United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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out of the 180 solicited, entered the Corps up to 1 July 1951 as a result of the appeal sent out by Chaplain Salisbury. Thus, up to 1 July 1951, a THE ENSIGN PROB On 24 June 1948, about two years before the beginning of hostilities in Korea, Naval Reserve Multiple Address Letter No. 27 was issued which outlined the procedures for the changing of the classification of Naval Reserve Officers, who were attending approved medical, dental, or theological schools, to an Ensign Probationary status in their respective corps. All who qualified and who de- sired to make this change were obliged to resign their commissions and request reappointment in the Naval Reserve as Ensigns Probationary in the Corps desired. The officers who accepted the new status and who subsequently qualified for a commission in the Regular Navy or in the Naval Reserve were then to receive the rank of Lieu- tenant fjgl in the corps of their probationary ap- pointments. Those who failed to qualify would upon request be recommissioned in their original rank. The purpose of this letter was to permit students in these professions to continue their training without the danger of being recalled to active duty in their former rank and classifica- tion in the event of mobilization. Following the beginning of hostilities in Korea, another Letter was issued on the same subject under date of ll October 1950. This letter ex- plained: Both civil and military needs in these professions are of such critical nature that the Navy does not desire to carry these students on the rolls of the Naval Reserve in other than the special fields for which they are preparing. Such students are eligible for and should be urged to apply for appointments as Ensign Probationary, 1135, USNR . No provision was made for any financial assistance to be given by the Government as was the case in the V-12 program. The new status at first was open only to those who were in the Naval Reserve. Provision was made about 1 May 1951 for the acceptance of Marine Reserv- ists. The NRMAL of October 1950 distinctly stated that Naval Reservists who failed to apply for ap- pointment as Probationary Ensigns while attending approved schools of medicine, dentistry, or theol- ogy, or who, having completed such training, failed to request appointment in the Staff Corps of their speciality, would be subject to the same obligations for active service in time ofwar or national emer- gency as other Reservists of similar grade or rank, regardless of their professional qualifica- tions. INDOCTRINATION OF CHAPLAINS The Chaplains' School was decommissioned on 15 November 1945. From 1 January 1946 to July 1949 all additions to the Corps, who had not been on active duty as chaplains during World War II, were sent to various District or Senior Chaplains total of 65 former V-12 theological students had been on active duty for varying periods of time as Navy Chaplains. AT IONARY PROGRAM Upon completion of their professional studies, the Probationary Ensigns were given one of three choices, provided, of course, that all other quali- fications for a commission were met: Q11 Accept a commission in the Regular Navy, Q21 accept a commission in the Reserve with achoice of active or inactive dutyg and Q31 resign. Both the Marine Corps and the Navy issued directives - the former dated 6 December 1950 and the latter 5 January 1951 - which permitted the discharge of all bona fide clergymen or the- ological students connected with the Reserves. A Navy directive of l2 February 1951, permitted seniors in theological schools who were within 120 days of their ordination to apply directly for a commission in the Chaplains Corps without going through the status of Ensign Probationary. The main purpose of the Ensign Probationary provision was to permit medical, dental, and the- ological Reserves to continue their professional studies without interruption. Asecondary purpose was to provide a continuing supply of qualified officers for the Navy. The appointment to the status of Ensign Probationary did not guarantee a commission in the corps desired. The officer concerned had to meet the usual requirements. However, the holding of the status of Ensign Pro- bationary facilitated the final appointment. As of 15 June 1951 the Chaplains Division re- ported 75 under appointment as Ensign, Proba- tionary. The first Ensign Probationary known to have accepted a. commission in the Chaplain Corps was William H. Vinson who was commissioned on 13 July 1951 and who was a member of the class at the Chaplains School which began its work on October 8th of that year. In the spring of 1952 the Navy opened the enrollment of the Ensign Pro- bationary program to other than Reserves. It has taken some time to get the Ensign Probationary program under way as the plan appealed especially to the students in the seminaries who were below the Senior year. By 1 January 1953, eight were known to have been commissioned as chaplains who came out of this program. Also as of that date, 57 had been in the program but had declined appointment or had resigned, and 145 were in seminary of whom 40 were planning to apply for active duty. Thus the program was just beginning to be effective by the spring of 1953. AND THE CHAPLAINS SCHOOL for a period of indoctrination. In July 1949 the Chaplains Division assumed this responsibility and in October of that year Chaplain T. J. Mullins, who had just reported to the Chaplains Division as Assistant for Chaplain Training, took over the

