United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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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

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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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SS X LM BS LC AM P UC ADU McDonald, J. D. XX McDowell, N. L. X O'Neill, J. J. Parsons, P. D. Patton, R. L. Peck, W. S. x Peeters, R. T. X Phillips, L. R. Pigott, C. S. Power, J. G. Quirk, J. M. x Reilly, G. J. x Rennie, W. A. Robertson, A. W. Ruleman, R. N. Schwyhart, R. M. x Slattery, E. A. X Sporrer, O. E. x x Taylor, W. A. Tennant, W. G. x Trodd, J. P. x Van Antwerp, E. I. x Weber, Oscar Willets, R. H. x Wolfram, E. A. Jr. First Marine Air Wing Cleaves, R. D. x Cummins, G. W. x Horvath, S. G. LaDuca, P. J. X Lynch, E. M. x Markley, J. H. x Murphy, J. x Seymour, H. A. Sullivan, J. A. Webb, C. E. Weidler, E. R. Totals: 3 3 30 The Chaplains Division has followed the policy of rotating chaplains on duty in Korea by limit- ing the term of service there to a year. Many of the chaplains who were among the first to serve there were rotated at the end of six or seven months. CHAPLAINS ON-BOARD SHIPS IN KOREAN WATERS Navy Chaplains served in battleships, cruisers, carriers, destroyers Qwith squadronsl, hospital ships, tenders, repair ships, and most amphib- ious and Military Sea Transportation Service transports in Korean waters. Battleships, large carriers, and hospital ships had two chaplains onboard while in the forward areas. These chap- lains continued to serve naval personnel with the same devotion and effectiveness as those who ministered on ships inthe Pacific in World War II. The following chaplains serving onboard ships in the Far East have received awards as in- dicated: 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 32 1 31 4 Cook, A. R. Letter of Commendation with ribbon Fay, J. P. Letter of Commendation Knapp, P. J. Letter of Commendation fCombat V , Meade, H. E. Letter of Commendation with ribbon Salyer, O. B. Letter of Commendation with ribbon Szczesny, C. A. Letter of Commendation with ribbon The following chaplains serving ashore in Japan received awards as indicated: Mahler, W. W. Letter of Commendation with ribbon Reaves, J. E. Letter of Commendation with ribbon