By Annabel Higgins, guest author
Military chaplains provide ministry and counseling to service members during both wartime and peacetime. Especially during wartime, the role of a chaplain is vital for offering encouragement and comfort to soldiers during uncertain times. As of now, there are only 9 chaplains to have earned the Medal of Honor for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Chaplain Francis B. Hall was born in New York, New York, on November 16, 1827. He grew up in Plattsburgh, New York, with his family until he felt called to ministry. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey and was eventual ordained as a Presbyterian minister.
Hall served as a chaplain for the 16th New York Infantry during the Civil War. He was extremely devoted to his country’s cause and refused any pay during his time in the Union Army. On May 3, 1863, Hall exposed himself to heavy Confederate fire while transporting injured soldiers to safety. On February 16, 1897, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
Following the Civil War, Hall returned to his hometown of Plattsburgh. He established the Peristrome Presbyterian Church where he was the pastor for 39 years. He was also actively involved in the community until his passing in 1903.
Regimental Chaplain Milton L. Haney was born January 23, 1825, in Savannah, Ohio. He briefly pursued studying medicine before being led to become a minister. By 30 years old, he became a licensed exhorter of the Central Illinois Methodist-Episcopal Conference. Haney traveled in response to calls from congregations with his wife and 3 children. His messages were compared to poetry and his talent for preaching was revered. When the Civil War began, Haney saw no difference between the role of preacher and the role of a patriot, and he equated the Northern cause to be the cause of God. This led him to join the Union Army.
Haney helped form Co. F of the 55th Illinois Infantry Regiment and he was elected Captain on Oct. 11, 1861. He gained even more respect for his actions on July 22, 1864. During the Battle of Atlanta, Haney carried a musket and helped retake the Federal works which had been occupied by the Confederates. He also rallied a small contingent of men and held their position until reinforcements could arrive. He then spent the night ministering to both the Union and Confederate armies. Haney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership and bravery on November 3, 1896.
First Lieutenant James Hill was born December 6, 1822, in Bristol, England. He immigrated to the United States and became a farmer and clergyman. During the Civil War, he enlisted in the 21st Iowa Infantry. His first enlistment was from August 23, 1862 to July 25, 1863, during which he was appointed a First Lieutenant. On May 16, 1863, he demonstrated skillful and brave management by capturing three of the enemy’s pickets (a defensive line of soldiers). He was released from his second enlistment on July 15, 1865 and was awarded the Medal of Honor on March 15, 1893. After the war, he returned to Dubuque, Iowa, where he had a farm and continued to serve the community as a Minister of the Gospel. He died in 1899 at the age of 77.
Chaplain John M. Whitehead was born on April 4, 1898, in Wayne County, what is today the city of Richmond, Indiana. He was ordained as a Baptist minister at the age of 21 and joined the U.S. Army as a chaplain in early 1862. During a battle near Stone River, Tennessee on December 31, 1862, Whitehead went to front of the lines multiple times by himself to carry injured soldiers to safety. For his brave actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 4, 1898.
Whitehead served until the end of the war and was said to have aided many soldiers, both Union and Confederate. It was not unusual to see his dark clerical jacket and boots covered in the blood of those he helped, which contributed to his nickname, “the Bloody Chaplain.” After the war, Whitehead moved to Topeka, Kansas, in 1890 with his family. He helped to build the First Baptist Church Topeka where he conducted services until his passing on March 8, 1909.
Joseph T. O’Callahan was born May 14, 1904, in Boston, Massachusetts. Raised in a Catholic family, he joined the Jesuits, a Roman Catholic order. He spent thirteen years of required training and education at St. Andrews College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Following his training, O’Callahan became a mathematics, physics, and philosophy professor at Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts, and College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In 1940, he decided to enlist into the Navy Chaplain Corps as a lieutenant, just before the United States entered World War II. As the war progressed, Lieutenant Commander O’Callahan was assigned to the U.S.S. Franklin in 1945. On March 19, 1945, the aircraft carrier was attacked by Japanese aircraft. O’Callahan bravely navigated the flames and exploding bombs from the attack to assist the injured and dying. He also helped to arrange teams to put out fires onboard and personally used a hose to cool down hot bombs on the deck of the ship. O’Callahan’s effort to save the lives of the crew was an inspiration to those onboard and off the Franklin.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on January 23, 1946. He suffered with the wounds from his Medal of Honor actions for the rest of his life, particularly the damage done to his lungs by the smoke on the Franklin.
Emil J. Kapaun was born April 20, 1916, in Pilsen, Kansas. He was raised in the small farming community until he attended Seminary College and Kenrick Theological Seminary in Missouri. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1940 and four years later joined the U.S. Army as part of the Chaplain Corps. Kapaun served during World War II where he achieved the rank of captain. He left the Army in 1946 to pursue his master’s degree, but he later rejoined the Chaplain Corps in 1948.
