God and Country Catholic Chaplains During World War II

· MILITARY CHAPLAINS ~ God and Country Catholic chaplains during World War II By Richard C. Lukas housands of chaplains served Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on stamp, issued in 1948, commemorat during Worlel War II Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941. ed these heroic men. Today there is a Tin the Army, Army Trapped in a compart stained glass window in the Pentagon Air Forces and Navy. ment with one small port that is a permanent memorial to the These "soul doctors" or hole as the only escape "Immortal Chaplains." "chappies," as they were route, Father Schmitt for affectionately known, feited the chance to save Aboard USS Franklin endured the rigorous his own life by helping Little did jesuit Father joseph training of soldiers or 12 sailors to safety before T. O'Callahan know that he would sailors in order to bring he drowned. He was the achieve fame by being the only chap spiritual comfort to our first Catholic chaplain lain during World War II to receive American fighting men to die at Pearl Harbor. the Congressional Medal of Honor for abroad. Today an island in the his heroism during a japanese attack Among the thousands Mississippi River near on the USS Franklin in March 1945. of chaplains of all faiths Father John Dubuque, Iowa, where The former physics and mathematics who served during the Washington he once studied, is named professor at the College of Holy Cross war were Catholic priests. in his Before the war, they had been dioc honor. esan priests or members of a variety The most fa of religious institutes, including the mous chaplains of Jesuits, Franciscans, Redemptorists, World War II were Dominicans, Carmelites, Maryknol the four men who lers and the Society of the Precious gave their life pre Blood. One province of the Domini servers to others can Order contributed 50 priests to after a German U the military chaplaincy. boat torpedoed an Some priests achieved fame be American trans cause of the unique circumstances in port, the Dorches which they found themselves. ter, in February Father Aloysius Schmitt, a gifted 1943. One of the priest who had studied in Rome, was "Immortal Chap aboard the USS Oklahoma when the lains," as they are known, was Father John Washington, IN BRIEF who joined hands • Aboard USS Franklin with Protestant chaplains George • A chaplain's chaplain Fox and Clark Pol • Not religious icons ing, and Rabbi Al exander Goode, • Long confession line and prayed as the ship sank in the • Importance the of North Atlantic. An President Harry Truman congratulates Father Joseph military chaplaincy American postage O'Caliahan on receiving the Medal of Honor. 20 The Priest June 2014 seemed to be everywhere on that most of those attend the cri ppled vessel, reassur ing Mass were Protestant," ing men, helping extinguish DonaIcI Crosby wrote. fires, helping the wounded Franciscan priest Ignati and administering last rites. us Maternowski, who came His example was so inspira from a Polish-American fam tional that the commanding ily, did not live long enough officer decl ared: "He is the to serve his men beyond the bravest man I've ever seen in hedgerows of Normandy. He my life." wanted to be where he felt But there were hundreds he was most needed. That is of lesser-known priests who why he decided to become a served with distinction, if paratrooper. not heroism, during the war. Tough but well liked by Priests who had achieved no officers and enlisted men, toriety were among the first 0 _ ":"';;--->_ he landed in Normandy on to acknowledge them . Little Father O'Caliahan ministers to an injured Navy June 6, 1944. When he be known is the remarkable Fa- crewman aboard the USS Franklin. came aware that there were the r John Bow did in New Guinea exemplified that. many men man, a mem wounded in ber of the A Chaplain's Chaplain a glider crash, Society of the Young Father Joseph Gilmore was he helped Divine Word, the kind of priest who by all accounts transport the who was the might be called "a chaplain's chap men from the first Afri lain." Serving in the 88th Infantry wreCkage to can-Ameri Division of the Fifth Army in Italy, the center of can priest Gilmore lost his life with eight other Sainte Mere O! to receive a men, who were lying on stretchers Eglise, a key ~ commission in a medical facility, when a German communica ~ as an Army bomb killed them. tions hub. Father Schmitt chaplain. Father Gilmore had endeared Since there Father John Son of for himself not only to his men but also was inad- Bowman mer slaves, Bowman often took to Protestant chaplains who served equate room dangerous trips to remote areas of with him. "The affection of the en in a