Battlefield Promotion

chapter 4 to love and serve

In Their Own Words

battlefield promotion

The story of a signal honor bestowed by General MacArthur upon Father Thomas S ha nahan, S.J., wa s re lated re cently to th e Mo st Re v. Jo hn F. O’ Hara, C. S.C., Mi litary De legate for the Army and Navy Vicariate, by a chaplain who had just arrived from Australia.

Father Shanahan, a native ofWaterbury and a member ofthe class of1918 at Holy Cross College, originally reported wounded in the bombing ofManila, actually went as chaplain of th e sh ip “M actan” be aring th e wo unded fr om th e Ph ilippines to Au stralia. On th e ev e ofth e fa ll of Manila, General Douglas MacArthur, Commanderin-Chief ofth e Am erican an d Fi lipino fo rces in th e Ph ilippines, wa s ve ry an xious to ev acuate al l th e me n wo unded du ring th e co urse ofth e wa r up un til th at da te. De spite gr eat di fficulties th is wa s fin ally ac complished. Th e in terisland st eamship “M actan” was converted into a Red Cross ship. A number ofdo ctors an d nu rses we re as sembled an d th e wounded transferred late on the eve ofNew Year’s Day. At the last moment it was discovered that no ch aplain ha d be en ap pointed.

This part ofthe story has been supplied by the fo ur Fi lipino nu rses wh o ar e at pr esent in Ne w Yo rk, ha ving co me al l th e wa y wi th th e wo unded me n fr om Au stralia. Th ey we re am ong th e nu rses se nt to th e “M actan” to ta ke ca re ofth e wo unded in th e co urse ofth e vo yage to Au stralia. Wh en it wa s di scovered th at no ch aplain ha d be en ob tained, it seems that Father Shanahan’s name was suggested by everyone who was consulted. According to the nurses, he had been very active during the bombing ofMa nila, es pecially in th e po rt ar ea wh ere th e bombing was most intense, and his name was well known to the military personnel especially of the Medical Corps. He was accordingly asked to accompany the “Mactan” as chaplain. He actually had about five minutes’ preparation for the journey, just long enough to call Father Hurley, his superior, and obtain his permission to leave.

When the trip was over and the wounded had been taken care of in Australia, Father Shanahan consulted the Jesuit Vice-Provincial in Melbourne with regard to his future duties. It was agreed between them that Father Shanahan should make application to become a regular army chaplain. This he did. The regulation papers were made out. When General MacArthur arrived in Australia he found a great deal of desk work awaiting him. Some new commissions had been held up pending his approval. In going through them he found the regular form made out but waiting his signature, commissioning Father Shanahan as first lieutenant in the army of the United States. General MacArthur read the name and then inquired, “Isn’t this the Father Shanahan who was chaplain of the ‘Mactan’?” On being assured that he was the same man, General MacArthur crossed out the words “First Lieutenant” on the commission and said, “Make Father Shanahan a captain.”

The Catholic News, December 5, 1942 14

14 “MacArthur Honors Jesuit,” Woodstock Letters, 71, 91–93.