Religion in the Combat Zone

Jordan Bolan
Dr. Kurt Piehler, Department of History
Director of FSU World War II Institute
Florida State University

Conclusion

Introducti
There is an existing
on debate on what motivated

American soldiers in World War II, which started

even as the battles were being fought. Scholars
have generally stressed the role of comradeship
in sustaining GIs fighting on the line, popularized
by Stephen Ambrose in Band of Brothers.
Professor Piehler and I are researching how
ideological factors were more important than
recognized, and writing a paper on how religious
values and rituals played a crucial role in
motivating and sustaining GIs in combat.

Methodology
To understand how significant
religion was for the American
soldier we are looking through
primary sources including chaplain
and soldiers memoirs and letters,
as well as oral histories from the
Rutgers Archive. As I go through
the sources I have taken note of
any mention of soldiers being
motivated by a religious or
superstitious influence. What
soldiers did in faith for comfort and
motivation varies, from prayer and
chapel visits to the symbolism of

Our sources show that soldiers sought out their

Chaplains and many soldiers took to praying for
comfort. Prayer is often stated as a solace and a
common activity for soldiers in combat. Chaplains
were a comfort for the soldiers, sometimes
regardless of denomination, and many took an
active role in trying to motivate and guide the
soldiers to keep going.
By reading through these sources we are finding
support for religion as being significant in the GIs
life, and that it is a greater aspect in the GIs life
than credited. In their desperate circumstances
soldiers had to find some way to continue on in
the struggle and religion was one of the comforts
that helped them cope with their situations. We
are discovering a clearer insight into the mindset
of the American soldier in World War II and how,
through religious practice, he was able to
persevere in the combat zone.
Linderman, Gerald F.The World within War:
America's Combat Experience in World War II.
New York: The Free Press, 1997.

References

McManus, John C.The Deadly Brotherhood: The

American Combat Soldier in World War II.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1998.
Kennett, Lee.G.I.: The American Soldier In World
War II. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1987.
Cross, Christopher, and William R.
Arnold.Soldiers of God. Richmond: William Byrd
Press, INC., 1945