local home to accommodate the New Guinea where he ministered to listed men for Gilmore became even wounded, Father Maternowski walked troops . His principal mission was to more clear at his funeral Mass, where to the German-controlled part of the serve the African-American soldiers a non-Catholic chaplain noticed City to arrange a joint German-Ameri of the 93rd In can hospital for fantry Division, the wounded sol most of whom diers. Upon his were Protestant. return, he was It was not un shot in the back usual for Catho by a German lic chaplains to sniper. minister to sol Dominican diers of other Paul Redmond, faiths . "It was who earned a ecumenism born doctorate from of necessity, but Catholic Univer true ecumen sity, exemplified ism, nonethe what so many less," Historian ~ chaplains rou Donald Crosby ~ tinely did during > wrote. What Fa o~~;~-~ _ . ~ combat. Red ther Bowman Father Paul Redmond, O.P., celebrates Mass for his Marine Raiders. mond, a veteran 22 The Priest June 2014 When the officer in charge made fun of soldiers who went to of World War I, was old confession, Father Cyclone lost blessing the crews be er than most of his fel fore they took off on low chaplains. At 43, it his reserve and punched him. bombing miSSiOns did not deter him from against German targets serving with the 1st and in in Europe. When one 4th Marine Raiders in the PaCific. guy pulled me by the ankles and down airman asked Father Beck about his Nicholas Sobenica, a soldier who was that hill. connections with God, he replied: "1 involved in the bloodbath on the is pray through channels." land of Guam, related a graphic ac Father Redmond, who buried count of the comforting presence of three thousand Marines in his role as Long Confession Line Father Redmond: chaplain, survived the war. He died Some priests were formidable My face was bleeding. I could kind in 1990. characters in defending their priestly of see the blood squirting out of my work. Father Maternowski was ready gut. Then all that machine gun fire. Not Religious Icons to put on the gloves and have it out There was a Catholic priest by the Priests ware not religious icons. with anyone who mocked the sacra name of Father Paul Redmond. He They laughed and joked with the sol ments. Another priest, affectionately crawled up to me and he said a prayer. diers they served. Many played cards, known as "Father Cyclone," sent Every day I think, 'How did he ever a universal pastime in the armed ser his assistant to the mess hall to an survive getting up to me?' You should vices. Father Gerald Beck was so lucky nounce that confessions would be have seen the way the guys were drop playing poker that he invariably won. heard after dinner. When the officer ping. And he came right up to me and But he always gave his winnings to in charge made fun of soldiers who he was saying that prayer to me and the men who needed the money. went to confession, Father Cyclone he says 'You're a brave Marine. God Beloved by the airmen of the lost his reserve and punched him. will take care of you. Your wounds 389th Bombardment Group, Father The officer was not seriously injured. will be healed.' And that's when this Beck could be seen on the runways After the incident, the confessional ·DUSCc June 2014 The Priest 23 Far better for [death] to come when I'm shoulder to shoulder line was very lengthy. with these men who are brother related: "He World War II was was just a kid when he no different from other fighting to preserve our country. went into the service. wars in that young men Never had a girlfriend. did most of the fighting Biggest thing we ever and dying. Many, if not most, were an air force mission to aid the belea did before he went in was a trip to just out of high school and their ex guered Poles during the Warsaw Up Chicago in 1937 to see our first ball periences were limited to where they rising of 1944, exemplified the youth game and ride on the EL." In the lived. Walter Shimshock, who died in of most of our airmen. Shimshock's same unit, there was a 2S year old who was considered one of the "old er" crew members. These young men were the prod uct of a patriotic era and shared an enviable innocence in their convic tion that good would triumph over evil. And they needed chaplains to encourage, support and minister to them. Battle-scarred officers recog nized the importance of the military chaplaincy. What is so remarkable is that most Catholic priests, along with their Protestant and Jewish counterparts, displayed so much self Father Edward Waters celebrates Mass dockside in Weymouth, Eng sacrifice, bravery and commitment to land, prior to the Normandy invasion - D-Day, June 6, 1944.

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