Photo By Staff Sgt. Lillian Stephens | Capt. Michael Brown, left, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing chaplain, and a Sailor, who is the...... read more read more
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Chaplains offer everything from faith leadership to personal advice to much-needed solace. According to the Navy website, they guide us by the principles of the chaplain mission: providing religious ministry and support to those of your own faith, facilitating the religious requirements of those from all faiths, caring for all service members and their families, including those subscribing to no specific faith and advising the command in ensuring the free exercise of religion.
Recently more than 800 Navy chaplains celebrated their birthday.
“[The Chaplain Corps] celebrated 242 years of faithful and honorable service to the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines on Nov. 28,” stated Capt. Michael Brown, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing chaplain. “We come together every year to celebrate and look back at our history.”
In lieu of their recent birthday, here are five interesting facts about the United States Navy Chaplain Corps.
• Medal of Honor two Navy chaplains have received the Medal of Honor for their acts of heroism and bravery: Lt. Vincent R. Capodanno, a Staten Island, New York, native, and Capt. Joseph T. O’Callahan, a Boston native. Capodanno, died tending to injured Marines during the Vietnam War. O’Callahan was aboard the USS Franklin when enemies bombed it and gathered men to cool weapons magazines, preventing more damage to the ship.
• Wages On Nov. 15, 1776, Congress fixed the base pay of a chaplain at $20 a month, which translates to about $515 today.
• Open Arms The Chaplain Corps provides assistance for all Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine personnel and their families. Navy chaplains come from a variety of religious backgrounds; chaplains are often Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist.
• Non-combatant Status Chaplains do not have the right to participate in hostilities and are prohibited from carrying weapons. Enlisted Sailors in the religious programs specialist (RP) rating often serve as armed protection for chaplains in combat and operational environments.
• Ships of Honor Some people believe there is no greater symbol of a country’s determination to defend its freedom than a warship. Six 20th-century U.S. Navy chaplains received the recognition of their bravery with a namesake warship. Their names are: Lt. Aloysius Schmitt, Capt. Thomas L. Kirkpatrick, Cmdr. George S. Rentz, Capt. Joseph T. O’Callahan, Lt. Vincent Robert Capodanno and Ensign John F. Laboon Jr.
“We’ve had a very vibrant and rich history,” Brown said. “I’m just honored and blessed to be the wing chaplain. It’s a great time to be in the Navy Chaplain Corps and who knows what else is in our future.”
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2017 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 257134 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Hometown: | STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 294 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
This work, Navy Chaplain Corps: a history, by Sgt Jennifer Webster, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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