When the Chaplain Comes Home
By LIEUTENANT JIM LUCAS
Combat Correspondent, United States Marine Corps
to his feet and repeated the epithet. The Raiders were
Here's plain talk from a man who's seen chaplains dumbfounded. "Now," Father R- roared, "you have under fire. You may not agree. But can you honestly heard me say it. And I'm a priest. How does it sound? say you're in step with your own minister who's The marine was shamefaced and silent. "It ought to turn away, or with the young man who will be your min- your stomach," the padre said and strode away. Apparentl ister after the war? it did, for there was a marked decrease in profanity from that time on.
There are wider problems than profanity for the chap.
W ILu t when he comes lain to solve. Relatively few of the men in any combat unit
ILL you recognize your minister when he comes are members of their chaplain's church. As one chaplain
home after the war ? Maybe you've never asked that ar mebr ofterca'anscu. Asoecali
home after the war? Maybe you've never asked that told me recently, "Denominationalism doesn't mean very question. But he has. He will not be &he same man who .,,
uesti. Bu, he s. w inter the ae much in the service. Protestant chaplains have worked left you, and he knows it. Our ministers often are pris- with Catholics, Catholics with Jews. A Presbyterian chap oners of creed. They live among those of their own faith, lain from the deep south remarked recently, almost as often to the exclusion of other contacts. But those now inhe e b th reat nth a wk i the army, navy, and marine corps have suddenly found it he were startled by the realization, that he had worked i te army, navy, and marine corps have suddenly foulnd it partership with a Catholic priest through four ofth necessary to live and work with men of different beliefs partnership with a Catholic priest through four of the and creeds; they have rubbed elbows with men from dif- toughest campaigns of the Pacific-"And there has neve ferent parts of their own country, good men, bad men and been a single major disagreement between us." When one Catholic priest was wounded on Saipan, the Protestant
just average men. Our ministers in the services are learn- chaplain who worked with him told me, "It doesn't seem ing that no one church has a monopoly on heaven. They re like the same outfit with that old character gone. learning that they must practice what they preach. Ministers may have known before joining the services
The chaplain has also learned that the taboos with which that each faith is broad enough to include them all. But churches sometimes surround their preachers, priests and the knowledge was too often purely academic. In uniform, rabbis vanish when he goes into the field. Few of his new the .wede actal w parishioners feel the necessity of pretending they are what they saw the idea actually work out. they aren't. They admit their own shortcomings and are The greatest difficulty experienced by chaplains of my quick to point out the chaplain's. They challenge him to acquaintance throughout the Pacific is that too many of show them a better way of life. But the average chaplain their Commanding Officers expect them to be sufficient enjoys the honesty with which his men approach him. unto themselves. One chaplain approached his new C.0
At home, ministers live and work with men and women an energetic young major who knew everything about who profess to believe with them. When the preacher tanks and was interested in little else, to ask when he visits a parishioner, the children are brought out washed should hold services. The major answered bluntly, I behind the ears. When he goes to dine, he gets the old don't give a damn if you ever hold services. That's your red rooster with dumplings. And he's accustomed to a baby." certain amount of deference. In the services no one makes To a chaplain who has been accustomed to relying on any attempt to impress the chaplain. He has a job and he his board of deacons for support in every decision he is expected to do it. Quite often it fs rough-and the makes, it is undoubtedly unnerving to be thrown suddenly chaplain must sometimes learn to be rough himself. on his own. But the majority of chaplains seem to have
chapainmus soetims larnto e rogh imslf.found it surprisingly exhilarating. They have developed
I know of at least one young chaplain who broke under found it surprisingly exhilarating. They have developed
the strain. His desire to be one of the fellows was too new channels of expression, new outlooks, new reliance strong. To his complete surprise, his concessions alienated a new sense of independence. And many of them will not them. His men, even the professed atheists, did not like willingly surrender it when they return to civilian life. to see their chaplain drink. They complained to his colo- A chaplain who weathers his first rocks and shoals wil nel that he swore too much. Probably they felt he was have much to take home with him-not alone in material neglecting his job. A machine gunner is expected to be a for sermons, although many of them can be expected to good machine gunner. A chaplain is expected to be a good begin, "Now when I was on Saipan . ." but in his ap chaplain. proach to the human problem and in his intolerance Of outside interference.
But good chaplains are in the majority. There is Father outside interference.
R-, the Raider padre. On one occasion he heard a marine In New Zealand, for example, my own active Chrisiafn use. a particularly vile oath. The padre jerked the offender ity was put to a severe test. My best friend was the pastor of the Methodist Church and one evening I orated at
*Reprinted with permission from Woman's Home Companion of April, length to him on the evils of British rule in India. My 1945. indictment was scathing and my friend, who was a 0loya 34 The Army and Navy Chapla