy prison camps, he was constantly present to insure that the men who had undergone the hard- ships of prison life had every opportunity to receive, upor their return, the spiritual guidance they so eagerly sought Commander Meachum's highly competent leadership, organi- zational ability, and tireless efforts served as an inspiratior to all who observed him. Chaplain Meachum summarized the Big Switch Operation by saying that . . . of the 3,600 prisoners passing through to Freedom, at least 95 percent sought religious assurance and comfort as their first act, from the chapels they went on to thosq other comforts of the American way of life-ice cream an fresh milk. To the 3,600 freed prisoners the chaplains gav out 1,800 new testaments, 500 rosaries. Some of the Participating Chaplains in Big Switch. A photograph taken at the time of the relief of Chaplain Lonnie Meachum by Frank T. O'Leary as division chaplain Pictured are ffirst row, left to rightj W. H. Vinson, F. T. O'Learyg Major General Burger, Major General Pate' J Colonel Nelsong L. W. Meachum, E. V. Lyons. QSecond row, left to rightl P. J. Bakker, L. F. Riceg S. D. Chambers' E. F. Ernst, R. N. Stretch, J. B. Conlon, M. I. Rothman. J -200-

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fi-6 ., Conference. A conference is held at the 5th Marine Regiment's officers mess. Left to right: Chaplain F. T. O'Learyg Col. E. D. Martin, Jr.g commanding officer, 5th Regiment, Chaplain S. D. Bennett, FMF Pacific chaplain, and Chaplain R. E. Jenkins. of the chapel's length. A good mixture of mud and straw was applied to this to make a very substantial wall. The upper area of about 3 feet was left open since the weather was still exceedingly hot. The roof posed the next problem, but a carton of soap was traded for a truck of straw and a thatched roof took shape. We gave it a haircut and it looked as shipshape as any Korean dwelling. A steeple topped the front of the chapel and we capped that with straw too. A Major You-ng, our S-3 officer, ran across a bell in a neighboring community. I never did learn what the barter price was but he donated that and every week thenceforth it woke him up for Divine Services. . . . a 16-foot white cross on the hill overlooking the camp made this the most significant sight for miles around. It was not long until the steps up the side of the hill were worn smooth by those who came to worship in the 2d Battalion's Memorial Chapel. One distinctive feature of the chapel was a picture which was hung over the altar. This was a print of a likeness of Christ composed of over 86,000 Korean letter characters made by a prisoner behind the bamboo curtain. The ideograms were quotations from the Gospel of Matthew by the artist which he had recalled while in prison. This picture was donated to the chapel by the Young Nak Orphanage. It is partly this work in building the chapel that is cited in the award of a second Letter of Commenda- tion to Chaplain Chambers. His additional work in the field of relief is noted, ' . . . he contributed immeasurably in the construction of ai modern battalion chapel. Constantly aware of the problems of the men whose moral and spiritual guidance was his pri- mary goal he was sympathetic, realistic and always helpful. He earned the confidence and loyalty of the officers and enlisted men with whom he was associated. On another occasion he cheerfully worked long and arduous hours in preparation for a series of Christmas parties held for Korean children and residents of the refugee center. His thorough planning and sound supervision were evidenced by the great volume of contributions received and the ultimate success of regimental area Christmas parties. His steadfast devotion to duty and dedication to a worthy cause maintained a better understanding between the Republic of Korea and United Nations Forces. Another chapel built and dedicated to those lost in the unit was that constructed by the llth Marine Artillery Regiment. It was called the St. Barbara Chapel. Col. Manly L. Curry, Commanding Of- ficer, presented a bell to the chapel. The first services were conducted by Chaplains R. N. Stretch and A. Kane. The latter was assisted in the cele- bration of the Mass by Chaplain O'Leary. The cost of the chapel was defrayed by offerings of members and friends of the regiment. The stonework was -202-