This Week in AG History -- February 27, 1966

Chap. Lt. Col. Talmadge F. McNabb (1924-2002), a man of many talents and interests, is remembered for his service as an Assemblies of God army chaplain in Korea, Fort Knox, Fort Dix, and other places.

He was influential in helping start an adoption agency for Korean orphans called Holt International Children’s Services. He also was an evangelist, teacher, pastor, historian, and writer, contributing articles to newspapers and magazines across the country. He donated a number of historical materials to the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.

An article entitled “Chaplain With a Guitar,” gives an inspiring testimony about Chaplain McNabb in the February 27, 1966, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.

McNabb, who was then serving as chaplain of the 4^th Missile Command, Camp Page, Korea, began thinking of ways he might better serve the lonely men in the units for which he was responsible. Remembering that men usually love to sing, he decided “why not visit the men during their off-duty hours and have informal songfests?” He took his guitar and a religious film, “climbed in his jeep and made the rounds.” He found the groups eager to join in happy, informal singing. He reported, “For an hour or so the men forget the loneliness of their isolated situation.” These songfests were a great success in boosting morale and ministering to the spiritual needs of servicemen.

This same issue of the Pentecostal Evangel had other features concerning ministry to servicemen. One article called “Reveille No. 33 Joins the Ranks,” told about a new release of Reveille, a nondenominational periodical produced by the Servicemen’s Department of the Assemblies of God. The article proclaimed, “Another issue of Reveille, G. I. Joe’s favorite gospel bulletin, has joined the ranks. Issue No. 33 has just been printed and mailed to thousands of military personnel around the world. After 25 years, Reveille is still going strong.” These attractive service bulletins earned distinction during World War II for their “hard-hitting gospel articles, written in servicemen’s language and dressed up with eye-catching illustrations.” More than 17,550,000 copies were printed between 1941 and 1966.

Read “Chaplain With a Guitar” and “Reveille No. 33 Joins the Ranks” on page 24 of the February 27, 1966, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.

Also featured in this issue:

• "The Recent Vatican Council," by Charles A. Bolton

• "Cracks in the Bamboo Curtain," by Maynard L. Ketcham

• "Under the Anointing," by Oscar W. Neate

And many more!

Click here to read this issue now.

Pentecostal Evangel archived editions courtesy of Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.

Glenn W. Gohr

Glenn W. Gohr is the reference archivist at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, Missouri.