Thirteen years ago today (3 September 2010) the students of the Chaplain Captain Career Course, in session at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School, held a Memorial Ceremony for Chaplain Dale Goetz who was killed in Afghanistan ministering to his Soldiers on 30 August 2010. Not wanting to forget his sacrifice, I’m reposting this short prayer I prayed at that ceremony.

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FT. JACKSON, SC (3 Sep 10) – Recently, the Chaplain Corps lost one of its finest chaplains, Chaplain (CPT) Dale Goetz, in Afghanistan. We received the news here at the Chaplain School while attending the Chaplain Captain’s Career Course. Since many of us knew Dale, and the rest of us felt the camaraderie of a “Brother in Arms,” we felt it appropriate to have a Memorial Service for him. My part was to pray the benediction. As I prepared the prayer, I felt very impressed that Dale needed to be remembered. His sacrifice needed to be remembered. As I post it here, I pray it again . . .

Our most Gracious God and Father,

We thank you for your presence and love which helps us to endure through difficult times. We thank you for moments like these when we don’t have to be alone but can gather among brothers and sisters in the faith. We thank you for the peace that you have brought us today, your peace—that can exist within us even when all around us there is no peace.

As much as you comfort us who have gathered here today, we pray that in an even greater measure you will comfort Dale’s family, especially his wife Christy and their three sons Landon, Caleb and Joel. Be for them all that they need you to be just now and continue to provide for them in every way in the days, weeks, months and years ahead that they face life without their husband, father and son.

Finally Lord, we pray that you will bring real peace to our land, so that we can rest in safety and comfort and not have to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way. Bring to us, we humbly ask you, the time when parents don’t have to grieve the loss of their children killed in war; hasten the day when spouses don’t have to say goodbye to their loved ones because they serve their country; provide for us, dear Father, a world whose children do not have to grow up fatherless because of the sin that envelopes us; and be victorious, Almighty God, over the Evil One, establish your Kingdom on Earth finally and forever, that we may enjoy your loving and peaceful presence for all eternity.

Go with us now, Lord we pray, as we reluctantly return to the world out there. Please don’t let us soon forget our brother Dale but help us to honor his sacrifice through our lives lived for your glory and Christ’s life lived through us.

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)

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On This Day in Chaplain Corps History, 27 February 1942, Chaplain William C. Taggart performed his duties -and more- so gallantly during fighting on the island of Java, that later that year he was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on this day in 1942.

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You have probably heard of Chaplain Taggart’s book, “My Fighting Congregation” but do you know his story?

On This Day in Chaplain Corps History, 27 February 1942, Chaplain William C. Taggart performed his duties -and more- so gallantly during fighting on the island of Java, that later that year he was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on this day in 1942.

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Just released on Veteran’s Day 2021! “In Beyond Belief-True Stories of Military Chaplains that Defy Comprehension … you will find stories of heroism by U.S. Military Chaplains from the American Revolution through the more recent wars against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Some of these chaplains were heroic Prisoners of War, some were ordinary men of God who went above and beyond to encourage and comfort the fearful and the wounded, and to pray with and stay with the dying on the battlefield. Their stories not only inspire, but teach important lessons in brotherhood. Despite their differences in faith and denomination, each served and ministered inclusively, focusing not on their differences, but on what they all had in common: service to the same Heavenly Father, dedication to others, and uncommon courage in trying times” (From the back cover).

277 pages, 27 chapters including an appendix of highly decorated chaplains.

Click here to visit The Chaplain Kit Quartermaster page for ordering information.

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On this day in 1945 (18 Oct 45) the Nuremberg Trials began. Five years after he was a chaplain there, Henry Gerecke told his story to the readers of the Saturday Evening Post. It was a story of hope, redemption and evil.

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I Walked to the Gallows With the Nazi Chiefs

By Chaplain Henry F. Gerecke

As told to Merle Sinclair

[as it appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, September 1, 1951]

It was the duty of the Chaplain of Nuremberg Prison to offer Christian comfort to Hitler’s gang. Now, after five years under a bond of silence, he tells how they repented before the hangman’s trap fell.

“Chaplain Gerecke. The Nazi prisoners wrote to his wife, asking her to urge him to stay in Nuremberg” (photo by Ralph Boyle).

It is five years since I served my stretch in Nuremberg prison–as chief chaplain during the trials of the Nazi leaders by the International Military Tribunal and spiritual adviser to the fifteen Protestant defendants. My assistant, Catholic Chaplain Sixtus O’Conner, and I spent eleven months with the perpetrators of World War II. We were the last to counsel with these men, and made ten trips to the execution chamber. The world has never heard our story.

When, some years ago, I asked the United States Army for the necessary permission to share this experience with my fellow Americans, I was asked to wait. I believe the public’s reaction to the trials was responsible. Consequently, my reminiscences have been confined to two reports, both written previously and read only by fellow chaplains and certain young fold of my Lutheran faith.

However, I believe that the story, told now, will help to stress the lessons we should have learned from the careers and downfall of Hitler’s elect, at a time when we need such lessons worse than ever.

Continue reading this article here (5568 more words)…

In this next episode we’ll talk with Chaplain Andriy Khomyn about his journey from Soviet Ukraine to U.S. Army Chaplain. Watch it beginning at 0900 on 26 June at The Chaplain Kit YouTube Channel (YouTube.com/TheChaplainKit)

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In the next episode of Chaplains in Chapels Drinking Coffee, we’ll hear from Chaplain (Major General) Thomas Solhjem, the Army’s Chief of Chaplains. While we were not able to sit down with him for coffee while he was at Fort Rucker recently, he spoke in several venues which provided many topics, including how UMTs have responded to COVID, his priorities for the Chaplain Corps, the Lines of Effort for Transformational Change, and some thoughts on prayer from his message at Fort Rucker’s National Prayer Breakfast.

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This episode will premiere on 5 June 2021 at 0900 EDT on our YouTube channel or Facebook page. Hope to see you there!

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The first episode (following the pilot) of Chaplains in Chapels Drinking Coffee has been released. In this first official episode, we visit a World War 2-era chapel that has a high altar beautifully crafted by POWs housed at Fort Rucker, Alabama during the war, and we talk to Chaplain Thomas Dyer who began his chaplain career as the first Buddhist chaplain in the Army, taking an interesting spiritual journey back to his Christian roots.

You can watch the full episode here, on our YouTube channel.

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16 July 1950, not long after the beginning of the conflict in Korea, elements of the 19th Infantry Regiment were forced to retreat after the Battle of Taejon near the Kum River. After urging the medical officer to continue the retreat with those Soldiers who could walk, Chaplain Felhoelter stayed with the wounded, all of which -including Chaplain Felhoelter- were killed by the advancing North Koreans. This video tells a little of his story and what we can learn from his sacrifice.

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