chapter 6 | for god and country
Naval Medical Center and USS Vella Gulf On Tuesday, May 30, 1944, following a one-month leave in Boston, John Foley began a seven-month tour of duty as a chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center, today’s Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland. He may have found the work unremarkable as compared with his experiences on the Clymer, and he made only a handful of undated entries while at the facility, including a list of “Experiences in Naval Medical Center.” Remark of Protestant—“Some of my best friends are Catholic, not just one day a week, but seven. Apgar, wounded aboard the bridge of the USS Texas off the Normandy Coast, lost one leg below the knee, other in bad way also. Asked him how many blood transfusions he had. “Wish I never had any.” Jensen, dying of cancer of the bronchial tubes, listed as a Catholic. Asked if he wanted to go to Confession and Communion. Puzzled expression, said he wasn’t a Catholic. Checked with mother; mixed marriage, that boy brought up by an uncle, a Lutheran. Trying to catch the last word; hardly strength to whisper message. “Give my best to everybody.” Russian member of Soviet Embassy broke neck swimming. Introduced self as priest; I inquired what he was. Although he understood and spoke English up to that point, answer, “Sorry, I do not understand.” Same of two of his friends whom I met in the passageway.
WAVE loaned $166 to two sailors for liberty, and to one who wanted “to buy flowers for his wife’s grave.” Foley lobbied to be returned to sea, and in January 1945 he was assigned to the USS Vella Gulf, an aircraft carrier that was being built in Washington State. Named for an American Naval victory in the Solomon Islands in August 1943, the Vella Gulf carried 34 aircraft comprising torpedo bombers and fighters, and a crew of more than 1,000. She was commissioned on April 9 and, with Foley on board, was engaged in sea trials off the coast near San Diego when word of the German surrender was received.
Tuesday, May 8, 1945 Service of Thanksgiving for Victory in Europe aboard the USS Vella Gulf. 0800 – General Quarters. Emergency drill. 0930 – Bugler sounded attention before ship’s company was dismissed from General Quarters. ATTENTION ALL HANDS: This is Fr. Foley, ship’s Chaplain speaking. This morning official confirmation was received that the war in Europe is over. In accordance with the wishes of our Commander-in-Chief, President Harry S. Truman, and in prayerful union with millions of our fellow Americans ashore, we stop for a few minutes in our busy lives aboard ship to thank God for the victory that has crowned our arms.
208 | chapter 6: naval medical center and uss vella gulf
