Essay On Father Kapaun

Father Emil Kapaun is an inspiring person that critically affected many people’s lives during the Korean War and today. When selecting our topic that represents this year’s theme, we knew we wanted someone who fought for themselves and the well-being of others through the good of their own heart. While researching several topics, we came across Father Emil Kapaun’s name and were personally moved by his story, since he was from our own state of Kansas. Kapaun did not only sacrifice his life for others, but continually gave people hope, back home in Kansas and across the seas with the army, thereby significantly impacting the people around him. Through his acts of valor both as a chaplain and a prisoner during the Korean War, Father Emil Kapaun took a stand by saving many lives among his fellow soldiers and speaking out against his captors, thereby inspiring hope in a hopeless situation.
In order to conduct research on this topic we visited and spent a day researching through many databases and novels about Kapaun and the Korean War at the University of Kansas’ Watson Library. We also found aid in our own school library, where we were able to check out a novel written about Kapaun from the De …show more content…
Kapaun inspired others to believe there was an end to war and to continue standing up for themselves until the Korean War ended, shortly after Kapaun’s death. Kapaun’s accomplishments were rewarded in 2013, when President Barack Obama presented Ray Kapaun the Medal of Honor, on behalf of his uncle. Father Emil Kapaun’s legacy continues on today within the people and families that he helped during and after his lifetime as a chaplain and soldier. His story continues to inspire people, as his family and friends fight for him to be declared an official saint within the Catholic