United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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Memorial Services. Chaplain Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr., is shown holding memorial services at the Army-Marine Corps Cemetery in South Korea at Masan on 24 August 1950. would fight their way around the peninsula and complete their circuit five months later Qfollowing the withdrawal from Chosinj to the identical bean patch.5 The chaplains were now able to conduct funeral and memorial services for the men killed in the first action, that of 7-13 August. Upon the suggestion of the Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Edward A. Craig, an individual picture was taken of each grave with the appropriate chaplain standing by in bene- diction. These pictures were sent to Headquarters, Marine Corps, in Washington, and after casualty notices had been sent to next of kin, many requests were received from bereaved families for the pictures. On 22 August Chaplain Ingvoldstad wrote to Chaplain Stanton W. Salisbury, Chief of Chaplains: As I'm writing I'm sitting under a shelter in a bean field, itls hot, sticky, and dusty. Shooting is going on in the hills around us, but the activities of our camp are normal, as we are in reserve right now. Shortly we'll probably be in it again. Sporrer is with the Artillery battalion, but also gets up into our aid stations . . . Hickey, Tennant and I have been 5Ibid.,pp. 2o7f. kv -s f 1, A if?':Lr'5- Q5 w3'ffg. , , . . ,W gan.. .,,-3 is , - , - ,-A Q, ., , , ill I D ,L JI'-r A 'Mug A' L ,f-ffdd MV bv .l 4 ,ings-,xirxw-xg, .1 --44. , --fx 'W ,f -Nfl., xviesjv ,pgs If A ,, . , ,L ., , -as . It--X. .ug fm. , .za , , fwzfv. -,ew tw'o.,1 s. ' -'T ' . ' ' ' '1 fQ.f.fSNfr3?i 'W Burial Service. Chaplain William G. Tennant conducts a graveside service. Photographs of such services were sent to the next of kin. working the battalion aid stations, Hickey usually with 3rd Bn., Tennant and I between lst and 2nd. Then we also shift around as the need is. Our battalion aid stations are as close as 100-150 yards from the fighting and at times under fire. I can truthfully say none of our wounded have left the zone of action without being seen by a chaplain. Second Naktong The Marines were involved in a third engagement, 3-5 September, in the same Naktong River area, re- pulsing a desperate Communist attempt to breach the Pusan Perimeterfi Beginning at midnight on the fifth, the Brigade was withdrawn to Pusan, where staging began for what would be the Inchon am- phibious landing. In 1 month the air-ground team had fought 3 difficult battles, suffering 902 cas- ualties, including 9 rnissing in action, 163 deaths and 730 wounded. In addition to the ministry ren- dered the dead and wounded, the chaplains had faith- fully maintained Divine Services. On Sunday, .27 August, for instance, the four chaplains conducted eight services. But, as Ingvoldstad wrote, We,ve been holding services regardless of days, whenever 6 Ibid., chs. XI, XII. 8- 9 3

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kr Memorial Services. Squadron members bow their heads as Chaplain John H. Markley conducts a memorial service for fliers who were shot down by North Korean antiaircraft fire on a night- fighter mission. stad and either Sporrer or Hickey were in the forward aid station, while Tennant was at the regimental collecting and clearing station. The chaplains were constantly on the move. As far as possible it was planned to have a Protestant and a Roman Catholic chaplain available at forward aid stations all the time. On 18 August, with each of the 5th Marines battalions engaged, the chaplains operated as follows: lngvoldstad visited the forward aid station of the lst Battalion, 5th Marines, then that of the 3d Bat- talion, then held a Protestant Service at the artillery Improvisation. camp cot is used as the base of the altar by Chaplain Otto Sporrer as he holds mass for the llth Artillery in a field behind the battlelines in South Korea. United Nations Cemetery, Masan. Flags fly at half-mast where fallen marines and fellow com- rades find their last resting place. unit, and finally moved on to the 2d Battalionls aid station for the night. Sporrer celebrated Mass at the artillery unit and likewise moved from one bat- talion aid station to each of the others. Tennant remained all day and night with the regimental col- lecting and clearing station, while Hickey visited all the aid stations, though staying mostly with that of the 3d Battalion. The Naktong objective was secured on 19 August and the Marine Brigade ordered into Eighth Army reserve. Its bivouac area from 21 to 31 August was a bean patch near Masan, from which the Marines ..7..