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,BY DISTRICT BY DENOMINATION QCont'd1 lst 15 Ev, Miss Covenant 1 3rd 35 Evan and Rfmd 2 4th 20 Lutheran 7 5th 7 Methodist 28 6th 16 Nazarene 1 8th 8 Presbyterian USA 22 9th 31 Presbyterian US 4 llth 13 Presbyterian United 2 12th 6 Bible Presbyterian l 13th 8 Afr. Methodist Epis. 1 PRNC l Russian Orthodox l Total 160 Total 160 A total of 1,486 chose the second category thus indicating their desire to remain in an inactive status for the time being but that theywere willing to accept active duty in case of a general emer- gency. This number included 140 who volunteered but who for various reasons were rejected. Between 1 July and 31 December 1950, resig- nations were accepted from 218 Chaplains. Dur- ing 1951, an additional 368 resigned and in 1952, 34. Resignations from 1 July 1950 to 1 January 1953 totaled 620. This paring of the roll was considered by the Chaplains Division to be most desirable as it left a residue of approximately 1400 Reserve Chaplains available for general mobilization should such become necessary. THE V-12 P The need for more chaplains in the present emergency caused the Chaplains Division to turn to the former V-12 theological students, who had received all or part of their professional training during World War II at Government expense, in the hope that some of these men would volunteer. The V-12 program was launched in February 1943 and before it was closed over 450 Protestant theological and pretheological students were en- rolled. Neither the Catholics nor the Jews per- mitted their students to apply for enrollment. Before the V-12 program was discontinued, 62 had come into the Chaplaincy from this source. The program was functioning to provide approxi- mately 100 new chaplains to the Corps each year had the war continued. Two former V-12 students, T. C. Herrman and P. W. Chalfant, entered the active service of the Corps in 1948 thus bringing the total of former V-12 students who became chaplains to 64. In the demobilization period following World War II, the V-12 enrollees were dischargedwith- out any special effort being made by the Navy De- partment to link up these potential chaplains with the Chaplain Corps. A factor to be remembered is that these V-12 theological students had not then completed their seminary work and were not ordained. They could not, therefore, qualify for a commission as a Reserve Chaplain. Regardless of the number of terms the V-12 students had spent in study or the amount of the subsidy re- ceived, all were completely severed from any official connection with the Navy. The procurement of USN Chaplains and the voluntary return of USNR Chaplains to active duty were not sufficient to meet the needs of the Navy. Reluctantly the Chaplains Division decided that involuntary recall was necessary. The first to report for duty on this basis were three chaplains who were members of the class that began its in- doctrination in October 1951, The policy of in- voluntary recall continued for about one year and, with but a few exceptions, was limited to the ranks of lieutenant, junior grade, and lieutenant. The last chaplain involuntarily recalled to duty re- ported the first part of January 1953. Altogether 119 were recalled on this basis. If a chaplain involuntarily recalled had had a year's active duty between December 1941 andSeptember 1945, he could be released after 17 months additional service. Non-veteran chaplains involuntarily re- called had to serve for 24 months. The number of Reserve Chaplains on active duty increased from 88 on l July 1950 to 495 on 1 January 1953, or a netincrease of407. Assum- ing that all of the 119 chaplains involuntarily recalled were still on duty at the latter date, this means that 288 chaplains then on duty had re- turned. To this number should be added a few Reserve Chaplains who may have come on duty and had been released between these dates. ROGRAM Following the outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950, the Navy found itselfin need of offi- cers. Believing that since the V-12 students had not only been given deferment from active duty in World War II but had also, in some cases, received considerable financial aid in pursuance of their professional training, the Navy Department turned to these men with the hope that they would recog- nize a moral obligation to serve their country in the present emergency. The Chaplains Division has long held that a clergyman serving in a mili- tary capacity under duress is a liability rather than an asset to the Corps. Therefore, the Chaplains Division was unwilling to do more than to invite all former V-12 theological students to acceptacom- mission in the Corps and go on active duty. On 2.2 March 1951, Chaplain S. W. Salisbury addressed a letter to about 180 former V-12 the- ological students whose addresses were known to the Chaplains Division calling attention to the fact that the Navy then needed 200 additional chap- lains. Chaplain Salisbury wrote: Our records indicate that you received part, or all, of your theological training at the expense of the U. S. Government under the V-12 Program. The need for which the Gov- ernment provided your education is before us. I can assure you that, at this time, we need you if you are an ordained minister. Only 23 replied and of these onlyafew indicated a willingness to apply for active duty. Only one

