Serving God and Country: United States Military Chaplains in World War II

Well written and researched, short accounts of many different chaplains, all faiths, during WWII. The author notes in some camps, the priest or minister or rabbi would offer services to all men, regardless of their denomination. In a few camps the men would lead prayer services themselves, in absence of an ordained minister. The dedication of these chaplains is inspiring, they served in the midst of battles and on the front lines.

Chaplain (Major General) William Arnold once observed, "Battles are won by military power, but wars are won by spiritual power." In this very well-researched book, Lyle W. Dorsett makes his case that America's military chaplains were indispensable to helping America secure victory against the Axis during world War II. In making his case, Lyle also does an excellent job of illuminating an often-overlooked aspect of World War II--namely, the story of the service rendered by American chaplains.This book includes many brief vignettes of a variety of chaplains, including Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish chaplains, as well as the experiences of chaplains in the various different military services and operational theaters. But what shines through most in this book is the exceptional devotion of the vast majority of American military chaplains to their calling. Many of these chaplains were generous and sacrificial, truly living out their religious convictions, and providing their fellow soldiers with invaluable care, counsel, and encouragement, often in the face of horrendous conditions.Dorsett also does an excellent job of highlighting various aspects of the whole chaplain experience, including how chaplains from different faith traditions and even racial backgrounds learned from one another, and in essence lived out a more democratic, integrated life long before America's armed services themselves became integrated. He also highlights just how truly evil and barbaric the Nazis and Japanese were in many instances. This book also contains several dramatic accounts of how many chaplains intentionally went into harm's way to offer front-line soldiers much-needed spiritual support in the midst of combat.This book is by no means an exhaustive history of the role military chaplains in America's World War II military operations, but this book does a good job of introducing this often-overlooked aspect of World War II to general readers. I would recommend this book to those who are considering possibly entering the chaplaincy, as well as those who are interested in the religious lives of many American soldiers during World War II. I certainly learned a good deal from reading this book, and I'm sure others will, too!

Lyle Dorsett is an academic historian, a Protestant clergyman, a former Marine reservist, and the owner of a small private museum of World War II artifacts that includes “scores of chaplains’ autobiographies.” Obviously, the topic had met the man long before Dorsett actually began his formal research. In writing this book, the author intended it not only to fill a gap in the history of World War II—arguing that chaplains “were absolutely essential to America’s victory”—but also to be inspirational, to challenge young Americans to consider becoming military chaplains themselves.Of course, World War II chaplains held religious services and offered personal counsel, but they had additional government mandated duties as well, such as keeping the grave registration and giving hortatory talks about sexual morality. Nevertheless, the best of the chaplains were flexible enough to give assistance wherever they could make a difference: everything from battlefield rescue, to assembling baseball equipment for bored soldiers, to protecting refugee women from the Russians, to comforting the wounded and dying and sending letters of condolence to their survivors. Dorsett especially endorses chaplains who were ecumenical in spirit and perhaps even overemphasizes the stories of Jewish chaplains, who were a tiny fraction of the total. Interestingly, the chaplaincy also seems to have been the first part of the U. S. military to have desegregated its professional training.The topic is an intriguing one, and Dorsett writes well enough. The weakness of this book is that it becomes, almost by necessity, a long series of anecdotes.

I purchased this book after a relative told me she had seen it displayed in her local bookstore. The reason she told me about it is because my uncle's picture is in the photo section. Hearing that, I ordered a total of these 3 books, and sent one to my younger brother and one to my daughter. Of particular interest to me was the section of the European Theater of WWII, where my Uncle, Father Venanty Szymanski, served as a chaplain with the 101st Airborne. He jumped into occupied France as a paratrooper with "his men" in the hours before the invasion on D-Day. His own story is not told in the book, but I know from family history that his story is the story of so many of the chaplains mentioned in the book.Dr. Dorsett has authored the book in an easily readable and interesting fashion, interspersing WWII history with the personal stories of many chaplains mentioned by name, and with back stories of the US government process for training them as non-combatants for what became almost combat duty as medics, counselors and confidantes to the military forces so far from home. He has done a great service to compile the stories of the value of these chaplains of many faiths to the war effort. Reading some of the stories brought me to tears to recognize how much our freedom cost so many, and how so many were willing to join the fight.

This book shows faith shinning through the darkest of times. The true horrors of war for the front line troops I.e. those in the meat grinder are presented and the role of very brave chaplains who insisted on being with the men at the point of conflict, injury and death. Be warned the account is harrowing but worth it to see the gems of faith and bravery.More books like this one please!

L’auteur expose à merveille l’histoire de ces aumôniers militaires américains qui ont servi durant la seconde guerre mondiale. Comme tous les militaires, ils ont souffert de l’éloignement, des blessures, de l’horreur des camps qu’ils découvraient, etc... un bel hommage à ces hommes d’exception.

Well written, great info and very enjoyable, Thank You

従軍牧師の存在は以前から知ってはいましたが、 史上最大の作戦 (ハヤカワ文庫NF) や プライベート･ライアン　スペシャル・コレクターズ・エディション [Blu-ray ]などでその活躍を部分的に知る事ができる位です。ずっと気になっていたので、色々探して見つけたのがこの本です。基本的には従軍牧師が成立した過程・活躍した各地でのエピソードを集めた本になっている様です。一文引用しますと”Battles are won by military power but wars are won by spiritual power.”この言葉の意味は大きいですね…日本軍には従軍和尚なんて聞いた事が有りませんから、これが文化の違いでしょうか。具体的な戦線は太平洋・地中海・ヨーロッパ戦線…とアメリカ軍が行った所ほぼ全てですね。従軍牧師と言ってもユダヤ教・カトリック・プロテスタント系と色々あるらしいです。以前、ドイツ軍の肩章を観ているとちゃんと従軍司祭と司教が居るようですが、これも機会があれば調べて行きたいと思っています…※唯一有名なのは北アフリカ戦線で牧師さんが指揮した部隊が、峠で敵を全滅させたとか聞きますが　牧師としての本業の話を聞きたいものです。 史上最大の作戦 (ハヤカワ文庫NF)プライベート･ライアン　スペシャル・コレクターズ・エディション [Blu-ray