The Army Chaplain Corps celebrates it's history of service and recognizes the service of those who have gone before today, Saturday, July 29. Barely six weeks after the formation of the Continental Army, General George Washington established a chaplaincy for his forming Army. Over the years more than 25,000 have served as Army Chaplains providing religious ministry and accommodation to more than 25 million soldiers and their families.
A special exhibit pays tribute to chaplain this year at the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives in Athens, Alabama. There, Sandy Thompson--Director, has prepared an exhibit called "Faith and Courage" focusing on chaplains who served in both World Wars I and II.
Another tribute to Army chaplains comes from Carl J. Asszony in an opinion piece entitled Military chaplains faithfully serve for God and Country published in the Daily Record of New Jersey. Mr. Asszony provides a very clear and compelling history of military chaplaincy and argues the need is now greater than ever to preserve the ministry of chaplaincy today and into the future.
Happy Birthday Army Chaplains! We thank God for your sacrifice and your service.
Lyman Smith
Executive Director
Military Chaplains Association
[Editor's comment: It was an honor for me to serve in the Army Chaplain Candidate Program with the rank of Second Lieutenant when I was a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. I attended and graduated from the Chaplain Officer Basic Chaplain Course at Fort Slocum on David's Island, off the shore of New Rochelle, NY.
Upon graduation from seminary I was promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned to an Army Reserve Medical Unit in Birmingham for two years prior to my resignation to accept a commission in the Air Force Chaplaincy. I did that at the request of Bishop J. A. Synan who wanted me to fill the vacancy left by Chaplain, Colonel Eugene Myers who was accidentally killed in an Air Force Transport Aircraft in Manila, Philippians in April 1964. Some 57 souls went down in that airplane crash.
May God bless all our Army chaplains who serve and minister to our soldiers.]
A special exhibit pays tribute to chaplain this year at the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives in Athens, Alabama. There, Sandy Thompson--Director, has prepared an exhibit called "Faith and Courage" focusing on chaplains who served in both World Wars I and II.
Another tribute to Army chaplains comes from Carl J. Asszony in an opinion piece entitled Military chaplains faithfully serve for God and Country published in the Daily Record of New Jersey. Mr. Asszony provides a very clear and compelling history of military chaplaincy and argues the need is now greater than ever to preserve the ministry of chaplaincy today and into the future.
Happy Birthday Army Chaplains! We thank God for your sacrifice and your service.
Lyman Smith
Executive Director
Military Chaplains Association
[Editor's comment: It was an honor for me to serve in the Army Chaplain Candidate Program with the rank of Second Lieutenant when I was a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. I attended and graduated from the Chaplain Officer Basic Chaplain Course at Fort Slocum on David's Island, off the shore of New Rochelle, NY.
Upon graduation from seminary I was promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned to an Army Reserve Medical Unit in Birmingham for two years prior to my resignation to accept a commission in the Air Force Chaplaincy. I did that at the request of Bishop J. A. Synan who wanted me to fill the vacancy left by Chaplain, Colonel Eugene Myers who was accidentally killed in an Air Force Transport Aircraft in Manila, Philippians in April 1964. Some 57 souls went down in that airplane crash.
May God bless all our Army chaplains who serve and minister to our soldiers.]