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  • A Chaplain’s Service Aboard a Troop Ship in WWII

    A Moment of Faith in the Midst of War

    Somewhere in the Pacific, a makeshift altar stands on the hatch of a U.S. troop ship. The ship bound for the Gilbert Islands carries men of the 165th Infantry. The 165th Infantry were once the legendary New York “Fighting 69th.” War has taken them far from home toward an unknown fate. But for a moment aboard the transport vessel they are somewhere familiar.

    TROOP SHIP HAS SERVICES

    SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC.—En route to the Gilbert Islands, church services were held on the hatch of a U.S. troop ship. Chaplain A.G. McCabe conducted the services for troops of the 165th Infantry, formerly the New York “Fighting 69th.”

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    OFFICIAL U. S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PHOTO.
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    The chaplain in the photo, A.G. McCabe, wears his white vestments and his hands are raised in prayer. His congregation were soldiers in worn uniforms that watched him intently. Some stand with arms folded, others rest against the ship’s machinery. Their faces say everything: focus, exhaustion, reflection. Maybe even fear.

    Aboard a troop ship in wartime, there is no stained glass, no towering cathedral ceiling. The sounds of the ocean mix with the low murmur of men. The altar is a simple wooden plank, likely the same surface used for briefings, meals, and the daily routines of war. But at this moment, it’s a sacred space. Candles stand on either side of the chaplain’s open book, and a helmet or bag sits nearby, hastily set down before the service began.

    The 165th Infantry and the Legacy of the “Fighting 69th”

    The men standing in formation for this service belong to the 165th Infantry Regiment, formerly known as the “Fighting 69th.” Their unit traces its roots back to the Civil War, originally formed as an Irish-American regiment in New York. They fought in World War I under the leadership of Colonel “Wild Bill” Donovan, a name later associated with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor to the CIA.

    During World War II, the 165th Infantry was part of the 27th Infantry Division, which saw heavy combat in the Pacific Theater. By the time this photo was taken in December 1943, the unit had already fought in the grueling Makin Atoll campaign, part of the larger battle for the Gilbert Islands. The battle for Makin was overshadowed by the far bloodier fight for Tarawa, where the U.S. Marines suffered nearly 1,000 killed in just 76 hours of combat. But Makin had its own challenges including Japanese resistance, logistical difficulties, and the brutal reality of amphibious warfare.

    The Role of Faith in War

    For these men, faith might be the only thing that feels steady. Warships cut through the ocean in convoy, their destination a battlefield. They know what awaits them: jungle heat, enemy fire, and the uncertainty of survival. The Pacific War was a brutal campaign, marked by intense, close-quarters combat and an enemy that often chose death over surrender. These men had already seen it, and they would see much more.

    Chaplains like McCabe played a vital role in the war effort. They were not involved in combat, but they went with soldiers into battle zones, field hospitals, and in moments like this, onto the decks of ships bound for war. Their presence was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was still something to hold onto.

    Faith services on troop ships were not uncommon. Before the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, chaplains held Mass and prayer services aboard landing craft bound for Omaha and Utah beaches. During the Battle of the Bulge, chaplains comforted freezing, exhausted soldiers dug into the Ardennes Forest. And in the Pacific, on islands like Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, chaplains were often among the first to land, providing last rites to the wounded and dying.

    A Pause in the Storm

    It’s easy to forget these moments existed in the middle of history’s deadliest conflict. The battles, the victories, the losses are what we remember. But the war was fought in moments like these, too. In quiet pauses. In soldiers gathering not to fight, but to listen. To pray. To find something steady on a ship rocking in an uncertain sea.

    Many of the men in this photo would go on to fight in the Mariana Islands, where the 27th Infantry Division played a key role in the battles for Saipan and Tinian. Some would make it home. Others would not. But for this moment, on this deck, they were together not just as soldiers, but as men searching for peace in the midst of war.

    Further Reading on Faith During World War II

    Exploring the role of faith during World War II provides deeper insight into the personal experiences and resilience of individuals amidst the turmoil. Here are some recommended readings about faith during the war:

    Faith in the Fight: Religion and the American Soldier in the Second World War by Jonathan H. Ebel

    Ebel explores how religion influenced American soldiers during World War II, examining how faith shaped their experiences, morale, and coping mechanisms in the face of war’s challenges.

    Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II by Larkin Spivey

    This book presents 365 one-page stories, each accompanied by relevant scripture, highlighting acts of faith and courage during World War II. It offers a daily devotional format that provides both historical context and spiritual reflection.

