Seagoing Men of God

The Navy chaplains were getting toughening-up training, too. At Virginia's College of William & Mary (Williamsburg) they hiked, worked in the gymnasium between classes. At the course's climax they dived through burning oil in the swimming pool, pushed ahead under water, came up with arms thrashing, finally made it into flame-free water and clambered out. For men who had just left school or pastorate, it was a rugged business.

Up to 16 months ago the Navy's few chaplains (there were only 96 in 1939) got only haphazard training. A new chaplain simply worked under a veteran, picked up the knack from him. In February 1942, 58-year-old Navy Chief of Chaplains Robert DuBois Workman, who smokes cigars in his ten-inch stem pipe, organized the first training school at Norfolk. Last March the school, jammed with new candidates--Protestants, Catholics and Jews --moved to the Virginia college, where several groups of 25 to 40 constantly train for duty.

Setting the Sights. Chaplains, first sponsored by their denominations, must pass the rigorous physical examination that is routine for all naval officers going on sea duty (there are no "limited service" chaplains). They must have had four years of college, three of seminary work. Age limits are 21-50. Unlike the Army, the Navy requires no parochial experience, will take men fresh from the seminary. The youngsters get a stiff three months' course, the others, eight weeks.

First week of school is "setting the sights." Men who were bigshots in the Church have to learn that in the Navy they may be very smallshots. Typical remark by an instructor: "The last Sunday you preached from your pulpit some nice old lady came up and said, 'That was a wonderful message, Doctor.' The first Sunday you preach after you finish this school, some bluejacket may come up and say, 'Damn good sermon, padre.' You must realize that there is as much sincerity in one as in the other."

The eight weeks' course falls into three periods: three weeks' academic instruction, two weeks' "shakedown cruise" at some naval station, then three weeks' more instruction at William & Mary. The Navy has its own ideas about the "shakedown cruise." Men from a rich parish can just about bank on being sent to a base with few facilities, while men from a poor church are assigned to a base with the finest equipment. The Navy considers this very broadening.

Instructions range from naval etiquette to how a Christian chaplain should minister to a dying Jewish lad. Chaplains learn, too, how to work closely with clergymen of other faiths. One parson arriving at the college wanted to quit; there were Papists there. He ended up by becoming the buddy of a Catholic priest. Many a Navy sky pilot wonders out loud how he can go back to strictly denominational ministering after the war.

Although the training is rigorous, only about 2% of chaplain candidates fail to get commissions--mostly for reasons of temperament. When commissioned, a chaplain's age determines his rank: those under 38 are lieutenants (j.g.); those over 38, full lieutenants. But whether he ranks as lieutenant or captain (highest he can get), the Navy churchman is never referred to by rank, but always as "Chaplain So-and-So." When his men call him "padre" he knows he has arrived.

The Navy War. A 1917 law provides for one chaplain for every 1,250 men. Today there are over 1,000 chaplains (total in World War I: 194).

Bringing spiritual consolation is the chaplain's prime duty. But he has others. He organizes sports, runs the ship's library, the ship's paper, writes business letters for the men, interviews wives, delivers death notices to families, gives advice to men with problems.

On duty 24 hours a day. the chaplain is tied up with his men in both their troubles and their fun. Avoiding any signs of prudery, he must keep in mind one of the training school's mottoes: "Bringing God to men and men to God--the Navy Way."

At present all large ships carry a chaplain, and soon battleships, carriers and hospital ships will each have two. Men on destroyers and submarines see a chaplain when their vessels meet larger craft. For shipboard service men "rig for church" by setting up an altar, raising the blue and white church flag during hymns, prayers and sermon.

Although the Navy's chaplains have seen much active service, only three have been killed so far (two others are listed as missing) in World War II. Two were killed at Pearl Harbor: Thomas Leroy Kirkpatrick (Presbyterian) and Moysius Herman Schmitt (Catholic). Within the past month the name of each has been given to a newly launched destroyer escort.

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