United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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when the Navy assumed full command responsibility 'or MSTS, he had completed the indoctrination of tll the chaplains assigned duty in ships of MSTS, Pa- :ific, written a syllabus for their guidance in program Jlanning, and taken responsibility for supplying audio- wisual equipment and religious supplies to .all ships of he command. Later he took on the further job of Jrocuring and shipping, in the custody of MSTS hips' chaplains, religious supplies for the use of chap- ains in the war theater. Chaplains assigned MSTS duty were attached to he headquarters command and under the direction rf the supervisory chaplains rotated among the various .hips to meet the greatest need. While aboard, chap- ains were temporarily attached to the Military De- Jartment of the vessel. 'tinerating The plan may be illustrated by reference to the luestionnaire replies of several of the chaplains. John N . Myrose, for instance, wrote: II wasl attached to Military Sea Transportation Service, Qorth Pacific Sub Area, Seattle, Wash., for duty afloat Lboard USNS transports operating between Seattle and the Tar East. This duty was from 25 August 1950 to 25 August .952. Because of a shortage of chaplains there was a rota- ion from one ship to another. I was aboard the following hips at various times in both Japanese and Korean waters: QISNS JAMES O'HARA, USNS GEN. LEROY ELTINGE, JSNS PVT. SADAO S. MUNEMORI, USNS MARINE ?HOENIX, and USNS GEN. R. L. HOWZE. 3Ie reported a high percentage of attendance at Di- fine Services, daily and Sunday, on both east and west :rossings. Over 8,600 men attended services dur- ng one round trip during which a total of 12,000 were Lboard, 3,000 at a time. Chaplain Cecil V. Marley had served in two differ- :nt transports under MSTS, North Pacific, before the Korean War began. From August 1950 to November .951 he was in the SITKOH BAY, an aircraft car- 'ier operating under MSTS to ferry planes from the United States to the theater of war. C SITKOH BAY vas employed, for instance, in moving two squadrons nf Marine fighters when the lst Marine Aircraft Wing fvas deployed to Japan in late August 1950.1 Chaplain Paul R. Elliott reported the following tour if duty: LTSNS GEN. M. C. MEIGS- December 1950-january 1951 QJSNS PVT. SADAO S. January 1951-May 1951 MUNEMORI. QJSNS GEN. S. B. BUCK- May 1951-July 1951 NER. Chaplain Prescott B. Wintersteen served in the MARINE PHOENIX from August 1950 to March 1951, and in the GEN. HUGH GAFFEY from March to November 1951. Chaplain Franklin C. Black reported duty in the C. C. BALLOU during August and September 1950, and then in the FRED C. AINSWORTH from October 1950 to March 1951. Servicer N Chaplain Ernest L. Carter, whose exact itinerary was not furnished, wrote concerning his work: Aboard ship we had daily noon hour devotional services for all faiths, using recorded hymns and prayers from the prayer books of the different faiths. Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists, Latter Day Saints, and Greek Orthodox personnel attended these services. Carter also edited the ship's paper, supervised the li- brary, and had responsibility for recreation and enter- tainment on various ships. Following the Hungnam evacuation he wrote: With the last ones from the bridge on our ship, and travel- ing in blackout, after the noise of battlefrre from shore and ships for 11 days and nights, at the Christmas Eve service we sang Silent Night in three languages: Americans in Eng- lish, Puerto Ricans in Spanish, and Koreans in Korean, sing- ing both separately and together. This was a very impressive occasion for everyone and they were glad to be alive. Chaplain Beryl L. Burr reported over 75 percent of the men aboard in attendance at Divine Service after the departure from Hungnam. Services were held hourly from 0800 through 1300. Over 400 attended daily services at both Protestant and Catholic services aboard MSTS ships going to Korea, reported Chaplain Edwin W. Andrews, who served with MSTS, North Pacific, from August 1951 to August 1953. And Chaplain Allen L. Irwin wrote: 'fDaily services on transport with men en route to bat- tle areas during Korean conHict were especially well attended and their response was excellent. About 50 such services were held, with a total attendance of over 8,000.9 Chaplain Charles W. Adams held services every day on transports carrying troops to Korea. As many as 11 services a Sunday were held on the way to Pusan, he wrote. Chaplains worked night and day on the many personnel problems that came to the office. He distributed thousands of New Testaments and some 2,500 copies of the whole Bible, very few of which were left aboard when troops debarked. Chaplain William R. Petre wrote in his question- naire reply: A group of men requested the establishment of a weekly meeting of prayer, worship, and spiritual refreshment in addi- tion to the regularly scheduled services. This was done, and

