United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE CORPS A number of other developments within the Chaplain Corps took place during these four years under review, 1949 - 1953, which are worthy of mention. The following are some of the most significant of these developments: Creation of the following new billets during 1949 - 1952, all of which call for achaplain with the rank of Commander except CNATRA which calls for a Captain and the last two which also rate a chaplain with the rank of Captain as additional duty: COMAIRLANT - March 1949 COMPHIBLANT - June 1949 COM MSTS - August 1950 COMDESLANT - June 1950 COMCRUDESPAC - September 1950 COMNAVFE - September 1950 COMPHIBPAC lRe-est.l - December 1950 CNATRA - June 1951 CINC NEIM - November 1951 COMAIR FMFPAC - June 1952 Eastern and Western Sea Frontiers - August 1952 Seven Navy Chaplains attended a three week session of the Westminster Choir College at Princeton in July 1951 and one in August 1952 under orders for the purpose of receiving pro- fessional and musical training for improving worship services in the Navy. On 4 December 1952, a Joint Letter from the Chief of Naval Personnel and the Commandant of the Marine Corps regarding uniform regu- lations was promulgated specifying that naval officers on duty with the Marines will wear the Marine utility uniform only when actually in the field with Fleet Marine Force troops. This cancels the former regulation which permitted Navy officers serving with Marines to wear the Marine khaki or green uniform. The Chief of Chaplains has cooperated with the Department of Evangelism of the National Council of Churches and with the General Com- mission on Chaplains in conducting preaching missions on Naval Stations and spiritual retreats for chaplains. During 1952, 23 preaching mis- sions were held on 23 Naval and Marine Corps Stations. NAVY CHAPLAINS AGAIN IN COMBAT The outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950 again drew the armed forces of the United States into the maelstrom of war. The limita- tions of this chapter forbid more than a brief review of the part that Navy chaplains have played in the combat zone during the two and ahalf years intervening. During World War II, the complement of chap- lains for a Marine Division was only 16. As a result of a revision of the tables of organization made by the Marine Corps following World War II, the nurnber of chaplains for each regiment was increased from two to three and additional chaplains were added for division troops. This brought the full complement for a Marine divi- sion up to Z6 plus those assigned to attached units. This request on the part of the Marine Corps for more chaplains was in itselfa testi- mony of appreciation for the fine record made by chaplains serving with the Marines during World War II. At the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, or-r ganized Marine Reserve units in the United States were mobilized which meant that all of the 21 chaplains attached to such units were recalled to active duty. The fact that these 21 chaplains were members of an organized Reserve unit and had received compensation for their services was taken as an indication that they had already volunteered for active duty. The First Marine Provisional Brigade, with four Navy chaplains, constituted the first Marine force to land in South Korea. These four chap- lains were Chaplains O. Ingvolstad, Brigade Chaplain, and W. G. Tennant, both Protestants, and O. E. Sporrer and Bernard L. Hickey, Catholics. This Brigade landed at Pusan, South Korea, in August 1950. The Brigade after a month of intensive fighting was soon withdrawn and united with the remainder of the First Marine Division. This Division, with its attached units and with a full complement of 28 Navy Chaplains, took part in the assault landing at Inchon in Sep- tember 1950. Much could be written on the faithfulness to duty and heroism under fire displayed by the Navy Chaplains who saw combat in Korea. Again they lived up to the noblest traditions of the Chaplain Corps and to the highest ideals of their faith. Writing on 15 December 1950, Division Chaplain Schwyhart reported to Chaplain Salisbury in part as follows: In my monthly report, dated 1 December 1950, I mentioned that the turn of events during the part forty-eight hours had made this present operation very precarious. Actually, it turned out to be, as many Marine Officers agree, the toughest and worst ex- perience of the Marine Corps. It is not possible to adequately describe nor relate the events of the past seventeen daysg am- bushed convoys leaving many men killed, wounded, missing or POW, entrapped troops fighting their way back from Yudam-ni or Hagaru-ri, thence to Koto-ri, against over- whelming numbers of enemy troops and the elements with temperatures going as low

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while in the service. On l August l952, a third series of posters, twelve in number, was re- leased on the subject Why Religion . This series was directed to personnel who were not connected with a church in the hope that these visual appeals would help make religion more meaningful to them. A fourth series on Why Worship , was in the course of preparation on 1 January 1953 and was due to be ready for re- lease by 1 July. Requests for copies of these posters have been received from many churches and other civilian agencies. A Chaplains Film Service Manual was pub- lished in July 1950 and a revised edition has appeared annually thereafter. The Chaplains' Film Service is designed to assist Navy Chap- lains in their religious and morality programs with service personnel. Several prints of about 70 civilian-produced motion pictures were se- lected and secured by the Chaplains Division for free distribution to Navy Chaplains through- out the Naval Establishment. The Manual gives a brief description of the contents of each film available, length of running time, and a classi- fication in terms of the objectives in religious education. The demand for these films on the part of the chaplains, throughout the various Naval Districts, is evidence that these modern techniques and tools are being increasingly ap- preciated and used by Navy Chaplains. The Chaplains Division will continue to stress the importance of visual aids in carrying out the religious and Character Guidance program of the Navy. The Chaplains Division has worked through the Armed Forces Chaplains Board in the prep- aration of a series of six visual presentations for Character Guidance lectures in recruit train- ing