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SIDEBAR: Military chaplains who died in the line of duty

(RNS) At least 10 military chaplains died in the line of duty in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mark I. Pinsky

World War II:

The “Four Chaplains”: Lt. George L. Fox (Methodist); Lt. Alexander D. Goode (Jewish); Lt. John P. Washington (Roman Catholic); and Lt. Clark V. Poling (Reformed Church in America) gave up their life jackets on the deck of the sinking USS Dorchester in the North Atlantic in 1943.

Army Chaplain Lawrence Lynch (Roman Catholic): A member of New York’s “Fighting ‘69th,” Lynch was killed while serving Communion under fire to a fatally wounded soldier on Okinawa in 1945, earning a posthumous Silver Star.


Korea:

Army Chaplain Emil Kapaun (Roman Catholic) died in a POW camp in 1951 after ministering to fellow inmates. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and is a candidate for sainthood.

Vietnam:

Army Maj. Charles Watters (Roman Catholic) was fatally wounded while ministering to fallen comrades under intense fire near Dak To in 1967, actions which earned him the Medal of Honor.

Army Capt. Phillip Nichols was killed by a concealed explosive in 1970.

Iraq:

Army Chaplain Maj. Henry Timothy Vakoc (Roman Catholic) was severely injured in an roadside bomb attack while returning from celebrating Mass with troops in 2004, and died from his wounds in 2009. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Afghanistan:

Army Chaplain Capt. Dale Goetz (Baptist), killed en route to visit troops when his convoy came under attack in 2010, becoming the first chaplain to die in combat since 1970.

Army Chaplain’s Assistant Staff Sgt. Christopher Stout was killed in an insurgent attack on his unit in 2010.

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