Clifford M. Drury
Published: 2018-03-16
Total Pages: 290
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From the Introduction and Chapter 1- This is the first comprehensive and official history of the United States Navy chaplaincy ever prepared. Upon orders from the Secretary of the Navy, historians were selected to write the history of all phasesof the Navy's activities during the recent war. A history of the Chaplain Corps was included in this overall program. From ancient times the sea has engendered in the hearts of those who have ventured forth upon the vastness of its waters feelings of fear, awe, and reverence. The mariner of yesterday who dared sail his frail craft out upon the uncharted wilderness of the sea had good reason to be afraid. Beyond the horizon was the mystery of the great unknown. Contrary winds, violent storms, the great loneliness of the sea, and the mythical leviathans of the deep, all contributed to his fear. Recognizing the risks he ran, the sailor turned in awe and sometimes in superstition to his deity for protection and guidance. In these modern times the sailor has risen above many of his fears of the past. Most of the waters have been charted. With high-powered engines, he can run contrary to the wind and even defy the storm. Through the magic of radio and radar he can keep in touch with land. Weather reports forecast the wind, sea, and sky. Although science has largely replaced superstition, it has created new fears to take the place of the old. New and more terrible leviathans lurk in the deep. Death falls from the sky. War has always been an awful thing, and strong men still know what it is to be afraid.
