Nearly six decades after he dragged himself across a Vietnamese jungle with broken legs and a body full of shrapnel, refusing to board a helicopter until every one of his men was safe, retired Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr. finally received the recognition he earned. President Donald Trump awarded him the Medal of Honor on Thursday at the White House.
Capers was one of three warriors honored during the White House ceremony. Trump also awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery for actions in Afghanistan, and posthumously to Marine Corps Col. John W. Ripley for heroism during the Vietnam War.
Ahead of the ceremony, the U.S. Army announced the three recipients would be honored as "true American heroes."
Breaking News: Join us as we honor true American heroes.
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) June 18, 2026
Today, the @WhiteHouse will award the Medal of Honor to Maj. Nicholas Dockery, U.S. Army, retired; Maj. James Capers Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, retired; and Col. John W. Ripley, U.S. Marine Corps, posthumously, at 4 p.m. EDT.… pic.twitter.com/hAN4colTFH
Then a second lieutenant serving with 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Capers led a four-day reconnaissance patrol deep into Vietnam from March 31 through April 3, 1967. His nine-man force recon team, known as Team Broadminded, was tasked with locating a North Vietnamese regimental base camp. They found the enemy, reportedly before the enemy caught them in a devastating ambush.
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Despite suffering serious injuries and massive blood loss, Capers kept directing his men and coordinating fire support, moving the patrol toward an extraction point on sheer will. He refused evacuation until every last member of his team was out.
🚨AWESOME! President Trump is officially awarding the Medal of Honor to LEGENDARY US Marine Veteran James Capers Jr. at the White House, decades after his heroic moments — when he IGNORED his own injuries to save his team in Vietnam
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 18, 2026
TRUMP LOVES OUR HEROES 🇺🇸
"Capers Jr. was… pic.twitter.com/CNAsRazAqF
Capers had broken legs. He was losing massive amounts of blood. He saved seven of his fellow Marines and refused to board the evacuation helicopter until the body of his team's military working dog was brought aboard too. When the overloaded chopper struggled to lift off, he repeatedly tried to get off himself so the aircraft could safely carry the rest of his team.
Capers, who received the Salute to Service Award at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards ion 2025, spoke about his motivation on "Fox & Friends":
"When I was coming along, World War Two had been over, and we were just digging out a career, and I thought that I need to do something for my country. I didn't have a whole lot, and I was born in South Carolina on a cotton farm, so I knew the hardships in the background, but I thought that I should serve. I love the flag."
Born on a cotton farm in South Carolina in 1937, Capers enlisted in the Marine Corps at 18. He went on to become the first African American to lead a Marine reconnaissance company, and the first to receive a battlefield commission in that role. He was awarded the Silver Star in 2010
Capers had been recommended for the Medal of Honor in 1967, but his commanding officer, his biggest advocate, President Trump noted during the ceremony, was killed in action before the paperwork was signed.
Dockery's award recognizes a four-hour firefight on Oct. 2, 2012, in Kapisa Province, one of the deadliest areas of the Afghanistan conflict. His platoon was ambushed by a well-armed Taliban force using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Dockery repeatedly crossed open ground under fire, fought his way to trapped soldiers, and pulled an unconscious teammate to safety while providing lifesaving care.
"Over the course of four hours, he fought and maintained contact with the enemy in extremely restricted urban terrain, personally risking his life on numerous occasions to protect and evacuate three wounded members of his platoon. After consolidation and reorganization, he directed rotary wing aircraft in the defense against subsequent enemy counter-attacks from an exposed rooftop while his unit evacuated the wounded soldiers."
The House passed the Nicholas Dockery Medal of Honor Act unanimously earlier in 2026 after lawmakers, led by Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05), cited the soldiers who served beside Dockery and never stopped believing his actions deserved the nation's highest honor.
🚨 LMAO! President Trump has a hard time putting the Medal of Honor on Major Nicholas Dockery and the room is cracking up
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 18, 2026
"Ooh! I'm gonna do it a little differently, a little nicer. That sucker's NEVER coming off!" 😂 pic.twitter.com/bbV7cH3n7d
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military decoration, awarded to those who distinguish themselves through acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty.
🔥 EPIC! PRESIDENT TRUMP just dropped this message for legendary Marine James Capers Jr. at the Medal of Honor ceremony — and a STANDING OVATION erupted across the entire room
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 18, 2026
He deserves it!
"The nation kept you waiting FAR TOO LONG! So I say to you, congratulations. You MADE… pic.twitter.com/Sw1nnBPQwK
🔥 EPIC! PRESIDENT TRUMP just dropped this message for legendary Marine James Capers Jr. at the Medal of Honor ceremony — and a STANDING OVATION erupted across the entire room He deserves it! "The nation kept you waiting FAR TOO LONG! So I say to you, congratulations. You MADE IT!" 🇺🇸
For Capers, that recognition took nearly 60 years. It was worth the wait.
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