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The United States Army Chaplaincy 1920-"1945

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The United States Army Chaplaincy 1920- THE BEST AND WORST OF TIMES \/ [pri ';;"pi \\ THE UNITED STATES ARMY CHAPLAINCY 1920-"1945 ..*!• THE BEST AND WORST OF TIMES THE UNITED STATES ARMY CHAPLAINCY 1920-1945 by Robert L. Gushwa Volume IV OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF CHAPLAINS DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON, D.C. 1977 : FOREWORD This volume is one of a series of five prepared by various authors, designed to be useful and instructixe regarding the long history of the United States Army Chaplaincy. The emphasis throughout is on how Chaplains did their ministry in the contexts of both war and peace. The series seeks to present as full and as balanced an account as limitations of space and research time permit. The bibliography in each volume offers opportunities for further research leading to detailed studies, articles, monographs, and perhaps even volumes regarding persons, developments, and events of the period concerned. No attempt has been made to express any specific point of view or to make policy recommendations. The con- tents of each volume represent the work of the individual author and do not represent the official view of the United States government. An effort has been made to make this volume as complete and factual as possible. In the light of new information and developments, there may be modifications required concerning the material, interpretations, and conclusions presented. Such corrections, additions, and suggestions as readers may have are welcome for use in future revisions ; they should be addressed to Director of Support US Army Chaplain Center and School ATTN: Historian Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, NY 10305 Chaplain Robert L. Gushwa, a Regular Army chaplain of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., is the writer of this volume. Chaplain Gushwa was born and educated in Indiana. He served as pastor of civilian congregations in Kentucky, Florida, and Ohio, before entry on active duty in 1964. He has served at Fort Eustis, Virginia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Wadsworth, New York; and overseas, in Germany and Vietnam. He has been awarded the Bronze Star with V device and Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Servdce Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with second Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Master Parachutist Badge. iii : PREFACE Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of belief, it wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were .^ all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. Written in 1859, these words characterize and give the title to this volume. The twenties, thirties, and forties were the best and worst of times for America and the times were reflected in the ministry of the chaplains. "The decade of the twenties is the most sharply defined decade in American history" wrote Sydney Ahlstrom.' The decade was marked by war at one end and depression at the other. Chapter I, "From World War to Market Crash," describes the ministry of Army chaplains, and the growth toward an upgraded professionalism within the institution dur- ing the period. The 1930's, whether seen as the Great Depression or the New Deal, had no precedent in United States history. Chaplains ministered not only to the small peacetime Army, but also to young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps in a new opportunity for expanded service. Fear, hunger, and desperation became facts of life as privation spread across the country. Part of the nation was committed to pacifism, isolation, and indecision, even as war clouds gathered. Others saw a revival of spirit, a nation of rugged individualists pulling together with a sense of urgency that took on a religious aspect. Chapter II, "Marking Time While Pre- paring, the 1 930's," chronicles the chaplains' ministry in that decade. On 7 December 1941 America was thrust into the war she sought to avoid, yet for which she was preparing. From less than 200 in the twenties, the number of chaplains on active duty reached nearly 9,000 during World War II. It was a time of unprecedented opportunity for service, accomplished amidst the death and destruction of modern war- fare that culminated in the ushering in of the atomic age. It was indeed the best and worst of times. Chapters III and IV describe the defensive and offensive stages of World War II. The division of material into two vi THE U.S. ARMY CHAPLAINCY— 1920-1945 chapters reflects not only the mihtary situation, but a difference in the focus of ministry as it appHed to training, and later combat settings. ' The approach used is chronological. While decades of history are artificial measurements, there is evidence that the decades discussed fell into discernible patterns, markedly different from one another. Further, a conscious attempt has been made to show what was happening in the country, how it affected the Army, and in turn how that affected the ministry of the chaplain. The people to whom the chaplain ministered, the milieu in which he found himself, the events, and the popular think- ing and interpretation of those events, varied greatly from decade to decade. The chaplain's role in the 1920's was not the same as in the 1970's. An institutional history of the chaplaincy could be written "from the top down," as though the significant events controlled from the top, by the Secretary of War, the large denominations, the Congress, and the Chief of Chaplains, and managed to filter down to the individual soldier through his or her chaplain. Such a history may some day be written. But this is not it. The historical facts as uncovered in my research simply do not support the view that "top" people, gifted with prophetic foresight, planned ahead for the exigencies of war, or deeply felt the spiritual needs of soldiers and devised an adequate plan for recruiting, training, and equipping chaplains to minister. The use of the term "corps" when applied to chaplains of this period was a troublesome term, without of- ficial status. Like "Topsy," it just grew. Comparing the institution of the chaplaincy to the artillery, infantry, or armour branches is to compare apples with oranges. Their corps histories are shaped by strong com- manders, strong leadership, tested principles, "vested interests" in intra- service rivalries for money, equipment and importance. The concept of humility is foreign. An alternate view of the history of the chaplaincy is to write from the bottom up, a "grass roots" view as seen through the eyes of the chap- plains who ministered to men bored to death at isolated camps and train- ing areas, frightened at embarkation points and battlefields, sick and in- jured in hospitals and aid stations, isolated in stockades and prisoner of war camps. Counseling in scrounged offices, preaching in chapels made out of packing cases, hitchhiking from camp to camp and site to site when no official transportation was provided, mimeographing "hymnbooks" at their own expense, watching fine officers zoom past them in rank while they went through the war without a promotion—indeed, in some cases embarrassed by the fact that they had to have rank at all—these men represented a different perspective and history than the view from the top. PREFACE vii The chaplaincy of this period was not a proud corps with distin- guished graduates of West Point leading it to glory. Sometimes unwanted, unappreciated, misunderstood, and viewed with either suspicion, or a smile, in some quarters, and as unnecessary in others, the chaplaincy was a branch like no other in the Army. It had few measurable yardsticks to determine its effectiveness. Its members viewed themselves as clergymen in uniform rather than as professional soldiers. The branch insignia on their uniforms were not weapons, but symbols of love and peace. As a chaplain passed a group of trainees who were being harangued by their sergeant, the sergeant paused and said, "Men, there goes a chap- lain. He is your friend. Your only friend." Perhaps only friends of the "friend" can truly appreciate the uniqueness of this history. The approach of this volume is grass roots. The story of the branch is that of individuals ministering to other individuals in loyalty to God and country. The volume does not concentrate on American history, although it is impossible to write about chaplains and ignore the climate of events that surrounded them. Certainly this book is not a military history nor theological history of the thinking in xA.merican churches, synagogues, and seminaries. It does not pretend to be exhaustive to the point of detailing what each chaplain contributed in his corner of a global dispersion ; many survivors of this period will look in vain for their names, or even a mention of their unit. The book is not an apologia to justify the chaplaincy as an institution. There are no "muck raking" exposes, no debunking of those no longer around to defend themselves. Neither is there an attempt to add glory to the record, for it is strong enough to stand on its own. The purpose of my study is to look at the ministry of Army chaplains during three diverse decades. Note the word "ministry." What did chap- lains do? What did they consider to be their role? How were they seen by others? What were their problems and successes? Who supported them? Who opposed them and why? How did the chaplains adjust their presenta- tion of the ancient gospel to the modern world? Sometimes they succeeded beyond their own knowledge.
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