Trump Honors Three American Heroes With Medal Of Honor At White House Ceremony
President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to three American war heroes during an emotional White House ceremony, recognizing extraordinary acts of courage in Vietnam and Afghanistan and helping 88-year-old Marine veteran Major James Capers Jr. receive the nation’s highest military honor.
Capers, a decorated Marine Corps veteran, led a nine-man reconnaissance team during a dangerous mission against North Vietnamese forces. The patrol was ambushed, and Capers suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and two gunshot wounds. Despite his severe injuries, he successfully led every member of his team to safety.
As the wounded Marines were being evacuated by helicopter, Capers reportedly attempted to leave the aircraft when it struggled to gain altitude because he feared his weight would jeopardize the mission. His fellow Marines refused to let him go and pulled him back aboard.
“I hope this isn’t giving you some bad memories, Jim, but I’ll tell you, everybody admires what you went through, believe me,” President Trump said during the ceremony.
The president noted that Capers had originally been recommended for the Medal of Honor in 1967, but the process was never completed after his commanding officer was killed before the paperwork could be signed.
“The nation kept you waiting far too long,” Trump said. “So I say to you, congratulations.”
Trump also posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to late Marine Corps Colonel John Ripley for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War. Ripley repeatedly crawled beneath a bridge under heavy enemy fire while carrying hundreds of pounds of explosives. Over the course of three hours, he made five dangerous trips beneath the structure before successfully destroying it and halting the North Vietnamese advance.
“Dangling beneath the bridge and over the rushing water, with a lot of very angry people watching him, completely exposed to withering enemy gunfire, John completed, not one, not two, but five such trips,” Trump said.
Ripley died in 2008, just weeks before a ceremony had been planned to recognize his actions. Congress passed legislation earlier this year authorizing the president to award him the Medal of Honor. Members of Ripley’s family accepted the award on his behalf.
“Congratulations, you have extremely good genetics,” Trump joked to the family.
The president also honored retired Army Major Nicholas Dockery for his actions during a 2012 battle in Afghanistan. Dockery’s platoon was ambushed by approximately 150 Taliban fighters attacking from multiple directions. Despite the overwhelming assault, Dockery crossed open ground under enemy fire to rally his men and coordinate the evacuation of three wounded soldiers.
“They were ambushed by 150 Taliban fighters swarming in from multiple directions,” Trump said. “Without concern for his own life at all, Nick raced across the open ground to rally his scattered team.”
Trump added, “Major Dockery, you were the last man to depart the battlefield that day, and you left it a legend and a hero. We proudly award you the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
The White House ceremony highlighted acts of extraordinary courage and sacrifice spanning multiple generations of American service members, with Trump calling attention to the heroism of those who risked everything for their fellow troops and their country.