JOHN B CAPEL
VIEW ALL PHOTOS (3)
HONORED ON PANEL 7E, LINE 51 OF THE WALL

JOHN BRUCE CAPEL

WALL NAME

JOHN B CAPEL

PANEL / LINE

7E/51

DATE OF BIRTH

03/18/1943

CASUALTY PROVINCE

QUANG NAM

DATE OF CASUALTY

05/12/1966

HOME OF RECORD

GLEN ELLYN

COUNTY OF RECORD

DuPage County

STATE

IL

BRANCH OF SERVICE

MARINE CORPS

RANK

2LT

Book a time
Contact Details

REMEMBRANCES

LEFT FOR JOHN BRUCE CAPEL
POSTED ON 2.8.2006
POSTED BY: Burt Vincent

A friend and role model to John and me.

Like my brother, John Vincent who has also posted, I grew up with Bruce and his family in the Chicago area. He combined the best of his parents. He had the sense of humor of his father Wally and the humanity and friendliness of his mother, Lillian. His brother Steve had the same traits.

Bruce was the very model of what young men should have been like in the early sixties. He was incredibly handsome and extremely athletic. Unlike others I knew with the same qualities, he never let it affect him and always treated others with good humor, friendliness and respect.

I remember going to Northwestern with his family and mine when his U of I football team visited. I was going back to my seat and happened to see him lined up with his teamates to re-enter the stadium at halftime. He looked uncharachteristically angry. Later he laughed about it with my Dad and told him he was angry at the time.

I remember him on a cane, limping along with me and my family when we saw the Chicago Bears during their non-glory days at Soldier's Field. I don't remember him swearing, like my brother John does. I'm afraid swearing was 2nd nature to me back then. I remember him smiling at me when he was working on a summer road gang and I passed by on my bike. I remember him with his beautiful girl friend on a ride at a Glenn Ellyn fair.

I remember him letting my brother John and I win at poker. I was six years younger than Bruce and he was too much of a gentleman to let us lose.

Most of all, I remember Bruce right before he went to Vietnam and I went over to his house to watch an old war movie, "Pork Chop Hill" with him. That was the last time I saw him. The movie didn't seem to effect him. He was always at his best. The best of any young people my brother and I knew.

Perhaps that's why God wanted him so soon. He died shortly after he went to Vietnam. Being younger, I never wanted to go to Vietnam or met anybody my age who did. In that way, as in many ways, Bruce was the best of us. Nobody who knew him really recovered from his loss. Thinking about him now brings tears to my eyes.

He was an American who gave everything he had for the rest of us. I know there were far too many folks like him who died in that war. But to me he will always symbolize the tragedy of loss that our nation sometimes demands. May he and his comrades rest in peace.

Burton J. Vincent, Jr.
read more read less
POSTED ON 2.8.2006
POSTED BY: John S. Vincent

Bruce

Bruce's parents and my parents met in the early 1950's in "Balmoral", a cul-del-sac of post-war townhomes near Oriole Park in Chicago. The Capel's, the Hansen's, the Cherry's, the Vincent's and several other families became close friends and all moved out to Glen Ellyn by the end of the decade. Steve and Bruce Capel were the oldest of the kids and always appeared "grown up" to me, whether they were 16 or 22. Bruce was always kind to this little boy he called "donnie" because he couldn't pronounce the "j" at the beginning of my name. His mom brought me to a wrestling meet in the basement of the Glenbard West Gym and what I remember of that night was that Steven won his match and Bruce got pinned. Bruce was all about football and I loved football and I worshipped Bruce. His mom, Lillian, was an avid fan and quite vocal at those Saturday afternoon games by Lake Ellyn. His father, Wallace, was reserved, in contrast, but with a wonderful sense of humor and could do magic with his hands. I remember visiting their house on top of a hill on Hillside Street. From my perspective, it was a brown mansion with many angles, surrounded by huge trees and an uneven lawn that rambled away from the house in all directions. There were two porches and a big rope hammock bolted to the house and an outer column. I remember Bruce kicking a soccer ball between two trees and then having the patience to play "Park and Shop" with this little boy who loved board games.

