In a White House ceremony Monday, President Donald Trump awarded three Medals of Honor, two posthumously, to American heroes who went above and beyond the line of duty to protect their fellow soldiers and the nation.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Terry P. Richardson was recognized for actions during the Vietnam War that were credited with saving the lives of dozens of other service members.
.@POTUS tells the heroic story of Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Richardson, who braved heavy machine gun fire on three occasions to rescue three severely wounded Soldiers and direct tactical air strikes in Vietnam:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 2, 2026
"Due to Terry's actions above and beyond the call of duty, 82 men of… pic.twitter.com/8N1WKACobL
"Due to Terry's actions above and beyond the call of duty, 82 men of Alpha Company survived this battle." [Other reports indicate that the number was actually 85.]
Richardson proved his valor when he faced incredible odds in 1968:
…Richardson was a staff sergeant on a reconnaissance mission as a platoon leader in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, part of the Republic of Vietnam.
According to his citation, Richardson came under fire from the North Vietnamese Army, including heavy machine gun fire as he rescued three wounded soldiers. After the rescues, he led his unit to its intended destination, a hilltop identified as a place to direct airstrikes. He found the location to be part of an enemy camp but remained for at least seven hours, directing strikes even after being wounded by a sniper.
Enemy forces eventually fled. Richardson, when found by other U.S. forces, declined medical evaluation so he could remain with his troops.
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Trump also honored Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, who gave his life in Afghanistan to protect others:
.@POTUS honors Afghanistan war hero Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, who put himself between an insurgent and a wounded Coalition Forces Officer, ultimately absorbing the blast from the insurgent's suicide vest.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 2, 2026
"Staff Sergeant Ollis was killed just weeks before his 25th birthday,… pic.twitter.com/hhdtf7Q9ye
"Staff Sergeant Ollis was killed just weeks before his 25th birthday, and nobody was any more brave than that."
Ollis was helping a wounded Polish officer to safety when they came upon an insurgent. Ollis protected the officer and incapacitated the enemy, but the terrorist was able to detonate his suicide vest and kill the hero.
POTUS had one more posthumous award to announce, this one for U.S. Army Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds, who saved possibly hundreds of Jewish prisoners in a prison camp when he refused to bow down to the Nazis.
.@POTUS presents the Congressional Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds, posthumously — accepted on his behalf by his son, Chris. pic.twitter.com/JghfrPZ2jy
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 2, 2026
Edmonds engaged in a life-or-death battle of wills with a German commandant at the Stalag IX‑A POW camp and won.
According to the White House commendation, the Germans announced on Jan. 26, 1945, that “only Jewish-American prisoners would fall out for roll call the following morning, at the threat of execution.”
Edmonds determined on the following day that allowing that segregation would result in the torture or death of 200 Jewish-American POWs. He directed officers to have all 1,200 American troops present themselves for roll call.
With a German commandant enraged, Edmonds stood his ground and invoked prisoners’ rights under international law.
“We are all Jews here,” Edmonds said in a quote that Trump recounted Monday.
The German officer relented and made no further efforts to identify the Jewish American soldiers.
God bless these heroes, and for the two who are no longer with us, I hope their families are moved by these justly-earned awards.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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