 An official report produced for the armed forces and the American... 1775. A nation is in the making. The flame of liberty spreads from Lexington Common. Out of the ferment grows a desperate need for spiritual and moral guidance. The need is met. A voice rises proclaiming man's right under God to be free. It is heard from Plymouth Rock to the Virginia Cape. The voice of the minister, respected leader in the community. Religious freedom. Political freedom. He teaches that they are inseparable. From Bunker Hill to Brandywine. From Valley Forge to Victory. Ministers not only speak. They fight alongside the men of their parish. These are our first army chaplains. Hardy colonial preachers. Equally at home in Battlefield or Pulpit. In the struggle for independence, these men of God are in the thick of battle. Ahead are many bleak days. But the ordeal of our fighting men is given meaning by the presence of the chaplain. Each man to worship with the chaplain of his faith. This is the wish of General George Washington. Earliest of American military leaders to realize the spiritual need of the soldier. War between the states. A war that brings more men to battle. And brings to a growing need for more chaplains for both the Union and the Confederacy. In some of the more permanent camps, the dominant feature is the chapel. More often services are held under the open sky. Commanders come to regard the chaplain as an indispensable member of the regiment. Though the Civil War finds the army chaplaincy still in its formative stages. The dedicated and widespread work of chaplains is recorded in many accounts of the war. Usually the best educated man in the regiment. The chaplain often acts as school master, librarian and unit historian. But his true role as a clergyman in uniform, meeting the spiritual needs of the fighting man, comes to be fully recognized. War one. General Pershing orders a sharp increase in the number of chaplains. One for every 1200 soldiers. Appointing a senior chaplain to coordinate the activities of all chaplains of the American Expeditionary Force, he asks that those selected be of the highest character with reputations well established as sensible, practical, active ministers accustomed to dealing with young men. Though Padre, serving with troops under all types of field conditions, gains the deep respect of the dough boy, continuing a tradition of fearless and dedicated service. In the front line areas of France. Communion before entering the trenches. A Passover service. A hymn before going into action. One chaplain comes to symbolize the humanity and sacrifice of the American Padre on the western front. Francis P. Duffy of the Fighting 69th. Beside many medals, Father Duffy wins the affection of countless soldiers as well as fellow chaplains for his outstanding qualities as soldier and clergyman. At the beginning of World War II, for the first time chaplains with a military background prepare to serve the religious needs of the largest army in America's history. Before the war is over, nearly 9,000 clergymen in uniform are active with our troops. Bringing hope and comfort where courage alone is not enough to meet the strain of combat. During moments of trial, it is to the chaplain they turn for spiritual strength. In front line areas, the chaplain becomes a familiar figure to the fighting man. Many are decorated for gallantry and distinguished service. Many give their lives. April 17, 1943, somewhere in the Atlantic, the army transport Dorchester is sinking. Four chaplains, two Protestant, one Catholic, one Jewish, give their life jackets to others. Before go down with the ship, Clark V. Polling, chaplain, United States Army. George L. Fox, chaplain, United States Army. John P. Washington, chaplain, United States Army. Alexander D. Good, chaplain, United States Army. The Korean War, Americans plunged into battle suddenly are faced with a problem of spiritual as well as physical readiness. Once again, chaplains serve with distinction in the rough hills of an unfamiliar land. Bringing spiritual comfort to our men, fighting to stem the tide of communist aggression. Chaplains in Korea maintain the tradition of devotion and courage established in the past. Along with his front line role, the chaplain begins to undertake a new responsibility, providing for thousands of children orphaned by the Korean War. Today the role of the chaplain has broadened to include a wide variety of religious activities, ministering not only to the serviceman, but to his family as well. For the parish has come to the army. All over the world, the chaplain is the spiritual leader of the military community. Staff officer as well as pastor and counselor, he is at the center of a widening circle of religious ministrations. Lay activities are an important part of the chaplain's program. Army leaders at the highest level take part in these events. A Catholic Holy Name Society breakfast in Mainz, Germany, an organization founded in 1955, Protestant men of the chapel helps carry out a broader religious program for Protestant servicemen and their families in Europe. The Convocation of the Torah, a ritual carried on among Jewish servicemen to keep alive the religious traditions of their home communities. The theme of our Torah Convocation and our chaplain's retreat this year is ethics, Jewish ethics. We began yesterday by discussing the ethical dilemma of modern man. To improve music at worship services, the Protestant Choir Clinic in Germany, organized by army chaplains, conducts study classes in religious music for servicemen and their families. During the choir clinic, smaller groups practice under expert guidance. The problem is constantly the very last part of the beat. When you're jazzing it up, fine, hold it any way you want it. You can go for as long as you want it. But when you're singing, you really want to get a message across. You cut that ing off on the very last part of the beat. So remember that you cut that off and at the end, don't try to be pruning this thing. But you want to be a crooner. Our retreat house in Berchtesgaden, here under the guidance of the chaplain, servicemen and women are given an opportunity to gain spiritual refreshment through participation in special religious activities. Well, gentlemen, welcome to the retreat house at Berchtesgaden. My name is Father Foley. I'm the retreat master. You're down here to make a retreat. And so it's a good idea that you get very clearly in your minds what a retreat is so that you can make a good one. A retreat is a withdrawal from the ordinary occupations of your daily life so that in a spirit of silence and prayer, you may understand more deeply than you did before what you are doing in this world. What is your precise relation to God? What is your mission here? So that again, in this spirit of silence and prayer, you can look into your souls and see how much you measure up or fail short of measuring up to the ideal set before us by Christ, our head. Religious education of the children of servicemen has become one of the chaplain's increasingly important tasks. A Protestant Sunday school in Heidelberg. Every day and when we play, when we learn and when we pray, hear us holy Jesus. Thousands of children