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duties of men rarely in the limelight except when rare encounters with Chinese aircraft or surface vessels momentarily emphasized their continuing contribu- tion. Under overall control of Fleet Air Japan, the PatRons, both land and seaplanes, were grouped in two headquarters. Fleet Air Wing Six at Itwakuni, Japan, with three to five squadrons plus seaplane tenders, was responsible for operations in the vicinity of Japan and Korea, from Siberia south to Okinawa. Fleet Air Wing one, consisting of one land-based squadron fat Naha, Okinawaj and one Seaplane squadron aboard a tender, exercised surveillance of the international sea lanes south through the East China Sea and the Straits of Formosa to the Philippines. Its tender anchored off the Pescadores Islands except when typhoons forced them to sea. Based in the Pescadores were some 40,000 Chinese Nationalist troops. No Americans had been seen there since World War II. There were nothing but squalid villages ashore and consequently no liberty for naval personnel. Chaplain William W. Parkinson served in the seaplane tender PINE ISLAND, first at Iwa- kuni and after June 1951 off the Pescadores. In an interview with the author Parkinson recalled the situa- tion. Swimming was prohibited, though occasionally the men were allowed ashore long enough to play baseball. It was naturally difficult to maintain espril. The men were bored, their work was monotonous, and like many others they wondered why they were there at all. As the only Navy chaplain in the F ormosan area, Parkinson ministered to the ship's company and the fiyers who were running daily patrol missions, try- ing to meet some of their needs with daily religious services and by regular, sustained contact with all personnel.- Parkinson was followed in the PINE ISLAND by Robert L. McCachran in May 1952. The SALIS- BURY SOUND had as its first chaplain Daniel M. Jordan, after October 1950, and then Richard P. Chase, after August 1952. MSTS At the outbreak of Korean hostilities George W. Thompson was Stafi' Chaplain, Deputy Commander, Military Sea Transport Service, Pacific, in San Fran- cisco. In assigning Thompson to this new billet Chief of Chaplains S. W. Salisbury had written on 30 Sep- tember 1949: We will keep you informed of developments but you can know that it will be your responsibility to insure perfect in- tegration of Navy chaplains into this new type work as we take over from the Army between 1 October 1949 and 1 April 1950. The Military Sea Transport Service had been or- ganized in 1949 as part of the unification program, to handle all ocean transportation of both personnel and materiel for all the Armed Forces. The responsi- bilities of the Chaplain Corps in this development were set forth by Chaplain Salisbury in a Memoran- dum of 3 October 1949 to all Fleet, Force, and Dis- trict Chaplains, from which the following extracts are taken. In accordance with this policy, present plans call for a chaplain to be attached to the Staff of Deputy Commander, MSTS, Atlantic Area fNew York Cityj, Deputy Com- mander, MSTS, Pacific Area fSan Francisco, Calif.D, and Deputy Commander, MSTS, North Pacific Area tSeattle, Wash.l. Chaplains being nominated for these billets are: Chaplain George W. Thompson for San Francisco, Chaplain Daniel S. Rankin for New York, and Chaplain Seth E. An- derson for Seattle. It is planned to cover the Gulf Area fNew Orleansj by giving additional duty to the District Chaplain, 8th Naval District. A chaplain from the Chap- lains Division, BuPers, will have additional duty on the Staff of Headquarters, MSTS, in the Navy Department. All other chaplains assigned to the MSTS will serve aboard the vessels of this service. At least one-tenth of our Corps will be in this given field at all times. The whole rotation schedule may have to be revamped with a return to the old days when there was more Sea Duty than Shore Duty. All chaplains assigned to MSTS will have the responsibility of not only doing their immediate job, but also of setting a pattern that will con-l tinue the high standard of service for which the Navy isl noted and in which our Corps takes pride. The transfer of ships and embarkation facilities from Army to MSTS took place during the following months with less difficulty than might have been the case, and fortunately so, for midsummer 1950 brought skyrocketing dlemands upon sea transport. Of Chap- lain Seth E. Anderson, Staff Chaplain, MSTS, North Pacific, the Army Port of Embarkation chaplain had written to the Chief : This transfer . . . could prove to be a difficult project should understanding and cooperation be lacking by any par- ties concerned. Chaplain Anderson's fairness, sincerity, and enthusiastic willingness to cooperate makes a difficult prob- lem easier to solve. If all Navy chaplains assigned to MSTS measure up to the high standard which Chaplain Anderson has already es- tablished lherej, there will be no occasion for the least con- cern on your part about the success of chaplains who are un- dertaking this new project under your supervision. Chaplain Anderson was relieved by Chaplain Edgar C. Andrews, who reported 14 September 1950. Chaplain Thompson served in San Francisco from October 1949 to October 1952. By 1 March 1950, M681

