Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun artifacts

1 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chaplain Kapaun carried this small brass pyx on his person in the POW camp until it was confiscated by his Chinese captors and made into a child's toy. Kapaun always carried the pyx inside the prison camp in case he needed to administer the Holy Comm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

2 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Emil Kapaun's hometown of Pilsen, Kan. is a traditionally Bohemian/Czech community. While Kapaun's parents insisted on speaking English in their home, many Pilsen residents did not. During Emil's childhood, the pastor of St. John Nepomucene parish in... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

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5 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – These knives are fashioned from the steel shank arches inside military-issued boots from the Korean War. At the Pyoktong POW camp, Marine Corps Maj. Gerald Fink used the knives to carve a crucifix in honor of Chaplain Kapaun. Chaplain Kapaun inspired... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

6 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This hat was worn by Chaplain Kapaun during his period of service, between 1944-1946 during WWII. Following his service in WWII, Chaplain Kapaun earned a Master's Degree at Catholic University in Washington, DC. Kapaun wrote his Bishop in Wichita, Ka... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Certificate of baptism and notice of confirmation

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8 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Priests wear chasubles as an outer vestment when celebrating Mass. These chasubles would have been used by Chaplain Kapaun when he was in Korea. They are from the same set of chasubles as the white one depicted in the picture of Chaplain Kapaun cele... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

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10 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The prisoners in Camp No. 5 at Pyoktong were on a diet of millet and occasionally, cracked corn. This bag is about one day's rations, or 450 grams of millet. Millet can only be digested when it is cooked, but because the men were not allowed to build... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

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12 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Priests wear chasubles as an outer vestment when celebrating Mass. These chasubles would have been used by Chaplain Kapaun when he was in Korea. They are from the same set of chasubles as the white one depicted in the picture of Chaplain Kapaun celeb... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

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21 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – These commemorative prayer cards come from Kapaun's first Mass, which he delivered on June 20, 1940 in Pilsen, Kan. Nearly 1,200 people attended Fr. Kapaun's first mass in a church that was built to hold 600; many churchgoers stood outside or in the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

22 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This original copy of the Saturday Evening Post features an article titled, The Ordeal of Chaplain Kapaun, by Kapaun's fellow prisoner-of-war Mike Dowe. After he was repatriated, Dowe championed the effort to award Kapaun with the Medal of Honor. The... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

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24 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – When he was not ministering to his fellow Soldiers, Kapaun would write letters to his family and friends at home in Pilsen, Kan. Many times, if a serviceman died in battle, Kapaun would write personal letters to their next-of-kin, reassuring them tha... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

25 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Emil Kapaun's hometown of Pilsen, Kan. is a traditionally Bohemian/Czech community. While Kapaun's parents insisted on speaking English in their home, many Pilsen residents did not. During Emil's childhood, the pastor of St. John Nepomucene parish in... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

26 / 27 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This original copy of the Saturday Evening Post features an article titled, The Ordeal of Chaplain Kapaun, by Kapaun's fellow prisoner-of-war Mike Dowe. After he was repatriated, Dowe championed the effort to award Kapaun with the Medal of Honor. ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

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Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun artifacts

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