Testimony of a Military Chaplain on the Wars in the Middle East

War against Terrorism

The Testimony of a Military Chaplain

by Fr. Gommar A. DePauw, J.C.D.
President of the Catholic Traditionalist Movement

Excerpts from a letter to A.S. Guimarães (August 14, 2003)

Amice carissime, co-miles “pro veritate et traditione,”

[Most dear friend and co-warrior for truth and tradition]

May I herewith express to you my sincerest gratitude for your kindness in sending me the autographed copy your latest book War, Just War, and the honor given me in it by so favorable referring to my own fight “for the good cause against Progressivism” in general, and my own “strong position in favor of the current war,” in particular.

As you correctly suspected, no one – neither on the left, nor on the right – had the courage to accept my challenge to debate our position. ….

The reason I waited so long to answer your gracious letter of July 14 is very simple: I wanted to read, study your book first. And yesterday I did finish reading it for a second time.

Crusaders enter the Holy City of Jerusalem

"I also happily noticed in your book your repeated expressions of admiration for 'the epic spirit'
of the medieval Crusaders."
Above, the Crusaders take Jerusalem in the 11th century.

As with all your previous books, this old ex-professor is giving your War, Just War an enthusiastic A-1 grade, indeed, even more, an extra concursum [extraordinary] evaluation. What a shame that such lucid logic and sound doctrine is not getting through to the minds and souls of at least those who continue to call themselves “traditionalists”, but by their prideful ignorance are now ending up among St. Paul’s falsi fraters [false brothers] whom Our Lord’s rejects as people qui oculis habent sed non vident, et aures habent sed non aidiunt [who have eyes but do not see, and ears but do not hear].

I also happily noticed in your book your repeated expressions of admiration for “the epic spirit” of the medieval Crusaders. Are you and I again the only “voices in the desert” daring to go against the now politically correct excommunication of those valiant defenders of Our Savior’s Sepulcher? Exceedingly proud to be able to trace some of my ancestors to those idealists led by Godfrey de Bouillon, I published an article on these heroes some time ago.

Another part of your book that personally touched me deeply was Chapter X: The Epic Spirit, and especially its page 94, on The Beauty of the War.
As one who personally participated in World War II, first as Combat Infantry Medic and subsequently as a battlefield-commissioned Chaplain - and as lately as two months ago a currently on active duty officer of the U.S. Special Forces praised my World War II record as “heroic” - I have until now always found myself in agreement with that much admired hero of mine, the late General George Patton, on record to have stated,

“War is hell, …, a hell, however, one must sometimes, in the course of history, willingly go through, in order to avoid ending up, for dereliction of duty, in that never ending Hell!”

Your Chapter X was a sound I wish I had heard much sooner! It should be made mandatory reading for every Chaplain currently serving in the Armed Forces of the U.S.A.….

My dear and admired friend, …. I must now end in order to put the final touches to my sermons for tomorrow’s Masses. Rest assured that in them you will be uppermost in my mind, when I reach the Memento for those quorum fides cognita est [whose faith is known].

Oremus pro invicem [Let us pray for one another].
Non prevalebunt! [The gates of Hell shall not prevail!]

Yours in the Lord and His Blessed Mother,

Fr. Gommar DePauw

Posted September 22, 2003

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