receive religious instruction under the supervision of the army chaplain. The meaning of the mass is described during its performance to the children of Catholic families. Whenever conditions permit, the chaplain conducts ceremonies which bring to the soldier and his family the surroundings of his church or synagogue. Here a Methodist chaplain performs a baptism. He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those that brought them. When Jesus saw it, he was much displeased and he said unto them, suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such as the kingdom of God. He took them up in his arms and put his hands upon them and blessed them. What name shall be given to this child? Mary Elizabeth. Mary Elizabeth, I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Almighty God, grant that this child as she grows in years may also grow in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. A Jewish chaplain prepares a serviceman's son for Bar Mitzvah, the ceremony in the Jewish faith marking a boy's entrance into manhood. You stop with the prophetic portion of the music. For A behold, nossatilo fornachur, I accept before you hayong, this day asah hayim ve s-hatof life and good ve s-hamovest ve s-horror. You see pardon me. you see pardon me you see this verse itself alludes to your bar mitzvah the purpose of your bar mitzvah you are deciding this day which path of life you shall follow you can either follow the path of righteousness or the path of evil that's why you're being confirmed today I have said before you I own this day count on October the 29th is that right that was quite a problem I know as you mentioned before the chaplain as counselor I had one time that that I often relate to couples such as you you know when I got married or just before I got married I took my fiancee with me to buy the ring this was a real proud day for us and right away I found just the ring for and taking it out of the little case you know I said hey Jay look at this isn't this right then I could see in her eye that she liked it but it wasn't the ring you know it's not the one she wanted so we looked a little further and finally she found the ring well now it was a nice ring but I guess she saw in my face that that I didn't like that ring too much you know well let's look a little further and finally we found a third ring and it was just right it was the one that we both liked and we bought it and she's wearing that ring today I believe if a man and a woman sincerely attempts to find a third way that their problems can be resolved and that there can be the blessing of God in any home really beloved we're gathered together here in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony marriage is an honorable estate instituted of God blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ signifying unto us the mystic union that is between Christ and his church it is not therefore to be entered into lightly nor unadvisedly but reverently and soberly and in the love of God for as much as Richard and Anne have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before God and this company and have there to given and pledge their faith each to the other I pronounce that they are husband and wife in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit amen make us the bride the chaplain's ministrations reach wherever there is a need for spiritual comfort often among army hospital patients medical repair is slowed down or stopped for want of spiritual strength or morale here the army chaplain aware of the patient's emotional needs becomes physician to the soul and is often instrumental in helping the patient recover for those unable to attend group worship he conducts individual services although prepared for his work as clergyman by his college and seminary background the present-day army chaplain is required to prepare himself for his role in the military by several months of training at the chaplain school since he will be a staff officer he is obliged to have an understanding of military tactics and principles exercise in the field of command the staff procedures applied to a tactical situation we are a division infantry division in the defense we have our staff here g-staff and chief of staff I'm going to pose a few problems to them and let them take over to see what they do about them chief of staff we got a possibility we are on defense we have a problem of a counterattack the first of the 61st why didn't they call back as soon as they got hit and tell us that they were being hit at first they thought they might be able to hold them back is a possibility that they will use airplanes for a landing to our rear with our air superiority I think we can prevent that situation on their port also let's get on with the problem whether we knew about it or not we're hit now and let's take it from there our next sequence of ask a chaplain bar to be the chaplain for us he's agreed under duress but he agreed nonetheless all right our man is chaplain combs who is role-playing now when you see him he'll be private Roy Johnson if you'll just take your blouse off and come on in the chorus and counseling prepares the chaplain for the many situations in which individuals will come to him for guidance they can't keep me here I've got to straighten this out I can't be a soldier I can't train I can't I can't work until I get this thing straightened out would you like to enlarge on the letter that you have here that you've received well this girl and I we are gonna get married here in a year or two and this guy is supposed to be my best buddy and soon as I go off to the service and he tries to muscle in on me now he she's going out with him and I just got to get home right now and find out why and what's going on I got a so I can have some peace of mind get down to work again but I can't go on until I get this thing straightened out and I know if I get home I know I can straighten it out make a recommendation to you before you go suppose you and I get together for almost two centuries the chaplain has met the spiritual and moral needs of the men of the United States Army his work has varied with the needs of the troops today the United States soldier serves in many distant areas of the world wherever the soldier is the chaplain is there in peace and in war the presence of the chaplain gives purpose to the soldiers mission over the years of our nation's history the role of the army chaplain has changed but the spirit of his service remains as it was in our earliest days this is always my custom when we have a religious service in the field I take the opportunity to give you what I call a word for the week taken from one of the psalms under which I myself attempt to guide my life during the week in which I hope you too will help guide your life during the week let us pray oh Lord we beseech thee mercifully to hear our prayers his selfless devotion his spiritual strength and moral courage continue to be an enduring light and vital force of inspiration to the American soldier giving him the strength the will and the determination to see that this nation of free men under God shall not perish from the earth keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace amen