Chaplains of the
36th Infantry Division
by
Chaplain (Colonel) Herbert E. MacCombie
Division Chaplain
Memorial Day, 1945
On May 14th we moved to a new
location at Kaufbeuren, Germany. On May 15th I conducted funeral services
for ten Protestant soldiers buried at the U.S. Military cemetery at Ulm,
Germany. On May 15th I attended a luncheon given by the Seventh Army
Chaplain, Colonel Clarence S. Donnelly, in honor of Bishop Sherrill,
Chairman of the Army and Navy Commission of the American Episcopal
Church. I gave him as a souvenir a “Blut and Ehre” knife such as had been
used by the Hitler Jugend. He was from Massachusetts and agreed to
contact my wife on his return. She was living on Cape Cod at the time.
On May 19th I submitted a
recommendation to G1 that a chaplain be sent to each cemetery in Italy and
France where men of the 36th Division were buried in order that they might
conduct appropriate Memorial Services on Memorial Day. The Commanding
General approved the suggestion, and requests were made through proper
channels for authority for such visits. Approval was received and orders
were issued.
Chaplains who had never been to
Italy were sent there. At the last minute we received word from ETOUSA
that no chaplains could go to Italy as it was under another jurisdiction.
However, the chaplains had left before we received instructions to rescind
their orders. As a result all men who had died while with us in combat
were properly honored on Memorial Day.
On Memorial Day, May 30th,
1945, we held a military service in the public square of Kaurbeuren. All
elements of the Division were represented. I offered a prayer. General
Dahlquist gave an excellent address. At 1000 hours we held religious
memorial services in both the local Protestant Church and the local
Catholic Church. In the afternoon I attended a meeting with other
chaplains, where we met Major General William R. Arnold, Chief of
Chaplains.
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Copyright 2001
by Mary MacCombie Fietsam
Printed by Permission |
