Catholic Military Life

At 72, Father John (Frank) O'Grady, CH (LTC), USA, is one of the oldest chaplains--if not THE oldest--serving in the U.S. Military. During his long, productive military career, Father O'Grady, a native of Sligo, Ireland, has served everywhere from Korea to Germany. His exemplary ministry at the Pentagon in the days after the 9/11 attack earned him an Army Commendation Medal for his “leadership, dedication to duty and calm professional demeanor during a time of extreme crisis,” enabling him to “flawlessly perform” his duties. So effective has been his pastoral service to those who serve, Father O'Grady was called out of retirement to continue in the position he has held for the past seven years: clinical chaplain at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In that role, he has helped many servicemen and women wounded in battle find their way to physical, mental, and spiritual healing and recovery. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, Father O'Grady talks about his experiences on the hospital war