Since the days of the Civil War, the United States has honored the memories of the men and women in the military who died in service to their country.
Our story on page 3 that relates U.S. Army chaplain Father Bill Kneemiller’s effort to provide rosaries for troops on the front lines reminds me of three military priests who paid the ultimate price to serve God and country.
I reflect, in particular, on the heroic lives of Fathers John Washington, Emil Kapaun and Vincent Capodanno, who distinguished themselves in three separate conflicts:
Army Lt. Washington died Feb. 3, 1943, trying to save the lives of soldiers on the USS Dorchester, torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean.
Army Capt. Emil Kapaun died May 23, 1951, in a Korean prison camp, after enduring torture to bring the sacraments to fellow POWs.
Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno, the “Grunt Padre,” was killed in action Sept. 4, 1967, by North-Vietnamese troops while giving last rites to injured corpsmen in the Que Son Valley.
Fathers Kapaun and Capodanno posthumously received the highest honor for military service, the Medal of Honor, and the Church has proclaimed them Servants of God.
This Memorial Day, May 25, let us remember all the military dead in our prayers and give thanks for their many contributions to the preservation of our freedoms.
God bless you!