Joseph Verbis Lafleur (1912–1944) was born on January 24, 1912, in Ville Platte, Louisiana, the fourth of seven children in a Cajun Catholic family. His father left the family when he was young, and his mother worked tirelessly to support her children, instilling in Joseph a strong sense of faith, resilience, and service. From an early age, Joseph felt called to the priesthood; he became an altar boy at seven and entered St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary as a teenager before completing his theological studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana, on April 2, 1938, and served as an assistant pastor at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Abbeville, where he was known for his pastoral zeal, compassion, and commitment to the spiritual and physical well-being of his parishioners.

With the approach of World War II, Father Lafleur volunteered as a U.S. Army Air Forces chaplain in 1941, famously explaining that he volunteered “because the other men did not have a choice.” Assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group, he was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines when Japan entered the war. During the December 8, 1941, attack on the base, he bravely moved among the wounded, offering comfort, administering the sacraments, and helping evacuate the injured despite great danger. After U.S. forces surrendered in May 1942, he chose not to evacuate, declaring, “My place is with the men,” and was captured by Japanese forces, enduring nearly 30 months as a prisoner of war, where he continued to minister to fellow POWs, build a makeshift chapel, and advocate for the sick and suffering under harsh conditions.

In September 1944, Father Lafleur was forced, along with hundreds of other prisoners, onto the Japanese transport SS Shinyo Maru, a “hell ship” bound for Japan; when the ship was torpedoed by an American submarine on September 7, 1944, he remained aboard to help others escape, assisting many up the ladders and offering absolution, ultimately going down with the ship at age 32. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal, and Purple Heart for his extraordinary heroism.