patches Posted October 9, 2016 Share #1 Posted October 9, 2016 Just discovered this on a WWII Chaplain. Aquinas Colgan, he appears to have been the 124th Infantry's Padre. the 124th Infantry at this date was no longer a Florida National Guard Regiment but a newly activated unit, the Army of the United State 154th Infantry, in New Guinea the 154th Infantry was disbanded or as it were, Re-Flagged, and using curiously the same number of the old Florida NG unit which was relieved from the 31st Infantry Division itself in December 1941. The original 124th Infantry FLANG was inactivated eventually itself at Fort Jackson South Carolina in early March 1944, inactivated for unknown reasons, probably inactivated to use it's people as individual Infantry Replacements for the MTO and England (The up coming Overlord Operation). I say this as it would be unusual for a Catholic Chaplain to be assigned to a Deep South NG unit really, (maybe excepting some Louisiana NG units, Cajuns you know), their numbers being in the majority, Protestant, but as the 154th Infantry was a draftee unit with guys from all over America, I guess a Roman Chaplain wouldn't be totally out of the ordinary here. http://www.tankbooks.com/stories/stories2/streetfighter.htm http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=30565 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted October 9, 2016 Share #2 Posted October 9, 2016 Father Elmer Heindl of the 37th Division received a DSC, SS and BS in the Pacific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 9, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted October 9, 2016 Father Elmer Heindl of the 37th Division received a DSC, SS and BS in the Pacific. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Heindl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 9, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted October 9, 2016 You know when I was in parochial school, here in Glendale Queens, member Bill the Patch too, our pastor throughout most of that time late 60s till we graduated in 76, though he was pastor for a long time after, was in the Army, a Full Colonel I believe, he was in the 84th Inf Div in WWII, in fact I think he retired right before he came to our school in 1968 or 1969. I really need to look around online to see if I can find info. When I was in after Basic and AIT I was a recruiter aide right, wearing my Blue stuff and my unit patch for my unit I was going to, the 1st Cav Div and I went to my old school for Career day in May of 80, going along with one of the recruiting sergeants, who was a 1st Cav Div Viet Vet, some kind of a Air Ground crewman, in the 1st Sqd 9th Cav, a Air Traffic Controller I seem to recall. Memorable, seen the nuns again . The pastor, Father Bermel his name was, was in his element chitchatting with the both us, old soldier that he was . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted October 9, 2016 Share #5 Posted October 9, 2016 I remember father bermel. I tried looking him up years ago. Couldn't find anything on him. Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted October 10, 2016 I found Father Bermel. As of 1 January 1967, an real old timer, born 25 September 1912 Charles J. Bermel, was still in, a permanent grade full Colonel, promoted to that rank on 2 October 1963, Entered 22 July 1941, source of commission Reserve. Service Status as of 1 Jan 1967: Retention beyond retirement eligibility of Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels for 28-30 years Active Federal Service, respectively, if selected by boards against qualifications governing Regular Army promotions. (In other words, he was on Active Duty ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted October 10, 2016 Here's Bermel's full Biography, Padre in a lot of units we see, to include for a bit the 1st Cav Div. https://books.google.com/books?id=hHjzbGW7Co4C&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq=colonel+charles+j+bermel&source=bl&ots=HLTzlzwOYn&sig=cvNKfwcsg9PPxCE8u5eYOfQDd5M&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiau5i5jM_PAhVBMj4KHcrpAJoQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=colonel%20charles%20j%20bermel&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted October 10, 2016 And here's an May 1945 artile mentioning him as Assitent Divisional Chaplain of the 84th Infantry Division, BUUUT it's a pay site to see the article up close. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/50836393/ A sample of what is says. The j Moose members are now enjoying initiation took place at a special its ... and as Vice President of the Pennsylvania As- 84th Infantry Division in Germany. ... of the Railsplitters as Major Charles J. Bermel, assistant division chaplain, and his ... from the World War II to care for the children orphaned by li.e terrific struggle. Curious, can't find a good Obit on him, as the Diocese of Brooklyn would surely put one out for him to my thinking. https://www.sysoon.com/deceased/charles-j-bermel-35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 29, 2016 Author Share #9 Posted October 29, 2016 Sprang for the Chaplains Book, so, scanned the photos which were not available in the GOOGLE Books link as well as the whole write up on Colonel Father Charles J. Bermel, as we see it curiously doesn't mention his WWII Service in the Railsplitters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted October 29, 2016 Share #10 Posted October 29, 2016 Man that's great, just like I remember him. His was a good priest, remember father benack, im not sure of spelling. Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share #11 Posted October 30, 2016 A Chaplain with CIB, J.W. Mankin Command & General Staff College class of 1967, not much info on him, like unit in WWII, he served as a EM then and came back in in 1950, never did go to Korea, not sure on Vietnam, maybe after 1967. Don't know his real name, as he's listed as J.W. in the registry, and online, it's possible J.W. was his legal name. As we have found out, just serving in the Army during periods of war gives said veteran status of the Era, in example, a GI who was in in WWII, but served in the states the whole time. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=72198524 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share #12 Posted November 9, 2019 Lawrence E Lynch, one more Padre who was Killed in Action as Padre of the 165th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division, Okinawa. https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=421928 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share #13 Posted January 8, 2023 BUMP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCR79 Posted January 8, 2023 Share #14 Posted January 8, 2023 Rev Harris Darche 1923 & 1931 Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted November 9, 2023 Author Share #15 Posted November 9, 2023 Captain Richard M Harding Chaplain in 1965, a former Air Corps Air Crewman from WWII, Curiously can't find nothing on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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