Chaplains of the
36th Infantry Division
by
Chaplain (Colonel) Herbert E. MacCombie
Division Chaplain
Chaplain Roemer and the 636th
When we were in North Africa, the
636th Tank Destroyer Battalion was sent to the Sebdon Desert for special
training. Under the Tables of Organization they did not rate a chaplain.
I talked about the problem with Chaplain Roemer. One chaplain was all
that we could spare. He was a Roman Catholic and could say mass for the
Catholic men. Would he also undertake to conduct a General Service to
which the Protestants could come? He had never done such a thing and was
not acquainted with the Protestant hymns and order of service.
I found an officer in the battalion
who agreed to help with the singing and worship. Chaplain Roemer agreed
to do his best. When he arrived at the training area, he found 5,000 men
and no other chaplain. The army chaplain and the other units had done
nothing. He went to work to care for the needs of ALL the men. When he
submitted his monthly report, it was revealed that he had the largest
PROTESTANT attendance of any chaplain in the corps.
This disturbed the Corps Chaplain
who sent a DIRECT letter to Chaplain Roemer, condemning him for conducting
protestant services when he was a Catholic chaplain. Chaplain Roemer
reported the matter to me, stating that in carrying out my suggestions he
had come under the censure of the Corps Chaplain.
To make sure of the facts I drove a
thousand miles to the training center. When I arrived at the camp I was
met by a very alert sergeant. He gave me a snappy salute and asked if he
could do anything for me. I told him I had come to see the chaplain, and
asked if he knew him. “Yes, Sir” was the answer. “Do you like him?”
“Very much, Sir” “I suppose you are a Catholic” “No, Sir, I am a
Protestant”. “Do you mean to tell me that he takes care of the
Protestants as well as the Catholics?” “AND the Jews also!” was his
immediate response.
That was enough for me, but to make
sure I visited Lieutenant Colonel Van Pyland of the 636th T.D. Bn. He was
unstinted in his praise of the service of Chaplain Roemer. I reported the
facts to the Chief of Staff together with citations from Army regulations
that indicated a chaplain should care for the needs of all men in his
unit. General Walker wrote to the Corps Commander reporting the facts and
indicating that if the Corps Chaplain had any comments on the work of any
chaplain he should do so THROUGH CHANNELS. We never had any more trouble
with that Corps Chaplain.
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Copyright 2001
by Mary MacCombie Fietsam
Printed by Permission |
