President Obama next month will award the late Capt. Emil J. Kapaun, a Roman Catholic priest who served as an Army chaplain during the Korean War, a posthumous Medal of Honor, announced the White House on Monday. Kapaun’s nephew, Ray Kapaun, and family will join President Obama at the White House for the April 11 ceremony, according to the White House’s release. Obama will recognize Chaplain Kapaun for his conspicuous gallantry while serving with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, during combat operations in Unsan, Korea, from Nov. 1-2, 1950. When Chinese forces attacked his unit, Kapaun walked through withering enemy fire to provide comfort and medical aid to his comrades, states the release. He elected to stay behind with the wounded when the able-bodied men were ordered to evacuate. As enemy forces approached, Kapaun noticed an injured Chinese officer amongst the wounded and convinced him to negotiate the safe surrender of the American forces. Shortly after his capture, Kapaun pushed aside an enemy soldier preparing to execute a comrade, thus saving a life, states the release. Kapaun died in captivity on May 23, 1951, states the Pentagon’s March 11 release.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.