Soldiers of God

This article is about the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps hymn.. For the Iranian militant group, see Jundallah (Iran).

Soldiers of God
by Ben Machan (music) Hy Zaret (lyrics)
Year	1944 (1944)
Dedication	United States Army Chaplain Corps
Premiere
Date	13 February 1944 (1944-02-13)
Location	The Army Hour

"Soldiers of God" is the hymn of the United States Army Chaplain Corps, dating to around 1944.

In a circular letter dated 1 February 1944, Army Chief of Chaplains William Arnold expressed a desire for a hymn for the Chaplain Corps, pointing out that the Air Corps, Signal Corps, artillery, and infantry branches all had their own hymns. "Soldiers of God", composed by Ben Machan and written by Private Hy Zaret, had already been unofficially circulating among the corps. With some tweaks, Arnold designated it as the official hymn of the Chaplain Corps. ^[1] The hymn was first heard by the public on The Army Hour on 13 February 1944. ^[2] A more widespread performance was sung by Bing Crosby on the Kraft Music Hall Radio Program on Easter, April 9, 1944. ^{[1] [3] : 116}

From World War II until around 2004, the hymn was commonly sung at Chaplain Corps functions. The hymn fell out of use, but since the early 2020s it has been reintroduced into Army programs. ^[1]

References

1. Nay, CH (Col) Robert (26 July 2021). "'Soldiers of God' – The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps March". United States Army. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
2. "Chaplains Have New March Introduced on Army Hour Program Last Sunday". The Belleville Messenger. 18 February 1944. p. 2. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
3. Snape, Michael Francis (2015). God and Uncle Sam : religion and America's armed forces in World War II. The Boydell Press. ISBN   978-1-84383-892-0 . Retrieved 21 September 2025.