Emil Kapaun


Emil Kapaun
Captain Chaplain Emil Joseph Kapaun.
Birth nameEmil Joseph Kapaun
Born(1916-04-20)April 20, 1916
Pilsen, Kansas, United States
DiedMay 23, 1951(1951-05-23) (aged 35)
Pyoktong, North Korea
Resting place
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1944–1946,[1]
1948–1951[1]
Rank Captain
Unit3rd Battalion
8th Cavalry[2]
Battles / warsWorld War II

Korean War  (DOW)

AwardsMedal of Honor
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device
Purple Heart
Prisoner of War Medal
Taegeuk Order of Military Merit

Emil Joseph Kapaun (April 20, 1916 – May 23, 1951) was a Roman Catholic priest and United States Army captain who served as a United States Army chaplain during World War II and the Korean War. Kapaun was a chaplain in the Burma Theater of World War II, then served again as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea, where he was captured. He died in a prisoner of war camp.

In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared him a Servant of God, the first stage on the path to canonization.

In 2013, Kapaun posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea. He is the ninth American military chaplain Medal of Honor recipient.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced Kapaun's body was accounted for on March 2, 2021.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference ArmyMagNov12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Roy Wenzl (July 29, 2011). "Father Emil Kapaun: Through Death March, Father Kapaun perseveres and inspires". Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc120416 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Chaplain Accounted for from Korean War (Kapaun, E.)".