Obama honours US Catholic army chaplain 60 years later

12 April, 2013 - US President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honour on Thursday to a Catholic priest from Kansas, serving as army chaplain, who risked his life dodging gunfire to provide medical and spiritual aid to wounded soldiers before dying in captivity more than 60 years ago during the Korean War. “This is the valour we honour today - an American soldier who didn't fire a gun, but who wielded the mightiest weapon of all, a love for his brothers so pure that he was willing to die so that they might live,” Obama said after presenting the nation's highest military award for valour to a nephew of Capt. Emil Kapaun during a ceremony in the White House. The priest was recognized for helping to carry an injured American soldier, Herbert Miller for miles as Chinese captors led them on a death march, and for risking his life to drag the wounded to safety while dodging explosions and gunfire. Miller, now 86, was present at Thursday’s ceremony. Fr. Kapaun died on May 23, 1951, at age 35, after six months in captivity. Fr. Kapaun’s Christian heroism has been acknowledged by the Catholic Church, recognizing him as “Servant of God”, a step toward sainthood.
In November 1950, after Chinese soldiers overran U.S. troops near Unsan, Fr. Kapaun defied orders to evacuate, knowing it meant he would most certainly be captured. He pleaded with an injured Chinese officer to call out to his fellow Chinese to stop shooting, an act that spared the lives of wounded Americans. As Kapaun was being led away, he came across wounded Sgt. Herbert Miller in a ditch and an enemy soldier standing over, ready to shoot. Kapaun pushed the enemy aside and helped Miller as they were taken captive. They arrived days later, by foot, at the village in Pyoktong, where a POW camp eventually was established. At the camp, Kapaun cleaned others' wounds, convinced them to share scarce food, offered them his own clothes and provided spiritual aid and comfort. On Easter in 1951, he defied his communist captors by conducting Mass with a makeshift crucifix. (Source: AP)