Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-12-24
Sends Greetings
To Friends Here

Rev. John 0. Johanson, former
pastor of the Nordland Lutheran
church near Denham, and now
an army chaplain at Marshall
Field, Kansas, sends the follow
ing letter of Christmas greetings
to his friends here:
On behalf of my family and my
self / should like to extend through
the pages of the Askov American a
Christmas greeting to the many
friends in the churches of our former
parish and the community in which
we lived and worked.
We think of you often, not the least
now at the Christmas season. AS in
our minds we still 60 in and out of
your homes we come to each of you
with our personal greeting for a
happy Christmas season and the bless
ing of God upon your lives through
the year ahead.
AS to ourselves, you know that
Mrs. Johanson and the children live
at Minneapolis while I am located
at Marshall Field, Kansas. After
leaving Moose Lake the family was
settled Immediately in the city while
went to attend the school for chap
lains at Harvard university. The
school was an interesting experience,
not the least of which was the chance
to see somewhat of Harvard, Cam
bridge and Boston with their many
landmarks noted in American his
tory, even though sightseeing was
at a minimum. The schedule took
care of that. After the four-week
term was over, 1 had a chance to
spend five days with the family be-
fore reporting for duty here at Mar
shall Field.
Marshall Field is an air base con-
nected with Fort Riley, an old cav
airy post whose history runs back
to the days before the Civil war
At the present time there are also
other army camps connected with
Fort Riley. The location is central
Kansas, about $50 miles southwest
of Kansas City, and the geographical
center of the United States.
am the only chaplain assigned to
this post. Having been here now
about two months I feel that I am
beginning to establish working &C
quaintance with the personnel and
organization of the post and also
acquiring some familiarity with the
work of a chaplain. enjoy the place,
though have expressed myself to
the effect that if l could have my
choice of places to go still would
like to be with the first group of
Uncle Sans men that 60 into Nor
way, whenever that might happen.
Perhaps you might be interested
in word about the work of chap
lain. Fundamentally it is the same
as that of the pastor in the congrega-
ton. Services are held on Sunday
as we regularly do in our churches.
The government recognizes the three
faiths, Protestant, Catholic and Jew
ish, and services must be scheduled
accordingly to give opportunity for
each man, as far as possible, to Wor-
ship after the manner of his own
faith, whatever that might be. For
example, as Protestant chaplain I
must arrange for services for the
Catholic men of the unit / serve. /
do this by having neighboring Cath
Ole chaplains or civilian priests come
in, for cnrxyfoac Tho holds
for Jewish men. Weekday activ-
tiles and special religious services
are scheduled according to the local
situation and need. !.
In addition to the arranging and
conducting of worship services the
chaplain is expected to visit the hos
pitfalls and the guard house. He must
also be available for interviews and
consultations with the men. The
problems on which he is asked to give
advice and help are not all of the
kind which we in the church de-
scribe as spiritual" The problem
may be one about the Bible or a
moral issue, but it may also be one
concerning some family difficulty,
money trouble Common inside the
army as well as outside), matters
pertaining to furlough, letter to
write, or some other thing which
may not seem so important, but which
means much to man far away from
home: 1 might also say that the
government is concerned about keep
ing the chaplain's ministry a spirit
ual and moral one. It is said that