This Memorial Day, as we pause to honor those who gave their lives in service to the United States, we also remember a rare and sacred group, five military chaplains who received the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military decoration.
These men embodied holiness, courage, integrity, and patriotism in the most profound ways imaginable, walking into danger not with weapons, but with prayers, last rites, and the strength of faith.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
Father Joseph T. O’Callahan — WWII
A Jesuit priest and U.S. Navy chaplain, Father Joseph T. O’Callahan was aboard the USS Franklin when it was struck by Japanese bombs in March 1945. Amid smoke and chaos, he led fire-fighting crews, cared for the wounded, and administered last rites—all while under attack. President Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1946, calling him “the bravest man I ever saw.” The USS O’Callahan was later named in his honor.
Father Emil J. Kapaun — Korean War
The most decorated chaplain in U.S. military history, Father Emil Kapaun served with distinction during the Korean War. He ministered to the wounded on the battlefield and continued to serve his fellow soldiers in a POW camp until his death from malnutrition and abuse. In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared him a Servant of God, the first step toward sainthood. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013.
Father Angelo J. Liteky — Vietnam War
Father Angelo Liteky, a U.S. Army chaplain with the 199th Infantry Brigade, received the Medal of Honor for carrying over 20 wounded soldiers to safety under heavy fire during a 1967 battle in Vietnam. Later in life, deeply affected by the horrors of war, he became a peace activist and returned his Medal of Honor in protest of U.S. foreign policy in Central America. His moral conviction and unwavering sense of integrity remind us that heroism also lies in conscience.
Father Charles J. Watters — Vietnam War
Serving with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Father Charles Watters was known for being wherever his soldiers were—in the mud, in the jungle, and in the heart of combat. In November 1967, during the Battle of Dak To, he repeatedly ran into enemy fire to rescue the wounded and administer last rites. He was killed while tending to a fallen soldier. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, he also received the Air Medal and Bronze Star for earlier acts of valor.
Father Vincent R. Capodanno — Vietnam War
Affectionately called “the Grunt Padre,” Father Vincent Capodanno was a Navy chaplain assigned to the Marine Corps. He was mortally wounded while giving last rites and shielding a corpsman during a firefight in 1967. His deep love for “his Marines” was evident in every step he took. In 2002, the Vatican opened a cause for his canonization, recognizing him as a “Servant of God.”
These five military chaplains remind us that heroism isn’t limited to the battlefield. Faith, compassion, and sacrifice are equally powerful weapons in the service of peace and freedom. This Memorial Day, may we honor their lives and the lives of all the men and women who died for our country by remembering not only how they died fighting for our freedom, but how they lived a life of sacrifice.
