United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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through the front lines on the east coast from North Korea, by plane to Kangnung. During that winter of 1951-52, 450 19 orphans were cared for in four dif- ferent orphanages. Over 40 tons of clothing were received from the churches in America for the chil- dren. Chaplain Weidler describes K-18 CKang- nungj, where MAG-12 was located, as H. . . the most advanced aviation unit in Korea. The installa- tion here is of a semipermanent naturef' He added, The work with the youngsters has provided an activity for the men, whereby they can convert some of their spare time to a worth-while cause. This work together with the contact with church groups, here at our chapel services, has provided more acceptable contact with Korean civil life than would normally be possible. Among the orphanages at Kangnung there was the Kangnung Columban Fathers Orphanage with which Chaplain Horvath worked devotedly. Photographs show the dedication of a Methodist orphanage in Korea which was founded by Chaplain Weidler with the help of marines stationed nearby. This orphan- age appears to have been in or near Kangnung. Refugee Camps A number of refugee camps were set up in Korea. One of these was at Munsan-ni? Chaplain Billy N. Wolfe describes what he saw, H' Other sources give a smaller figure. 2 Cf. p. 126. I witnessed the heartache of South Korean families being evicted from their houses in the front line area. In No Mans Land I counted 74 orphan children, as our convoy moved along the road ffroml Munsan-ni to Panmunjom. They held out their hands begging for food, many of our G,I.'s tossed candy and C-rations to them and they lined the road each day looking for and expectingthe food. Chaplains Harnmerl, Rice, Nordby, Brown, and Stretch distributed relief items to refugee camps. The KEARSARGE contributed 1,200 pounds of clothing for children abandoned at the front. Chaplain Mc- Dowell tells of sending trucks for children from the refugee village for a Christmas party and when they did not return he went to the village for the children himself. His unit ended up with twice as many children as planned. Many other units had Christ- mas parties. Chaplain Rains tells of one for 2,000 refugees which must have been one of the largest. Perhapsthe biggest project in Christmas parties was that of Chaplain Bakker who was cited for conduct- ing Christmas parties for . . . 2,800 needy Korean children . . .H One of the great projects in relief occurred during the winter of 1952-53 when the 1st Engineer Bat- talion adopted Pafu, a refugee village of 1,500 people. Chaplain Ernst affirms that an offering was taken in order to buy food on the native market. Once a week men of the battalion visited the village and A Baby Doll. Chaplain R. N. Stretch of the 11th Marines gives a doll to a Korean girl at Munsani Refugee Camp. Distribution. Aside from clothing and food there was also candy for the children. Here Chaplain Leo F. Rice is seen handing a Korean boy a bar of chocolate. 228 -

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! ' ' Visiting Chaplain at Clinic. Ihaplain Bennett, force chaplain, pats a child on the head which is strapped to the back of the mother, as a group of of patients await their turn at the U.S. Marine Memorial Childrenls Clinic, Pohang, which welcomes all Korean babies and children for treatment, Chaplain Bennett vis- ited the clinic during his tour of the lst MAW. ,wa -..,v nr U.S. Marine Orphanage- 1 95 9. Chaplain R. W. Aldrich meets with the superintendent of the orphanage who is holding one of his charges. His name is Chung Jin Yurl. His assistant who is also pictured on the left is Su Tu Po. The plaque reads HMarine Memorial Orphanage, Founded by First Marine Air Wing, USMC . and contains the Marine insignia. In the background one sees a present day picture of what was the first buildings of the orphanage somewhat improved. Voman Although American troops were only in North Korea for a brief time they gave as much aid as they ould to the civilians they found there. In Wonsan as has been noted 'T Chaplain Murphy ff lst MAW reorganized the Catholic group and in .ddition formed the North Korean Catholic Relief Lociety. He arranged for captured grain and beans 0 be rationed daily to the poor of the city. The Fuck Won Monastery which had been razed by the Iommunists was repaired by UN forces. Chaplain Iarr and