National Civil War Chaplains Museum

On this day in 2001, the Bush Administration, supporting the Northern Alliance, sent U.S. troops into Afghanistan. In the months that followed, U.S. forces captured key cities like Kandahar and Kabul, significantly weakening the Taliban’s grip and paving the way for the democratic election of Hamid Karzai as president in 2002. Despite this, the Taliban regrouped in Pakistan, prolonging the conflict. U.S. forces targeted their strongholds in Afghanistan and Pakistan with success, ending active combat in 2014 and fully withdrawing by 2021, marking America’s longest war.

Serving among the soldiers during the prolonged war were chaplains, including Chaplain Daniel W. Thompson. Chaplain Thompson served in Kabul Afghanistan from September 2019 to July 2020. When discussing the unique hostile environment during his time in Afghanistan, Chaplain Thompson stated, “We were fighting ISIS on one side and COVID-19 on the other.” For his chapel team’s courage and commitment during their deployment, Chaplain Thompson received the HC Chaplain Corps Patch.

To learn more about the service of Chaplain Thompson and the legacy of other chaplains who supported U.S. troops in Afghanistan, visit the Chaplains Museum!

Image 1: Chaplain Thompson took this chaplain field kit with him when stationed in Afghanistan from 2019-2020. Generally, a chaplain field kit would contain a communion set and linens, holy water, a stole, and other items to conduct worship.

Image 2: Chaplain Thompson’s HC Chaplain Corps Patch.

Help the Chaplains Museum expand our collection and add new exhibits! Look for the “Donate” section at the link in our bio.

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Today we remember Lt. Col. John Grady Burkhalter, a U.S. Army chaplain, decorated veteran, and lifelong pastor, who passed away on this day at the age of 83.

Born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1909, Burkhalter’s life was marked by courage and service. Before answering the call to ministry, he played football and boxed professionally under the name Jacky Mills. He left the ring in 1935 to become senior pastor at West Flagler Park Baptist Church in Miami, Florida.

After graduating from the Chaplains School at Harvard, he joined the U.S. Army and served with the 1st Infantry Division during WWII. He landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and was later wounded at the Battle of the Bulge. Listed as missing in action, he was later found recovering in a French hospital from shrapnel injuries.

He was promoted to captain in 1946, and assigned to occupation duty in Japan, where he remained until the Korean War. Serving with the 51st Signal Battalion and 73rd Tank Battalion, he rose to the rank of major and spent thirteen months in Korea before receiving later assignments and eventually transferring to the Army Reserves.

Burkhalter retired on July 3, 1969, as a lieutenant colonel and continued to work as a pastor until 1988. His decorations included a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and a Purple Heart. He died on September 30, 1992, at the age of eighty-three and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, a lasting tribute to a life of faith, courage, and service.

Image 1: Chaplain John G. Burkhalter, who was highly decorated for his service in both WWII and the Korean War. Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army.
Image 2: In Summer of 1950, Life magazine published a photo of Burkhalter conducting a burial service for the first American casualties of the Korean War.

Come visit the Chaplains Museum to learn more about Chaplain Burkhalter and see items from the Burkhalter collection!

Help the Chaplains Museum expand our collection and add new exhibits! Look for the "Donate" section at the link in our bio. 

#chaplainsmuseum #chaplain #militarychaplain #libertyuniversity #worldwar2 #ww2 #dday #koreanwar ...