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Chaplain Kapaun in Korea
"His parish was the battlefront."
Always a faithful and outgoing priest, Father Kapaun's true strength of character was only revealed under the worst of circumstances.
On the battlefields and prison camps of Korea this Servant of God's heroic love shone forth.
"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Entering the War
July 1950
1. Entering the War
On July 11 Fr. Kapaun writes “Tomorrow we are going into combat. I have everything in order, all Mass stipends, my will, etc. The way the Catholic soldiers are rallying around the priest is edifying.”
Just three weeks after the war began, Fr. Kapaun and the men of the 8th Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division arrived in Korea to try to stem the tide of the North Korean advance. Badly outnumbered and outgunned, the going was very difficult at first, but Fr. Kapaun wasted no time getting to work.
War is Terrible
August 12, 1950
War is Terrible
"War is terrible." Kapaun wrote to Bishop Carroll. "Many thanks for your kindness and remembrances in prayers. It must be the prayers of the others which have saved me so far. Three times we have been trapped by the Reds and have had to flee for our lives. I lost everything I had except what I carried on my person. I lost my jeep and trailer with all my equipment.
I am glad to be with the soldiers in time of need. So far, I have been right on the front lines giving absolution and Extreme Unction to the dying."
Photo: Father Kapaun writing letters. Korea 1950.
Right on the Frontlines
The North Koreans usually attacked at night, and no one got much sleep. Father Kapaun continually ventured to the front lines to keep morale high.
Lt. Walter Mayo, an artillery observer who would continue to remain one of Father Kapaun’s friends through the prison camp, described him on the battlefield.
"I met him in a foxhole. We had tried to occupy the same foxhole, as I recall. He was always right up in the frontlines with the troops. I mean, right up there in the frontlines. We were always telling him to keep his head down."
Photo: 35th Infantry Division, April 11, 1951. Army/Library of Congress
Bronze Star
August 2, 1950
Bronze Star
Early on in the war Chaplain Emil Kapaun's heroism in action was recognized by his commanders. While under heavy attack, he heard that a squad leader had been wounded and was in an exposed position. There were no litter bearers available to retrieve him.
Chaplain Kapaun, together with another soldier, immediately proceeded to the front lines. With total disregard for personal safety, Chaplain Kapaun and his companion went after the wounded man. The entire route to the wounded soldier was under intense enemy machine gun and small arms fire, however, Chaplain Kapaun successfully evacuated the soldier, thereby saving his life.
The Pusan Perimeter
August - September 1950
2. Pusan Perimeter
Despite initial hopes that the American troops would make a quick impact, old guns, inadequate anti-tank weapons and green troops proved to be the reality. Over the first several weeks, they were constantly forced to retreat from the onrushing North Korean Army.
They were pushed back to a small perimeter, about 100 miles tall by 50 miles wide, surrounding the port city of Pusan. Just a month in, the outcome of the war already hung in the balance.
"Stand or Die"
No More Retreating
General Walton Walker, commander of the entire Eighth Army, was not happy about the early retreats. He issued a "stand or die" order on July 29th:
"We are fighting a battle against time. There will be no more retreating, withdrawal or readjustment of the lines or any other term you choose. There is no line behind us to which we can retreat. Every unit must counterattack to keep the enemy in a state of confusion and off balance. There will be no Dunkirk, there will be no Bataan, a retreat to Pusan would be one of the greatest butcheries in history. We must fight until the end....If some of us must die, we will die fighting together. Any man who gives ground may be personally responsible for the death of thousands of his comrades. I want everybody to understand that we are going to hold this line. We are going to win."
Assisting a Soldier
An Iconic Image
In this photo, which has become one of the iconic images of the war, Chaplain Kapaun (right) and Dr. Jerome Dolan (left) assist a weary soldier off the frontlines of the Pusan Perimeter after nearly 2 weeks on the frontlines with little sleep or food. (August or September 1950)
Another Doctor, Clarence Anderson, who worked alongside Kapaun said this about him:
"He totally disregarded danger. He felt that as long as God wanted him to go on caring for the battle victims nothing would happen to him. His perfect peace of mind was a tremendous influence on the morale of the troops before and after our capture."
An Old Korean Bicycle
August 8, 1950
An Old Korean Bicycle
Father Kapaun writes to his parents:
“My assistant got shot and is now in the hospital. A Chaplain who was working with me got hit too and is now in the hospital. So far I have been very fortunate. I guess the prayers of friends have kept me going. Today I found a Korean bicycle so I do not have to walk now. I have a lot of fun with the bicycle for it is so shaky and one wheel goes one direction while the other goes in a different direction. The soldiers sure have to laugh.
- As ever in Christ, Fr. E.”
The Push North
September 15 - October, 1950
3. The Push North
Much needed reinforcements filtered into the Pusan Perimeter to give a bit of relief to the troops. Shortly thereafter, an incredibly ingenious and daring landing by the Marines farther north at the port city of Inchon, a mere 20 miles south of the capital of Seoul, broke North Korean supply lines.
