American GIs and the chaplains who served them
Kurt Piehler reconstructs the lived religious experience of the World War II battlefield.
In Review
A Religious History of the American GI in World War II
In his most recent book, G. Kurt Piehler heaps praise on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for something we seldom consider: his unwavering commitment to religious freedom and the role this played in helping American troops face the terror of World War II.
To appreciate this insight, we need first to examine the emissaries of FDR’s message: American military chaplains. Because ordained clergy were exempt from conscription, all chaplains were volunteers (or, in the case of Catholic clergy, were volunteered by their superiors). Army chaplains were trained at Harvard; navy chaplains at William and Mary. Upon graduation, they were embedded with US forces for the duration of the war. As a result, many chaplains faced mortal combat—even though they were strictly forbidden from carrying weapons to defend themselves.
A Religious History of the American GI in World War II details not only how American chaplains provided spiritual sustenance to the troops but also how they bravely assisted medical personnel, evacuated troops with battle wounds, ministered to the injured, and presided over the funerals of those who never made it home. Some chaplains were captured and continued to minister as best they could to their fellow POWs in prison. Perhaps as many as 100 chaplains were killed.
