Camp Barkeley News (Camp Barkeley, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, April 21, 1944 Page: 3 of 8
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Friday, April 21, 1944
CAMP BARKELEY NEWS
PAGE FIVE
Chaplains In Army Inspire Soldiers-Help Them With Many ProJtla
(This is the 13th in a series of articles on the various branches of the Army actively eneaaed in the ministrv as the nrinmnnl nwnmfinn in lifo
(This is the 13th in a series of articles on the various branches of the Army
Service Forces and how they are assisting the Army Ground Forces and Air Forces
In winning the war.)
actively engaged in the ministry as the principal occupation in life and Be"
with at least three years’ experience therein. He must pass a prescribed Army physic,
examination. Military bearing and neatness are extremely significant. Athletes and men
"OELIGION in the Army travels with the troops. Everywhere today are the Army
Aw chaplains—in training camps, on troop trains and transports and in the foxholes of
the combat area.
Casualties among Army chaplains are high. Thus far, 102 have been killed, wounded
or taken prisoner while ministering to the spiritual and bodily needs of our soldiers
in this war. They have been deeorated for their bravery. One chaplain recently was
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for braving murderous enemy fire and helping
remove wounded men from the field of battle.
Unarmed, the chaplains accompany the Army any place and everywhere. Their
only weapon is the Bible. In this war they have consistently performed outstandingly.
In the other war, the chaplains were sometimes treated as the fifth wheel of
the military machine. Church was usually held where ever, on short notice, a place
could be cleared. There was no office of Chief of Chaplains. Despite these handi-
caps, many of the chaplains of the first World War made an
enviable record of service to their men. Although-non-combatants,
more chaplains were killed, in proportion to their numbers, than
any other branch of service.
Today the Army chaplain is an integral part of the Army and
is recognized as such. He functions under a well-defined program
promulgated by the Chief of Chaplains. He plays a vital role in
the dirty business of war.
The Army chaplain’s duties are closely analogous to those performed by clergymen
In civilian life, modified only by the peculiar conditions attached to military life.
Army policy demands that the chaplv.in stress religious work as his central task. It
is his highest function to stimulate and inspire men through the medium of religion
to an idealism which finds its fruition in loyalty, courage and contentment, the very
essence of good morale. It is the chaplain’s business to help build that character which
makes best soldiers, best citizens and best men.
CpHE fundamental purpose of the office of the Army chaplain may be briefly stated as
-Y follows:
(a) To provide the facilities for public religious worship to the military personnel.
(b) To give spiritual ministration, moral counsel and religious guidance to those
under military jurisdiction.
(c) To be the exponent in the military establishment of the religious motive as
an incentive to right thinking and right acting.
(d) To promote character building and contentment in the Army by precept and
example and thus add greater efficiency to those engaged in the military defense of the
country.
For the manner in which he performs his military duties, the chaplain is responsible
to his commanding officer. In ecclesiastical matters, the chaplain conforms to the
requirements and practice of the particular denomination to which he belongs. In matters
touching upon methods of work and professional policy which do not involve church
policy, supervisory authority is vested in the Chief of Chaplains (Brig. Gen. William R.
Arnold). He is charged with the duty of coordinating and supervising all religious work in
the Army and from time to time malring recommendations for such actions as he deems
advisable to promote the moral and spiritual welfare and contentment of the Army.
The chaplains of the Army of the United States represent many and varied religious
denominations, holding divergent theological opinions and accustomed to different forms
of service and ritual. Chaplains are assigned on the basis of the nation’s latest census,
which determines how many Catholic, Protestant and Jewish chaplains are needed to
care for the Army’s religious needs. Insofar as possible, all chaplains surrender their
denominationalism emphasis upon assuming their posts in the Army. A chaplain is there
to care for all the men, no matter their religious beliefs.
Chaplains are charged while on duty with holding divine services at least once each
Sabbath, except in the case of an exigency which would prevent, and such services, by
announcement, are for the entire personnel of their command.
I^"\UALIFICATIONS for an Army chaplain are rigid. It is no job for a weakling, or
one adhering to a type of fanaticism. The chaplain must be a graduate of' both
fr — -year college and three-year theological seminary courses. He must also have been
jui_* ___
with distinct qualifications of leadership are preferred. After acceptance, the Army
chaplain is sent to the Chaplain’s school at Harvard University for special training in the
Army way of doing things. .
At home the chaplain has many important duties. The new recruit usually sees
the chaplain first thing when he arrives in a reception center. It is the chaplain who
delivers the welcoming address to the rookie, explaining why he is there and what
the Army, in general, is all about. He also explains what facilities are available for
worship.
