The Reverend Van Schouwen -- xi

 

March, 1944

The N. . .family had three sons in the military located in widely separated Army units. It so happened that two of the sons received a furlough at the same time. Bartalan, the third son, assigned to our regiment, requested a furlough so he could visit with his brothers whom he had no seen for several years. I arranged a seven-day furlough for him.

The following day his CO called me and said that Bartalan had gonorrehea and his furlough was canceled. I said to the CO, "Send him to my office" I said to Bartalan, "You have not only sinned against your wife and family, but above all you have sinned against God." With tears in his eyes, he asked, "Will God forgive my sins?" I said, "Yes, if you confess them to God wholeheartedly and keep his commandments."

The next day his CO told me that Bartalan had asked him to be restricted to the company area indefinitely so that he could not go female hunting again. Thus I was consistently reminded of the words of Numbers 32:23, "Be sure your sins will find you out" and Galatians 6:7: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

March 2:

I gave a talk to the Anti-Tank Company and the Canon Company on "A glass of beer." I visited the stockade.

March 4: 

I hiked 18 miles this morning and the regiment went into a bivouac situation. Chapel services for all the  units will be held this afternoon. I arranged the following chapel services. 

What follows is a listing of Catholic and Protestant Services, where those chapel services will be held and at one time--seven in all, Chaplain Van holding forth at four of them.

Then, to the end of yet another bivouac Sabbath, this particular one more than a little special.

In the evening, I made arrangements for a hymn sing in the woods. Chaplain Howington directed the singing and I played the organ. About 200 soldiers  attended the hymn sing.

[No one can accuse Chaplain Van of being flowery. For him, adjectives and adverbs need not exist. But here, at the end of the day this particular Sunday, even though he and his men are surrounded by vivid reminders of what lies ahead for good guys and bad, this single sentence and the touch of a metaphor suggests exactly how good this particular Sabbath was to Cornelius Van Schouwen, always the preacher.]

The beautiful words of the hymns floated through the night air. The end of a glorious Sunday.