Since 1775, more than 25,000 chaplains from a multitude of religions have provided spiritual guidance and counseling to the men and women serving in our armed forces. While chaplains were noncombatants, they often became targets as they put themselves in harm’s way to pull the wounded to safety or to administer comfort and last rites.
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Armed Forces has been active in more than 270 major combat engagements, and more than 400 have died serving their country.
During the Vietnam War, chaplains were resolute in offering compassion and connection to all service members. They were responsible for holding memorial services for those killed, conducting religious services, raising troop morale, lending an ear, and offering spiritual counsel to service members under duress.
Peaking at 300 chaplains serving in Vietnam in 1967, this number alone is not representative of the amount of steadfast care and compassion these men were able to provide and the danger they often faced. [From VVMF.org]
These are the stories of 16 chaplains whose names are inscribed upon the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They are such a unique subset of heroes that volunteered, served, and lost their lives for their country, that this website needs to present their stories forever.
We can never forget.
For a PDF document with data about these heroes, click HERE.
For a PDF document with all of the biographies, click HERE.
BIOGRAPHY SECTION
Click on a name to be taken to a page with their bio.
| MAJ WILLIAM JOSEPH BARRAGY Roman Catholic Dubuque, Iowa | LTC DON LAVERNE BARTLEY SR. Presbyterian Pikeville, Kentucky |
| LT ROBERT RAYMOND BRETT Roman Catholic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | CAPT MERLE DEWAYNE BROWN Lutheran Butler, Pennsylvania |
| LT VINCENT ROBERT CAPODANNO Roman Catholic Staten Island, New York | LTC MEIR ENGEL Jewish Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CAPT WILLIAM NEWCOMER FEASTER Protestant Portsmouth, New Hampshire | LCDR WILLIAM JOHN GARRITY JR. Roman Catholic Helena, Montana |
| MAJ AMBROSIO SALAZAR GRANDEA Methodist Philippines | MAJ ROGER WILLIAM HEINZ Lutheran Dubuque, Iowa |
| CAPT JAMES J.L. JOHNSON Baptist Texas | MAJ ALOYSIUS PAUL MCGONIGAL Roman Catholic (Jesuit) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CAPT PHILLIP ARTHUR NICHOLS Assemblies of God New London, Ohio | CAPT MICHAEL JOSEPH QUEALY Roman Catholic New York City |
| CAPT MORTON HAROLD SINGER Jewish (Orthodox) New York City | MAJ CHARLES JOSEPH WATTERS Roman Catholic Jersey City, New Jersey |
