"Foreword by Fr. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. ; introduction by Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C." Includes bibliographical references (pages 355-364) and index.
Contents:
"Our first baptism of blood": war opens in the Philippines -- "The chaplain is the servant of God for all": chaplains in war training -- "Surely war is a dirty game": the chaplains go to war -- Chaplains at the battlefront: Jnuary 1943 to December 1944 -- "I never expected to come out of the Philippines alive": chaplains in the Pacific, 1943 -- "Daily was I shelled, nightly was I bombed": Father Barry from Sicily to Rome -- "Face to face with the realism, the tragedy, and the horror of the war": Father Sampson at D-Day -- "Our chaplains are becoming more scattered every week": chaplains in the Pacific, 1944 -- Hope Mr. Hitler goes underground before winter": chaplains in Europe to the end of 1944 -- Onward to victory: January 1945 to present -- "I had the devil scared out of me many a time": closing in on Japan -- "Facing the insanity of Himmler's madmen": onward to victory in Europe -- "You could have heard my cheer in Niles": onward to victory in the Pacific -- "I have seen my share of blood, death, mud, hunger and cold": home.
Summary:
In Soldiers of a Different Cloth, New York Times best-selling author and military historian John Wukovits tells the inspiring story of thirty-five chaplains and missionaries who, while garnering little acclaim, performed extraordinary feats of courage and persistence during World War II. Ranging in age from twenty-two to fifty-three, these University of Notre Dame priests and nuns were counselor, friend, parent, and older sibling to the young soldiers they served. These chaplains experienced the horrors of the Death March in the Philippines and the filthy holds of the infamous Hell Ships. They dangled from a parachute while descending toward German fire at Normandy and shivered in Belgium#x92;s frigid snows during the Battle of the Bulge. They languished in German and Japanese prison camps, and stood speechless at Dachau. Based on a vast collection of letters, papers, records, and photographs in the archives of the University of Notre Dame, as well as other contemporary sources, Wukovits brings to life these nearly forgotten heroes who served wherever duty sent them and wherever the war dictated. Wukovits intertwines their stories on the battlefronts with their memories of Notre Dame. In their letters to their superior in South Bend, Indiana, they often asked about campus, the Grotto, and the football team. Their love for Notre Dame helped buttress them during their wartime tribulations, and their return to campus was akin to a warm homecoming. Soldiers of a Different Cloth will fascinate and engage all readers interested in the history of World War II and alumni, friends, and fans of the Fighting Irish. -- Amazon.com.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.