Shepherd In Combat Boots

Early in the Korean War Chinese forces surrounded troops of the 1st Cavalry Division. Trying to escape-the American soldiers warned Catholic Chaplain Emil Kapaun. However, he refused to leave his wounded comrades and became a POW. His decision marked a turning point in the inspiring life of this young catholic priest.

Raised on a farm in Kansas, Kapaun served as pastor in his hometown until he became an army chaplain during World War II. The book describes the beginning of the Korean conflict and how Chinese forces surrounded Kapaun and other Cavalrymen in the freezing hills of North Korea.

Kapaun’s faith and courage on the battlefield and in prison set an example for hundreds of young American captives. When they were starving he stole food for them. If the men needed encouragement he defied prison rules and prayed with them. When the communist guards mocked his faith in God, the chaplain publicly defended his beliefs.

When Kapaun became sick, the communists denied him medicine and watched him die in their vermin-infested “hospital.” However, they could not extinguish the memories of how he served other prisoners. The army awarded the chaplain the Distinguished Service Cross and the Vatican named him “Servant of God.” This book is a well-documented biography of an extraordinary person.