Camp work --- iv

 A year before June 6, the Normandy Invasion, it seems from what the chaplain says that things aren't exactly hurried around camp life. 

June 14

He's getting instructions:

The colonel said to the chaplains, "The more you are with the soldiers in their training, the more you do what they are doing, the better your attendance will be on Sunday." Good advice.

He's learning the trade of a grunt:

The Motor Pool instructed me how to drive a jeep. I visited the hospital and talked with a few Jews. They said that they would read the New Testament.

He's beginning to understand his place:

The chaplain is the only officer who may take a problem to the highest authority, if needs be, without going through channels.

He's being with the recruits:

Soldiers put in big days on the firing range. Sometimes they start at 5:00 a.m. and finish up at 9:30 p.m. One company was given a day off to rest up I spent the whole day on the firing range. 

Sunday, June 25th: 

Still the dominie:

My text for the service was "They all began to make excuses." Attendance was 250. The soldiers have quite a variety of excuses for not going to chapel. Civilians have excuses too. 

July 4, Sunday

Because of a massive divisional parade, we could not have chapel services today. The general said in his address that within a year the entire division would be in combat. 

Jully 14:

Col. Bettenburg wants to make Sunday a training day also. The Catholic chaplain had quite an argument with the colonel about this. He maintained that religion will play a vital part in the winning of the war. The colonel thinks we can have both. The chaplain won the day--no more training on Sunday for those who want to go to church. We expect to finish our work at the firing range tomorrow, and all the soldiers will return to camp. Life on the camp grounds is a luxury compared to life in bivouac areas.