centers. These six subjects presented are: Religion, Basic Moral Principles, Marriage and Family Life, Sex Education, Citizenship,, and Individual Responsibility. The lectures designed especially for recruits, are presented in a series of scenes, which are adaptations of the flannel- board technique, with professionally prepared symbols. Thus the spoken word was re- enforced by an attractive visual presentation. Another joint project of the Chaplain Corps of the three branches of the Armed Services is a series of character guidance pamphlets under the title, Duty, Honor, Country. Each pam- phlet contains ten lectures. During the fiscal years 1945 to 1950 inclusive, the Congress of the United States appropriated 525,000 annually for the Chaplains Division. This was increased to Sl56,700 for the fiscal year beginning l July 1951, and to S426,700 for the fiscal year beginning 1 July 1952. These figures include the cost of all ecclesiastical equipment and supplies made available to chap- lains or chapels by the Navy. The Chaplains Division is being called upon to originate, pre- pare, and furnish to the chaplains in the field fresh and effective audio-visual aids in order to carry on a vital program of religious and morality training. Two hymn books were available for Navy Chaplains during World War II - Hymnal, Army 5151 Navy, and an abridgment of this book called the Song and Service Book for Ship and Field. Each volume contained a section for Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant worship. Under the spon- sorship of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board a new hymnal was being prepared on 1 January 1953. It will be an all purpose hymnal some- what smaller than the Army .3415 Navy Hymnal. Dr. John Finley Williamson of the Westminster Choir College of Princeton, New Jersey, is assisting in the preparation of the new hymnal as music consultant. Ritualistic sections in the former books which were rarely used are to be eliminated. The hymns will be written for men's voices with a soprano line added. The new book, which is to be available for all three branches of the Armed Services, is to be ready before the close of 1953. Mindful of the need to provide aids for the .con- ducting of religious services by unordained per- sonnel on ships and stations without chaplains, the Chaplains Division through its Special Proj- ects Branch has provided Worship Kits for Lay Leaders. Each kit contains materials for Catho- lic or Protestant services and the Jewish Scrip- tures. A manual is included to help layrnen conduct services together with several brief devotional meditations which may be read. Dur- ing July, August, and September of 1952, en- listed men and officers of the destroyer forces, representing all faiths conducted 1058 services in the absence of a chaplain. More than 17,000 naval personnel attended these lay-conducted services. The Division received about 300 re- quests for these Worship Kits from 1 October 1952 to 1 January 1953. The Protestant mate- rial of the Worship Kit also contains recorded church music for twelve services produced by the Westminster Choir under the direction of Dr. John T. Williamson. The recorded music for each service contains the following: prelude, responses, hymns, anthem, choral benediction and postlude. The Catholic Section of the kit contains copies of a booklet for Rosary Services entitled 'Pray Together prepared by Father Patrick Peyton, the Director ofthe Family Rosary Crusade. Combat Qaltarl Kits were developed in co- operation with the other branches of the Armed Forces. Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish kits were prepared to be carried in a canvas con- tainer similar to a haversack. These kits have been distributed to chaplains serving with Fleet Marine Force units.

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as 15 degrees below zero: men with frozen feet and legs, heroism and deeds of valor which officers and men had little thought that they would be called upon to perform .... Throughout the operation, the chaplains, all of them gave unsparingly of themselves to render assistance and to minister as chaplains wherever and whenever possible. Frankly, it is not possible to point out out- standing performances, because everyone in his own way did just that. We had eight chaplains with the regiments and attached units who made the march-back, fighting all the way from Yudamni-ni to Koto-ri. At the same time we had three chaplains at Hagaru-ri at Charlie and Easy Companies of the Medical Battalion. Up to 19 January 1953, 104 chaplains had served for varying periods of time with the First Marine Division in Korea and 15 chaplains with the First Marine Air Wing, or a total of 119. In addition on 19 January, Z6 chaplains were on duty with the First Division and eight with the SS LM BS Fir st Marine Division Austin, H. E. Barlik, R. F. Bonner, R. A. x Brooks, W. E. Brown, J. C. Brynes, J. P. Callahan, J. T. Capers, K. H. Craven, J. H. x Cummings, H. H. Duncan, H. C. Fenning, R. C. Ferris, J. S. Fitzgerald, J. C. Gallahger, J. P. J. Gibbons, A. R. Goodman, G. Griffin, C. G. x Groover, H. H. Guillaume, L. A. Hayes, H. H. Hearn, K. M. Hearn, W. M. Hickey, B. L. Hollingsworth, J. E. III Howland, B, C. Ingvoldstad, O. Jolly, D. W. Jones, G. Juntunen, A. J. Keaney, K. J. Killeen, P. A. Kulinski, A. M. Lewis, J. W. Lonergan, V. J. Lyons, W. N. Mendonsa, A. F. McCabe, W. D. 'Air Wing. This made a grand total of 153 Navy Chaplains who have had combat experience in Korea, during the present crisis. Chaplain Ingvoldstad was the first of thirteen Navy Chaplains to receive the Purple Heart as the result of wounds received while in combat in Korea when he was slightly wounded in one of his hands on 15 September 1950. Chaplain Tennant received severe back wounds as the result of enemy mortar fire near Seoul a few days later. By far the most severely wounded of the thirteen was Chaplain C. J. Griffin, when machine gun bullets pierced his upper arm and shattered his lower jaw in December 1950, during the withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir. An unusually high percentage ofNavy Chaplains have received combat citations. The following list shows that 74 chaplains received a total of 117 citations indicated as follows: SS, Silver Star, LM, Legion of Merit, BS, Bronze Star, LC, Letter of Commendation with ribbon, AM, Air Medalg PUC, Presidential Unit Citation, ADU, Army Distinguished Unit Citation, and PH, Purple Heart. LC AM PUC ADU PH x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X