Hometown: Pilsen, KS
Branch: U.S. Army
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
Military Honors: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Combat V, Prisoner of War Medal, Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: May 23, 1951 - KIA at POW Camp Number 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea
Age: 35 
Conflict: Korean War, 1950-1953

Emil’s family lived near the tiny rural town of Pilsen, Kansas, among the wheat fields of America’s Great Plains. Born to Enos and Elizabeth “Bessie” (Hajek) Kapaun on April 20, 1916, Emil and his younger brother Eugene helped on the family farm.

After graduating from high school, Emil attended Conception College in Conception, Missouri, then followed the call to ministry at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. After four years there, he was ordained as a Catholic priest in June of 1940. His first assignment as a priest was in Pilsen’s St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church.

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Kapaun petitioned his bishop to let him join the Army Chaplain Corps. Kapaun had a taste of military life after serving as an auxiliary chaplain at Herington Army Air Field. Herington, 20 miles north of Pilsen, was built as a staging area for overseas deployment of heavy bomber aircraft.

Joining the Military

Fr. Kapaun entered the United States Chaplain Corps on July 12, 1944, serving in the Burma-India theater for the last few months of World War II—but far from combat.

After the war’s end, Kapaun left the Army to earn a master’s degree in education from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. When the Army made an appeal for chaplains in 1949, he answered the call and rejoined the Chaplain Corps with the rank of Captain. He was sent to Japan in 1950, months before the beginning of the Korean War (1950-1953).

Chaplain Kapaun deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, landing at Inchon, Korea in July 1950. Weeks earlier, 90,000 North Korean Communist troops had swarmed across the 38th parallel, catching the Republic of Korea’s forces off-guard and spurring a hasty retreat to the south.

Courage Under Fire

From July to November 1950, Chaplain Kapaun was on the front lines of a series of intense battles. He quickly gained a reputation for calmly exposing himself to enemy fire to reach the wounded.

Fr. Gary Studniewski, Former U.S. Army Chaplain, was interviewed for a documentary by the Knights of Columbus. He recounts, “[Kapaun] would pray with them, he would administer the Last Rites to them, he would hold their hands as they were dying… [he was] someone who would go miles and miles and miles—to the soldiers in the most remote villages and outposts, to ensure that they received the sacraments.”

“His unit was often under attack,” said journalist Roy Wenzl of the Wichita Eagle, “and, so, soldiers would get hit in these battles. And everybody’s retreating because there’s like thousands of North Koreans coming at [them]. He would run straight toward the enemy lines, grab these guys—with bullets kicking up dust around his feet—and he would drag them back, and bring them to safety.”

Captured by the Chinese

On November 1, 1950, Chaplain Kapaun’s unit was ambushed by Chinese forces who’d just entered the Korean conflict. By some accounts, there were about 600 American soldiers compared to 10,000-20,000 Chinese.

American troops were ordered to evacuate before all escape routes were blocked by the Chinese. Kapaun refused, knowing he faced certain capture or death. Soldiers wounded on the battlefield were trapped, and he continued to make his rounds.

“Bullets were flying everywhere, but he still went out and took care of the dying,” recalls Cpl. Robert McGreevy. “He was the bravest man I ever knew.”

As the Chinese army encircled them, Chaplain Kapaun noticed an injured Chinese officer near some of his men. He pleaded and negotiated with the officer to spare the lives of his men and allow a safe surrender. His pleas worked.

The American captives were forced to march more than 60 miles to Prison Camp Number 5 in Pyoktong, on the Yalu River and the border between North Korea and China. One act of bravery later earned Chaplain Kapaun the Medal of Honor. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy at Unsan, Korea, from November 1-2, 1950. On November 1, as Chinese Communist Forces viciously attacked friendly elements, Chaplain Kapaun calmly walked through withering enemy fire in order to provide comfort and medical aid to his comrades and rescue friendly wounded from no-man’s land. Though the Americans successfully repelled the assault, they found themselves surrounded by the enemy. Facing annihilation, the able-bodied men were ordered to evacuate. However, Chaplain Kapaun, fully aware of his certain capture, elected to stay behind with the wounded. After the enemy succeeded in breaking through the defense in the early morning hours of November 2, Chaplain Kapaun continually made rounds, as hand-to-hand combat ensued. As Chinese Communist Forces approached the American position, Chaplain Kapaun noticed an injured Chinese officer amongst the wounded and convinced him to negotiate the safe surrender of the American Forces. Shortly after his capture, Chaplain Kapaun, with complete disregard for his personal safety and unwavering resolve, bravely pushed aside an enemy soldier preparing to execute Sergeant First Class Herbert A. Miller. Not only did Chaplain Kapaun’s gallantry save the life of Sergeant Miller, but also his unparalleled courage and leadership inspired all those present, including those who might have otherwise fled in panic, to remain and fight the enemy until captured. Chaplain Kapaun’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Cavalry Division, and the United States Army.

Keeping Hope Alive

The Americans at Pyoktong prison camp endured starvation, bitter cold, and poor (if any) medical attention. Many were losing hope and were ready to give up—but they credit Chaplain Kapaun with strengthening their faith and keeping hope alive.

According to the Department of Defense:

His courage inspired prisoners of all faiths to survive the camp’s hellish conditions and the frigid temperatures, resist enemy indoctrination, and keep hope alive. He helped the wounded and often sneaked out at night to steal food for the prisoners.

Suffering from malnutrition and pneumonia himself, Chaplain Kapaun was to be taken to a mud hut the captors referred to as a “hospital.” The prisoners referred to it as a “death camp” knowing that the sick received no food or medical attention and were left to die.

Chaplain Kapaun found the strength to perform one more Easter Mass service for the prisoners, and told them, “Hey guys, don’t worry about me. I’m going where I always wanted to go, and when I get there, I’ll say a prayer for all of you.”

On May 23, 1951, Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun died in the North Korean prison camp at age 35. Other prisoners believed that his body was added to a mass grave at the camp.

Returning Home

A documentary entitled The Magazine and the Miracle: Finding Father Kapaun was produced by the Knights of Columbus. The film recounts how Chaplain Kapaun’s remains were discovered through DNA and dental records at Hawaii’s National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in a grave marked “Unknown.”

Through the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Chaplain Kapaun’s remains were disinterred and transferred to his final resting place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, Kansas. 70 years after his death, a Mass of Christian Burial for Fr. Kapaun was held on September 29, 2021.

Thousands gathered to celebrate his homecoming.

Sources
Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Emil J. Kapaun
U.S. Department of Defense—Medal of Honor Monday: Army Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun
Knights of Columbus: The Magazine and the Miracle: Finding Father Kapaun (video)
HonorStates.org: Emil Joseph Kapaun
The Word Among Us, Jul/Aug 2022: When the Ordinary Becomes the Extraordinary
National Catholic Register: Remembering Father Emil Kapaun, a ‘Beacon of Hope’
U.S. Department of Defense: Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun: ‘Padre’ Finally Returns Home
Burial Site: Find a Grave