National Civil War Chaplains Museum

The military chaplaincy in many ways represents the mosaic of American culture, especially the ideal that a person is not limited by their background. Chaplain Joshua Goldberg did not even speak English when he first joined the U.S. military, but he did not let that stop him from becoming the first Jewish rabbi to be commissioned as a chaplain in World War II, or the first Jewish chaplain to reach the rank of captain in the Navy.

Goldberg was born in Belarus and drafted into the Russian army at the age of 18 in 1914. When the Russian front collapsed during World War I, he deserted and made his way to America. Although fluent in German, Hebrew, French, Yiddish, and Russian, he spoke hardly any English when he first arrived in America. He joined the American Expeditionary Forces in 1917, hiding a Russian-English dictionary which he used to quickly master the language. After the war, he began teaching Hebrew and studying at the Jewish Institute of Religion in Manhattan, becoming a rabbi in 1926.

When the United States joined World War II, Goldberg left his civilian life behind to volunteer as a chaplain with the U.S. Navy. He was diligent in his service, becoming the first Jewish chaplain to reach the rank of captain, and one of only 18 chaplains to hold that position throughout the war. During the war, he developed a “practical field training manual” for theological students preparing to enter the chaplaincy and served on an interfaith team of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic chaplains who ministered to soldiers around the world. He was also the first Jewish chaplain to receive the Legion of Merit.

Follow the Chaplains Museum for more stories of brave chaplains as we explore the melting pot of American culture.

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

#chaplains #militarychaplain #chaplainsmuseum #inservicetoall #jewishhistory #militaryhistory #navy ...

On the eve of battle, many soldiers are filled with fear and anxiety. None of them know what the future may bring, but every one of them knows that this night could be their last. In such dark times, it is the chaplains who take it upon themselves to lift their spirits and inspire their charges to acts of courage and heroism.

The night before the Battle of Brandywine was one such occasion. It was September 10, 1777, and the British army was making a concerted push towards Philadelphia. Determined to halt the British advance, Washington ordered his forces to blockade all potential crossings on the Brandywine River.

Washington requested that one of his chaplains give a sermon to encourage the men. According to what records remain, that chaplain was a man by the name of Joab Trout. He began, “They that take the Sword, shall perish by the Sword.” His sermon was a grim reminder of why the colonists were fighting. He emphasized how the British crown had rejected peace and resorted to violence as a means of controlling the colonies. He contrasted this against the Continental Army, adding, “You have taken the sword, but not in the spirit of wrong and ravage. You have taken the sword for your homes, for your wives, for your little ones. You have taken the sword for truth, for justice and right, and to you the promise is—be of good cheer, for your foes have taken the sword in defiance of all that man holds dear, in blasphemy of God—they shall perish by the sword.”

He encouraged the soldiers, telling them that even if they should perish that day, the day would come when tyranny would be overthrown in favor of justice. His words rang true. The Americans suffered a horrific defeat at Brandywine, with Trout numbered among the nearly 300 dead, but the Revolution was not to be defeated.

Follow the Chaplains Museum for more stories of chaplains from this pivotal time in American history and come visit us on the campus of Liberty University.

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

#chaplains #chaplainsmuseum #militarychaplains #250thanniversary #americanrevolution #revolutionarychaplains ...

Chaplains often go above and beyond their duty of caring for the spiritual health of their fellow servicemembers. Reverend Samuel West was a Congregationalist minister who featured in several key moments during the American Revolution.

Samuel West was born in Yarmouth, Massachusetts on March 3, 1730. While attending Harvard, he became acquainted with fellow patriot, and future governor of Massachusetts, John Hancock. He was ordained as a minister in 1761, just a few years after graduating from Harvard. West was a staunch believer in the cause of independence and joined the Continental Army as a military chaplain shortly after the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. He gave an impassioned sermon to the Massachusetts legislature on May 29, 1776, in which he asserted that the revolution was not only justified, but divinely appointed, which was later titled “On the Right to Rebel Against Governors.” He proclaimed, “The principle of self-preservation, the affection and duty that we owe to our country, and the obedience we owe the Deity, do all require us to oppose tyranny.”

However, Reverend West is perhaps best known for his actions in uncovering the treachery of Dr. Benjamin Church, the first surgeon-general of the Continental Army. It was West who deciphered an encrypted letter from Dr. Church to a British officer, a copy of which was instrumental in securing Dr. Church’s conviction. Reverend West is also noted as being one of the foremost influences in convincing John Hancock, then governor of Massachusetts, to give his approval for the new Constitution, a move which prompted many of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention to follow suit.

Follow the Chaplains Museum for more stories of chaplains from this pivotal time in American history and come visit us on the campus of Liberty University.

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

#chaplains #chaplainsmuseum #militarychaplains #250thanniversary #americanrevolution #revolutionarychaplains ...

Part of the role of the chaplaincy is to ensure the right of all soldiers to worship as they see fit. Take Father John McElroy for example. He was one of the first Catholic priests to be commissioned as a military chaplain. He joined the military chaplaincy during the Mexican-American War alongside fellow Jesuit Father Anthony Rey.

Many American Catholics experienced feelings of great apprehension when America came to blows with Mexico over a series of border disputes. Because of anti-Catholic sentiment at home, and the fact that Mexico was primarily a Catholic nation, there were feelings that the conflict was a religious one, rather than a political one. Mexican propaganda inflamed these feelings, painting the war as one of Protestant aggression against Mexican Catholicism. So great were these tensions that hundreds of American soldiers, many of them Irish Catholics, deserted to join the Mexican army as “Saint Patrick’s Battalion.”

Recognizing the importance of these issues, President James K. Polk met with the Archbishop of New York, John Hughes, to devise a strategy to counteract the propaganda. As many of Saint Patrick’s Battalion had felt they were unable to worship freely as Catholics, Polk decided that Fathers McElroy and Rey should be sent to minister to the American forces in Mexico as chaplains. Chaplain McElroy remained with the Army from 1846 to 1848, and he spent his time caring for the sick and wounded, hearing confessions, and performing Mass.

Follow the Chaplains Museum for more stories of brave chaplains as we explore the melting pot of American culture.

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

#chaplains #militarychaplain #chaplainsmuseum #army #catholic #inservicetoall ...