Evening star., 1945-10-28
ellis How choploins
Helped Navy at War

Helped Navy at War
Chief Says They Served at Many
Different Posts
By Rear Admiral William N. Thomas,
c. c., u. S. N.
The United States Fleet Is homeward
bound these days, and yesterday Amer
leans paused to celebrate Navy Day. The
men and women of the naval services
are profoundly grateful for this tribute,
and happy that America is saying:
We'll done!"
On ships OF the line, In most flotilla,,
and with squadrons of smaller ships,
there's man who has sought out his
enemy in unique ways. He has not born
arms, but he has been in battle. He
was at Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, the
Coral Sea, Saipan, Two Jima. the Philip
pines, Tokyo Bay. His battle station was
his pulpit in a crude chapel or in the
crowded compartment Of a ship, in
his little Office where he shared the
simple joys of the men, counseled them In
their trouble. or in the sick bay where
he comforted them in their pain.
| He wears the Christian cross or the
Jewish tablet and Star Of David. Once
he decided that Navy men needed him,
so he volunteered for the United States
Navy Chaplain Corps.
On September 8, 1899. when Franklin
D. Roosevelt declared this nation to be
sin state Of emergency" there were 81
Navy chaplains in uniform, with 63
others standing by in the Naval Re-
serve BY August /, 1943, over 1900
clergymen had taken leave of their ci-
william parishes, had gone to the Navy
procurement office to offer their serv-
ices to the chaplaincy. BY August IS,
l945 there were 2,S1l Navy chaplains,
or one to approximately 1880 men.
BY that time IL chaplsins had given
their lives aboard fighting ships or on
bloody invasion beaches. Five had been
taken prisoner by the japanese. Eighty
three had been decorated for outstand-
ing and heroic conduct. or for wounds
received in action.
The Navy trained its new chaplains
with two-month indoctrination
course. The Naval Training School
(Chaplains) was first set up at the Ma
val Operating Base, Norfolk, Va. and
was later moved to the College Of Will
liam and Mary, at Williamsburg. Stu
dent chaplains. who were commissioned
lieutenants and lieutenants (junior
grade), learned Navy regulations and
procedure, customs, etiquette, history,
counseling, warfare duties and first aid.
They went aboard ships and to shore
stations for periods of field training"
Young candidates for the ministry
were inducted into the Navy Via pro-
gram. They continued their seminary
training in uniform and, upon gradua-
tion, were commissioned in the Chaplain
Corps.
The chaplains were assigned to the
Nays ships and stations. to the Ma
rines. and to the Coast Guard. They
were with personnel of these services
while they trained and went with them
into battle.
The ugly backdrops of war were Diff
cult settings for the sacred ideals of re-
ligion. But the chaplains brought reh-
gion to fighting men, and tried to keep
them reminded of the truths OF divinity,
helped them to find spiritual strength
when physical endurance was nearly
gone, urged them to remember their
Creator, whom some of them faced for
the first time, as they faced death.
II am most humble when I consider
the great personal responsibility that is
mine," said one Navy chaplain, "a re-
sponsibility that is every chaplain's to
preserve in these young people a su-
preme faith in their religious convic-
tions, to help them find clear-cut and
spiritually satisfying answers to disturb
ing questions which may crowd or jum-
Bile their thinking during these troubled
times"
With these men far away from home,
chaplains put aside differences of faith,
turned their thoughts and efforts and
abilities toward one goal-the spir-
itual care of these young Americans.
Army and Navy chaplains worked long
hours together, planning their program
so that every man in their areas would
have opportunity to worship according
to his own faith, unchanged pulpits
and travelled from unit to unit bringing
divine services to men stationed in iso-
lated places. They gave instruction and
equipment to units and ships without
chaplains, so that laymen could lead
services for their comrades.
~
And chaplains found things to do be-
sides holding divine services each Sun
day. During battle, for instance, they
served as valuable assistants to doctors
and medical parties, Offering q glass Of
cool water or a prayer. bringing men
through fire and strafing to the aid
stations where doctors could take over.
Bluejacket wrote: IF you have ever
seen chaplain trying to comfort men
who have had their eyes burned out,
or whose skin is hanging In shreds,
you understand that it is not an easy
task. When the excitement of battle is
over and the morphine wears off, the
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