TOPEKA – In honor of Father Emil Kapaun who was laid to Wednesday in Wichita, Governor Laura Kelly proclaimed Sept. 29 as Father Emil Kapaun Day. Father Kapaun served as a Chaplain in World War II and the Korean War. He became a POW during the Korean War and gained notoriety for his heroism and care for his fellow soldiers.

Father Kapaun posthumously earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service and is currently being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church. He remained missing until March 2021, when his remains were identified and brought home to Kansas to be laid to rest.

“Father Emil Kapaun was known to care for all prisoners – regardless of their background or religion, and we are proud to honor his service and sacrifice for his country,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “He served with honor and dignity, I hope his return home brings relief and closure to his family and his community.”

The proclamation reads:

TO THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS, GREETINGS:

WHEREAS, Father Emil Kapaun was born on April 20, 1916 in Pilsen, Kansas, and raised on his family farm; and

WHEREAS, Father Kapaun was ordained a Catholic Priest in Wichita on June 9, 1940, and served at his home parish of St. John Nepomucene Church in Pilsen, Kansas; and

WHEREAS, Father Kapaun entered the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps in 1944, and served in World War II where he ministered to soldiers and local missions; and

WHEREAS, Father Kapaun served during the Korean War ministering to the dead and dying and performing his priestly duties, but was captured in November 1950 and became a prisoner-of-war; and

WHEREAS, as a prisoner-of-war he stole food and medicine to help his fellow soldiers, and worked tirelessly to lift the spirits of prisoners while he cared for the sick and dying; and

WHEREAS, in May of 1951, Father Kapaun died in a North Korean POW camp after months of declining health; and

WHEREAS, after their release from captivity, Father Kapaun’s fellow soldiers told the world the stories of his heroism; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, Father Kapaun was given the title ‘Servant of God’ by Pope John Paul II, the first step towards sainthood, and the Catholic Church is currently considering him for sainthood; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, Father Kapaun was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama for his actions in North Korea, in addition to the Legion of Merit and Purple Heart medal; and

WHEREAS, For 70 years, Father Kapaun remained missing, until his remains were identified in March of 2021 and turned over to his family on September 21, 2021 in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Father Kapaun was brought back home to Kansas and laid to rest inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, Kansas on September 29, 2021. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Laura Kelly, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF KANSAS, do hereby proclaim September 29th, 2021 as Father Emil Kapaun Day in the state of Kansas and I urge all citizens to join in this observation.

Find the proclamation here.