Dear Friends,
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we have a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the people and sacrifices that have helped make our country what it is today. For generations, brave men and women have answered the call to serve, leaving behind their families, their homes, and the lives they knew to protect the freedoms and safety we sometimes take for granted.
We are deeply grateful for the veterans who have served our country. Their courage, sacrifice, and dedication have helped protect the lives we enjoy today, and their stories deserve to be remembered and shared.
Sometimes, the story of just one person can help us understand the extraordinary difference our veterans have made.
Today, we would like to share the story of Bill Funchess, a young Army lieutenant whose service during the Korean War would test his courage, strengthen his faith in humanity, and leave behind a legacy worth remembering. Bill was born on a farm in South Carolina in 1927. After graduating from Clemson, he married, earned his commission as a lieutenant, and soon found himself leading a platoon of 50 men deep into North Korea. Near the Chinese border, his platoon found itself surrounded by enemy forces. Facing overwhelming odds, Bill and his men fought to give the rest of their battalion, some 700 soldiers, the opportunity to escape.
Their sacrifice helped protect hundreds of fellow servicemen. For Bill, it marked the beginning of 1,038 days as a prisoner of war. Yet even in captivity, Bill’s story would become about something far greater than survival. While imprisoned, he met an Army chaplain named Emil Kapaun. Father Kapaun had been captured after refusing to leave wounded soldiers behind during an earlier battle. Even as a prisoner himself, he continued to care for the men around him, offering encouragement, sharing what little food he could find, and reminding them that they were not forgotten.
Bill and Father Kapaun soon formed a close friendship. When the chaplain became seriously ill, Bill took it upon himself to care for him. In a place where so much had been taken from them, the two men found comfort in one another. Bill later recalled how they would hold each other when the cold became unbearable. It was a simple act of kindness, but one that carried extraordinary meaning. After six weeks, Father Kapaun was taken away and died soon after. Bill would remain in captivity for another two years, carrying with him the memory of a friend whose compassion had made an unimaginable experience a little more bearable. Eventually, Bill was released and reunited with his wife. For decades, he lived quietly, rarely speaking about what he had experienced. But in time, he decided his story needed to be shared. He wrote his memoirs and helped bring recognition to Father Kapaun, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013.
What stays with us most about Bill’s story is not simply what he endured. It is what he and those around him chose to do for one another, even in the most difficult circumstances. Bill helped protect hundreds of fellow soldiers. Father Kapaun refused to leave the wounded behind. And when the chaplain could no longer care for others, Bill stepped forward to care for him. These are the moments that reveal the heart of our veterans. Their service is measured not only in the battles they fought, but in the lives they protected, the sacrifices they made, and the compassion they showed when it mattered most.
We imagine there are thousands of stories like Bill’s across our country. Stories of men and women who stood up for their fellow servicemembers, who put others before themselves, and who carried the weight of their service long after returning home. Many of these stories may never appear in history books. Some may only be shared around a family table. But every one of them matters.
As we celebrate 250 years of America, we hope we take time to remember the people behind our nation’s history. The men and women who have served, fought, sacrificed, and protected the freedoms we hold dear. Their contributions are woven into the story of our country, and their legacy deserves our deepest gratitude.
To all who have served, and to the families and loved ones who have supported them, please know how sincerely grateful we are. We recognize that the freedoms and peace we enjoy have come at a tremendous cost, and we will never take that sacrifice for granted.
May we continue to share the stories of our veterans, honor their service, and remember the men and women who have given so much so that future generations can live in freedom and peace.
From your Feliciano Financial family, we wish you and yours a peaceful and meaningful Veterans Day.
With heartfelt gratitude,
— The Feliciano Financial Family
Source: “The Unbreakable Tiger,” U.S. Army