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we stop long enough. Had around 300 this morn- ing at 0700. Chaplain Otto E. Sporrer was awarded the Army Bronze Star with Combat MVN for heroism in the Pu- san Perimeter campaign. The citation reads as follows: As a member of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, lst Pro- visional Marine Brigade for heroic achievement on 7 August 1950 at Chindongni, Korea. On 7 August 1950 Lieutenant Commander Sporrer was in the vicinity of an artillery bat- tery position which was undergoing heavy enemy counter- battery fire. The enemy scored a direct hit on a gun posi- tion causing many casualties. Without regard for his own personal safety, Lieutenant Commander Sporrer voluntarily exposed himself to the heavy fire in order to assist the wounded. Heedless of the heavy fire, he administered effec- tive first aid and assisted in evacuating the wounded to a place of safety. The heroism displayed by Lieutenant Com- mander Sporrer on this occasion reflects great credit on him- self and the naval service. Each of the other Navy chaplains who took part in the defense of the Pusan Perimeter received the Bronze Star for acts of heroism and valor in later campaigns. Chaplain Sporrer was also awarded the Army Silver Star for another act of heroism which took place on 18 August in the battle for Obong-ni Ridge. This second citation reads in part: On this date Lieutenant Commander Sporrer in his ca- pacity as Catholic Chaplain visited the forward aid station of the Fifth Marines, then in attack on enemy positions ot the ridges west of the Naktong. Learning that a number of wounded were on the ridges awaiting evacuation, Lieu- tenant Commander Sporrer organized a litter-bearing team of Korean civilians and showing a high degree of courage and skill led them through heavy small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire. By his leadership and example Lieutenant Commander Sporrer encouraged the litter-bear- ing team to continue even after they had been pinned down by enemy fire. He then succeeded in evacuating a number of seriously wounded to the Aid Station. MAG 33 The Brigade's air support, Marine Aircraft Group 33, had arrived in Kobe, Japan, on 31 July. Since Korean land-based operations were impossible, the planes were flown to nearby Itami for maintenance and testing and returned to the carriers SICILY and BADOENG STRAIT, from which the two fighter squadrons operated during the initial months of the war? The night-fighter squadron was based in Japan. The helicopters included in Marine Aircraft Group 33 were the first such to be formed into a unit for combat service overseas? They, together 7 Ibid., pp. 89f. 8 Ibid., p. 50. See also Montross, Cavalry of the Sky fNew York, 19545, an account of the development and early use by the Marines of combat helicopter squadrons. with the observer squadron and the Air Support sec- tion, were ferried to Korea and came under direct Brigade control. With Marine Aircraft Group 33 was one chap- lain, John H. Markley, a Methodist. Subsequently, when the main body of the lst Marine Aircraft Wing arrived in September, Chaplain john P. Murphy, a Roman Catholic, came out with them from El Torro, Calif., Marine Air Station as Wing Chaplain. On 14 September he wrote from Itami, Japan, to the Chief of Chaplains that he and Markley would cover Marine Aircraft Group 33, by then partly shore-based in Korea, leaving the Wing headquarters to be cov- ered by a Protestant Air Force chaplain and two American missionary priests. It was planned that Marine Aircraft Group 12, on arrival, would be carrier-based and therefore covered by ship's chap- lains. Adding that an aircraft group numbered about 3,000 personnel, Murphy asked for a Protestant and a Roman Catholic chaplain for each group, in addition to himself as Wing Chaplain. Marine air power was early engaged in the attempt to block the enemy's advance. Before the Brigade's ground forces became operative, already on 3 August eight Corsairs of VMF-214 operating from the SICILY had made the first Marine air strike in de- fense of the Pusan Perimeter? On succeeding days, joined by VMF-323 operating from the BADOENG STRAIT, the Brigade's air arm continued to pound enemy concentrations north of Eighth Army's de- fensive lines. During Marine ground operations the three squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group 33 pro- vided outstanding close air support, vindicating the Marine Corps' doctrine of ground-air teamwork. Aboard the SICILY as chaplain was Cornelius O. Sullivan, a Roman Catholic. His counterpart in the BADOENG STRAIT, Chaplain Oswald B. Salyer, was a Methodist. Both men ministered to the Navy crews of their ships and the embarked Marine air per- sonnel as well. The first Marine pilot killed in Korea was Capt. V. M. Moses, of Jewish faith. No Jewish chaplain was available, and it fell to Salyer, a Meth- odist, to conduct a service for the captain on 13 Au- gust. F ittingly the chaplain was able to read the first part of the service in Hebrew. Writing to the Chaplains Division, Salyer described a helicopter highline routine which enabled Sullivan and himself to extend their ministry. At 0800 on Sunday, Salyer conducted Protestant service aboard the BADOENG STRAIT, Sullivan celebrating Mass Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 98f. Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 61-67. ..9-