Thread by @18airbornecorps

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“My Place is Here: The Ballad of Delbert Kuehl”

This is the unforgettable story of a Chaplain under fire.

#SundayMorning

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We’ve observed some ugly leadership trends during Operation Market Garden: ambition, ego, personal gain.

The story of Chaplain Delbert Kuehl follows a different path. Delbert’s story is one of love, courage, and selflessness.

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His story forms around a biological urge to answer a call to help. To help his Nation at war. To help his men in spiritual distress. To help his men cross a river into the teeth of determined German forces.

Let's get started.

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The story starts and ends in Minnesota, where Delbert was born and raised into a religious family. A graduate of seminary, he volunteered for war duty as a chaplain in 1942. He volunteered again to become a paratrooper. He was assigned to a new unit: the 504 PIR.

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Delbert was eager to share his faith with his fellow Soldiers; however, his efforts were not immediately met with the same enthusiasm.

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In September 1942, during his first Protestant service, only 2 of the 1,800 soldiers at @FortBenning showed up. One of the two showed up drunk.

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He was not discouraged. In the spirit of the American chaplaincy, if the troops would not come to Delbert, he would go to them.

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And he did. When paratroopers went to train, Delbert went with them, spending quality time establishing relationships and boosting morale.

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Over time, the paratroopers began to attend Delbert’s services. Throughout the war, he continued to seek out opportunities to engage with and serve the paratroopers in his regiment. [watch with sound]

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And in September 1944, he found himself alongside men of the 504th fighting in Holland during Operation Market Garden.

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On September 20th, 1944, 3 days after the airborne insertion, the 504th had to cross the Waal River and secure the northern and southern points of the Nijmegen Bridge. The men were running out of time to save the British at Arnhem and the Polish fighting further north.

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A river crossing against a dug-in enemy would be more effective at night, with the cover of darkness. But pressed for time, the men of the 504th had to cross during the day, using ordinary row boats, some using musket butts as oars.

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After the mission brief, Delbert thought, “If they ever need me, they’re going to need me now.” He volunteered to go with the first wave of the river crossing.

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As the Chaplain, he was not required to go on the mission. He volunteered. He was driven to be where Soldiers would be in need. Continually praying “Lord, thy will be done!” Delbert departed across the river with the first wave of troops.

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Bullets fell like rain. Of the 26 boats that set out to cross the Waal River, only 11 boats made it to the other side. Of the 260 men who attempted to cross, 49 men died.

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Delbert made it across the river unharmed. He then exposed himself to enemy fire by rushing to the wounded along the water’s edge, ministering and tending to their injuries in preparation for their transfer to safety. As a Chaplain, Delbert did not carry a weapon.

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While rendering aid to a severely wounded Soldier, Delbert was hit by shrapnel. The injured Soldier cried out, “Oh, Chaplain, did they get you too?”

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That Soldier was in worse condition than Delbert. With no concern for his own injuries, the chaplain pressed on.

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He refused an order from his command to retreat to safety. His response was bold, defiant: “My place is here!” He treated wounds while praying with his boys. He not only saved souls – Delbert saved lives that day.

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His selfless service in tending to the wounded in body, mind, and soul is an inspiring example of how faith can bring hope in times of turmoil. Delbert’s courage and faith served his troops that day on the shores of Nijmegen, comforting some amidst that final breath.

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On December 13th, 1944, General Jim Gavin, commander of the @82ndABNDiv, awarded Delbert the Silver Star for his gallantry and valor in tending to the wounded troops under fire on the north bank of the Waal River.

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This message is inscribed in Delbert’s copy of the book “Strike and Hold”, written by T. Moffatt Burriss, a company commander in Delbert’s regiment:

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“No one has ever meant so much to so many troops in any military unit as you did in World War II. Your bravery and your faith in God were an inspiration to us all.”

In 2010, Delbert died where he started in Minnesota at age 93. But his story lives on.

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What would have become of Delbert’s legacy if he let the outcome of his first religious service define his career?

Delbert used his faith as a source of power, even in the face of physical danger.

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The mission of the Chaplain has remained the same since its founding in 1775 by George Washington. Chaplains “Bring God to Soldiers and Soldiers to God.”

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Delbert's story has inspired many Chaplains over the years, including Colonel Eddie Cook, XVIII Airborne Corps’ Chaplain, pictured here in 2003.

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Chaplain Cook [pictured here last year] told us: “When we serve others and serve God; we fight for freedom and liberty for something much greater than ourselves. It is eternal. So when we face times of despair we know that God is right alongside us.”

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Major George Tyger, Chaplain for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, shares how we too can have faith like Delbert when we put it into action:

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“Faith is love in action, Chaplain Delbert put his love into action. Any of us can have that kind of faith regardless of our beliefs when we choose to live like Chaplain Delbert by putting our love into action. The smallest act done with love is an act of faith.”

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Today, chaplains all over the military reflect the position of a Biblical love for mankind, forever honoring the legacy of Chaplain Delbert Kuehl.

FINAL:

Just like Delbert on the both sides of the Waal River, our chaplains rush to where they are needed: to the emotionally wounded, to the Soldier in distress, to the paratrooper in need. Their place is here.