By mid September, the enemy was forced to retreat, and Father Kapaun and the 1st Cavalry Division were in hot pursuit.
"No Bullet Got Me Yet"
No Bullet Got Me Yet
"Going north, our convoy ran into resistance about 8 one morning. Father Kapaun left the jeep and when he hadn't returned six hours later, I drove up front to look for him. There he was, quite calm, under machine-gun fire. 'I broke my pipe' was all he said. 'A sniper opened up on me and I had to crawl to reach a wounded man...I broke my pipe.'" - Pvt. Patrick Shculer, Kapaun's Assistant
“Somebody must be praying hard for us. No bullet got me yet although my pipe got wrecked and the day before yesterday a machine gunner sprayed us with bullets but we jumped into the ditch too quickly.”
- Father Emil Kapaun
Photo: Kapaun holding the bowl of his pipe that was shot out of his mouth. US Army photo, colorized by Jecinci
Mass on a Jeep
October 7, 1950
Mass on a Jeep
As the North Koreans fled back to their own territory, UN troops recaptured Seoul and amassed just south of the border, awaiting orders. Here on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of Victory, the iconic photo of Father Kapaun celebrating Mass on the hood of his Jeep is taken by Col. Raymond Skeehan, a surgeon who sometimes encountered Father Kapaun.
This last known photo of Father Kapaun is an enduring snapshot into the life of a heroic priest and chaplain who sought to bring God’s peace and love to the battlefield.
A Letter Home
October 13, 1950
A Letter Home
Dear Helen & Eugene...
It is getting cold here in Korea too. In fact we have a light frost at night. This outdoor life is quite the thing—that is, for people who like it. I prefer to live in a house once in a while. Three days ago I took some millet hay and slept on it rather than on the hard cold floor of the shack we found. My, that sure did sleep good in spite of all the 155 mm guns going off during the night. On Monday and Tuesday this week we had another slaughter. Several of our soldiers got killed and many wounded. My pipe got wrecked again as a Red machine gunner sprayed us with lead and we had to hit the ditch. It is funny how a fellow can jump so fast into a ditch. This time it did not have water in it. The last couple of times the ditch had water in it and you can imagine how we looked. We do have a few laughs in spite of the evils of war.
As ever in Christ,
Fr. E.K.
Home by Thanksgiving
October 17-20, 1950
Home by Thanksgiving
Against orders from President Truman, General Douglas MacArthur ordered troops into North Korea, hoping to end the war for good. The 1st Cavalry Division led the attack into the North Korean capital of Pyongyang October 17-19. On October 20 the South Korean Army entered Pyongyang and bells in Christian churches pealed in welcome.
As UN troops celebrated in Pyongyang, morale was high. Rumors started to spread that they had achieved the final victory and would be back in Tokyo or even all the way home before Thanksgiving.
Just a little farther north to the Yalu River and the end of the war…or so they thought.
Photo: Members of the 1st Cavalry Division and 7th Infantry link up south of Seoul, September 1950. Harry S. Truman Library & Museum.
Heroism at Unsan
November 1-2, 1950
4. Heroism at Unsan
As November approached, the 1st Cavalry Division moved into position around the small town of Unsan on their way north to end the war. They were unaware of the enemy eyes watching them. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops had begun pouring across the border into the North Korean Mountains in secret.
Father Kapaun celebrated All Saints Day Masses for each of the three battalions, then hunkered down for the night with the 3rd Battalion, situated in reserve in a cornfield to the south.
Ambush!
November 2, 1950
Ambush!
All Souls Day, just after midnight. It’s cold and clear- and uncomfortably quiet. Suddenly the silence is broken by the eerie baying of sheep horns in the mountains. Tracers light up the sky as mortar rounds explode all around. The Chinese swarm the battlefield, overrunning American lines.
The first two battalions are ordered to retreat, while the 3rd Battalion attempts to provide cover. 800 men, including Chaplain Kapaun, find themselves trying to hold off 10,000 or more Chinese.
The Decision
The Decision
As chaos ensued, the Chinese poured into the 3rd Battalion lines, overwhelming the Battalion Command Post.
The Americans fought bravely through the night, but as morning came, only about 200 of the original 800 were able to fight. Chaplain Kapaun and Dr. Anderson made rounds to the men, both living and dead, and pulled about 40 men to safety in a command post dugout.
As evening came on Nov 2, the remaining survivors begged them to flee. "No, my place is here with the wounded," was the chaplain's reply. The Doctor and a medic, Cpl Marcelino Sanchez, stayed too.
Upper Photo: Chinese forces attack at Unsan.
Lower Photo: Catholic Chaplain Leo Craig ministers to a wounded soldier earlier in the war.
Saving a Life
Saving a Life
Capture ensued, but that wasn't the end of the story. The American captives were kept on the battlefield for 2 more days while the rest of the battle wound down.
At one point, Chaplain Kapaun noticed a Communist soldier pointing his gun at a ditch. He quickly realized what was happening and rushed over to help. He shoved the gun aside, picked up a wounded Sergeant, and said "You're coming with me."
