WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas congressional delegation is making its case to President Barack Obama that a Roman Catholic priest deserves a Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Korean War.
A letter from delegation describes how the Rev. Emil Kapaun pulled wounded soldiers to safety and attended to their injuries while serving as an Army chaplain. Before dying in a prison camp in May 1951, he stole food from nearby farms to bring back to starving prisoners.
The letter described Kapaun’s service as “selfless and heroic.”
Kapaun was from the Kansas town of Pilsen. He has been classified a Servant of God by the Vatican, the first step in the process to sainthood.
