Eugene Sengstake Sr.'s Pocket Bible Including a Prayer Card

Eugene Sengstake Sr.'s Pocket Bible Including a Prayer Card

World War II

This item is a leather pocket Bible of Eugene Sengstake Sr., which he carried during World War II. This Bible also contains a prayer card from Holy Family Parish in Lincoln, NE, and additionally has Camp Robinson as the address. Prayers included are: "Grace before Mess," "Prayer for the Armed Forces," and "Morning Offering." Camp Joseph T. Robinson, previously known as Camp Pike, was reclaimed by the United States in early 1940 and became a cantonment for the 35th division, to which Eugene Sengstake belonged. The men were moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas. As the Bible has on it written June 23, 1941, it is highly possible that Sengstake received it at this camp. The prayer card includes the name of Chaplain L.F. Obrist. As is found in Army Regulations 60-5, the military chaplain was designated to "serve the religious and moral needs of the entire personnel of the command to which he was assigned." A chaplain was required to provide religious services and last rites. As a Catholic priest, Chaplain L.F. Obrist would have said masses and heard confessions. Additionally, chaplains were meant to "promote religion, morals, and morale."

Eugene Wagner Sengstake Sr. of Lincoln, Nebraska, served in the 110th Medical Regiment and later as a B-24 pilot. Sengstake served in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1941-1944, and he attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. His service was in the South Pacific, including New Guinea. He was killed in action June 9, 1944 between Palau and Wake Islands.

Sources

U.S. War Department, Chaplains: General Provisions, (Washington 25, D.C., 12 December, 1946), 2.

Steve Rucker, The Central Arkansas Library System, "Camp Joseph T. Robinson." Last modified 09 29, 2009 (Accessed February 19, 2014), http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2262. Information provided by U.S. War Department, Chaplains: General Provisions, (Washington 25, D.C., 12 December, 1946), 2. Rucker, Steve. The Central Arkansas Library System, "Camp Joseph T. Robinson." Last modified 09 29, 2009. Accessed February 19, 2014. http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2262.

Eugene Sengstake Jr., Lincoln History Harvest, 2014

1944 circa

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Document

English

Image

Lincoln (Neb.)

bible; prayer card