Bruce played varsity as a sophomore at the University of Illinois and they got buried just about every week. Then something clicked his second year and the team won the Big Ten and went to the Rose Bowl to play Washington. We got to see the home movies of the team's visit to Disneyland, the parade and of course the game. Bruce recovered a fumble late in the game, which the Illini won.

Everyone respected Bruce and he never spoke ill of anyone. As much as I held him up on a pedestal, he did reveal a human side to me once. Bruce took me to a Chicago Bear game in the Fall of 1965, following his graduation. During the game, I actually heard him utter a swear word, a mild one at that. I was quietly stunned and amazed that he was like other people after all. The last time I saw Bruce was a couple months later on the front lawn of their home. He was parading his dress uniform for family friends just prior to his tour of duty. I remember that shy smile, just like the picture on this site.

If anyone had as much impact after his passing as he did in life, it was Bruce. I was too young to attend his funeral, but I was told years later that the town just stopped that day and everyone was there. Anyone who I have spoken to in the years since who knew Bruce, simply pause and say what a unique person he was. Whether it is a fraternity brother, a teammate, a family friend or a neighbor next door like Linda (see her rememberance of Bruce and his family), they are all in harmony about this kind and generous soul. Not a year goes by that I don't think of Bruce and the life that could have been, that should have been, while I have the grace to grow old and raise a family. I have utmost respect for war veterans of any era because of Bruce and the ultimate sacrifice that he and so many others have made for me.

Shortly after Bruce died, Mrs. Capel had me sleep over at the house. Bruce's room was very neat, with scouting honors on the wall and with a bookshelf full of sports stories. She gave me those books, with their inscriptions to Bruce, and she came to my little league games and played golf with me as I grew up. As hard as it was for her, she moved on with life. It was much harder for Mr. Capel. Just so you know, Linda, the Capels moved to the Phoenix area and Steven raised his family out west as well. They returned for a visit in the mid to late 80's when Mr. Capel spoke at Coach Dushon's retirement from Glenbard West. He still had that wry wit about him. Mr Capel has now passed, as have all the men from Balmoral. Last I heard Mrs. Capel is living in Scottsdale and enjoying the company of her great granddaughter.
read more read less
POSTED ON 10.14.2005
POSTED BY: CLAY MARSTON

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THIS MOST HEROIC YOUNG UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS OFFICER, A POSTHUMOUS RECIPIENT OF THE SILVER STAR, WHOSE NAME SHALL LIVE FOREVER MORE



2nd LIEUTENANT

JOHN BRUCE CAPEL


was an outstanding

football player at the

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

where he was the roommate of famed

NFL Hall of Famer DICK BUTKUS

and at QUANTICO in 1965


An award in his memory is given

annually to recognize the

" most courageous Illinois football player "


He was the recipient of the

following military decorations


PURPLE HEART

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDAL





~~~ SEMPER FIDELIS ~~~





THE PROUD YOUNG VALOR THAT ROSE ABOVE THE MORTAL
AND THEN, AT LAST, WAS MORTAL AFTER ALL





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE





2 OCTOBER 2000



read more read less
POSTED ON 9.8.2003
POSTED BY: Donald Lytle

Thank you Lieutenant Capel

Although we never met personally, I want to thank you John Bruce Capel, for your courageous and valiant service, your years of faithfully contributing, and your most holy sacrifice given to this great country of ours!

Your Spirit is alive--and strong, therefore Sir, you shall never be forgotten, nor has your death been in vain!

Again, thank you Lieutenant John Bruce Capel, for a job well done!

REST IN ETERNAL PEACE MY MARINE FRIEND


read more read less
POSTED ON 4.1.2003
POSTED BY: Jim Stepanek

VALOR. American men & women have died in wars ... WE REMEMBER!

DuPage County, Illinois "Wall of Fallen Heroes"
read more read less