For God and Country

For God and Country. . , The Chaplain Corps dates back to July 1774 when the Continental Congress at the request of General George Washington authorized one chaplain for each regiment of the Continental Army. The Navy Chaplaincy was instituted in November of that same year. These early chaplains represented the prevailing protestant denominations of the era. , Since the Revolutionary War, chaplains have served in every major American conflict. Today, chaplains represent five major faiths: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist. , Chaplains are commissioned officers who serve in a traditionally non-combatant role. The US Army, Navy and Air Force have separate Chaplain Corps, each with their own specific entrance requirements. Generally, a candidate for the chaplaincy must be ordained and have received an endorsement from his affiliated religious organization. The Department of Defense authorizes the selection of chaplains (men and women) from approximately 200 denominations. (The Navy, it should be noted, provides chaplain services to the Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.) , During wartime, chaplains have frequently ministered to military service members on or near the front lines. They have had to improvise prayer services from carrier flight decks as well as in the field, sometimes using ammunition boxes as an altar. They have cared for the wounded, offered pastoral services, and administered the last rites. They live and work alongside other military personnel offering strength, guidance and consolation. Sometimes they have forfeited their own lives while in the performance of their duties. , Perhaps the most remembered event, commemorated in the stain glass window pictured here, occurred on February 3, 1943, when the Army transport ship Dorchester was torpedoed by a German submarine shortly after midnight. The ship was carrying 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilians. Four chaplains aboard the stricken vessel , two Protestants, one Jewish and one Roman Catholic , assisted with the deployment of life rafts and the distribution of life preservers. As the Dorchester rapidly began listing in the icy North Atlantic, these four gallant chaplains gave away their own life belts. They were last seen holding hands and praying together in the final minutes before the ship slid under the waves. They would become known as the "Immortal Chaplains". , Chaplains today have increasingly become involved with the family lives of service members, particularly because of the stress caused by long and frequent deployments. Chaplains routinely perform religious ceremonies, conduct funeral services and weddings, provide confidential counseling and advise commanders on spiritual and ethical matters. Their motto is "Pro Deo et Patria" , For God and Country.