The heroism of combat chaplains is the focus of a new documentary highlighting men and women who go into battle unarmed, driven by a “higher calling” to serve, the film's director said.
fighting spirit (PG-13) opens in theaters on Veterans Day and follows the journey of combat chaplains past and present. Among them is Emil Kapaun, an Army combat chaplain who died in prison during the Korean War and whose body was identified. He was buried in Kansas in 2021.
Actor Chris Pratt will serve as executive producer.
Director Chris Hull told Crosswalk Headlines that he knew little about combat chaplains when he began the project, but was captivated by their selflessness and courage.
“The more I learned, the more intrigued I became with it all,” Hull told Crosswalk Headlines. “And I really scratched my head and said, 'Who are these people who go into battle in uniform and unarmed?' It's not something I'm doing for the sake of it. It's a big mission.”
More than 400 U.S. military chaplains have dedicated their lives to this unique mission, including a Catholic chaplain whose story made national headlines when his body was identified. It also includes Kapaun. Until 2021, his remains were marked as “unidentified” and buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
His remains were buried in Wichita, Kansas on September 29, 2021. He is a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church.
“He died 70 years ago in a POW camp in South Korea. In fact, the POWs gave him the opportunity to leave, but he decided to stay,” Hull said. “I mean, talk about a higher calling. And he stayed there with his soldiers, knowing that meant certain death, and he did die.”
fighting spirit Also includes footage of the funeral.
“People came from far and wide to not only celebrate one military chaplain with Father Kapaun, but all combat chaplains,” Hull said.
Hull and his team partnered with the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps for this film.
According to the film, the pastor is “a collision between the horrors of war and the amazing power of love.”
“When you go to war, you have a certain faith as a chaplain, but when bullets are flying overhead and you're dealing with real life and death issues with soldiers, you're talking to them. . All faith and non-belief,” Hull said. In the movie, it just exists. ”
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Christopher Polk/Staff
michael faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His articles have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star, and Knoxville News Sentinel.