  • A Moment in History: General Pershing and FDR on Armistice Day, 1942

    There’s something moving about photographs like this. They capture more than just a scene. They hold the weight of history in them.

    In this press photo, we see General John J. Pershing, the man who led American forces to victory in World War I, sitting in a chair draped in a heavy blanket. His face is lined with age and memory.

    Beside him, standing at the podium, is President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Roosevelt is delivering words of resolve to a nation in the midst of another world war.

    The setting is Arlington National Cemetery. The date is November 11, 1942, twenty-four years to the day after the Armistice that ended the Great War.

    PERSHING LISTENS AS PRESIDENT PROMISES VICTORY
    Wrapped in a blanket, General John J. Pershing (left), 82-year-old hero of the Armistice signed 24 years ago, listens as President Roosevelt promises final defeat of the Axis in an address Nov. 11 at Arlington National Cemetery after laying of a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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    This wasn’t just another ceremony. It was a bridge between past and present, between the war that was supposed to end all wars and the one that would shape the world for generations to come.

    John J. Pershing: The Last Witness to an Earlier Victory

    By 1942, John J. Pershing was 82 years old. His health was failing. The once imposing general who had commanded over a million U.S. troops in Europe during World War I was now frail and bundled against the November chill. Yet he was there, watching, listening, still connected to the fight for freedom.

    Pershing’s presence mattered. For Americans in 1942, World War I wasn’t ancient history. Millions of men who had fought in the trenches were still alive. Many of them had sons now wearing the uniform in the battle against Germany and Japan. Seeing Pershing at that ceremony was a reminder that the nation had done this before. After all, he was the man who had once led them to victory. His presence was a promise that the nation could do it again.

    Pershing himself had spent the years between the wars warning that the peace would not last. He had spoken often about the need to maintain a strong military. He had watched with growing frustration as isolationist policies and budget cuts weakened the U.S. armed forces. In 1942 as Roosevelt spoke, he was seeing the country finally rallying to the kind of total war effort he had once commanded.

    Franklin D. Roosevelt: A President at War

    Roosevelt’s speech that day was not just about remembering the past. It was about winning the present war.

    By November 1942, the United States had been at war for nearly a year. The attack on Pearl Harbor had shattered any illusions of staying out of the fight. American forces were battling in the Pacific, and the first major land offensive in North Africa (Operation Torch) was just beginning. The war was still very much undecided. The Axis powers were entrenched across Europe and the Pacific. The Soviet Union was locked in brutal combat against the German army. Britain was fighting for its survival.

    Roosevelt needed to rally the country. He had to remind Americans why they were fighting and why their sacrifices mattered. He stood at that podium and promised “the final defeat of the Axis,” not just as a hope, but as an inevitability. It was the kind of assurance the nation needed to hear.

    He wasn’t just speaking to those gathered at Arlington. His words would reach homes across America, carried by newspapers and radio broadcasts. And the sight of Pershing sitting beside him was living proof that America had beaten a great enemy before. That only reinforced his message.

    Arlington National Cemetery: A Setting of Sacrifice

    The choice of Arlington for this speech was not just ceremonial. It was deeply symbolic. Roosevelt wasn’t speaking from the White House or a military base. He was speaking from a place of loss, standing over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

    That tomb had been established in 1921 to honor the unidentified dead of World War I. By 1942, it had become even more meaningful. It represented not just those lost in the trenches of Europe but those who had already fallen in the fight against Germany and Japan.

    The crowd that day wasn’t just made up of dignitaries. There were families of fallen soldiers there. There were veterans who had seen combat firsthand. There were young men who knew they might soon be among those who never returned.

    Roosevelt’s promise of victory wasn’t abstract. It was personal.

    The War That Connected Generations

    There’s a reason this photograph still resonates today. It captures a moment of transition, a passing of the torch. Pershing was the symbol of an earlier generation’s struggle. Roosevelt was the leader guiding the country through its current one.

    The men who had fought under Pershing in 1918 had grown up, started families, built the America of the 1920s and 30s. Now their sons were following in their footsteps, going off to war in places like Guadalcanal, North Africa, and soon, Normandy.

    Pershing wouldn’t live to see the final victory Roosevelt promised that day. He died in 1948, three years after World War II ended. Roosevelt himself wouldn’t see it either. He died in April 1945, just weeks before Germany surrendered. But both men had done their part to guide America through the conflicts that defined the first half of the 20th century.

    The Power of a Photograph

    History is often told in grand narratives, in timelines and battles and speeches. But sometimes, it’s best understood in a single image.

