National Civil War Chaplains Museum

On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, chaplains at Pearl Harbor were preparing for their Sunday services when the first bombs were dropped. Everything changed. Instead of leading in corporate prayer and hymns and delivering a carefully prepared sermon, chaplains found themselves in a variety of roles that day and in the days to come.

Two of our featured chaplains were present that day, one as a chaplain and the other as a young sailor. Look for our previous post about Chaplain Forgy, famous for saying “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.”

As a young sailor, Chaplain Calvin Garner also witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack that day. He helped in the recovery effort, retrieving bodies from the USS Arizona. His experience that day contributed to his decision to enter ministry. After World War 2 he pursued further education and training and reentered the military as an army chaplain in 1958. He would go on to serve in the Vietnam War and beyond.

Take a few moments today to remember those who served on that fateful day and beyond.

Read more about the service and sacrifice of Navy chaplains at Pearl Harbor from the Naval Historical Foundation.
https://navyhistory.org/2021/12/navy-chaplains-at-pearl-harbor/

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At Liberty University, chaplains are not just the purview of this museum, but also the students with a passion for service and history. One student, Nathanael Palmer, wrote a blog post as an assignment for his history class. The historical figure he chose to write about was a chaplain, Father Herman Gilbert Felhoelter, who “embodied the spirit of selflessness and courage during the Korean War.”

“As the Korean War unfolded, Felhoelter found himself on the front lines, stationed with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. The pivotal moment defining Felhoelter`s heroism occurred on 16 July 1950, during the Battle of Kum River, north of Taejon, Korea. The 19th Infantry faced a relentless assault by the North Korean People`s Army (KPA), and the situation grew dire as the KPA launched a massive attack on the regiment`s positions.”

When the route for withdrawal was cut off, Father Felhoelter decided to stay behind with the wounded, continuing his ministry of last rites and prayer. When enemy forces infiltrated the area, they killed all remaining survivors along with their chaplain.

Father Felhoelter was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and his “legacy endures in the hearts of those who witnessed his acts of valor. A tall stone monument in Arlington National Cemetery, known as Chaplain`s Hill, stands as a solemn tribute to his memory and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his comrades and his faith. Felhoelter`s life and death exemplify the timeless values of courage, selflessness, and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on the history of military chaplaincy.”

You can read Nathanael’s full post at https://hius380hermangfelhoelter.blogspot.com/2023/11/chaplain-herman-g-felhoelter.html

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The Chaplains Museum will be closed December 15-January 23 for the semester break. We will resume regular hours Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Today marks the 248th anniversary of the birth of the Navy Chaplain Corps. Navy Chaplains serve the U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard as well as the Navy. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all Navy chaplains for their service!

Pictured above: Chief of Chaplains Gregory Todd and a few of his colleagues in high spirits.

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In 2020, The Special Operations Association, a “corporation” designed to uphold the spirit of camaraderie amongst the nation’s special forces veterans and similarly dedicated soldiers, released this statement from their chaplain, one interweaving scripture and history.



When George Washington was asked by Congress in 1789 to “recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed” he knew the probity of the request. Our new nation had, it seemed, indeed been granted the favor of Divine Providence in its establishment. For seven long years the Americans fought an unequal and bitter war with the world’s foremost military and economic power, often losing battles and seeing patriots captured or killed. The long desperate winter at Valley Forge where illness, cold, and a lack of supplies took more men than a major engagement, the loss of New York and Philadelphia to the British, the agonizing wait for allies to enter on America’s side, these and more struggles were overcome with the help of a merciful God. But then it was time to thank Him and so, on October 3rd, 1789, our first President established the last Thursday in November as a day of national Thanksgiving.


Among the blessings that Washington listed in his proclamation were “for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.” This remains as true today as it was in 1785. The United States has come through many events that have tried us as a nation and, with the help of a beneficent God, has not only survived but prospered.


So before you enjoy that hearty meal, be it turkey and trimmings or your favorite MRE, pause a moment to give thanks to a loving God for all that He has done and continues to do and for the great love that He has shown us in sending His son to save us. You need not be as eloquent as President Washington, but you should be as sincere. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.” Chronicles 16:34.


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The museum will be closed November 18-25 for Thanksgiving break. We will resume regular hours Monday, November 27. Happy Thanksgiving!

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