Photo By Sgt. Hannah Stewart | Ian Morgado, Life Scout in Boy Scouts of America Troop 203, speaks at the Chaplain...... read more read more
By Pfc. Hannah Stewart
20th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea (May 27, 2022) – Nearly 71 years to the day he died as a prisoner of war and just days before Memorial Day, Soldiers and civilians gathered for a ceremony at the 2nd Infantry Division Memorial Walk on Camp Humphreys to honor the legacy and service of Army Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun.
The memorial, a stone marker bearing the Medal of Honor recipient’s name and service campaigns in two wars, was unveiled by Maj. Gen. David Lesperance, 2nd Infantry Division commander, Col. Seth Graves, Camp Humphreys garrison commander, and Ian Morgado, a Life Scout in Boy Scouts of America Troop 203.
Morgado, a self-described fan of history, first conceived the idea to establish a monument for Kapaun in late Summer 2021.
“Everyone who serves in the military has their own history,” said Morgado, explaining how monuments help subsequent generations understand history’s important and influential people. “This monument is very important because it re-enforces that idea.”
It wasn’t long after Morgado thought to erect a monument that he began the process of working with the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division leadership, Camp Humphreys garrison, and numerous other entities to fund and emplace it.
Kapaun was a Roman Catholic priest who served in World War II and the Korean War. During the Korean War, he was taken as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Unsan after refusing to evacuate against overwhelming numbers. He lived out the rest of his life performing mass for others in Prison Camp #5 and earning the description of “bravest man I ever knew” from a fellow POW. Kapaun died on May 23, 1951 and was buried at the camp where he worked to help fellow captives. After decades of being listed as unaccounted for, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced positive identification of Kapaun’s remains in May 2021.
The monument to Kapaun is part of an ever-maturing memorial developed to honor the memory of Soldiers who served in the Warrior Division and the Korean conflict.
“The intent of the 2ID Regimental Walk is to allow the community of Camp Humphreys to see the history and the participants that held roles during these events,” said Maj. David Nelson, U.S. Eighth Army.
| Date Taken: | 05.27.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2022 08:28 |
| Story ID: | 421714 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 664 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Army Chaplain honored with monument on Camp Humphreys, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
