National Civil War Chaplains Museum

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.

#chaplains #museum #POW #MIA

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.

#chaplains #museum #911 #wewillneverforget

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.

#chaplains #museum #mental health #suicideprevention

Throughout the history of the US Chaplains Corps, 9 chaplains have been awarded the Medal of Honor. One of them was the Catholic Chaplain Lt. Vincent Capodanno.

In 1949, he was accepted to Maryknoll, the seminary of the Catholic Foreign Missions Society, and was ordained as a priest in June 1958. Capodanno was commissioned as a Navy chaplain in 1965. Wanting to serve in a combat zone, he requested to be assigned to a Marine unit in Vietnam. While there, he made every effort to serve on the front with the marines, even joining units that went out on patrol, something unheard of for chaplains to do at the time. This earned him the nickname “Grunt Padre”. In the spring of 1967, ever eager to stay near the front, Capodanno requested and was granted a six-month extension to his tour.

On September 4, 1967, the base Capodanno was stationed at received a frantic radio message that a platoon of the 3rd Battalion in the Que Son Valley was in danger of being overrun by a combined force of the NVA and Viet Cong. Wanting to be there for his men, Capodanno insisted that he go aid the platoon. Once there, Capodanno leaped into action, dragging several wounded marines to safety and running around the battlefield to administer last rites to dying marines and comfort them in their final moments. Even after he was hit by shrapnel in his leg and arm, and losing part of his hand, he continued to perform his duties. He refused medical treatment, insisting the marines be treated first. As he rushed to answer the call for help from an injured corpsman, Capodanno was struck down by an enemy machinegun.

Capodanno was quickly recognized for his bravery on the battlefield. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Medal of Honor. The Marine Chapel in Quantico, Virginia, and the frigate USS Capodanno are named in his honor. He is currently being considered for canonization as a saint. In 2014, his family donated his Medal of Honor to the Capodanno Chapel, where it is on display to this day.

#museum #chaplains #vietnam #medalofhonor

“Go tell it to the chaplain.” While used sarcastically in the military to mean that no one cares about a soldier’s problems, chaplains continue to provide confidentiality for service members who approach them when they’re struggling.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to bring awareness to individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts, and to reduce the stigma around them. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background, but has been especially affecting service members. Suicide is the second highest leading cause of death in the military. Over the past decade, suicide rates in the military have reached double the American civilian average. Veterans also struggle with a higher rate of suicide. While the military has hotlines for service members and veterans, there is no better way to lower suicidal thoughts than talking to another person, especially a chaplain.

2024 marks eighty years since chaplain confidentiality has been codified into law. In May 1943, a soldier made a poor decision and unlawfully acquired $1,000 but felt guilty and turned it over to Chaplain (Captain) Gerald M. Scanlon. While the chaplain turned the money over to a military investigator, he refused to betray the trust of the soldier and would not reveal his name. Chaplain Scanlon was subsequently charged with insubordination, but the Commanding General for Services and Supply in the Pacific saw the difficult situation and allowed the chaplain to keep the soldiers confidentiality through a general order. Since then, chaplains remain a confidential place for soldiers to talk about their struggles and decisions, including mental health issues, which are often overlooked. Whenever a service member struggles, therefore, they should “Go tell it to the chaplain.”

#chaplains #museum #ww2 #suicideprevention

Now that we`re open, let us say a big welcome back to our returning staff:

Photo 1:
Meet Benjamin Grist. He’s a graduate student earning his master`s degree in history, with a couple of dreams he’s working towards. He hopes to either work in museums full-time after getting his start with us, or to go on to become a professor, but he wants to be clear that whatever God calls him to do is what he will be doing. He’s most fascinated by the historical work of the YMCA in relation to chaplaincy.

Photo 2:
Meet Michael Slye, a returning student worker who has just started his M.A. of History here at Liberty University! He enjoys studying the military history of the first half of the 20th century and his favorite part of the museum is the exhibit on Chaplain Howell Forgy.

Photo 3:
Meet Nathan Estrada, a history major with a minor in Military History, who is most interested in modern naval history and the First World War. So far, his favorite part of the museum is our “Service on the Battlefield” exhibit because it showcases the courage of chaplains who care for service members regardless of the danger. After serving four years on active duty in the Navy, Nathan is now a reservist. He also volunteers at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford.

No Photo:
Meet Norm Patterson, a graduate student in History with an emphasis on Native American History, Westward Expansion, and the U.S. Early Republic. His future plans are to write an MA thesis on a revisionist history of the Cherokee Indian Removal during the summer and fall. His favorite exhibit is Miss Melanie`s parlor as he is a retired mortician.

#museum #chaplains #liberty