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Burning napalm. Fleeing refugees. Soldiers slogging through rice paddies and jungle trails.
Booby traps, snipers, ambushes, bloody firefights. The anguished faces of the wounded and dying, desperate for compassion and comfort. When we think of the Vietnam War, these are the images we see.What these searing images don’t reveal is that Jesus, too, was present in Vietnam. Alive in his followers—both the American and the Vietnamese Christians caught up in the conflict—he brought light and grace into a situation of horrible suffering. One person who reflected him in an extraordinary way was Fr. Vincent R. Capodanno. During his short stint as a Marine Corps chaplain, Capodanno gained an almost legendary reputation for selfless love and dedication.
“I know and swear that there are living chapels in Vince’s name,” another chaplain said of Capodanno’s transforming impact on his fellow Marines. “Those ‘grunts’ saw Christ when they saw Vince.”
A Close, Loving…
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A wonderful story that once again points to the very simplicity of faith. While most of us intellectualize and try to reach up; saints like Fr. Capodanno go about simply living Jesus for everyone to see. Thank you.
Father Capodanno was my spiritual advisor in Nam. While not in the bush Gunny Few and I built a Phillipine mahogany chapel in our rear area, Camp Reasoner. Those who know Phillipine mahogany know that it’s like rock. The chapel was huge for a structure built of this material. Gunny Few did most of the construction. He wasn’t patrolling. We placed the altar in front of a large open bay-like window which overlooked the rice paddies and the south china sea in the distance. As most Vietnam era Marines will tell tou we had the usual plastic rolled up in readiness for the frequent rain. Father Capodanno loved to say mass here. Col. McKeon knew that I was a practicing Catholic. He appointed me as the Batallion Catholic representative. First Recon Batallion and First Force Recon moved up to Da Nang from Chu Lai in mid November 1966. I came up with the advanced elements. Third Recon Batallion and Third Force Recon moved up to Dong Ha Phu Bai. I had been in country since July 1966 and I had not had opportunity to attend Mass until Father Capodanno showed up one day in February. He didn’t belong to us but he heard of the chapel that we were building. (“Build it an they will come.”) As I said, when I wasn’t out in the bush on recon patrols, and when Father Vincent was available from his other duties (actually throughout the 1st Marine Division) on those rare and special Sundays, Mass sometimes was frequently just with him, a few Marines, and me. I was Senior Batallion Corpsman and I was his altarboy. (He never really needed an altarboy. Those who knew him knew how independent he was, to the point of apparant bruskness,) It was 1967 and I was a heavy duty pre-Vatican II cradle Catholic. He was a busy man and therefore I appreciated his spiritual advice concerning my personal concerns about killing. In retrospect now I feel so sorry that I didn’t fully appreciate his attention to my spiritual life. As I remember, he was not a small-talk guy. I was a Corpsman but I was making Batallion and Force Recon patrols. On these patrols I was a Marine first. I fancied myself to be their equal, However, in the rear, besides supervising the other Corpsmen and managing the Batallion Aid Station I also began and managed Medical Civic Action Patrols. When possible I treated hundreds of Vietnamese nationals on these MedCaps, when not in the bush. I organized volunteer Marines, Medical (sometimes doctors), and Dental (sometimes dentists) forays into the village near Chu Lai and later near DaNang. In confession, Father Capodanno said that I could consider doing these MedCaps as penance for the killing I was involved with on patrols. He promised me that it was alright with God. I cherish his absolution. He was convinced that we Americans were accomplishing a noble Christ-like duty (contrary to present-day history rewrites). My memory of Father Capodanno is as fresh today as if it happened yesterday. He was killed two months after I completed my tour. I know he’s known as the grunt chaplain but to me he will also be my Recon Marine Padre. I am always privileged to have known him. I knew him personally and more importantly spiritually. When my imperfect Catholic faith wavers I think and pray with him. He hasn’t let me down. He contnues to be my example of a true soldier for Christ. He called the chapel I helped build his chapel with a view. When I think of him I see him framed in front of that large opening, holding his field chalice that held Christ’s blood, with the beautiful orderly rice paddies, the surrounding lush rolling hills, and the South China Sea in the background. He inspires me every day. I am grateful for the miracle of his continuing reminder to never give up on my Catholic faith. God rest his soul. May the Perpetual Light shine upon him.
Anthony “recon doc” Skrapits, CWO4 (HMCM)/USN (Ret.)