By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
A new documentary film, produced and directed by Dallas native Rich Hull, is a “love letter” to combat chaplains and the work they do—a story at the intersection of the chaos of war and the call to love.
“Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey” peeks into the unknown world of the U.S. combat chaplains who quietly serve those who serve the country. The film follows the story of Justin Roberts, a former chaplain with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan, as he reminisces on his experiences as a chaplain and begins a lifechanging journey to Kansas to attend the funeral of Catholic combat chaplain Father Emil Kapaun, a prisoner of war whose remains were identified and returned home 70 years after his death. The film explores the sacrifices made by combat chaplains throughout American history— from the Civil War to World War II to the Vietnam War—and shares the untold stories of these heroic men and women.
The film, produced by Paulist Productions and the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, marks the first co-production between Hollywood and the Chaplain Corps.
“The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps became our partner on this, and we’re so grateful for the partnership and the support,” producer and director Hull said. “It’s a set of stories that nobody’s ever told before, and we get a chance to tell it.”
Hull, who makes his directorial debut with the film, has roots in the Diocese of Dallas as an alumnus of Christ the King Catholic School and Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. He has created a name for himself in Hollywood as the producer of projects ranging from the wildly successful teen movie “She’s All That” to the heartfelt docuseries “For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots,” a collaboration with Oscar winner Halle Berry that won the NAACP Image Award.
In “Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey,” Hull worked alongside Roberts, a retired army chaplain featured in the film, who co-directed the documentary. Chris Pratt, known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Parks and Recreation,” joined the project as executive director.
The documentary’s team worked to incorporate a range of voices in the film reflective of the diversity of the chaplains who serve in combat.
“There’s a Catholic chaplain and a Muslim chaplain and a Jewish chaplain and a Protestant chaplain and a Buddhist chaplain,” Hull said, adding that the film features both male and female chaplains as well as chaplains serving in different wars. “The chaplain corps is very diverse in every respect, and so we wanted to have all those voices represented.”
Recalling the series of screenings of “Fighting Spirit”—including a screening in the Vatican, a rare honor for select filmmakers—Hull said he was moved by the impact that the documentary has already had on viewers.
“When the lights come up, you look around the room and you’re seeing all kinds of different audiences having these very powerful
reactions to it,” he shared. The reaction is one of “gratitude, because these are the people that basically go out and serve the soldiers who are there to serve us as Americans.”
These men and women of different faiths and backgrounds, who go into battle in uniform but without weapons, can serve as an inspiration to everyone, including Dallas-area Catholics, Hull said.
“When I was at Jesuit, we had to do 100 hours of community service in order to graduate. So, I think [service] is ingrained in our faith and in our ethos as Catholics,” Hull said. “When you go and you see a story about a profession of people whose entirepurpose is servitude, there’s a real connection there.”
“Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey” will be released in theaters on Nov. 8, during Veterans Day weekend.
Cutline for featured image: “Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey” is a documentary exploring the experience of combat chaplains throughout American history. The film was produced and directed by Dallas native Rich Hull, an alumnus of Christ the King Catholic School and Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. Pictured is Justin Roberts, a former chaplain with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan, who is featured in the film. (Photo courtesy of Paulist Productions)
