Milford chronicle., 1951-09-07
Father White Named To
High Y. F. w. Office
CONTINUED on page 2sl

fee in the V. F. w. Father White.
who recently was reelected chap
lain of the Delaware Department
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
was brought forth by the Delaware
Department as a candidate for the
national chaplaincy at a depart
ment meeting held here last month.
The last Delawarean to hold a ma
tiOnal Office in the V. F. w. was
DR.. Meredith 1. Samuels, of Will
mingtOn, who served as national
surgeOn-general some twenty years
ago.
Father Whites campaign was di-
rected by a Delaware Department
committee consisting of Depart
ment Commander George l. Syl-
vester, Jr., Past Department Com
manders John Babiarz, Samuel D.
Ableman, Herbert Willis, William
T. EliasOn, and Lloyd Ricards, all
of the Wilmington area; Depart
ment Senior Vice Commander
James ,Cubbage, Clayton; Depart
ment Junior Vice Commander ELL
wood Richards, Selbyville, and
Ralph E. Scott and David S. Hugg
of Blue Hen Post No. 64S3, Milford.
His candidacy received the unani-
nous endorsement of the powerful
Eastern Conference in the early
stages of the encampment, and his
election to the national chaplaincy
became virtually assured when
clergyman candidates from the
Southern and Western Conferences
withdrew; contest for the office
was avoided through withdrawal of
Rev. Charles Clifford, Peoria, Ill,
just as ballOting was about to be-
gin.
Father Whites name was placed
in nomination by the Rev. Max
Metz, past national chaplain from
Minnesota, and the second of the
nomination was by Rev. Roy B..
Schmeichel, of Eau Claire, Wis.
who served as national v. f. W.
chaplain the past year. Following
the election, Father White was in
stalled in his new Office by Joseph
Stack, a past national commander,
and the newly installed chaplain
brought the SIND Annual Encamp-
ment to an official close with pro-
nOuncement of the benediction.
A native of New York City, Fa-
ther White was educated at Car
roll College, Helena, Mont, and at
Cathedral College and st. Mary's
Seminary, New York, and was or
dained in st. Patrick's Cathedral.
New York, in June 1928. His first
assignment was at st. Mary's
Church, Wilmington, as assistant
rector, and he subsequently held
posts at st. AIMS and st. PauPs
in Wilmington, before enlisting in
the armed services in November of
1912.
The first secular priest from the
Catholic Diocese of Wilmington to
become a World War II chaplain.
Father White went overseas in Au-
guest of 1943' and subsequently
served in England, France, and
Germany, first with a paratroop
unit and later with a hospital unit.
He was at the bedside of General
George S. Patton shortly after the
accident that resulted in PattOn's
death in 1945. Returning to the
United States in April 1916, Rev.
White was discharged with the
rank of captain in June of the same
year.
Following his discharge from
service Rev. White was assigned
to st. Johns here in Milford; he
also has under his charge Catho-
lie parishes at Georgetown and Re
hObOth. The acknowledgment af-
filiated with Blue Hen Post on De-
cember II, 194S, and was elected
chaplain of the local V. F. w. post
in April 1949; in 1850, following
his reelection as post chaplain, he
was the unanimous choice for
chaplain of the Delaware Depart
ment, and was also the unanimous
choice for reelection as both chap
lain of post and department this
year.
Fifty-three years old, the popu-
lar priest makes his home at the
st. Johns rectOry, 4 Maple avenue,
Milford.
The Milford area was represent
ed at full delegate strength, not
only at the national encampment
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
but also at all sessions of the La
dies Auxiliary to the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, the Military Order
of the Cootie, and the COOtiettes
Clubs! whose national encampments
were held in New York City con-
current with that of the parent or
ganizatiOn. Present and participat-
ing in the activities of the v. F. w.
encampment were Rev. White, Da-
vid S. Hugg. Ralph E. Scott, Charles
E. MulhOlland, DR.. J. Robert Mar
tin. Thomas I. Schlegel. and Paul
J. Duphily, all of MID; with the
exception of Father rite, these
Blue Hen Post dele ga,es also rep