Replies

thanks for posting this. i am currently in seminary and hope to become a Navy chaplain. these articles and stories are sometimes hard to find. very inspiring, thank you.

During Vietnam In the battle of Dak To Nov 1967 there was a Chaplain Name Charles Watters who always stayed with his boys. Even when told to come in by the Company commander.. On A cold November day he was with his boy on the a numbered hill in the central highlands of South Vietnam. Hill 875 would become the grave of over 100 american Paratroopers of the 173rd airborne.
Father Watters was right there when the second battalion started moving up Hill 875 the morning of Nov 19. As they moved out Father Watters was all over helping here and there if a soldier needed it...To carry an extra load of Ammo or a soldiers ruck sack.
As the 2nd battalion moved farther up the hill they ran into part of the nva 174th regiment in wiating Dug into the hill. As the battle raged Father Watters was right there pulling wounded back to the make shift aid station. He was see numerous times running into heavy enemy fire to take a wounded Sky soldier in his arms doing the last rights or just holding the soldier as he slip away into gods hands.
As the 2nd battalion became more aware that they were going to need support the CO{commanding officer}. Sent some men down the ridge to cut an LZ{landing zone}, to bring choppers in and evac the wounded. As a small group treaded down the hill they ran into the second part of the 174th regiment. Now the men on hill 875 were Cut off and surrounded..
Father Watters always seemed calm as the fighting raged all around him. But as night fell on airstrikes were called in all around hill 875 unfortunatly as one soldier remember " I watched as the hill all around us was lit up from the star flars. As i watched i saw Father Watters running all around the parimeter. HE was stooping with a wounded soldier when the sound of a jet was heard we all looked up in time to see the two 500lb bombs tumbling from the fusalage. "
In a flash where Father Watters had been standing and the 40 or so wounded were gathered were gone.. The bombs fell almost squarly where Father Watters was standing. He was killed instantly. For his self sacrafice and his unwavering courage Father Watters was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and is burried in Arlington National Cemetary...
This is what i think of when i think of a true heroe.
Douglas Stephens
Please forgive me if there are any mistakes...
I am going off my research i did 6 yrs ago.

Please correct the title of theis article to read as:

Ministers Of War: The amazing chaplaincy of the U.S. military

This was very moving.

I'm thankful that these men of God are there for our servicemen and women.

Mega-BUMP. I just got my latest issue of NR and read this last night.