Priest recommended to receive Medal of Honor
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A Kansas priest already under consideration for sainthood has won the endorsement of the Army's top civilian leader to receive the Medal of Honor.
The Rev. Emil Kapaun was a captain and chaplain in the Army in Korea and taken prisoner in 1950 when the Chinese captured his unit. Kapaun continued to serve the men's needs, risking his life to provide them with food and water amid squalid conditions.
Kapaun, a Roman Catholic, died in a prison camp in 1951.
In one of his final acts as Army secretary, Pete Geren, wrote Rep. Todd Tiahrt, of Goddard, Kansas, saying he agreed Kapaun was worthy of the honor. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has also endorsed Kapaun's honor.
Seven chaplains have received the Medal of Honor.
His cause for sainthood was opened on June 29, 2008.
Known as 
I hope that he receives it.
It's a nice gesture on the part of a departing Secretary of the Army and Chaplin Kapaun was a fine man. He will make a fine Saint, better than most.
No non combatant will ever be given the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Reddog:
I think Fr. Kapaun has a chance.
FYI, Maj. Patrick Brady was awarded the Medal of Honor as a dust-off (i.e., air ambulance) pilot in the Viet Nam conflict for his efforts in removing 51 wounded soldiers from a minefield in which they had been injured and were trapped during the 1968 Tet offensive.
He was the first medic to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions taken in that conflict.
His citation can be read here (just scroll down: http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html
A news summary of his actions can be seen here: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=pf_output.cfm&file_id=1307
snip..."Seven chaplains have received the Medal of Honor." (the last sentence from the article above).
Reddog, I believe that Fr Vincent Capodanno is someone you should meet....
http://wicatholicmusings.blogspot.com/2009/09/fr-vincent-capodanno-kia-sept-4-1967.html
His cause for sainthood is also on-going.
His story is told in The Grunt Padre by Fr Dan Mode.
He died Sept 4, 1967 during his second tour of duty in Nam. He was injured three times on the last day of his life... each of the first two injuries could have taken him out of the danger zone, but he stayed with his Grunts---and died tending to the men he loved.
I also support the cause of Fr Kapaun.
How many of those 7 chaplains were Catholic priests?