Chaplain Kenneth W. Carlson, Baptist Gen. Conf. of Americaj , tell of the need of the medi- al facility at Wonsan, speaking of the limited inven- ory consisting of a bottle of pills and a snake bottled n formaldehyde. Both appear to have used a Korean riest and Latin to translate the names and usages of e drugs surveyed by the ships' medical officers and given to the facility. In the winter of 1951-52 the WISCONSIN picked 'T Cp. pp. 34-f. 5315332 0-G04---16 T up a North Korean in Wonsan harbor who had been fired upon when he evidently was attempting to swim to an UN occupied island. He was given blood transfusions and every effort was made to save his life. He died and both chaplains, H. YV. Buckingham and E. Kapalczynski, participated in the committal servicefm Chaplain john H. Shilling, Methodist, in the PHILIPPINE SEA tells of planes taking supplies obtained from the states to Koreans on Wotje Island, in Wonsan Harbor, who were cut off from a normal source of supply by Communists. Chaplain Garson Goodman assisted in the project of helping a Korean YMCA in Hamhung to reestab- lish itself. But, of course, all these activities in North Korea soon again came under Communist control. Kangnung 18 Much has already been written about HOperation Kidlift which brought 139 children, who had come 'II' Cp. pp. 116f. 1' See also pp. 114, 130,158,182 227-

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if This Is School. It looks like tent city but it is part of thc Kumchin Primary School. The school was composed of but two small permanent buildings and the rest of the classes were normally held in these unheated tent-classrooms. As many as 80 children attend classes in each of these tents. Marinr-s of the 5th Regiment and Korean school officials are inspecting the school with a view toward improvement of facilities. brought food, clothing, firewood . . . lThel project lasted 14- weeksf' Kumchon The lst Marine Division occupied the Kumchon area on the west coast from March 1952 until August 1953. Of the 112,701 civilians in the area 69,369 were refugees and 319,755 suffering from causes other than land lossesf' The Civil Affairs group organized a 4-H Club, PTA, and Korean Young Men's Associa- tion. Aid was given in getting basic industrial plants into operation. Orphans were processed through the Civil Affairs Section and turned over to the Po Wha Orphanage at Seoul. The Division maintained seven refugee camps with the total population given as 14-,355. The two main relief organizations were the Federation Farmers Association, which was Korean and distributed grain for seed and relief, and UNCACK, which was the UN agency for the distribu- tion of grain and supplies for relief. This gives some idea of the broader relief program. More specifically Chaplain Vinson tells of the work which was done with the Presbyterian Mission of Kumchon. Particular interest was shown in its school which grew from 75 in January to 225 pupils by Au- gust. The Marines gave surveyed tents and fixed Harnmo box decking for additional school rooms. Some civilians were treated at the lst Corps, Civil Affairs, lst Marine Division Kumchon Hospital. An- other source tells one that the 7th Motor Transport Battalion donated and erected the Presbyterian Church at Kumchon. Toward the end of 1954 it was stated that 1,500 students were to be taught that year in the 3 buildings of the Kumchon Primary Schools constructed under the sponsorship of lst Battalion, 5th Marines. The school was said to be the largest of any of the Armed Forces Assistance to Korea Schools QAFAKQ to date.2' Otherr The Nam Buk Orphanage in Yongdongpo, and the Christian Children's Home in Anyang were aided by the 2d Battalion, 7th Marines and the 1st Service Battalion. There were numerous institutions that were aided by the Marines but not a great deal of information is available concerning them. Among these were the Catholic Orphanage at Anchoong, which cared for 125 children, St. Camellia's orphanage operated by French nuns, Childrenis Garden of Holy Mind at Bup Yong, an Orphanage at Wonju, and at Kecksa-ri and the Dong Dwang Orphanage which was almost fully supported by the lst Division. uOperation Uncle was a program led by the chap- lains of Marine units which had as its goal the adop- tionn of 3,000 orphan boys. Inactive Reserve Chaplains in the Far East Chaplain Whitman notes the presence of three inac- tive reserve chaplains in the Far East. At least two of 2' See p. 234. -229-