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supervision of the training of the student chaplains . This he conducted until the Chaplains'School was reopened in March 1951. A total of 21 Student Chaplains were orderedto the Chaplains Division for a period of five months during the time Chaplain Mullins had this special responsibility - nine in 1949 and 12 in l950. All of these chaplains, with the exception ofReserves in 1950, were USN. The Student Chaplains studied such subjects as Naval Orientation, Naval Regula- tions, the Chaplains Manual, the History of the Chaplain Corps and were made cognizant with the various phases of a chaplain's work through a series of two-week field assignments at naval in- stallations in Washington and vicinity, with the Marines at Quantico, the Fleet Marines at Camp Lejeune, and a two-weeks' cruise. With the acceleration of the procurement of new chaplains following the Korean incident, the re- activation of the Chaplains' School became a necessity. Arrangements were made for the es- tablishment of a School as a department of the General Line School at the Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island. Chaplain D. F. Meehan was detached from his duties as Assistant Direc- tor of the Chaplains Division on 2 February 1951 and ordered to be Officer-in-Charge of the Chap- lains' Indoctrination Unit. C hapla i n s' Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr., a veteran of Korea, and Richard W. Ricker were also ordered to the School to serve on the faculty. Chaplain John D. Zimmerman relieved Chaplain Meehan in November 1951. The School was opened on 9 March 1951 with a class of 25, all but two of whom were graduated 011 19 April. The reactivated School carried on the traditions of the School that was in existence during World War ll in the training of civilian clergymen to bring God to men and men to God the Navy way. The original faculty of the first Chaplains' School labored under great difficulties without the benefit of previous experience in that specialized field and without the several published aids now available as the Chaplain's Manual, the Navy Chaplain, and the History of the Corps. An 140 paged mimeographed Curriculum for Chaplain Corps Indoctrination, was prepared as aguide for the eight-week training of the Student Chaplains. No effort was made to overlap classes until August 1951 when the first abbreviated course for recallees was given. Following that date two four-week refresher courses were given during the two-month course taken by the newly com- missioned chaplains. Six ofthe two-month courses were given in 1951 and another six in 1952. Four of the one-month refresher courses were given in 1951 and 12 in 1952. NAVY REGULATIONS Navy Regulations of 1920 were replaced by the revision of 1948 which contained the following sections of interest to chaplains: 0711. OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY l. Divine services shall be conducted on Sunday if possible. All assistance and encour- agement shall be given to chaplains in the con- duct of these services, and music shall be made' available, if practicable. A suitable space shall be designated and properly rigged for, the occasion, and quiet shall be maintained through- out the vicinity during divine services. The religious tendencies of individuals shall be recognized and encouraged. Z. Except by reason of necessity or in the interest of the welfare and morale of the command, the performance of work by naval personnel shall not be required on Sunday. 3. Kal When there is no chaplain attached to the command, the commanding officer shall engage the services of any naval or military chaplain who may be availableg or, failingiin this, shall, when practicable, invite a civilian clergyman to conduct religious services. tbl Provision shall be made for send- ing and receiving church parties as appropriate and practicable. 4. Except by reason of necessity, ships of the Navy shall not begin a cruise on Sunday. 5. The provisions of paragraphs 2 and 4 of this article shall not apply to commands en- gaged in training the naval reserve. 6. Nothing in this article shall be con- strued as prohibiting authorized work by civil- ian employees on Sunday. 7. In time of war or national emergency the provisions of this article shall be complied with, so far as practicable. 0807. THE CHAPLAIN The chaplain, when assigned, shall be de- tailed to duty directly under the executive offi- cer, or as appropriate, the chiefof staff. Under that officer, he shall be responsible for the performance of all duties relating to the reli- gious activities of the command, and of such other appropriate duties as may be prescribed by the commanding officer. The chaplain shall be permitted to conduct public worship accord- ing to the manner and forms of the church of which he is a member. The Articles for the Government of the Navy were repealed on 31 May 1951 according to the Act of 5 May 1950. This Act contains, as part one, the Uniform Code of Military Justice which is now found in the first part of the volume con- taining the Navy Regulations of 1948. The second part of this Act contains sixteen other sections which are not now in Navy Regulations, but which are a part of the Act, including the following: