God and Country

As noted previously, a group of atheists (or anti-religionists) at the Freedom From Religion Foundation is trying to bring Jesus down from the mountain.  After finally producing an actual plaintiff, a federal judge has ruled they have standing to continue their lawsuit:

The Knights of Columbus and four others had requested that the lawsuit be dismissed since the Freedom From Religion Foundation had not Read more…

It is a little known fact that US Army regulations prohibit the naming of chapel facilities for persons (“living or dead”).  That’s why, absent one or two chapels that carry centuries-old names, most military chapels are known by their location (East Gate, Family Housing, etc) or simply a number (Chapel 1, Chapel 2).  There are a few “memorial” chapels, though they are generically named, not dedicated for individuals.

This prohibition does not extend to non-chapel facilities, so it is common to see buildings dedicated to honor individuals in the military service.  Chaplains, though, are often first associated with chapels (at least one chapel was, for a couple of years, dedicated to its chaplain) — so they aren’t often honored with Read more…

A local paper follows up on the decision of the US Marine Corps to order a unit not to become the “Crusaders” as they had traditionally been for 50 years.  As noted previously, the order came from a three-star General:

Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, deputy commandant for aviation, issued an order April 30 that Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 discontinue use of the Crusaders moniker and a logo that featured a red cross on a white shield. The squadon [sic] will retain its identity as the “Werewolves,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Plenzler, a Corps spokesman.

The Marine leadership apparently felt the “modern context” of the term made Read more…

According to MSNBC, the VMFA-122 Crusaders were “ordered to reverse” their decision to return to the “Crusaders” moniker.

“The deputy commandant for aviation [Lt. Gen. Terry Robling] directed VMFA 122 to maintain the unit identification as the Werewolves,” said Marines public information officer Lt. Col. Joseph Plenzler. “I called down there to confirm that they have changed the tail markings, squadron patches” and other places the squadron logo appears, he said.

The Marines gave no reason for the order, giving Michael Weinstein — who had called the Marines a “national security threat” for the move — the blood in the water he needed to claim victory and make further demands:  Read more…

Some have likely read the story of Hyman Strachman, the 92-year-old World War II veteran who has shipped thousands of bootleg copies of movies to the combat AOR:

Hyman Strachman [is] a 92-year-old, 5-foot-5 World War II veteran trying to stay busy after the death of his wife. And he has sent every one of his copied DVDs, almost 4,000 boxes of them to date, free to American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even Strachman admits the “error” of his ways:  Read more…

The “Werewolves” have become the “Crusaders” once again.

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122) is returning to its traditional name, reverting to the “Crusaders” by which it was known for 50 years.

During a 70th anniversary party last month, officials from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 announced that the unit would be again known as the “Crusaders,” a moniker used by the unit from 1958 to January 2008.

When Marine LtCol William Lieblein took command in 2008, he was concerned the “notion of being a crusader” wouldn’t “float” in Iraq, Read more…

US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Steve Brown was once an enlisted Marine.  He wanted to serve as a Chaplain, but there are no Marine chaplains — they’re in the Navy.  So that’s what he joined.  He has served for 32 years, and his peer chaplains have recognized that service in recommending him for a servant leadership award.

The John H. Craven Servant Leadership Award is a peer-nominated award that acknowledges the significant Read more…

Recent events have made a Washington Post article from November even more interesting, as it tries to put meat on the bones of the relationship between the American public and the American military.

While the relationship has avoided the animosity of the Vietnam era, some said a feeling of social “guilt” may be responsible for the change, rather than an actual respect or support of the troops and their mission:

“We, as a nation, no longer value military heroism in ways that were entirely common in World War II,” said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Instead, praise from politicians and the public focuses largely on the depth of a service member’s suffering. Troops are recognized for the number of tours they have endured, the number of friends they have lost or Read more…

Precisely 70 years ago the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II.  It was the beginning of four long years of American involvement in the war that had already engulfed the rest of the world for some years.

In his famous speech on December 8th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called Read more…

The US House Committee on Natural Resources has forwarded HR 2070 to the floor.  The bill would add a plaque with a D-Day prayer by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the World War II memorial in Washington, DC.

By unanimous consent, the Committee ordered the bill-H.R. 2070, known as the World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011, to be reported to the full House on Thursday to the displeasure of the Obama administration, which has criticized and opposed the bill.

The Bureau of Land Management’s director Robert Abbey expressed opposition, claiming such additions would

“dilute” the memorial’s central message and Read more…

Rabbi Michael Gisser officially became a Chaplain in the US Army Reserve on Veteran’s Day.  Why Veteran’s Day?

“I wouldn’t be here if not for the U.S. Army and the Allied forces,” said Gisser, the associate chaplain for Jewish life at Wake Forest University…

His father, a native of Lodz, Poland, was a prisoner in Read more…

As noted here last year, Georgia Pastor Donald Crosby protested the Warner Robins High School “Demons,” saying the mascot “sent the wrong message” to the teen students.

In a federal lawsuit, Crosby now claims his arrest for picketing without a permit violated his First Amendment rights.

After discovering that his freshman son would be a future “demon” at the school, [Crosby] began collecting signatures of protest and picketed along with more than 20 members of his congregation on the first day of school.

Officers arrested the pastor, however, Read more…

The National Catholic Register ran a piece on military chaplains entitled “Profiles in Courage: Military Chaplains,” documenting the roles and experiences of Catholic chaplains in the US military.  While it noted the typical shortage, it also highlighted a surge of new volunteers:

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA reported a sharp jump this year in the number of seminarians interested in serving as military chaplains. As the 2011-2012 academic year begins, there are 31 military-affiliated seminarians nationwide, up from three just three years ago.

The article also profiled four military chaplains Read more…

Archbishop Philip M. Hannan, a US Army Chaplain in World War II and the oldest former military Chaplain, has died.

In 1942 the Catholic pastor volunteered to become a Chaplain, specifically requesting assignment to a combat unit.  He became known as the “jumping padre” after being assigned to the 505th Parachute Infantry of the 82nd Airborne and getting 5 practice parachute jumps.

Like many paratroopers, he was ultimately driven to combat to join his unit, where he was largely expected to care for the wounded and dying.  He was allowed to go to the front lines, where the only Read more…

A local paper on the Fisher House covers the story of Jesse Claude Cooper Jr., a Merchant Marine during World War II.  His ship was torpedoed and sank, and he described his reaction to that event:

He credits God with sustaining his life.

“No other explanation, but that God had a reason for me to live and serve another day,” Cooper credited. “I was, you see, the last man to get in the last little life-rescue boat to leave the ship.”

“I was already a Christian, having been reared in church down in native Decatur, Alabama. But if I had not been a Christian, Read more…