A Giant of the Faith and an American Hero

Our news seems to be saturated with the Lindasy Lohans and Justin Biebers of the world, meanwhile true heroes pass by without notice. Not this one, though, who is being awarded the Medal of Honor. 

Fr. Emil Kapaun was a Catholic Army chaplain serving with line units during the Korean War. When his unit was overrun by the Chinese, he allowed himself to be captured so that he could continue to serve his men. This gives us some idea of the man:


"Kapaun helped aid those wounded in battle with no regard for his own safety, often leaving the perimeter U.S. forces had established to rescue injured soldiers. Kapaun also stayed behind and let himself be captured by the Chinese in order to care for wounded American soldiers.

He also stopped the execution of Herb Miller, brushing aside a Chinese soldier who was preparing to shoot the wounded sergeant. Kapaun helped Miller to his feet and carried him on his back for much of their journey to a POW camp. Miller and his wife will be at the White House on Thursday.

Kapaun initially was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Unsan, the Army’s second-highest military honor. That will be upgraded to the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military honor.

After Unsan, Kapaun kept rescuing soldiers on the march to prison, persuading able-bodied soldiers to help carry their wounded comrades. In prison, he defied brainwashing attempts by the camp guards, picked lice off the sick, washed the clothes of wounded soldiers and – with Mayo, Dowe and others – stole bags of food while other POWs deliberately started fights to distract guards.

Kapaun, suffering from malnutrition, dysentery and other ailments brought on by the cruel treatment of the guards, died at the camp in May 1951. He was 35.

His fellow prisoners insist he was murdered by Chinese guards who resented how he had openly defied their attempts to brainwash them into collaborating with the enemy. As a result, they sent him to the “Death House,” where he was cut off from food and medical attention."

C.S. Lewis said that we know no mere mortals - the people we pass on the street are either becoming saints or monsters. This was a saint and I hope that I will have the opportunity to meet him someday and personally thank him for his service - to the Cross and to his country. 


www.kansas.com/2013/04/10/2756223/nine-of-kapauns-fellow-pows-to.html?story_link=email_msg

(Tip o' the hat to Ray Ramsay for this story.)