United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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vary and circumstances change, but the Word of God standeth ever sure. Special Services Chaplains have long been concerned with morale activities as well as their more distinctively religious ministry. Indeed, on occasion some commands have seemed to treat their Chaplain Section as a glorified recreation department. Sometimes individual chap- lains have gone along with such an interpretation of their duties 5 under some circumstances chaplains have become involved in serious difficulties because of dis- agreements with their commands over the extent and character of their collateral duties. Since moral char- acter, spiritual vitality, and high morale are likely to be intimately related, written directives are not usually sufficient to define precisely the chaplain's duties within the command responsibility for the total wel- fare of its personnel. Cooperation with Navy Relief and American Red Cross activities, the administration of libraries, the or- ganization and execution of athletic and recreational programs-these and many more collateral duties have fallen to the lot of chaplains. In general those serving with Marines have had fewer such assignments than those serving other naval activities, especially, of course, in ships. A Marine Division has a Special Services Section, operated on every echelon from divi- sion throughout battalion, its duties, like those of the Chaplain Section, are spelled out by ofiicial regula- tions but their implementation naturally varies with circumstances. On 31 March Division Chaplain Kelly wrote to the Chief: I had quite a discussion with our Division special services officer, Lieutenant Colonel Batham, about where there might be confusion or overlapping of our lrespective duties.j I had in mind particularly the recommendation of your meeting of District and Force Chaplains concerning collateral duties. We both are of the opinion that most commanding offiicers have no idea of the large scope of special services. They be- lieve that a special services officer merely arranges ball games, shows and movies. So we decided to draw up a resume of special services duties and chaplain duties, lthenj visit the various command- ing ofiicers and discuss the entire problem. lWe hopedj to give the CO's a clearer view of the importance of special services with the hope that better fitted officers be assigned to that post, who will not have to depend on the chaplain. When asked if the special services officer could be a chap- lain, I agreed with qualifications. And they were, that I would first discuss the situation with the individual chaplains in the smaller units and if they feel that they could first do a 100 percent job as a chaplain land thenl have reasonable time to devote to special services, it would be agreeable. However, with the larger units, such as regiments, I felt that being a chaplain was a full time job. So when we have threshed this out completely, armed with the Special Services Manual, Chaplainls Manual, Marine Corps Manual, and the recommendations of your conference, we will approach the Chief of Staff. If he agrees, we will approach the unit CO's. The two of us appearing together will remove any thought of conflict between departments, or that I am trying to get the chaplains out of something rea- sonably in their department. Colonel Batham is whole- heartedly in favor of this solution and feels that it will beneht his department. Relief Work One of the notable aspects of the work of Navy chaplains in Korea during and especially after hos- tilities was the extensive relief work carried on under their direction for thousands of Korean refugees. Reference was made in his answer to the question- naire by Chaplain Lawrence R. Phillips, a Protestant, to what was doubtless the first work of Marines with Korean orphans. He wrote: Upon entry of Inchon I found the Catholic church with some 40 orphans. Through cooperation with Marine author- ities food, medicine, and clothes were gathered for the im- mediate relief of the situation. Soon such charitable endeavor became a normal part of the work of chaplains and Marines. Chaplain Schwyhart wrote to Chief of Chaplains S. W. Salisbury on 16 February 1951: A great portion of this week has been devoted to the dis- tribution of 800 boxes of Marine Corps League gifts of cloth- ing, shoes, and toys given by the children of American Marines to the children of Korea. In cooperation with the civil affairs ofiicer, we made distribution in 5 cities and vil- lages to an estimated 15,000 children. It was an experience I shall not soon forget. In his reply to the questionnaire Schwyhart enlarged on that particular effort. He wrote: During the first week in February 1951, at which time the 1st Marine Division was in the area of Pohang-dong on the east coast of central Korea, a large shipment of clothing, shoes, and toys arrived by LST from Pusan. This shipment, totaling about 800 boxes, had been collected in east coast cities of the United States by the Marine Corps League and shipped to the lst Marine Division for distribution to children in Korea. The commanding general of the lst Marine Di- vision appointed me to organize the distribution. A staff of several ofiicers and many enlisted Marines aided in the dis- tribution at three local points in the area of Pohang-dong. It was estimated that approximately 25,000 children received some item of clothing, shoes, or a toy on the date of distribu- tion, which was 12 February 1951. The mayor of the city of Pohang-dong and all school principals aided in organizing the civilian community in the distribution of clothing. If the number of distribution centers had been reduced from 5 to 3, the estimated number of children had L54-

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Mass is said by Chaplain Joseph Fitzgerald. .... A i Shoes. In deference to Korean custom, marines attending worship at Poon-suwon Church leave their dusty field shoes at the entrance, alongside the sandals worn by Korean worshippers. In Masan, Korea, 1951, there was a most unusual Easter Day. Seven Korean Protestant congregations had commit- ted themselves and their choirs to worship with us in a beautiful mountain spot overlooking the local harbor. Their combined choirs had rehearsed frequently. The Marines erected a huge cross constructed from the native pine trees. The service was anticipated with a great deal of interest. On Easter morning a steady downpour of rain ruled out any thought of an outdoor service. Many Marines assumed the chaplain would cancel the service. However, we had an emergency plan-to set up indoor services in our Motor Transport area. Fifty Marines braved the elements to at- tend the indoor service. Most of us began to feel, like many who had stayed in their sleeping bags, that the Koreans