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largely run by the men themselves. It was an excellent means of religious growth. On the troopship the religious quest of the men was of a high order. Men going into combat eagerly sought a personal relation with God. Chaplain John E. Watts was accustomed to hold three Sunday morning services and a late afternoon vesper service, on deck, weather permitting. Chaplain Elliott noted, in addition to religious duties, establish- ment of classes for the study of Japanese and Korean, taught by personnel aboard familiar with those languages. Chaplain James R. Marks submitted the following account along with his questionnaire. A large number of Marines came aboard the GENERAL GREELY at a Japanese port for the trip to Korea. Shortly after the ship got underway I announced that religious serv- ices would be held in the designated compartment, three decks below the main deck. Two Protestant services were scheduled that afternoon. A Roman Catholic rosary service was scheduled for an early hour next day. All preparations were made and the word was passed that Holy Communion would be observed at 1500. Before the organist had completed his prelude, the room was filled. All chairs were occupied. Other Marines were sitting in every available spot on the deck. A few stood against the bulk- head. The majority of those present received Communion. It was nearly 1600 when the service was completed. Several minutes were required to emptysthe compartment, but during that time two Marines approached me to say there were some who came to the service but could not get into the compart- ment. I told them another service was just about to begin. I was surprised to see the compartment almost full the second IITHC. Chaplain Marks also reported many baptisms on his several trips. Always he required the candidate to come to his stateroom for an interview and instruction in order that each person would have an under- standing of its religious import. On each occasion, usually in the evening, the candidate came to the chap- lain's room accompanied by two witnesses and there accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and Lord. In attempting to assess the ministry of all the chap- lains it must not be forgotten, however, that there are atheists in foxholes and that often piety evaporates in direct proportion as the pressure lets up. Men in uni- form are hardly different in this regard from any others. One chaplain wrote after he had returned from a tour of duty with Marines, The sacraments be- came less important in the lives of the men fback homej than had been the case fin Koreajf' And one MSTS chaplain observed: L'Going to Korea attendance at Holy Communion was very high 5 but on coming home, troops returning had again relapsed into the normal tendencies of home life. Operation Welcome Service of a different sort was inaugurated in 1951 by MSTS Chaplain Edwin W. Andrews. Noticing how shy and obviously nervous were the Japanese brides traveling in the USNS M. M. PATRICK with their servicemen husbands to life in the States, he began a series of informal lectures, suggested by the orientation program chaplains have long given troops bound overseas. He told them something of our cus- toms, government, religions, and life in our cities and on our farms, and followed with a question period Later he added education films, such as This If America, an account of small-town life, and Om Nation,s Capital, a documentary about the Federaf Government. Sometimes an interpreter was needec but one was always found. On one trip there were 31 war brides and their husbands. I like to think my lectures and movies help some of the girls adjus1 to life in the United States, the chaplain was quoted in a Navy press release. The girls enjoy it and per- haps it helps them a little. That makes it all wortk while. Annual Report The following data, from Chaplain Allen L. Irwin': annual report to the Secretary of the Navy for calendar year 1950, may illustrate the work of MSTS chap- lains. Recalled to active duty in August 1950, he was assigned to MSTS and spent 2 weeks aboard the GEN M. M. PATRICK undergoing indoctrination. Nex1 he served aboard GEN. M. B. STEWART on a cross- ing to the Far East. Detached in October he flew back from Tokyo to Seattle, where he served as As- sistant to the Staff Chaplain, MSTS, North Pacific. In December he was assigned to the M. M, PATRICK. Aboard ship basic duties were performed as follows: 1. Conduct of Protestant Divine Services and administra- tion of the sacraments. 2. Supervision of daily Protestant devotional service con- ducted by myself andfor passenger chaplains. 3. Provision for Roman Catholic Mass, Sundays and daily, when a passenger chaplain was available, assistance to the Roman Catholic chaplain as needed and desired for con- fessions, choir practice, supplies and equipment, provisions for Roman Catholic Rosary Service when no Roman Cath- olic chaplain was aboard. 4. Provision for Jewish Divine Service when a suH'icien1 number of interested personnel was on board. 5. Facilitation of meetings for other distinctive religious groups as desired. 6. Arranging church parties as needed. 7. Parish visitations: sick bay, brig, in dayrooms, about decks and living quarters. -70-