"Outwardly he was all GI."
Lt. Mike Dowe
A SHEPHERD IN COMBAT BOOTS
The proposed design for the memorial statue will feature Chaplain Kapaun in his Army fatigues as he would have appeared to his men on the battlefield.
Details of the proposed statue include:
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Army fatigues
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Helmet with his iconic chaplain cross
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A stole hanging from his neck, a sign of his Catholic priesthood
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His right hand raised in blessing
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Canteen and army belt, which he would use to carry items to serve the men on the frontlines
The stone base will come from a factory located on the old Army Airbase in Herington, Kansas, where Father Kapaun first served as an auxiliary chaplain to bomber crews deploying during World War II.
"Father Kapaun was a man that seemed to sense when others were in trouble."
Colonel Eugene Field
LUNDEEN SCULPTURE
After receiving many applications from interested artists, the Chaplain Kapaun Memorial Committee has chosen Lundeen Sculpture from Loveland, Colorado to design and build the statue of Chaplain Kapaun.
The Lundeen brothers and their team have decades of experience sculpting in bronze, and have designed two similar works that are on display in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. George and Mark's depictions of Kansas pioneer Amelia Earhart and Colorado astronaut Jack Swigert are among the most life-like the Committee has seen. See some of their work below.
© 2024 Chaplain Kapaun Memorial Committee
424 N Broadway Ave | Wichita, KS 67202