Voices of Veterans: Commander Chaplain Richmond E. Stoglin Shares His Story of Service in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is proud to introduce the next installment of the series highlighting the VLB’s Voices of Veterans oral history program. This week, we highlight the service of Commander Chaplain Richmond E. Stoglin, who served in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Chaplain Stoglin was born on April 4, 1957, in “Dickie’s Clinic,” a segregated hospital in Taylor, Texas. He went to high school in Waco, Texas, and graduated in 1975. He continued his education at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, majoring in History with a Minor in Political Science and Sociology, and graduated in 1979 as the 24th black American to do so from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. Chaplin Stoglin said that he ended up in Wisconsin because, “I was pretty outspoken in Waco at the time, and they didn’t like that. I had several mentors at the time, and my mother was advised that if I were to make it alive in Waco or prevail, probably somewhere else, the best place for me to go was the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, which was about 1,000 miles away. It proved to be very prophetic and very eye-opening. It was a life-changing experience for me.” He described his time at university as an interesting “social experiment,” with mixed gender dorms, working as one of the first African Americans at A&W Restaurant, and learning from local Native American tribes for continuing education courses. 
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He was then accepted into Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, “the only predominantly black United Methodist Seminary in the United States of America,” with a full scholarship. He discussed how he went to this graduate school during “an era of civil rights icons” and met several of its leaders. He expressed that through his education, he was “not only learning about theology and history and the necessary tools for seminary, but I was also learning about their experiences.”
In 1985, he became a full-time Chaplain for the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons. He decided to serve as a Chaplain with the U.S. military after a conversation with a Veteran who struggled with drug addiction after serving in Vietnam, and believed he may have avoided this fate if he had had spiritual guidance while deployed. Chaplain Stoglin described ministering with the military as a “worldwide experience” as he traveled to 41 countries and had opportunities he “never dreamed of.”
Major General Kevin R. Wendel presenting Chaplain Stoglin with End of Tour Awards
He attained the rank of Commander and served as Regimental Chaplain to the 14th Marines, the largest artillery command in the US Marine Corps; the Command Chaplain of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan and the Combined Security Training Command-Afghanistan; and the Senior Military Advisor to the Religious and Cultural Affairs of the Afghan National Army. From counseling warriors who had traumatic experiences and giving last rites to those wounded beyond help, to being a spark of hope and even fun for men who still call him for advice, Chaplain Stoglin’s service is foundational to his legacy.
“My experience as a Chaplain, as a Texan, a guy who comes from the projects, born in a segregated hospital […], grew up in Waco, left there, has four degrees, and to go to 41 countries, and then be able to tell people this story, it’s a blessing. […] As a Veteran, I have nightmares, too. […] I think it’s okay, whoever you are, to let somebody know whom you feel safe with, that it’s okay to talk about this. We don’t need to lose any more Veterans.”
| Chaplain Stoglin discussed how he helped support soldiers through losing their brothers from extreme violence and the grief and survivor’s guilt that follows while dealing with his own traumatic experiences in Afghanistan. He said, “You’re not taught this in seminary, and not every Chaplain has this experience,” when recalling how a man broke down after losing four of his friends. “This guy was a Green Beret […] this was not just some unary soldier, this was a Green Beret. […] The gifts that I hope that I brought were listening and the ability to ensure people knew I cared about them and their situation.” He also touched on the responsibility that military Chaplains have as they counsel and guide soldiers and their families through some of the most difficult times in their lives. He explained, “That’s the ministry that many of us as Chaplains are called to do, and I feel we have to do because we have to become the conscience of the command. In fact, that was one of the expectations, particularly for the Marine Corps. I don’t know how many times I was told by commanding officers, sergeant majors, and senior enlisted that ‘Sir, you are the conscience of the command.’ When asked how his service has shaped his life, Chaplain Stoglin said, “It made me a better person. It made me appreciative of this country. It made me appreciative of this state. We have lots of problems, but I think from traveling all over the world, we are blessed to be where we are. It’s helped me understand that freedom is not free. Someone pays the price. […] It also shaped me to understand that evil exists, but goodness is better, and we are stronger when we are good.” To watch Commander Chaplain Richmond E. Stoglin tell his story in the VLB’s first video interview for Voices of Veterans, click the button below: RELATED: Voices of Veterans: Captain John Delcambre Shares His Story of Service in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy RELATED: Voices of Veterans:John Simmons, Jr. Shares His Story of Service in the United States Navy Veterans can email VoicesofVeterans@glo.texas.gov to tell their stories. Please note that the Veteran must be a resident of Texas at the time of their interview. Voices of Veterans is a state agency’s first Veteran oral history program. It records the stories of Texas Veterans through their time in service and after returning home from combat. The VLB records interviews with Veterans over the phone or in person. Their interviews are then permanently archived in the Office of Veterans Records at the GLO, where they join the historical documents of other Texas heroes such as Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Barret Travis. Veterans’ interviews are also available to researchers, historians, genealogists, and the public. These precious records inspire future generations and remind us of our Veterans’ sacrifices. To listen to the over 500 archived stories of Veterans documented through the GLO’s Voices of Veterans oral history program, click the button below: # # # Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., brings a lifetime of experience to the Texas General Land Office (GLO). In 2016, she became the first Republican elected to the Texas State Senate from Travis County and the first woman to represent Texas Senate District 24. She made history again in 2022, winning a statewide election to become our state’s first female Land Commissioner. | | | | |
