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Title | Creator | Date Made Visible | None

Father Kapaun religious medal

Creed

Emil Joseph Kapaun was born on a farm near Pilsen, Marion County, Kansas, in 1916. His parents were Czech immigrants. At the end of World War II, Kapaun served as a chaplain in the Burma Theater. During the Korean War, he was the chaplain of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. He was known for both his devotion to the spiritual lives of soldiers and his bravery in refusing to leave a man behind in times of great danger. The Chinese captured Kapaun at the Battle of Unsan near Unsan, North Korea, in 1950. He died of malnutrition and pneumonia in a North Korean prison camp on May 23, 1951. After his death, accounts of his bravery, kindness, and humility were shared by his fellow soldiers, and Catholics began offering devotional prayers to Kapaun. In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared him a Servant of God, the first step on the path to canonization. Between 2006 and 2011, three possible miracles were attributed to Kapaun. At the present, the Catholic Church is reviewing his elegibility for sainthood, as well as the possibility of naming him a martyr. Kapaun was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013.

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