United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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circled overhead. A long column of ships turned southward. Heading for home the pilot signaled the MOUNT MCKINLEY and they exchanged greetings. It was Christmas Eve. First Korean Chriitmas Writing to Chaplain Salisbury on 1 January 1951, Division Chaplain Schwyhart reported that most of the Chaplains at Masan had been able to obtain squad tents to be used as chapels. 'cOn Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, wrote Schwyhart, a total of 71 serv- ices were conducted by chaplains in the Division with a total of 13,077 attending. Chaplain William A. Rennie wrote of his Christmas Eve service as follows: At Masan, Korea, during the winter of 1950-51, the neigh- boring Presbytcrian church offered the use of its small sanc- tuary for the Protestant worship services of the Medical Bn. For the Christmas Eve service, one of the Catholic corpsmen volunteered to create a manger-scene tableau with about 10 of the children of the church. Everything went off fine, as by candlelight, with the Korean congregation as our guests, the choir sang Silent Night and the life-like tableau was posed in a corner of the church. Corpsmen and Marines placed their gifts at the foot of the cradled-babe. A very effective service of worship and dedication was the result. lneidentally, a few days later, the pastor of the church, in order to show the appreciation of his people for the gifts given to the church, presented me with about 180 pounds of roasted peanuts for the church men and sick patients. Chaplain B. C. Howland, in his reply to the ques- tionnaire, commented as follows on his memories of that first Christmas in Korea: I believe our regiment was one of the first to raise money for a Korean church, On Christmas Sunday in our rest camp area at Masan both Chaplain Parsons and myself made an appeal to the men to help out the Presbyterian church which was doing such a good work. The results were heart- ening to both of us chaplains. Christmas Mass, Masan. Catholic marines attend mass in the 50th Marine Regiment area on Christmas Day at Masan, ..49-

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When the evacuation of Wonsan and Hungnam became necessary, he worked endless hours with military and civilian agencies in planning and effecting a safe evacuation of thousands of Christian North Koreans to a place of safety. And so the United Nations Command saved not only its troops and equipment but thousands of helpless civilians as well. In Time of Trouble Northeast Korea had proved a peculiarly dangerous and costly area of combat. As the closing months of 1950 saw steadily mounting casualty totals, chaplains in ships were more and more engaged in ministering solace to the wounded and honor to the dead. By faithful performance as well as in word they pro- claimed, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Even before X Corps went ashore the fleet was encountering serious difiiculties-from mines, often simply let loose upstream and floated into the sea.17 The first casualty was the destroyer BRUSH, on 26 September. Rendered instantly helpless, her bow a full fathom low, much of the ship open to the sea, her forward steering gear gone, BRUSH was taken in tow and escorted 470 miles to Sasebo, Japan. Thirteen men had been killed, 34 seriously wounded. Chaplain Charles L. Dickey, in the WORCESTER, wrote in his questionnaire reply: We had 34 casualties aboard for the 3 days we were ac- companying the BRUSH to Sasebo. I had prayers with each man every day, and two yeomen to read and write censored letters for each man. Chaplain Edwin F. Carr, in the ROCHESTER, flagship of Vice Admiral Struble's Joint Task Force Seven, wrote concerning the minesweeping operations at Wonsan, which had been a source of desperate con- cern, so thickly and thoroughly had the enemy planted mines there: I consider all the activities performed by me under these various headings fof the questionnairej as merely routine. However, celebrating Mass in a bombed-out warehouse in Wonsan for the men who had given their lives on mine- sweeps sunk by mines was impressive. fTheir devotionj remains to bear witness to our faith in freedom. Without their sacrifice the landings could not have been made, as it was, 15 days had been expended and over 200 casualties sustained. A happier story concerns the transfer of needed medical supplies from the ROCHESTER to a small Korean hospital in Wonsan. Employing Latin as a medium, Chaplain Carr was able to act as inter- 1' Cagle and Manson, op. cit., pp. 130-146. preter between the ship's doctor and a Korean priest representing the hospital. Thus a dead language proved effective in helping sustain life in a time of desperate trouble. Transport chaplains had their hands full. Henry F. Maxwell in the THOMAS JEFFERSON reported serious casualties flowing in a stream to the trans- ports immediately after the landings. Of the period barely a month later, Cihaplain Leonard B. Dohrmann wrote: During the November-December 1950 evacuation of wounded from the Hungnam area, the BRECKENRIDGE