Captain Kapaun was one of the first to arrive at Korea at the start of the Korean War. He became known for his courage on the battlefield and his provision of spiritual guidance for soldiers. On November 1, 1950, as Chinese Communist Forces were attacking, Kapaun navigated through the firefight to offer medical assistance, comfort, and rescue to wounded soldiers. The Americans found themselves encircled by the enemy. Kapaun chose to stay behind with the wounded instead of evacuating. On November 2, Kapaun worked with an injured Chinese officer to negotiate for a safe surrender for the Americans.
Kapaun was placed in the Pyoktong Prison Camp where he continued to be an encouragement to the other prisoners. He would give up his food rations and clothes for others. He would also lead his fellow prisoners in prayer meetings. Kapaun passed away at the camp on May 23, 1951, and he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on April 11, 2013.
He is currently under consideration for sainthood in the Catholic Church. Read more about Capt. Kapaun.
Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno was born to Italian immigrants on February 13, 1929, in Staten Island, New York. He was the youngest of nine children. Devoted to his faith, Capodanno was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1958 and served as a missionary in Taiwan for more than six years. During his time as a missionary, he felt the call to service and joined the Marines with the intent to serve those fighting in Vietnam.
After completing Officer Candidate School, Lt. Capodanno was stationed with the 1st Marine Division as a chaplain. He chose to live in the same conditions as his Marines, whether on the base or in the battlefield.
On September 4, 1967, in Quang Tin Province, Vietnam, Lt. Capodanno and his platoon were assaulted by the North Vietnamese enemy. Disregarding his own safety, Capodanno left the command post to run through the open fire to reach the other members of his platoon. He then continued to move around the battlefield to tend to the injured and provide last rites to the dying. Despite a mortar exploding and wounding his arms and legs, Capodanno refused any assistance and continued to aid the wounded Marines. When he noticed an injured corpsman in a direct line of fire of enemy machine guns, Capodanno rushed in to save the him and he was struck down by the machine-gun at the last moment. Because of Lt. Capodanno’s heroic actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 7, 1969.
Read more about Lt. Capodanno.
Captain Charles “Angelo” Liteky was known for his actions during and after the Vietnam War. He was born in Washington, DC, on February 14, 1931. His family later moved to Florida, and he was educated at Robert E. Lee High School, Chipola Junior College, and the University of Florida. He attended seminary in Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to become ordained as a Roman Catholic priest. Following seminary school, he joined the Army on July 5, 1966, at Fort Hamilton, New York, and trained at the U.S. Army Chaplain School.
During the Vietnam War, Liteky served with Company A, 199th Infantry Brigade in Phuoc-Lac, Vietnam. On December 6, 1967, while participating in a search-and-destroy operation with his company, battalion-sized enemy forces attacked. Completely disregarding his safety, Liteky rushed up to the enemy machine gun fire to place himself between two wounded soldiers. He was able to drag the soldiers to safety during a break in the fighting. The company was inspired by Liteky’s bravery and were encouraged to keep fighting the enemy. Liteky during that time navigated the battlefield to rescue wounded soldiers who were trapped. One soldier was too heavy to carry, so Liteky put him on top of him and crawled to safety. He had to disentangle another soldier from a thorny underbrush. It was discovered after the firefight that Chaplain Liteky carried over 20 men to safety while sustaining his own wounds. His incredible heroism awarded him the Medal of Honor on November 19, 1968.
Captain Liteky resigned from the Army in 1970 and later left the priesthood. He married a former nun in 1983 who introduced him to refugees from El Salvador. This led Liteky to become a non-violence and anti-war advocate. In 1986, he renounced his Medal of Honor and left it at the base of the Vietnam Memorial as a protest of President Reagan’s administration’s policies in Central America. His medal was recovered and is now part of the collections at the Smithonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Liteky passed away January 20, 2017.
Major Charles J. Watters was born January 17, 1927, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1953 and served in various towns in New Jersey. Watters joined the New Jersey National Guard as a chaplain in 1962 and later in 1964, he joined the U.S. Army.
During the Vietnam War, Watters was deployed to Vietnam and assigned to the 173d Battalion. After his 1-year tour, he chose to stay in for another 6 months. He often stayed with his soldiers in the field like many of the other chaplains who earned the Medal of Honor. Watters’ battalion engaged in an assault on Hill 875 on November 19, 1967. He rushed up to the front lines, unarmed, to help the wounded and administer last rites to the dying. He even rescued a wounded paratrooper who was standing in shock in front of the enemy. Later when his troops were pulling back, Watters noticed more exposed wounded soldiers and he ran out to help them despite attempts to hold him back. He continued to help those wounded by providing medical care, food, water, and spiritual comfort. Watters himself had been mortally wounded but chose to help his fellow soldiers over himself. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on November 4, 1969.
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About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country.
Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 65 living Recipients.
The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society’s programs and operations are funded by donations.
As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.
Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives at cmohs.org.