“Fighting Spirit: The Journey of a Combat Minister” is new documentary It tells the story of an American combat chaplain. The film, which opens in theaters on November 8th, is the result of years of emotional work, the director told FOX News Digital.
“It's been a four-year journey for me,” Rich Hull said in a phone interview from Los Angeles.
Before making the film, the director said, “I didn't know anything about military chaplains,” but he was immediately struck by their stories of courage and heroism.
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“These are the people [who] “We go to war in uniform and without weapons,” he said. Obviously, it's a profession where you get more than just a paycheck. ”
The film is narrated by co-director Justin Roberts, a former U.S. Army chaplain who struggled to return to civilian life after serving in Afghanistan.
Combat chaplains are “human beings” [who] They put on uniforms and go to war without weapons,” said the director of Fighting Spirit, a new documentary that tells the stories of the pastors. (Paulist Productions)
In the film, Roberts travels to Wichita, Kansas, for the funeral of Emil Kapaun, an Army chaplain who died in a North Korean POW camp.
Kapaun, a Catholic priest, was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013.
Initially, Kapaun's story was not intended to be a major part of the film, which focuses on the history of the Chaplain Corps and tells the stories of some of the 419 chaplains who died while serving their country. But in 2021, Kapaun's body was finally identified and sent to his home state of Kansas for a proper burial — and the movie took a turn.
Home-educated children pay tribute to France's Medal of Honor recipient. Emil Kapaun at Arlington National Cemetery
”[Roberts and I] “We weren't really sure how they would fit into our production, but we knew they probably would. So we sent Justin to the funeral with a camera crew. Justin thought no one would come, but he would be the only guy.”
As it turns out, that wasn't the case.
On October 7, 1950, Emil Kapaun is shown celebrating Mass in South Korea using the hood of his Jeep as an altar, while his assistant Patrick J. Schuler kneels in prayer. This was less than a month before Kapaun was captured. (U.S. Army Colonel Raymond A. Skehan/Courtesy of Wichita Diocese)
The funeral “literally shut down the entire town of Wichita,” Hull said.
“People came from far and wide not only to celebrate Father Kapaun, but to celebrate all the combat chaplains. And I think that became a pivotal part of Justin's own life.”
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The story of Kapaun's return and burial is “where this movie really felt its pulse, because I think that's what the audience was going to respond to,” Hull said.
“That allowed us to build a structure for the film that was not only about Justin's own journey, but also the journeys of the former combat chaplains who inspired him.”
The history of chaplain corps dates back to the Revolutionary War, Hull noted.
“One of the great things about the Chaplain Corps is that all faiths are represented.”
In this film, viewers hear from Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish pastors.
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“What's interesting to me is that, especially for people of faith, this is a truly unique opportunity to live out your faith on a daily basis,” Hull said.
“Fighting Spirit: The Journey of a Combat Chaplain” tells the story of the work of a combat chaplain through the eyes of a recently retired combat chaplain. (Paulist Productions)
“So a chaplain may be of a particular faith, but when you're on the front line you're dealing with soldiers of all faiths and no faith.”
“And you have to find a way to bridge that gap on some very difficult, powerful, important questions about life and death. And bullets are flying over your head.”
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“Fighting Spirit: The Journey of a Combat Minister'' is now being released nationwide.
