Faith Under Fire: Woodruff Native Jim Rentz's Year as an Army Chaplain in Vietnam
The Woodruff Times ran a three-part feature in July 2026 on Jim Rentz, 85, a Woodruff native and retired Army captain who served as a chaplain in Vietnam during the 1968 Tet Offensive, and how he later found purpose in service to others.
The Woodruff Times published a three-part feature, "Faith Under Fire," by staff writer Garrett Mitchell on July 10, July 18 and July 24, 2026. It profiles Jim Rentz, now 85, a retired Army captain and Baptist chaplain from Woodruff. The paper notes the series includes depictions of death and violence.
A Woodruff athlete turned chaplain: According to the paper, Rentz won four state championships in football and baseball between 1956 and 1959 under coach Willie Varner before going on to seminary. He attended Furman University and entered active duty in January 1967.
Vietnam, 1968: Part 1 reports that Rentz arrived in Vietnam on February 18, 1968, during the Tet Offensive, and was assigned as a chaplain to the 84th Engineering Battalion at Quy Nhon in central South Vietnam.
A crisis of faith: Part 2 describes how the realities of combat ministry, including the aftermath of battle, led Rentz into years of anger and doubt about God, and a period of distance from organized religion, before he found a renewed sense of purpose.
Home and later life: Part 3 reports that Rentz left Vietnam in 1969, about a year after arriving, bringing home a young daughter he had adopted there. After the fall of Saigon in 1975 he sponsored Vietnamese refugees, including a man who had worked for him in Vietnam, helping families resettle in the United States. He has written a memoir, Tuyen Uy, about the war through a chaplain's eyes, and the paper reports he believes his path reflects providence rather than coincidence.
This is our own summary of reporting by The Woodruff Times. Please read the full three-part series at the source link for the complete story.