Tribute befitting a legend (Medal of Honor Recipient, Catholic Priest, Vietnam Veteran Remembered)

Ralph Oriscello first heard about him while treating injured soldiers at the 93rd Evacuation Hospital in South Vietnam in the fall of 1967.

One after another, the soldiers told the story of how the priest, unarmed except for a crucifix and a prayer, ran into the middle of a mortar firestorm and dragged wounded men to safety. As the battle escalated and the casualties mounted, so did the priest's momentum. With mortar shells exploding all around him, he brought back one injured man after another, saving lives and comforting souls.

"Many of the casualties coming back from the field kept telling me their life was saved by an unarmed chaplain," said Oriscello, now chief of cardiology at the Veterans Administration Hospital in East Orange.

The priest's heroics came during one of the bloodiest battles of the war. It was Nov. 19, 1967, in the area known as the Central Highlands, where 4,500 soldiers of the U.S. 4th Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade fought 6,000 North Vietnamese troops. By day's end, the North Vietnamese had lost a quarter of their men, while 285 Americans were killed.

One of the 285 was the priest -- Maj. Charles J. Watters, a 40-year-old associate pastor from St. Michael's Parish in Cranford.

While the priest died on the battlefield, his legend did not. It spread from Southeast Asia all the way to the Pentagon. Two years after his death, Father Charlie, as he was known to troops, was awarded the Medal of Honor, one of only seven chaplains ever to receive the nation's highest military honor.

The citation describes Watters' heroism. It says, in part: "When a wounded paratrooper in shock was standing in front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, pulled the man up on

Such men of faith and courage should always be remembered. At a time when Christianity and patriotism are both under fire, the story of this American priest helps lift us all up.

I am reminded of another battle in 1920, forgotten in the west but remembered in Poland. The Red army was at the gates of Warsaw aiming to conquer western Europe. A Catholic priest carrying only a crucifix ran ahead of the Polish infantry rallying them, and Poland won the day in a battle that came to be called "the Miracle on the Vistula."

Four Chaplains have earned the Medal of Honor, all were Catholic.

WATTERS, CHARLES JOSEPH

Rank and organization: Chaplain (Maj.), U .S. Army, Company A, 173d Support Battalion, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Near Dak To Province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 November 1967. Entered service at: Fort Dix, N.J. Born: 17 January 1927, Jersey City, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chaplain Watters distinguished himself during an assault in the vicinity of Dak To. Chaplain Watters was moving with one of the companies when it engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. As the battle raged and the casualties mounted, Chaplain Watters, with complete disregard for his safety, rushed forward to the line of contact. Unarmed and completely exposed, he moved among, as well as in front of the advancing troops, giving aid to the wounded, assisting in their evacuation, giving words of encouragement, and administering the last rites to the dying. When a wounded paratrooper was standing in shock in front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, picked the man up on his shoulders and carried him to safety. As the troopers battled to the first enemy entrenchment, Chaplain Watters ran through the intense enemy fire to the front of the entrenchment to aid a fallen comrade. A short time later, the paratroopers pulled back in preparation for a second assault. Chaplain Watters exposed himself to both friendly and enemy fire between the 2 forces in order to recover 2 wounded soldiers. Later, when the battalion was forced to pull back into a perimeter, Chaplain Watters noticed that several wounded soldiers were Lying outside the newly formed perimeter. Without hesitation and ignoring attempts to restrain him, Chaplain Watters left the perimeter three times in the face of small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire to carry and to assist the injured troopers to safety. Satisfied that all of the wounded were inside the perimeter, he began aiding the medics--applying field bandages to open wounds, obtaining and serving food and water, giving spiritual and mental strength and comfort. During his ministering, he moved out to the perimeter from position to position redistributing food and water, and tending to the needs of his men. Chaplain Watters was giving aid to the wounded when he himself was mortally wounded. Chaplain Watters' unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

You should have met Father Steve O'Donnell (dec.). Father Steve had a brother who had gone over to 'the Dark Side'- a safecracker. In the 1920's - the brother busted a safe in Indianapolis containing a ledger with the names of every KKK member in the Midwest. The brother had to be admonished not to take anything else - cash for example.

The names of Klansmen were published in a newspaper run by Catholic and Jewish businessmen in Chicago. PK Wrigley ( gum & Cubs) was rumored to be large in the ledger.

In WWII Father Steve jumped into Normandy with the 83rd Airborne. He always kept his sidearm. In the late 1970's Father Steve was the pastor of Old St. Pat's on Adams - then it was skid-row and now it is the parish of the swells.
Father Steve had an assistant from India. One night two thugs broke into the rectory and shot the assistant priest - he was badly wounded. Out stepped a seventy plus priest holding a .45. The two thugs laughed. Fr. Steve shot both thugs in each thigh - very painful but sadly not fatal. He then did aid station work on the young Indian priest. Father Steve O'Donnell - Capt. USA died a few months later.

Ralph Oriscello first heard about him while treating injured soldiers at the 93rd Evacuation Hospital in South Vietnam in the fall of 1967.
One after another, the soldiers told the story of how the priest, unarmed except for a crucifix and a prayer, ran into the middle of a mortar firestorm and dragged wounded men to safety. As the battle escalated and the casualties mounted, so did the priest's momentum. With mortar shells exploding all around him, he brought back one injured man after another, saving lives and comforting souls.

The 4-foot, reddish-brown granite memorial will have a plaque with the Chaplain's Cross and will tell of Watters' life, ministry and military service. The leading inscription will say, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend."

Beautiful story ... thank you for posting it!

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

Beautiful story ... thank you for posting it!

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

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