Chaplain leaves Army unit, says he can't deal with horrors of war

Chicago Tribune ^ | Apr. 19, 2003 | RAY QUINTANILLA

[Servant of the Nine]

I won't make any comment this day.

So9

[MEG33]

I won't either.May God be with our forces and bring them comfort in this time of need.War is hell.

[Slings and Arrows]

Dr. Leonard Grado, the unit's physician and a major, said he and Palmer are here to help soldiers. "I can't sugarcoat it," Grado, 46, of Fort Leavenworth, Kan., explained. "Both of us have professional oaths to uphold.

This pretty much says it all - he took an oath when he accepted his commission, and he willfully broke that oath, leaving the soldiers in his charge to fend for themselves.

May his judge in this world grant him justice, and his Judge in the next world grant him mercy.

[LibKill]

I'm sorry that this particular chaplain couldn't take the stress.

Get someone tougher in there, fast! The troops need their chaplain.

[COBOL2Java]

I'm sorry to hear this news, since the military is so desperately in need of Chaplains. We cannot imagine the spiritual pressures from Satan's minions that are visited upon Chaplains - much less any ministers. In addition to praying that The Lord will send more shepherds into the Armed Forces, let us pray for this man.

[MEG33]

Amen

[Consort]

The meek shall inherit.....Tums.

[river rat]

Unfreaking believable.....


Semper Fi

[crz]

Nobody messes with the chaplin in the Armed forces. And when a chaplin does something like this he/she is failing the very thing God intended them to do. Give comfort and healing to those brave souls that have/about to depart and to give aid and comfort to the rest who call for their help. This Chaplin turned his back on his fellow GIs.

[AlaninSA]

2-70 what?

Infantry? Armor? Nothing personal, but --as a vet of the mech side of the Army -- the media's inability to get unit names right is driving me nuts.

[Calpublican]

It's discouraging to think that a man of faith couldn't get his strength from God to carry out his mission. Maybe he's in the wrong business.

[Servant of the Nine]

2nd Battalion, 70th Armor
"Thunderbolts"

So9

[Minty]

As hard as it may have been ( and I am sure it was) to the chaplain, the troops have it harder. This can pull the morale low, if the man they are to look up to cracks under pressure.... God have mercy on our troops!

[hillary's_fat_a**]

"I wanna kill, I wanna kill"

You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant [exceptin' Alice]

[Spyder]

It's discouraging to think that a man of faith couldn't get his strength from God to carry out his mission. Maybe he's in the wrong business.

True, but I have to give him credit for admitting he couldn't hack it as opposed to sticking it out and not doing the job well or with the right attitude. We have several chaplain friends, including the Army chief chaplain for the Pacific Rim. It's not an easy job and takes a certain personality, a lot of faith, and tremendous abilities in counseling, empathy, etc.

[firewalk]

bttt

[Calpublican]

It has to be a difficult job, but doesn't the military screen these men to make sure they have the fortitude? How about having them serve a stint in a big-city emergency room. That should weed out the constitutionally challenged.

[Spyder]

It sounds like the guy was doing a good job at first but cracked under the pressure. The chaplain corps is fairly competitive as far as promotions and getting booted if not promoted as I recall (though they're desperate for priests). It's probably hard to predict with precision who's going to cut it and who isn't. From all appearances in the story this guy was good at first (and probably would have been good for a 3-week stint in an inner city ER for that matter) but beyond that he cracked.

[PleaseNoMore]

Amen to every word you said!