carried several loads to Yokohama. I assisted in loading and caring for these wounded. Chaplain Charles W. Adams recalled that his ship, operating under MSTS, Pacific, ferried shiploads', of wounded to Yokosuka, he called it round-the- clocki' duty. And at Yokosuka? Charles W. Lawler, Roman Catholic chaplain at the Naval Hospital there, later wrote: Over 3,000 casualties were admitted within 48 hours. The hospital grew from a 70-bed dispensary to a hospital of about 5,000 beds. Charles H. Shackelford, the Protestant chaplain, wrote that he spent every Sunday afternoon and evening adminis- tering Holy Communion to bed patients. Often this would continue up to 2130 or 2200, because of the large number who wished to receive .... Chaplain J. E. Zoller was temporarily attached there during the peak of the casualty load. He reported that it was necessary in some wards to use double-deck bunks, often placed so closely together that one had to turn sideways to slide between them. Many of the patients were not ambulatory and could not attend chapel services. Most of them were fresh from the combat zone. Many had not received the Sacrament for a long time and desired to receive it. After consecrating the elements in the chapel, I carried the chalice in my hand and went to the wards to serve individual communions. I would slide between two double-deck bunks and say to the four men ftwo oneach sidej that I was a Protestant chaplain prepared to servecommunion to those who desired to receive it. The response among the Protestant patients was almost unanimous. Afterwards I would ask the men if they had any special prayer requests . . . Many were suffering a great deal them- selves, but in no case, not one, did a man ask prayer for him- self. Most frequently it was requested for his buddies back in the combat zone and occasionally for his loved ones at home. Back at Hungnam, as the last ships pulled offshore, the dock area was set ablaze and destroyers shelled any- thing that might be useful to the incoming Commu- nists. One last fighter plane from the PRINCETON -43..

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Attending a Korean children's Christmas party is one of the experiences that will linger long in my memory. After we had raised the money on Christmas Sunday I took it to the Korean pastor. Through an interpreter he conveyed his message of gratitude and requested that I attend the party on Christmas day. With me went one oilicer and three en- listed men and never in that big Sunday School room have we ever seen such a mass of young humanity packed like sardines together. The children sang the carols that we all knew and there were recitations as well, but when we came in there was a special greeting in song from the children to us, as they seemed to sense that we were their friends who would help them as much as we could. I found that these Christian friends of ours were ready to reciprocate in whatever manner they could. Because I felt that it would be a Fine idea to have organ music at the serv- ices, and there being an organist in our regiment, I conveyed that idea to a Korean resident and member of the Presbyte- rian church. He immediately made arrangements through a music teacher in the city to borrow an organ. Chaplain Howland also reported an interest in Bible study and discussion groups. In the rest camp at Masan New Testaments were greatly in demand,', he wrote. I would go from one tent to another and always I had no trouble getting rid of the Testaments I carried. Many a religious discussion went on in those tents and I was able to take part in the discussion. Nor were chaplains in the ships less busy. Chap- lain O. B. Salyer wrote that he organized Christmas caroling throughout the BADOENG STRAIT on Christmas Eve, with proper religious observance of the holy day. His usual routine, besides Sunday serv- ices, included daily morning prayers and Scripture reading in the shipis library, just after securing from morning quarters. Each Wednesday evening a study and discussion group met in the library. Chaplain John R. Thomas, a Reserve returned to active duty, was assigned to Destroyer Squadron Seven, operating off Korea. In his questionnaire re- ply Chaplain Thomas wrote: I served under at least 12 different destroyer captains and 4 division and squadron commanders. Attitudes of all except one destroyer commander made it possible for evening prayers underway on the ship's intercom system. The squadron commander enabled us to broadcast the Christmas Eve serv- ice to all the destroyers in the carrier screen off East Korea, Christmas, 1950. Concerning this same Christmas Chaplain Wylie R. Bryant, Presbyterian fCumb.j , one of the many chap- lains assigned to Military Sea Transport Service, North Pacific Subarea, wrote as follows: During the days we sat offshore at Inchon there were no passengers aboard, so we invited 80 soldiers aboard the ship on Christmas 1950. The crew and military department of the ship decided to forego their Christmas dinner that these Christmas Mass on Hospital Ship. Chaplain C. E. Karnasiewicz conducts Christmas mass and directs the choir aboard the REPOSE. 50-