Father Emil Kapaun

 

The Congressional Medal of Honor

Be part of the movement to award the Medal of Honor, which is the military’s highest award, to U.S Army Chaplain, Fr. Emil Kapaun. 

A hero of the Korean Conflict, Fr. Kapaun saved hundreds of lives on the battlefield and in a Prisoner of War camp.  He spent countless hours nourishing the physical and spiritual health of fellow prisoners. 

For more than a decade, former Congressman Todd Tiahrt and his wife, Vickie, have devoted significant efforts to have Congress award The Medal of Honor to Fr. Kapaun.  Congressman Tiahrt was successful in having enabling language included in a defense authorization bill last session, and Mrs. Tiahrt is the chair of a coalition whose purpose it is to promote awareness and support for the issuance of the The Medal to Fr. Kapaun.  The Army officially supports awarding the Medal of Honor to Kapaun. 

Since his election to Congress last fall, Congressman Mike Pompeo has taken up the cause introducing the Pompeo Amendment, which will pave the way for Secretary Panetta and President Obama to bestow this important honor on Fr. Kapaun.  The House of Representatives has already included the Pompeo Amendment in its version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization, but the Senate has yet to act.  

Please forward to all Kansans and others with an interest to engage in a social media and writing campaign to insure that the Medal is awarded this year.  It is essential that the Pompeo Amendment be included in the final Defense Authorization Bill. 

Take a moment and get involved! Generate emails, tweets, postcards, Facebook notices, etc., to Congress and to Secretary Panetta.  Please ask for their support of the Pompeo Amendment for Fr. Kapaun. 

A sample letter and contact information for Secretary Panetta is below.   Please feel free to adapt this letter to send to our Congressional Delegation.

 (sample letter)

 Dear Secretary Panetta,

I am writing to request your help to award Father Emil Kapaun the Medal of Honor by supporting the Pompeo Amendment to the 2012 Defense Authorization Bill.  The Army officially supports awarding the Medal of Honor to Kapaun, and the House of Representatives has already included the Pompeo Amendment in its version of the bill. 

A native Kansan, Father Kapaun was a true hero of the Korean War and deserves the Medal for his selfless and courageous service.  During the Korean War, he saved hundreds of lives, first by dragging many wounded in battle through gunfire to safety.  As a Prisoner of War, he became known as a first-rate thief who often confiscated food from the prison guards to keep his fellow soldiers from starvation.  Although religious activities were forbidden at the prison camp, Father Kapaun would visit the men at night, spending time in prayer and checking on their health.  Father Kapaun died in the prison camp in 1951.

I hope we can count on your support to award the Medal of Honor to Father Kapaun.   

You can help to move the process along.  Please email or write a letter to: 

 DC Address:             Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
                        1400 Defense Pentagon
                        Washington, DC 20301-1400

DC Phone:      703-571-3343

  

DC Address:

The Honorable Carl Levin
United States Senate
269 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2202

DC Phone:

202-224-6221

DC Fax:

202-224-1388

Email Address:

http://levin.senate.gov/contact/

WWW Homepage:

http://levin.senate.gov/

Twitter:

No Known Twitter Account

 

DC Address:

 

The Honorable John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0303

DC Phone:

202-224-2235

DC Fax:

202-228-2862

Email Address:

http://mccain.senate.gov/public/
index.cfm?
FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

WWW Homepage:

http://mccain.senate.gov/public/

Twitter:

@SenJohnMcCain

 

DC Address:

The Honorable Howard P. (Buck) McKeon
United States House of Representatives
2184 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-0525

DC Phone:

202-225-1956

DC Fax:

202-226-0683

Email Address:

http://mckeon.house.gov/contact.shtml

WWW Homepage:

http://mckeon.house.gov/

Twitter:

@BuckMcKeon

  

DC Address:

The Honorable John A. Boehner
United States House of Representatives
1011 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3508

DC Phone:

202-225-6205

DC Fax:

202-225-0704

Email Address:

http://johnboehner.house.gov/Contact/

WWW Homepage:

http://johnboehner.house.gov/

Twitter:

@SpeakerBoehner

  

DC Address:

The Honorable Harry Reid
United States Senate
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2803

DC Phone:

202-224-3542

DC Fax:

202-224-7327

Email Address:

http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

WWW Homepage:

http://reid.senate.gov/

Twitter:

@SenatorReid

 

DC Address:

The Honorable Pat Roberts
United States Senate
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1605

DC Phone:

202-224-4774

DC Fax:

202-224-3514

Email Address:

http://roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailPat

WWW Homepage:

http://roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Home

Twitter:

@senpatroberts

  

DC Address:

The Honorable Jerry Moran
United States Senate
SRC4 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1604

DC Phone:

202-224-6521

DC Fax:

202-228-6917

Email Address:

http://moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-jerry

WWW Homepage:

http://moran.senate.gov/public/

Twitter:

@jerrymoran

  

DC Address:

The Honorable Tim Huelskamp
United States House of Representatives
126 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-1601

DC Phone:

202-225-2715

DC Fax:

202-225-5124

Email Address:

https://huelskamp.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

WWW Homepage:

http://huelskamp.house.gov/

Twitter:

@conghuelskamp

  

DC Address:

The Honorable Lynn Jenkins
United States House of Representatives
1122 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-1602

DC Phone:

202-225-6601

DC Fax:

202-225-7986

Email Address:

http://lynnjenkins.house.gov/index.cfm?
sectionid=3§iontree=3

WWW Homepage:

http://lynnjenkins.house.gov/index.html

Twitter:

@replynnjenkins

 

DC Address:

The Honorable Kevin Yoder
United States House of Representatives
214 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-1603

DC Phone:

202-225-2865

DC Fax:

202-225-2807

Email Address:

https://yoder.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

WWW Homepage:

http://yoder.house.gov/

Twitter:

@kevinyoder

  

DC Address:

The Honorable Mike Pompeo
United States House of Representatives
107 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-1604

DC Phone:

202-225-6216

DC Fax:

202-225-3489

Email Address:

https://pompeo.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

WWW Homepage:

http://pompeo.house.gov/

Twitter:

@repmikepompeo