A Shepherd in Combat Boots: Chaplain Emil Kapaun of the 1st Cavalry Division - Softcover

Early in the Korean War Chinese forces surrounded troops of the 1st Cavalry Division. Try 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 priest.
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 heliefs.
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.

William L. Maher is the Village Justice of Brookville, New York.