Chaplains of the
36th Infantry Division
by
Chaplain (Colonel) Herbert E. MacCombie
Division Chaplain
Authorized 36th Infantry Division Chaplains
While we were making preparations for our
attack upon the mainland of Europe, the Fifth Army issued orders that all
units could carry an excess of 15% in combat officers. This excess did
NOT include the service branches. This meant it did not include an excess
of chaplains. I discussed with Colonel Kerr and Lt. Colonel Ives my plans
for chaplains in combat. Unit chaplains were to be located no farther to
the rear than battalion aid stations. This would make them as vulnerable
as any line officer. We should, therefore, have an excess of 15% for
chaplains. They agreed, but said this was an army order and nothing could
be done about it.
General Walker gave me permission to take the
matter up with the Fifth Army Chaplain. I drew up a careful statement of
our plans and needs in writing. I went to see Chaplain Ryan of the Fifth
Army. I persuaded him that our plans were adequate and that our request
was justified. He arranged for a conference with General Clark. He
approved our plans and we were authorized three additional chaplains for
combat.
It was fortunate that this plan was
approved. The normal complement of a division is 15 chaplains. In combat
we had two chaplains (Chaplain McDaniel and Chaplain Alspaugh) killed and
thirteen chaplains evacuated to hospitals. One chaplain of the attached
Tank Battalion was also killed. This gave us a fifth catholic chaplain.
I placed him with the Clearing Station. Later on at a conference of
chaplains at Epinal I was told by the chaplain of the Evacuation Hospital
that he had never met a man from the 36th Division who had not been seen
by a chaplain prior to his evacuation. He was amazed at such a record.
Our ability to maintain full strength in chaplains was the envy of other
units.
When we were in France, Chaplain Donnelly of
the Seventh Army called me to his office for a conference. He wanted to
know why we had so many chaplains. I explained to him the authorization
given to us by the Fifth Army. He told me that we were now in the Seventh
Army and we would have to give up our extra chaplains. I persuaded him
that for the sake of morale among the chaplains this goal should be
achieved by attrition and not by transfer. He agreed. We were soon down
to normal strength. Our chaplains had one of the highest rates of
casualties in the Army, but we were seldom under strength.
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Copyright 2001
by Mary MacCombie Fietsam
Printed by Permission |