would not come because of the storm. A few minutes before the service time our trucks arrived in camp with almost 100 Koreans, dressed in their finest, soaked to the skin because they had no protection from the rain. They sang the great hymns of Christendom while they approached our area. Never before in so dismal a situation had I celebrated a more triumphant Day of Resurrection. Korean Christians Contacts with Korean Christians became a normal part of the experience of all the chaplains serving there. On many occasions Koreans attended Divine Services conducted by the chaplains. Joseph D. Mc- Donald described one such experience. While offering Mass in a valley, about 75 Korean civilians were in attendance. Where they came from was doubtful. The area was under attack not infrequently. Their mani- festation of faith and gratitude was indeed a source of edifi- cation even to the troops. The chaplain was called to baptize a 2-year-old infant. No missionary had been in that area for over 2 years. Often chaplains were able to conduct services for the Koreans. Chaplain Thomas B. Uber II reported holding weekly services for H120 South Koreans at- tached to a labor battalion assigned to my unit, speaking through an interpreter. At the request of the United Nations Command, the Republic of Ko- rea had organized a Civil Transport Corps, largely members of the ROK National Guard who lacked suflicient training for military service. Willing na- tive laborers were plentiful, for they received not only food and clothing but also pay. Formed into com- panies, they were especially useful during the spring of 1951, working their way forward on foot, carrying tremendous loads on the traditional A-frame sup- ported on their backs, these native laborers furnished logistical support for the northward drive when mili- tary vehicles were often bogged to the hubs in heavy mud. When Chaplain Joseph C. Fitzgerald heard con- fessions, said Mass and gave Communion to a con- gregation of about 100 Koreans and 4-0 Marine artil- lerymen in the bullet-pocked church in Poon-suwon, those Koreans had the ministry of their church for the first time since invading Communists had mur- dered their native priest the summer before. As re- ported by combat correspondent Sergeant Ted Sell, USMCR, there were among the women with their immaculately white linen headpieces only Five men, four grandfathers and one cripple, the rest were off fighting. During the service American bombers droned overhead 5 outside a bulldozer pulled oil' the road to allow an ambulance to pass on its way to the rear. Once more a chaplain of the Navy had ful- filled his duty as a servant of man and God, scenes

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risen from 15-,000 to 25,000. Perhaps the chaplain had received further information! Still, nothing can dim the luster of what was in fact a notable example of American philanthropy and Christian brotherhood. After the front lines became more established, the cha lains were later able to or anize their relief work P S on a more permanent basis. Individual units of the fighting forces often accepted the responsibility of sup- porting a Korean orphanage in whole or in part. The pitiable condition of the homeless waifs of Korea gripped the hearts of the American service men. Chaplain W. M. Hearn described how the men of his unit sometimes adopted orphans. Hearn wrote: One time when we moved out we had three little girls who had lost their parents. We took them back to a MG fmilitary governmentj unit to be sent to a home, but the whole company were like a bunch of bereaved parents. The fathers in the HQ company who had little girls at home helped to take care of them. When we gave them a bath we found that they each wore five to seven dresses, all of their worldly goods. At another time we left a boy at an orphanage and found him back in 2 days-a walk of several miles. Many times we had Koreans in our church services. One boy was quite dis- turbed by the undignified slouch of our men during services. As he demonstrated, they should sit erect with folded hands or bow their heads and hold their hands together during prayer. --....z,- A Guide. Chaplain R. L. Patton leads two small children to safety somewhere near the front. Many of the chaplains wrote letters to churches, service clubs, relief organizations, and individuals in the States urging them to send clothing, toys, and other needed items to be given to the needy and desti- tute children of Korea, innocent pawns of war. Particularly impressive was the initiative shown by the Marines in contributing money, materials, and labor for the rebuilding of churches, schools, and orphanages. The generosity of the Marines confronted by the needs of civilian Korean refugees proved to be a constantly recurrent theme throughout the story of UN operations there. Marine Air Wing After the evacuation at Hungnam the lst Marine Aircraft Wing had found itself involved in the re- location problems of the 5th Air Force. Only a limited number of usable fields were available, and with the fall of Kimpo in the January Communist offensive Far East Air Forces, the senior air com- mand, had pulled many of its units back to Itazuke, Japan, including the jet aircraft which could not operate from any of the available Korean fields. Headquarters of the 5th Air Force, as well as that of 8th Army, were installed at Taegu. Maj. Gen. Field Harris, Commanding General of the lst Marine Aircraft Wing, settled both his Wing headquarters and those of both Marine Aircraft Group 12 and Marine Aircraft Group 33 at Itami, the Air Force base near Osaka, Japan which had been assigned the Wing in August 1950 by agreement be- tween Commanding General, Far East Air Forces and the Commander, Naval Forces Far Eastfo Itami had been all along the Wing's center for personnel re- assignment, supply, and repair. On 10 January 1951 there began a giant airlift of personnel replacements from the West Coast, and eventually Itami became the air terminal for Marines en route to the Division in Korea. After helping cover 8th Army's withdrawal in western Korea, operating off the carriers SICILY, BADOENG STRAIT, and BATAAN, the tactical squadrons were at Itami for repairs and training. When in February they returned to combat the 10 Brief notices in Lynn Montross, 'KButtoning up the Offensive: The Marines in Operation Killerf' Marine Corps Gazette fFebr-uaxy 1952j , pp. 35fg Montross, Advance to the 38th Parallel: The Marines in Operation Ripper, Marine Corps Gazette QMarch 19521, p. 21. The author was kindly permitted by Mr. Montross, of the Historical Branch, G-3, Marine Corps Headquarters, to read the first draft of vol. IV, the official Marine Corps his- tory of operations during the period here under consider- ation. Ch. I fAddendum: Redeployment of the lst Marine Aircraft Wingj and ch. II are concerned with the Air Wing. -65,