"War is so horrible that if you survive World War II, you should be an advocate for peaceful reconciliation," Dr. John D. Wolf said minutes before his presentation at the 13th Annual Veteran's Day Program at the Valparaiso Rotary Club on Monday, November 7, 2011. Dr. Wolf's presentation marked the end of a trilogy, in which he inspired, of World War II veterans that have shared at Rotary this year along with the past two.
The program honored all forms of past veterans with word and with music as the Valparaiso High School Band played many patriotic songs. The Culver Military Academy Color Guard was also present in the posting of the colors.
Wolf served 20 months of sea duty as First Chaplain on the USS Frederick Funston (APA 89) during World War II beginning in June 1942. Out of 10,000 chaplains that served in the Navy throughout the war, Wolf was the youngest one at 23. He joked during his presentation, "I grew up real fast." He volunteered in the U.S. Navy Chaplains Corp after spending seven years obtaining an A.B. in History from Oberlin College along with a M. Div degree in Christian Ethics under Reinhold Niebuhr.
And like any experience at war, his life was changed. His work was mainly among the wounded in which LCVP's (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) or plywood-constructed, shallow-draft boats would arrive at the beach where the wounded were, pick them up and bring them back onboard where the ship was instantly converted to an auxiliary hospital.
He described combat operations he was a part of as times that "he'll never forget". As if that phrase could actually sum up everything he experienced. He served in combat operations at Salerno, Italy, Saipan and Guam in the Mariana Islands, as well as the Philippine campaigns at Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf and then at Iwo Jima.
He was decorated by the Secretary of the Navy for his time of service. His final assignment was at the Navy Chaplains School at the College of William and Mary teaching "Naval History in World War II". He later served as a Methodist minister for many years at churches spread throughout Indiana including Fort Wayne, South Bend, and ending up in Valparaiso before retiring in 1984.
One might think that Dr. John Wolf could just simply list "World War II veteran" on a list of achievements and leave it at that. Perhaps one could say, "He was only a chaplain." But there's no one who knows better than that than Wolf himself. He went on to describe how he was at a football game recently with his son, Jack, and they sounded the shrieks of aerial torpedo bombs in the background and Wolf began to shiver and cry.
"We've all in a sense been wounded by war," said Wolf soberly. "And I began to realize that I've been wounded, too...and we have tremendous responsibility in caring for these wounded who are recently coming back to us from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."
You can read more stories from Dr. Wolf in his book Amen! Until Tomorrow: Retaking the Pacific After Pearl Harbor. Wolf has been married to his wife Carolyn for 70 years and they have three sons, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren together.
Click here for more photos of the event.