A Beacon of Light: CH (CPT) Emil J. Kapaun

Medal of Honor Podcast

Emil J. Kapaun served as a military Chaplain in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. As a Chaplain, it was his job to move from unit to unit, leading prayer and passing words of encouragement. During battle, Chaplains provided emergency care to the wounded, and gave last rites to dying soldiers. Since they aren’t issued as weapons and aren’t allowed to engage in combat, being a Chaplain was quite a dangerous job.

On November 1st, 1950, Chaplain Kapaun and his unit were attacked by Chinese forces in what would later be called the Battle of Unsan. During the battle, Father Kapaun provided reassurance to his allies, administered aid, and helped pull 30 injured men out of no man's land. When he was given the opportunity to retreat with his unit, he declined. Instead he opted to stay and try to rescue more men, despite the risk of death or capture.

Eventually he noticed an injured Chinese officer among the American wounded, and convinced him to negotiate the American’s safe surrender. As a result, most of the men were spared from being killed in action, or executed. Later on, he saved another wounded American from execution by pushing away an enemy soldier and carrying his comrade away, leaving the enemy too stunned to act.

On their ‘Death March’ to a prison camp, Chaplain Kapaun’s words of motivation helped save the lives of several men. He encouraged healthy prisoners to help carry those who were wounded, ill or freezing, and could no longer walk by themselves. One prisoner said “I don’t know the name of that valley, but we called it the Kapaun Valley because that is where Father Kapaun instilled in us a will to live.”

At the prison camp, Father Kapaun continued to be a beacon of light. He stole food, led prayers, fashioned tools, made fires, and aided the sick. He was so influential that the guards wanted to kill him, but they feared that doing so would start a rebellion.

After about seven months in the prison camp, Chaplain Kapaun’s health deteriorated due to injury, sickness, and malnourishment. He was on track to recover, but the Chinese guards took him away from American doctors and threw him in their “hospital”, where he didn’t receive food or medical care. He died on May 23rd, 1950.

Chaplain Kapaun originally was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his for his courage at the battle of Unsan, and for saving a fellow American from execution. Over 60 years later, on April 11th, 2013, that award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.