United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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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-

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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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8. Personal counseling. 9. Christian instruction. 10. Procurement and distribution of New Testaments, de- votional materials, and religious supplies. 11. Orientation of passenger chaplains. 12. Participation in orientation periods for voyage staff and passengers. 13. Presentations of chaplain's lectures on Citizenship and Morale' in the Troop Information and Education Pro- gram. 14. Extension of aid to advanced base chaplains through provision of supplies, extension of ship hospitality, and Christian Fellowship. Chaplain Irwin's duties in Seattle indicate what the Staff Chaplain's oH'ice was doing to aid chaplains in the ships. He supervised a supply warehouse, pro- curing, and distributing gear aboard ship. He as- sisted the Staff Chaplain in 6'unoHicial inspection of the ships, chaplains, work, in maintaining liaison with the Army Port Chaplain, and in counseling MSTS personnel and their dependents. Further, he main- tained liaison with civilian religious groups and serv- ice clubs, occasionally 'csuppliedn for chaplains, and 1400 Visitation, about decks, in recreation rooms, and liv- ing quarters. 1500 Instruction classes, personal counseling, study or ad- ministrative work. l630 Supper. 1715 Visits to sick bay and brig. 1800 Check on movies, free time for attending movies, social visitation or study. 2000 Coffee hourn and social visitation, conferences with chaplains, or free time. 2230 Personal devotions and lights out. But, he added, this is a highly theoretical day, participated in civilian religious services. A composite typical work day aboard ship might go as follows: 0730 Breakfast. 0800 Check in oflice, plan work of the day, arrange for 0945 1000 1130 1300 daily services. Brief conferences with passenger chaplains, check on newspaper. Instruction classes, personal counseling, study, prepa- ration of services or administrative work. Lunch and free period. Check on libraries, special services, movie program, newspaper, administrative work. as the program was adapted to the various needs according to the stage of the voyage. Many special occasions such as hymn sings, shows, embarkation, debarkation, or special problems made each day in the voyage a separate entity, to be dealt with as creatively as possiblef' Sundays were much the same as any other day, ex- cept for Divine Services. At that time Protestant service was held in the Troop Theater at 0900, with Mass in the lounge, at 1030 another Mass was said in the Troop Theater and a second Protestant service held in the lounge. Besides all this, the chaplain was charged with the ship's paper, library, and entertainment programs, in- cluding movies and assisting the special services pro- gram, and also assistance with the Troop Information and Education program. MSTS Pac Roster The roster submitted by Chaplain Thompson in March 1951 showed the following disposition of MSTS, Pacific chaplains. Adams, Charles W .... , . Beck, Max G. ...,. , . Bost, Warren L .... Burr, Beryl L ........ Erickson, Paul F ...... Hawkins, Elmo M. T. -Iolmes, Norman B .... . . rloward, Edwin R .... Qloyd, Paul A ........ Vletzger, Ernest W .... NIONE AT PRESENT .... . . Nlicholas, Philip ..... . . Nlorwood, Herman R. . Somers, Lester I ...... Stowater, Seattle A ..... . Ferhune, Cornelius A. Jitz, Robert H ...,,.. Nheeler, Wendell C ..... . . Watts, john E., jr. . . White, Leonard F .... Below, Ralph W ,.... PE .....,.......,. . . . GEN H. J. GAFFEY LUTH fMoSyJ ..... . . . GEN. S. B. BUCKNER PRESBY CUSAJ ...... . . . GEN. W. WEIGEL BAP CAB ................ . . . GEN. S. HEINTZELMAN METH .......,.,. CHRI SCIENCE .... CONG .........,.. RC .....,. METH ...., .... PRESBY CUSAJ. .. BAP QAJ ..,...... EVAN st REF ..... UNIT .........,. PRESBY CUSAJ. ., EVAN at REF ..... CONG .....,. ..,. PRESBY cUsAp. .. RC .,..........,. BAP isp ..,...,.. ,71- EVAN MISS CONV ..... . . . . , . GEN. . . . SGT. . . , GEN. . , . GEN. . . . GEN. . . . GEN. . . . GEN. GEN . , GEN. GENERAL R. L. HOWZE D. E. AULTMAN C. E. MOWER C. G. MORTON E. D. PATRICK D. I. SULTAN WILLIAM BLACK W. O. DARBY W. F. HASE N. M. WALKER . . SGT. HOWARD E. WOODFORD GEN. A. W. BREWSTER , . . GEN. JOHN POPE . , , AIKEN VICTORY GEN. E. T. COLLINS LT. R. O. BEAUDOIN GEN. A. E. ANDERSON