    This photo isn’t just a record of an event. It’s a reminder of the weight of leadership, of the sacrifices made by those who came before, of the unbroken thread that connects one generation’s fight for freedom to the next. It’s the kind of image that deserves to be remembered.

    Further Reading

    For those interested in exploring the historical context surrounding this moment, here are some recommended resources:

    Books

    • “My Experiences in the World War” by John J. Pershing
      General Pershing’s firsthand account of leading American forces during World War I. The book contains deep insights into military strategies and the challenges faced during the Great War.
    • “No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II” by Doris Kearns Goodwin
      This Pulitzer Prize winning narrative explores the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. It examines their partnership and leadership during World War II, and how they shaped the nation during those times.

    Documentaries & Films

    • “The War” by Ken Burns
      A documentary series that chronicles the experiences of individuals during World War II. It provides personal perspectives on the global conflict.
    • “They Shall Not Grow Old” by Peter Jackson
      Utilizing restored and colorized archival footage, this film offers a portrayal of World War I soldiers, bringing century-old history to life.

    These resources provide deeper insights into the leadership during both World Wars and the enduring impact of these global conflicts.

  • The WAVES at the U.S. Naval Training School, Bronx, NY Company 22, Platoon 1

    In the early 1940s, the Bronx, New York, became an unexpected but vital training ground for thousands of women entering military service. With the launch of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program in July 1942, the U.S. Navy urgently needed a dedicated facility to train its first female recruits. The answer came in the form of Hunter College in the Bronx, which was transformed into the U.S. Naval Training School (WR) (Women’s Reserve) for WAVES.

    One of the many groups that passed through its halls was Company 22, Platoon 1, captured in the photograph above. These women who are standing in formation in their WAVES uniforms, represent a turning point in U.S. military history—when women in uniform became an essential part of naval operations.

    Hunter College Becomes the U.S. Naval Training School

    Located in the Bronx borough of New York City, Hunter College (now part of CUNY) played an instrumental role in training WAVES recruits. The college’s campus was selected due to its large facilities and proximity to existing naval infrastructure. It was the first time in U.S. military history that women were trained separately from men in an official military setting.

    In early 1943, Hunter College became the primary induction center for the WAVES, with its classrooms, dormitories, and parade grounds quickly converted into military training spaces. Over the course of World War II, more than 80,000 women passed through its doors, making it the largest training site for WAVES personnel.

    For the women of Company 22, Platoon 1, this was where their military journey began. They likely arrived at the Bronx facility by train or bus, carrying their orders and a mix of excitement and nerves. For many, this was their first time away from home, and they were stepping into an entirely new world. A world of strict discipline, early morning drills, and coursework on naval procedures, communications, and technical skills.

    Training in the Bronx: Life as a WAVE Recruit

    The U.S. Naval Training School operated much like a traditional boot camp, but adapted for the specific needs of WAVES. Women underwent six weeks of basic training, which included:

    • Naval Regulations and Military Conduct – Learning the customs, ranks, and expectations of Navy life.
    • Drill and Physical Fitness – Marching in formation on the parade grounds and completing daily physical training.
    • Communications and Technical Training – Depending on their assignments, some trained as radio operators, aviation mechanics, cryptographers, or administrative personnel.
    • Uniform Inspection and Discipline – Learning to maintain their distinct WAVES uniforms, including the navy-blue jackets, skirts, and the iconic white-trimmed hats.

    Hunter College’s Bronx campus quickly became a self-sufficient naval facility. WAVES recruits lived in dormitories, followed a strict daily schedule, and adhered to military discipline. Outside of training hours, many recruits explored the city, visiting Times Square or taking the subway to see the Statue of Liberty—a brief respite before being assigned to their official stations.

    The Women of Company 22, Platoon 1

    The handwritten names on the photograph offer a rare personal glimpse into the individuals who made up Company 22, Platoon 1. Among them are names like Evelyn Patrick and Mary Nelson, each representing a woman who stepped forward to serve during a time of great national need. These inscriptions serve as a reminder of the camaraderie that developed among recruits as they trained together in the Bronx while preparing for their roles in the U.S. Navy.

    Upon completing their training, these women of Company 22, Platoon 1 were assigned to duty stations across the country. Some were sent to Washington, D.C., where they assisted in decoding enemy transmissions or managing logistics vital to wartime operations. Others took on assignments at naval air stations, supporting aviation operations through communications, maintenance, and administrative roles. Though they were not permitted to serve in combat, their work played a crucial role in keeping military operations running efficiently and freeing up male personnel for service overseas.

