National Civil War Chaplains Museum

You may have heard that basketball was invented by Chaplain James Naismith, but did you know about the Army Chaplain “sporting” a Super Bowl ring?

Former-NFL defensive lineman Darius Holland, part of the championship-winning Packers team in 1997, currently serves as an Army chaplain at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One would think that winning the Super Bowl would be the happiest day of a football player’s life. Holland, however, describes the hollowness of his own experience as a world champion. Holland recounts, “If this is the pinnacle of my life, I’m sunk….Because this isn’t working.”

A few seasons later, Holland left a lucrative career on the football field to enter Christian ministry, serving as a pastor at True Life Church for ten years. His decision to join the Army came after reading Nik Ripken’s book The Insanity of God, when Holland felt challenged by a question from the Lord: “How far are you willing to go for the Gospel?” Three months later, he was being sworn into the Army.

Drawing upon his experiences in both fields, Holland notes the parallels between being a football player and a chaplain, including the camaraderie shared by both teammates and soldiers. He further observes the similar methods athletes and soldiers use to find fulfillment in life. Just like football players chasing after the glory of a Super Bowl ring, soldiers chase the glory of wearing a green, red, or tan beret. He notes, however, that none of these achievements bring them the fulfillment they seek. And that’s where he steps in as a chaplain, to steer servicemen and women toward true fulfillment.

The close connection between sports and the chaplaincy does not stop Holland. Military chaplains exist within a long tradition of practicing faith through physical fitness. In the late-nineteenth century, preachers such as D. L. Moody espoused the idea of “Muscular Christianity.” They encouraged Christians to lead active lives and exercise their bodies in the belief that athletic competition builds strong morals, recognizing the important role of sports in caring for both the physical fitness and the “spiritual fitness” of the soldier.

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One hundred fifty-eight years ago, the first military chaplain to lose their life in battle on United States history. Father Emmeran Bliemel, chaplain of the 10th Tennessee Infantry, was killed while serving his Confederate compatriots during the Battle of Jonesboro.

By evening on August 31, 1864, Union soldiers had overpowered the Confederates at Jonesboro. Even though the order to pull back rang through the air, Father Bliemel was rushing towards his fallen men. What caused him to risk life and limb even after the Confederates had clearly been beaten? He was determined to give absolution, which the Catholic Encyclopedia describes as “the remission of sin, or of the punishment due to sin, granted by the Church.” Usually, absolution is provided through individual confession or last rites, which requires the presence of an ordained priest.

Bliemel’s dedication and belief in the importance of absolution ultimately cost him his life. While lifting his hands in prayer of absolution for a mortally wounded Confederate colonel, cannonball fire struck, killing him instantly.

Father Bliemel showed dedication and sacrifice that was not uncommon for many Civil War chaplains. Nearly a century after his death, he was awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor. His life is a stirring testament to the idea that biblical interpretation is often used to support opposing positions: slavery and abolition, North and South, war and peace. Stop in the museum to learn more about how leaders and pastors have used the Bible to defend their contradictory positions regarding various U.S. military conflicts.

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One reason to visit the Chaplains Museum more than once is because we constantly add new things for you to see and experience. This semester, students in Prof. Donald’s Public History class will be tackling several new projects including the research and design of a new exhibit surrounding this recently acquired object. Can you guess what it is? Stay tuned for more clues and the big reveal in just a few weeks.

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Throughout the history of the US military chaplaincy, several chaplains have been captured and became prisoners of war. They bore their suffering with dignity and honor as they continued to minister to the spiritual needs of their comrades. In honor of POW/MIA Recognition Day, the Chaplains Museum will highlight the story of one such man.

Chp. Robert Preston Taylor was serving in the Philippines with the Army Air Corps (the precursor to the Air Force) when the US and Japan went to war. He was one of thousands of American and Filipino servicemen who were taken prisoner when the islands fell. Although the Geneva Convention requires that chaplains be given the opportunity to be returned to their own lines, the Japanese never offered to release him. He was forced to undergo the brutal Bataan Death March, where the Japanese forced their prisoners to march to over 60 miles to their prison camp without food or water, killing anyone who collapsed from fatigue. Taylor was beaten and tortured for repeatedly trying to help the collapsed men. The horrors only continued once they got to the camp. Rations were kept to a minimum and the men were given no medical attention.

Determined to persevere, Taylor gathered all the men in his barracks and told them they were not going to die because God was going to help them live. Taylor volunteered to work at the camp’s hospital and contacted the Filipino resistance to smuggle medicine into the camp. This drastically increased the survival rate of the prisoners, but he was eventually caught. He was punished by being kept in a hot box for 14 weeks straight. When the US invaded the Philippines in 1944, Taylor was transferred to several other prison camps via transports the troops called “hell ships” before being liberated in August 1945. He spent 42 months as a POW. Taylor stayed in the military after the war and eventually was promoted to be the Air Force Chief of Chaplains.

If you’d like to learn more about POW chaplains, come visit our “Service to the Suffering” exhibit at the Chaplains Museum.

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While the Chaplains Museum limits our focus to military chaplains, we take this opportunity to honor the service of Father Mychal Judge, chaplain with the New York City Fire Department.

Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the violent attack on the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001. For many, this is a day of grief and mourning, but it also offers the opportunity to remember and honor the sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives in the effort to save others.

Of those selfless heroes who gave their lives, one such man was Chaplain Mychal Judge. Father Mychal served at St. Francis of Assisi Church, ministered on the streets to people afflicted by poverty, addiction, and disease, and served as a chaplain with the New York City Fire Department. On September 11th, he immediately went straight from his church to the ongoing scene at the World Trade Center. At the scene, he prayed over the victims, gave last rites, anointed firefighters, and made his way into the North Tower to help those trapped inside. Shortly after, the South Tower collapsed and sent debris flying into the North Tower lobby, during which Father Judge was killed. It was initially assumed he had died from debris like many others, but according to Chief Joseph Pfeifer, he had died from a heart attack. Father Judge is designated as the first victim (001) of the 9/11 attacks, and only became a victim out of his dedication to helping others.

Father Judge was only one example of the many who gave their lives in the service of others that day. “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life…” (John 15:13). We will never forget.

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Military Chaplains serve as the front line for soldiers experiencing mental health issues such as PTSD, reintegration, and suicidal thoughts. However, chaplains are humans too, and many chaplains have reported struggling with the same mental health issues that they work so hard to help others with.

While chaplains are non-combatants, they still go through the same military and survival training that service members do. In addition, one deployed chaplain can be responsible for the spiritual needs of up to 1,500 soldiers. When coming out of recent conflicts such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, chaplains are reporting mental health struggles such as compassion fatigue, PTSD, and reintegration issues. Many soldiers and chaplains alike do not seek professional help because of the stigma surrounding it, especially in the military. September is Suicide Prevention Month, and May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and both strive toward breaking down the stigma around these issues for individuals who are struggling to find help. Chaplains may be superheroes in many peoples’ eyes, but they’re humans too.

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