The chaplain visits the sick and wounded in post hospitals, comforting and giving them
cheer. He cooperates with representatives of the Red Cross and similar agencies in
maintaining home contact for jthe soldier. He also works with recreation officers and hos-
tesses for entertainment programs at assembly halls and service clubs, and cooperates with
camp and civil authorities in measures for observance of existing laws.
Under Army Regulations, chaplains are required to advise with enlisted men under
arrest or in confinement and before trial, when deemed advisable by the commanding
officer. The visitation and spiritual care of prisoners are among the chaplain's most
important duties.
In the combat zone, the chaplain always has a responsibility for the wounded.'"’’At
times he is charged with the duty of bringing the wounded to the battalion aid
station. He can usually be found at the aid station, giving what comfort and solace
he can to the "wounded.
The chaplain is frequently charged with burial of the dead, the disposition of the
effects of the dead and graves registration. If time and conditions permit, the same care is
exercised in the burial and identification of enemy dead.
For field services each chaplain is furnished with a fifty-pound organ, a field desk,
typewriter and assembly flag. Each divisional chaplain has a one and one-half ton truck,
complete with pulpit, portable altar, public address system, field organ, kits with materials
for Catholic masses and Protestant Communion, Bibles and hymn books.
rpHE chaplaincy in the Army had its inception during the Revolutionary War when
General Washington issued the first - call to the colors for American ministers of
the gospel. Although the organization of the Army dates from Sept. 29, 1739, it was
not until the act of March 3, 1791, that the office of chaplain received actual recognition
in the Army. First chaplain was the Rev. John Hurt of Virginia.
In 1917, when the United States entered World War I, there were 20 chaplains in the
Army. More were added gradually. During the period of the war—April 6, 1917 to No-
vember 11, 1918—2,364 chaplains were commissioned. Of these, five were killed in
action, six died of wounds, 12 died of disease or accident, and 27 others were wounded
in action. Twenty-three chaplains were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, five
the Distinguished Service Medal and 57 were decorated by allied foreign nations.
The office of Chief of Chaplains was created by the National Defense Act of 1920.
“Compared to the last war,” a veteran minister said recently,s “the religion in the Army
looks like a revival. Compared to the average community, there is more religion per
square mile than in any civilian area in the country.”
• * *
Camp Barkeley at present has a total of 26 chaplains—20 Protestant, five Catholic and
one Jewish. Camp Chaplain is Major Carl L, Foss.
Eleven regular chapels are situated in Camp, with an additional one at the Sta. Hosp.
and two in the Barkeley Heights area. Services also are held occasionally in recreation
buildings and the Field' House.
Chaplains in Camp are available at all times to discuss with the enlisted men, his
personal, family and religious problems.
Jewish services are held at Chapel No. 2, Avenue C and 23d St. Lt. Max Zucker is the
Camp Jewish chaplain. A Christian Science reading room is located at Chapel No. 8,
Avenue G, between 5th and 6th Sts.
Chief Chaplain of the 12th Armd Div. is Lt. Col. Silas E. Decker, ASFTC’s chief
chaplain is Lt. Col. John A. Stout. Capt. Otis Kirby is 1851st Unit chaplain.
If you think you have talent — like standing on your
head, singing like Crosby, playing the mouth harp or dress-
ing up to look like Napoleon — you’re just the guy they’re
Looking for down at Service Club No. 1.
You may qualify for the Talent
Hour program which is held each
Sunday evening at the club. The
program starts at 8 o’clock and is
emceed by Sgt. A. C. Wimpee. Big
crowds have been attending —so
whether you’re on the program or
not—be sure to attend.
The program at No. 1 club to-
night wall start at 8 o’clock. Movies
will be shown, including a comedy,
news reel and some fine musical
films.
Saturday is open night at the
club. You can write letters, shoot
the bull with your buddies or just
loaf.
The big program on Monday
night will be music by the Abilene
high school dance band. This will
start at 8 o’clock and will be under
the direction of Raymond P. By-
num,
On Tuesday night the Abilene
high school acapella choir will sing
at 8 o’clock under the direction of
Miss Ouida Clements.
Ed Shumway’s songfest on Wed-
nesday night will start at 7:30
o’clock, if you enjoy singing this is
the place for you. Ed wants you to
open your mouth wide and sing it
loud.
There will be a band concert on
Thursday night by the 12th Armd
Div. band. Be there at 8 bells for
a good seat and a good time*
Mending Service
With A Smile!
