Transmitting hope from Iraq

Chaplain's journal wins radio award

In the 10 months he was deployed in Iraq, Eric W. Olsen may not have been declared a war hero. But to soldiers' loved ones back home, Olsen, 47, was an ongoing source of comfort and support. As chaplain and major in the 2nd of the 108th Infantry Army Battalion, New York National Guard, the ELCA pastor created an audio journal of his experiences that was broadcast on a New York radio station. He was able to capture moments of military life, connecting families and transmitting hope over the airwaves. WSLU-FM of Canton earned the Edward R. Murrow Award for Olsen's work and recognized him as volunteer of the year.

Olsen, who had no previous involvement in radio, says he never anticipated the show's success. "A friend who worked at the station gave me the idea-he just gave me a recorder and said, 'Take this and record what you see,' " Olsen says. "I never thought of making a big radio show."

Olsen had no schedule or timetable for his journal entries, which included everyday dialogues, worship services, and deep discussions on death and faith. "I just recorded poignant moments," he says.

His wife, Susan Olsen, also contributed to the program, sharing her perspective and faith while her husband risked his life overseas. Listeners appreciated genuine stories and tuned in regularly. "A lot of families and wives thanked me because it was a voice of hope to hear what's going on in the course of the day," Eric Olsen says. "To have a chaplain with the integrity to speak, not trying to set a political agenda-or a military agenda-but to send a personal postcard meant a lot to them."

Olsen's work enhanced the lives of men in his unit as well. While the microphone gathered soldiers with a magnetic appeal, being a chaplain "gave them the OK to open up," he says. "Even with doubts, they could share them with me and that's all a part of faith too. It was hard but very healthy and cathartic."

Recently promoted to lieutenant colonel, Olsen has been a chaplain in the Army National Guard for 20 years and on active duty for more than eight years. Now that he is back home in Saranac Lake, Olsen is returning to his position as chaplain at the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Ray Brook, N. Y. He is also planning to counsel soldiers and families and train chaplains headed to Iraq.

Nicole Adamson

Copyright Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Oct 2005
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