    A Lasting Bronx Legacy

    The WAVES training facility at Hunter College in the Bronx remained active until the war’s end in 1945. After the war, the campus returned to civilian use, but its role in military history is still remembered. The women who trained there helped pave the way for the permanent integration of women into the U.S. armed forces with the passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in 1948.

    The women of Company 22, Platoon 1, like thousands of others, left behind a legacy of service. Their training in the Bronx was just the beginning of a journey that shaped both their lives and the future of the U.S. Navy.

    Further Reading

    For further reading on the WAVES training program and the experiences of these women, consider the following books:

    • ‘US Navy WAVES Training during World War II’: This is a CD that offers 4 different memory books (similar to cruise books) during WWII.
    • ‘Making WAVES: Navy Women of World War II’: This book contains a photographic history of the first women to join the U.S. Navy and offers insights into their training and contributions during the war.
    • ‘Mother was a Gunner’s Mate: World War II in the WAVES’: This book is a memoir that provides a first-person account of a woman’s experience serving as a WAVE during World War II, that highlights the challenges and triumphs during training and service.

    These resources offer valuable perspectives on the training, service, and impact of the WAVES during World War II.

  • Stamford Flying School, Class 44-K Squadron 3, Flight K

    There’s a quiet confidence in their faces. Six young men, clad in khaki pants, stand in front of a powerful radial-engine aircraft. The plane was a trainer that was likely their stepping stone to the skies of Europe or the Pacific. One crouches in front, grinning just slightly. The others stand shoulder to shoulder, arms relaxed but ready. Behind them, the clouds drift lazily above the Stamford Flying School in contrast to what awaited them after graduation.

    This is Class 44-K, Squadron 3, Flight K. They were a group of aviation cadets who trained to become the backbone of the United States Army Air Forces in 1944. The war was reaching its peak. The Allies had stormed the beaches of Normandy that June. In the Pacific, the fight for islands like Saipan and Guam raged with unrelenting intensity. The need for pilots had never been greater, and flight schools across the U.S. worked at a feverish pace to train men who could take to the skies and help bring the war to an end.

    Training the Next Generation of Combat Pilots

    Stamford Flying School located in Stamford, Texas was one of many civilian-run primary flight training schools contracted by the military during World War II. Young men from across the country, most barely in their twenties, arrived here knowing that success meant a cockpit and failure meant being sent back to the infantry. The stakes were high.

    Their training aircraft may have included the PT-17 Stearman, a biplane that taught them the basics of flight, or the BT-13 Valiant, the “Vibrator,” known for its challenging handling. If they progressed, they’d move on to the AT-6 Texan, a more advanced trainer that mimicked the fighters they would eventually fly in combat. The aircraft behind them in this photo may have been a North American AT-6.

    Who Were They?

    It’s easy to look at this photo and see only uniforms, but these were young men with stories. Maybe one of them had grown up watching barnstormers at a local airfield, dreaming of the day he’d take to the skies. Maybe another had never left his small town before receiving his draft notice. They came from different backgrounds, but they were bound together by the same goal to earning their wings.

    For many, that meant heading into combat after graduation. If they were assigned to bombers, they could have found themselves flying B-17 Flying Fortresses over Germany, dodging flak and enemy fighters on missions deep into the Reich. If they were chosen for fighters, they may have flown P-51 Mustangs, escorting those bombers through deadly skies or diving into dogfights over the Pacific.

    Some would return home, their silver wings a symbol of their service. Others would be lost in training accidents, never making it to combat at all. The rush to produce pilots meant that flight schools like Stamford had brutal schedules, and mechanical failures or midair collisions were not uncommon. The skies these men trained in were not always forgiving.

    A Frozen Moment in Time

    This photograph captures them in a moment of stillness before history pulled them forward. The war was still raging, but here they stood, young and hopeful, a mixture of determination and camaraderie in their expressions. Did they know what awaited them? Did they think about the war beyond the fields of Stamford, or were they focused only on the next flight, the next lesson, the next challenge?

    For those of us looking back, it’s a reminder of the immense effort it took to win the war. It wasn’t just the famous aces or the generals making decisions in faraway war rooms. It was men like these. They were ordinary in so many ways but extraordinary in their willingness to step into the unknown.

    Somewhere in this photograph, there may have been a hero who never made it home. Or maybe they all did, returning to lives that had been forever changed. What we do know is that they stood together in 1944, on the cusp of history, ready to take flight.

    Further Reading

    To Fill the Skies with Pilots: The Civilian Pilot Training Program, 1939-46″ by Dominick A. Pisano

    This book discusses the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP), a crucial initiative that expanded the pool of trained pilots in the United States during World War II. It offers insights into how civilian flight schools, akin to Stamford Flying School, contributed to the war effort by training thousands of pilots.

