D-Day invasion -- xv

Eighty years have passed since June 6, 1944. And, in the mind of someone like myself, born after D-Day, son of a veteran, it's rather surprising that that immensely important date doesn't merit more regard or foster more passion in the diaries. In addition to simply reflecting the character of the diarist, who rarely exposes emotions at all, what I remind myself is that the whole regiment have been in training forever, anticipating what will inevitably come. Maybe those months of training ironed out the kind of emotions that one might assume is here in Chaplain Van's diaries.

There's really not much.

May 17: 

Fifteen lieutenants ae being shipped for foreign service. Lt. Jordan complained that his order did not indicate a delay in route. I advised him to see Col. Bettenburg for this problem and have a delay in route inserted in his orders.

May 24:

Four officers who previously served our regiment were killed in action. One of them, Lt. L. . .roomed with me in my hutment* when I first was assigned to the 273rd Regiment. He used profanity freely and I warned him for it. He didn't like my  warnings and for a long time showed his dislike.

To Chaplain Van, some things are real Life-and-death matters.

May 26:

A large number of soldiers have been shipped overseas. . .

May 27: 

You might think it strange, but on this day and for no obvious reason, Chaplain Van gives the diary a short sermon. Once again, one might imagine that he'd do that quite often, given the way his mind--and the minds of all preachers--must work. But such sermons are rare, attributable maybe, this time, to the end of training and the advent of war???

Hebrews 2:8-9 gives much comfort for the times in which we are living today. "But now we see not  yet all things are under Him. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor."

This text is very applicable with a war going on, with all its cruelty, hatred, suffering and death. Thus it is evident that all things have not ben in subjection to Him.

But He is the King of kings, crowned with glory and honor and is guiding and directing the affairs of men and nations to the glory of his most Holy Name.

It seems important to note that this pocket-sized sermon is not meant for an audience, or if it is, an audience of one--himself. AND, what should also be noted, is that it's occasioned by the immediate, danger-filled world around him, not to mention an invasion just ten days away.

June 4, 1944:

Chaplain Van is home. He has been given a 10-day leave. 

I attended the services at the Munster CRC. The Lansing CRC is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Rev. Zwier preached on Psalm 48: "Walking about the walls of Zion" and marking hr bulwarks, strength, and beauty.

I received a telegram from Col. Fagg indicating that I was being considered for overseas shipment and should be ready to on a 24-hour notice.

June 6:

The invasion of Europe has started. My father woke me at 7:00 a.m. to come and watch the news on television. I preached at Highland CRC. About 700 people were present.

July 19:

(Note: six weeks after the D-Day invasion.)

We are being processed for departure., I received a lecture on censorship. All soldiers and chaplains were issued impregnated clothing to be used in case of a gas attack. 

[The immediate switch to the beauty of nature is something of a surprise. He is fretting over his upcoming travail. Instead, and quite uncharacteristically, he lauds the immense beauty all around Camp Hamilton, where the train has taken him and hundreds of others. Camp Hamilton was--and still is--in New York. 

Strange word--"Impregnated"-- but impregnated" clothing is simply cloth that has been thoroughly treated with the chemicals needed to ward off chemical warfare.]

Suddenly, Van is greatly taken with his environs. 

The scenery is beautiful. The mountains are covered with forests and little villages.

[The scenery once again pulls him into a sermon, once again meant only for himself, a meditation.]

Even as Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, so the Lord campeth around them that fear him. The work of creation is beautiful around here.

He pulls campeth right from the KJV.  

July 20:

There are 28 double deckers in our barracks downstairs and 28 double deckers upstairs. This building has room for 112 officers. 

Thirteen chaplains have been alerted and will leave before the others. They are restricted to the post and may go only to the theater. Even the PX and the officers' Quarters are off limits for them. Chaplain Miller's wife lives in New York, but he may not communicate with her in anyway.

I saw a beautiful film on England--The [White] Cliffs of Dover. It is a war picture about an American girl married to an Englishman before the First World War. the girl's father is adverse to the English and favors the American spirit of Democracy. The girl's husband is killed before the baby is born. The baby grows up and becomes  a soldier in the Second World War. Again American soldiers come to England in her time of need. The point of the film is to inculcate the idea that the Americans and the English have the same ethnic background and should therefore fight together in conquering the Germans. It depicted graphically the suffering and anxiety created by war. 

I must admit to being a little surprised that Chaplain Van went to a regular old movie, not an old one either. White Cliffs was a 1944 release, which means that the Chaplain is watching--and appreciating--a contemporary movie less than two decades after the denomination of which he is a part had warned its members to shun movies altogether, lest its young members fall for the "worldliness" the cinema offers and projects. There's no second-guessing the 1928 Synod's guidance. If he felt or showed any hesitancy to attend, it's not here. Instead, it seems he was moved--look how much space he gave to the movie. 

If we're determined to find the middle-aged pastor and conservative altering what may have been traditional views on things, we will have to look elsewhere.