That Sergeant, Herbert Miller, would tesitfy that the soldier who was about to execute him must have been as dumbstruck as he was, for both Miller and Kapaun's life were spared. It was a moment of unexpected grace for Miller, who would go on to survive his imprisonment.
The Long March North
Our Nation's Highest Award for Bravery in Battle
The Long March North
Pyoktong POW Camp
November 1950 - May 23, 1951
5. Pyoktong POW Camp
"In his soiled and ragged fatigues, with his scraggly beard and his queer woolen cap, made of the sleeve of an old GI sweater, pulled down over his ears, he looked like any other half-starved prisoner. But there was something in his voice and bearing that was different- a dignity, a composure, a serenity that radiated from him like a light.
Wherever he stood was holy ground, and the spirit within him- a spirit of reverence and abiding faith- went out to the silent, listening men and gave them hope and courage and a sense of peace. By his very presence, somehow, he could turn a stinking, louse-ridden mud hut, for a little while, into a cathedral."
- "The Ordeal of Chaplain Kapaun" by Lt. Mike Dowe
Father Kapaun's Valley
November 1950 - January 1951
Father Kapaun's Valley
The Prisoners of War were kept for a couple of months in different holding camps, as the town of Pyoktong had been bombed and was being rebuilt. Kapaun and the men of the 1st Cavalry Divison were kept at a place called Sambokal, nicknamed by many as Father Kapaun's Valley because of the influence he had there.
A similar valley only 15 miles away, nicknamed Death Valley, had a much more terrible fate for the POWs. Due to lack of sun and lack of hope, hundreds of POWs there died. In Father Kapaun's Valley, only about 2 dozen were lost.
From the very beginning, Father Kapaun saw the needs of his men and was determined to help them survive.
The Coldest Winter
Life in the Pyoktong Prison Camp was hard enough, but the coldest winter on record exacerbated conditions. The small town on the Yalu River, the border with China, experienced temperatures of -30 degrees Farenheit, and many of the men only had their summer uniforms.
This, combined with a starvation diet, lice, disease and indoctrination, made for a deadly recipe. In February 1951, up to 2 dozen men a day might die. Yet, Father Kapaun did not give up hope, and it was a chance to live out the promise he made on becoming a priest:
"When I was ordained I was determined to spend myself for God, I was determined to do that cheerfully, no matter in what circumstances I would be placed or how hard a life I would be asked to lead." And spend himself he did.
Easter Hope
March 25, 1951
Easter Hope
"On Easter Sunday, 1951, he hurled at them his boldest challenge, openly flouting their law against religious services. In the yard of a burned-out church in the officer's compound, just at sunrise, he read the Easter service. He could not celebrate the Easter Mass, for all his Mass equipment had been lost at the time of his capture....
But he fashioned a wood cross out of two rough pieces of wood, and from a borrowed missal he read the stations of the Cross to the scarecrow men, sitting on the rubbled steps of the burned church. He told the story of Christ's suffering and death, and then, holding in his hands a Rosary made of bent barbed wire cut from the prison fence [probably actually radio wire], he recited the glorious mysteries of Christ risen from the tomb and ascended into heaven."
- "The Ordeal of Chaplain Kapaun" by Lt. Mike Dowe
A Holy Death
May 23, 1951
A Holy Death
Sickness and exhaustion finally caught up to Father Kapaun, and when the Communists caught wind, they came to take him to the Death House.
The men stood up to fight, but Father Kapaun chimed in: "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 you."
In tears, they carried their beloved chaplain to the Death House, where he died a few days later. His memory did not fade, but grew stronger with time. In his honor, they carved a crucifix that they carried with them out of the camp. A replica is here at the Cathedral today.
Medal of Honor
April 11, 2013
6. Medal of Honor
What the Medal Means
What the Medal Means
Chaplain Emil Kapaun is one of 5 chaplains since the Civil War- all Catholic Priests- to be awarded the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of “gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one’s own life above and beyond the call of duty” while engaged in battle against an enemy force. The Medal is presented by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress.
Only 3,500 service members have been awarded the Medal of Honor in the history of the United States military. Of the 23 million troops that have served in combat since the beginning of World War I, only 1,230 - or less than 0.01% - have been awarded the medal. About half of these were awarded posthumously. The core values the Medal represents are courage, sacrifice, integrity and patriotism, values which are also virtues that we as Christians espouse.
Medal of Honor Citation
Chaplain Kapaun's Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity 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.
Taegeuk Order of Military Merit
July 27, 2021
South Korea's Award
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Father Kapaun has received South Korea's highest military recognition, awarded by President Moon Jae-in.
"Under the extreme situation of being wounded and taken prisoner, Father Kapaun showed bravery of protecting freedom, peace and his belief. Also, he prayed for the enemy, which was a true practice of love," Moon said during the award ceremony. "Father Kapaun's holy life will become a great spiritual legacy for not only the U.S. and Korea but also for all of humanity."
Father Kapaun Comes Home
After nearly 70 years,