Emil Kapaun-priest, soldier and Korean War hero-is a rare man. He has been awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, and is also being considered by the Vatican for canonization as a saint.
As remarkable as this double honor are the non-Catholic witnesses who attest to Father Kapaun's heroism: the Protestants, Jews and Muslims who either served with the military chaplain in the thick of battle or endured with him the unbelievably brutal conditions of a prisoner of war camp. As journalists Roy Wenzl and Travis Heying discovered, all of these Korean War veterans, no matter their religion, agree that Father Kapaun did more to save lives and maintain morale than any other man they know.
Then there are the alleged miracles-the recent healings attributed to Father Kapaun's intercession that defy scientific explanation. Under investigation by the Vatican as a necessary step in the process of canonization, these cures witnessed by non-Catholic doctors are also covered in this book.
In tracking down the story of Father Kapaun for the Wichita Eagle, Wenzl and Heying uncovered a paradox. Kapaun's ordinary background as the son of Czech immigrant farmers in Kansas sowed the seeds of his greatness. His faith, generosity and grit began with his family's humility, thrift and hard work.Lavishly Illustrated with 32 pages of Photos.
The Father Kapuan story has long been in need of more widespread knowledge. It is a priestly life of service and dignity. The record of military chaplains is a special category in the service of God and the men who fight, even a service to their enemies, as is the witness of Father Kapaun's death in a prison camp reminds us.
- James V. Schall, S.J., Georgetown University
Father Emil Kapaun was a modern American priest-hero whose unique and inspiring story should be known to every Catholic.
- James Hitchcock, Author, History of the Catholic Church
