Chaplain Emil Kapaun

[richhodg66]

Won the medal of honor as a POW in a North Korean POW camp in 1950. He grew up not far from me, and his earthly remains were just returned to Kansas a day or two ago and are now in his home town of Pilsen. I went to Wichita to the gun show with Dad this morning and since Pilsen is on the way back, I stopped in to pay my respects. More folks in that tiny little town than there have been in a very long time, I'm sure. Good people in small town America. RIP Father Kapaun, an exceptional man, Soldier and Christian.
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[contender1]

Nobody "wins" the MOH.

It's awarded based upon meritorious service above & beyond.

Earning one,, most of the recipients are usually humble, or feel as if they didn't really do anything no other soldier would have done. And that's just the survivors.

Many MOH recipients never survive.

Chaplin Emil Kapaun truly earned his as well. May he RIP & it's heartwarming to know so many turned out for his homecoming.

[richhodg66]

https://www.kake.com/clip/15258903/p...eH5yZyEtdYh9j8

[contender1]

Excellent. Thanks for the link.

[bedbugbilly]

Thank you for posting. This is something that should br on EVERY News channel, but unfortunately, will not be. May he Rest In Peace.

[WRideout]

Thanks, Rich.

Wayne

[nicholst55]

Welcome home, Chaplain. Rest in peace.

[Bobbers]

Chaplain Emil Kapaun is one of many great patriots our country should never forget.

[richhodg66]

While I was there, I stopped in a little gift shop which seems to be the only business in the town and has always been closed when I've been there before. Talked for a few minutes with an old couple. There's no one in the town who actually remembers him, the last couple of them who might have passed within the last few years, but the gentleman said Chaplain Kapaun's mother baby sat him and his siblings when he was a little kid. The lady went in the back and came out with the first and likely best book written about him by a priest in 1954, he had painstakingly interviewed other POWs and her book was signed by the author. It sounded like quite a few copies had circulated around the town then.

Pilsen is kind of typical of a lot of little towns off the beaten path around here, would likely be dying completely if not for the fame associated with Chaplain Kapaun and the big church there that obviously serves the spiritual needs of a lot of people from outside the town. I noticed the road into the town along with the main drag through town had very recently been re-surfaced and lines painted, funny how it takes an event like this to energize county governments, but I probably shouldn't be cynical about it.

[Divil]

Glad to see Captain Kapauns earthly remains returned to his Pilsen home. Although I am not a practicing Catholic, I understand Father Kapaun is still in the meandering process towards eventual Sainthood. I hope he eventually makes it, from what I have read, it is a long and daunting processes. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient.

[richhodg66]

I'm not Catholic, but I know that process is very carefully administered. Regardless of whether he gets sainthood or not, the man was an extraordinary man, Soldier and Christian. I watched several videos on youtube when Obama presented the MOH and they interviewed several of the guys he was with in that POW camp, there sure weren't any different denominations in there, he looked at everybody the same.