With the wearing of the summer
uniform there are probably a lot of
G, I.’s whose sun-tans need mend-
ing in one way or another. Or. if
during the period of wearing the
OD’s, you received a promotion and
need a few stripes sewed on, drop
in at the Second Street USO club.
Every day in the week members of
the Volunteer Service Organizations
are in the club to saw for soldiers.
Conserve electricity I
Still Pitching!
Thanks to a newsreel in an Abi-
lene theater, two tankers who have
joined the 12th Armd Div., after
seeing action in the South Pacific,
know that their old outfit is still
in there pitching lead at the Japs.
The two men, T-5 Louis Battag-
lini and T-5 Arthur Burns, easily
recognized their tanks by the dis-
tinguishing names painted on the
sides. It had been more than 20
months since the two were with
their former outfit.
Battaglini and Burns were separ-
ated when their former unit was
split up, but were reunited when
both were sent to the Hellcat Div-
ision’s 68th Armd. Inf. Bn.
KP's Dress To
Fit the Part
As long as men who sling the
hash in Army mess halls are re-
ferred to as kitchen police they
may as well be dressed to fit the
part. At least, that’s the way Co’s
A and B of the 65th Med. Tng.
Bn. feel about it. With the begin-
ning of the present training cycle,
S-figt. Brown P. West, mess ser-
geant of Co. B, devised a method
which has simplified KP detail.
From the tops of condensed milk
cans he has fashioned badges,
equipped with a safety-pin device.
The badges are numbered from 1
to 9—one for each of the nine
KP’s who are on duty at one time.
When the KP’s report to the mess
hall for duty they draw one of the
badges from a hat. Each number
corresponds to a particularly des-
ignated job and they keep that
job all the while they are on duty.
The system works very much in
the same order as the bell-boy sys-
tem in a large hotel. "When the
mess sergeant or one of the cooks
wants something done he calls out
the number of that particular job
and the self-selected KP for that
task comes running.
Sergeant West’s KP badge sys-
tem has worked so effectively that
Co. A has adopted it. According to
Sergeant West his plan has proved
beneficial to both the cooks and
the KP’s. For the cooks it has sim-
plified their work. They know ex-
actly who to call on when they
want something done, and they
don’t lose any time keeping track
of their help. No longer do the
KP's feel that any partiality is
being shown by the cooks when
jobs are assigned for each man
draws his own detail. And, too, no
one man is doing the work of two
men—each has a defined job.
AVOID the tendency to gather in groups
when under enemy fire. The dispersion
of men increases the safety of all.
Rackets!
There just isn’t room in a bar-
racks bag for a tennis racket and
we feel quite safe in saying that
very few net men went off to war
with rackets under their arms.
However if you are one who likes
to serve up the aces, (and we don't
mean in a game of stud), the First
Street USO club will furnish you
with all of the tennis equipment
needed, including racket, balls and
net.
Making Headway?
The Army Housing Bureau is def-
initely making headway in its rent
regulation program and has been
able to assist a large number of
servicemen who have brought their
high rent complaints to the atten-
tion of the bureau. They have also
been , able to help a good percent-
age of eviction cases and in many
cases they have collected return of
rents due Army personnel when
they move.
Don’t fail to call the Army Hous-
ing Bureau, 'phone 8941, if you feel
that your rental deal is not a fair
one.
AllSet For Waste Paper Pick-Up
Twenty Army trucks and their drivers will be furnished by Camp
in a three-day paper salvage drive April 25-26-27 to be conducted
by the city of Abilene and Camp. The trucks will pick up the paper
from business and residential districts and load it directly into box
cam furnished by the Eighth Service Command to be shipped to mills
—Photo by U. S. Army Signal Corps
for processing. Pictured above, (left to right) are Pvt. Lester Hutch-
ings, Pvt. Herman W. Reker, Pfc. Robert E. Schroeder, Pvt. Jose Hern-
andez, Pfc. Lloyd Severance, Pvt. Grover Brown, Major Roscoe F,
Kelley, Capt. Norman A. Turnbull, S-Sgt. Clarence A. Scott, Pvt.
Tex Elliott, Pvt. Plaze H. Webster, CpL George B. Burris, Pvt. Bill
Stanfill, Pfc, Masao Yamamoto, Pfc. Cleve E, Kempster.
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Camp Barkeley News (Camp Barkeley, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, April 21, 1944, newspaper, April 21, 1944; Camp Barkeley, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth601114/m1/3/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Grace Museum.