    Mister: The Training of an Aviation Cadet in World War II” by Ernest Kellogg Gann

    This book provides detail of the training that transformed young men into combat pilots during World War II. Gann’s narrative offers a personal perspective on the rigorous process of becoming an aviation cadet.

    “The Last Fighter Pilot: The True Story of the Final Combat Mission of World War II” by Don Brown and Captain Jerry Yellin

    This first-person account chronicles the experiences of Captain Jerry Yellin. Yellin was one of America’s last living World War II veterans. He details his training and combat missions, including the final combat mission of the war.

  • WWII Brigadier General David A.D. Ogden Rides the Surf and Prepares for War

    Some photos capture history in motion. This is one of them.

    This WWII era press photo from 1943 shows Brigadier General David A.D. Ogden (3d Engineers Special Brigade) standing on the stern of a fast-moving command vessel, gripping the ropes as waves crash behind him. He’s not just along for the ride. He’s watching, evaluating, making sure his Army Engineer Amphibian Unit is ready. It’s June 16, 1943, and war is tearing through Europe and the Pacific. The U.S. military is deep into preparations for the next phase of the fight—one that will be won on hostile beaches, where men, machines, and strategy must come together in perfect timing.

    Ogden is outfitted for the job with a special amphibian’s cap, waterproof overalls, and the grit of someone who doesn’t lead from a desk. He’s not back at headquarters getting reports—he’s out there, in the thick of it, standing on the edge of the war before it even starts!

    Press Photo’s Caption

    “GENERAL RIDES THE SURF”
    Coastal Training Site – Brigadier General David A.D. Ogden, commander of an Army Engineer Amphibian Unit in training for invasion, watches maneuvers of his landing boat fleet from the roped stern of a fast command vessel. He wears the amphibians’ special cap, and waterproof overalls to protect him from ocean spray. (Signal Corps)
    6/16/43

    The Work Behind the War

    When people think about World War II, they often picture the battles—D-Day, Iwo Jima, the island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific. But before those battles could happen, there had to be men like Ogden training soldiers, testing equipment, and making sure that when the time came, the landings wouldn’t be a disaster.

    Amphibious operations were some of the riskiest and most complex military maneuvers of the war. Landing boats had to hit the beach at just the right moment. Troops had to get from water to land under fire. Engineers had to clear obstacles, build makeshift docks, and keep supplies flowing. It wasn’t just about fighting—it was about figuring out how to even get into the fight in the first place.

    Ogden’s unit was one of the teams responsible for solving these problems. They trained in conditions as close to real battle as possible, running drills over and over to get everything right. If they failed in practice, they’d fail in combat—and failure in combat meant men would die before they even had a chance to fight.

    A Leader in the Water, Not Just on Paper

    Brigadier General David A.D. Ogden wasn’t a household name, but officers like him were the backbone of the war effort. He commanded the 3d Engineers Special Brigade, which in part, meant he was responsible for making sure troops could land on foreign shores and get the job done through the amphibious unit he led.

    David Ayres Depue Ogden (Wikipedia)

    What makes this photo powerful isn’t just what it shows, but what it means. A general standing on a moving boat, holding onto ropes, soaking in the ocean spray—this isn’t the image of someone removed from the action. It’s someone who’s there, feeling the motion of the waves the same way his men do. It tells you something about how seriously he took his role.

    Leadership in war isn’t about barking orders from a safe distance. It’s about knowing the challenges firsthand. It’s about being there.

    Ogden eventually made the rank of Major General in 1951.

    What This Photo Represents

    World War II was full of moments like this—training sessions, planning meetings, drills that didn’t make headlines but made all the difference when the real battles came. Every landing, every invasion, every step forward started somewhere, often in places like this, on the deck of a boat, with a leader watching and making sure everything was ready.

    The war would push men like Ogden and the soldiers under his command into battles where they wouldn’t get a second chance. If they got it wrong during training, they wouldn’t survive the real thing.

    This photo is a rare look at the work behind the war—the moments that didn’t get the glory but made victory possible.

    Ogden’s gaze is steady, his stance solid. He’s riding the waves, but he’s not just riding them. He’s preparing for what comes next.

    Further Reading

    “The Story of Our War” by James A. Pounds
    This book narrates the experiences of the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade, detailing their formation, training, and combat operations in the Pacific Theater. It offers firsthand accounts of the brigade’s challenges and achievements during the war.