GEHRING-FREDERIC

Ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on May 29, 1930, Reverend Frederic P. Gehring served  as a missionary in China in the 1930s prior to being recalled to the United States before the beginning of World War II. He was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Chaplain Corps, USNR, on March 12, 1942. He served on active duty for the duration of the war, was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on March 1, 1944, to Commander on November 6, 1945, and was released from active duty on May 21, 1946.

While assigned to the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal, Chaplain Gehring repeatedly demonstrated bravery under enemy fire while ministering to his Marines. A story is told about him jumping into a foxhole with a young Marine in the midst of a firefight. When the Marine turned around and saw the cross dangling from Chaplain Gehring's neck, he said "Padre, what are you doing here?" Chaplain Gehring replied, "Where else would I be?" He was a beloved presence, and he was known as "The Padre of Guadalcanal." He was awarded the  Legion of Merit Medal in recognition of his intrepid service. After the war, a movie, "The Gallant Hours," was made about him and the Marines on Guadalcanal. The actor Robert Montgomery directed the film. He had been a Navy officer during the war and knew Chaplain Gehring personally. He said of Gehring, "He was a great force for good on that island."

Father Gehring died at the age of 95 in Orlando, Florida, on April 26, 1998. He was buried with full military honors in the Vincentiian Community Cemetery at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey.