Vietnam War Marine James Capers Jr. to Receive Medal of Honor
Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. will receive the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump on Thursday, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions in South Vietnam. In April 1967, despite multiple serious wounds, Capers led his reconnaissance team to safety, refused evacuation without his men and their military working dog’s body, and twice tried to exit an overloaded helicopter to save his troops. Originally awarded a Bronze Star, his honor was upgraded after a congressional waiver signed by Trump bypassed the five-year time limit.
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Three officers who overcame desperate odds receive Medals of Honor
President Donald Trump presented the Medal of Honor to three military service members on Thursday: retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr., retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery, and retired Marine Col. John W. Ripley (posthumous). Capers saved his reconnaissance team in Vietnam in 1967 after ordering a mortar strike on his own position and refusing evacuation without his fallen dog. Dockery shielded a soldier from a grenade blast in Afghanistan in 2012, rescued a wounded NCO from enemy fighters, and marked a target for friendly helicopters. Ripley, revered in Marine lore, spent hours under the Dong Ha Bridge in 1972 planting explosives under enemy fire to stop a North Vietnamese offensive. Congress waived the standard five-year award window to allow these upgrades. The ceremony took place at the White House.
Task & PurposeThree officers who overcame desperate odds receive Medals of Honor
President Donald Trump presented the Medal of Honor on Thursday to three service members: retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr., retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery, and retired Marine Col. John W. Ripley (posthumously). Capers saved his reconnaissance team in Vietnam in 1967 after an ambush, ordering a mortar strike on his own position and refusing evacuation until his unit and military working dog's body were aboard. Dockery, in a 2012 Afghanistan battle, used his body to shield a soldier from a grenade, killed enemy fighters dragging a wounded soldier away, and marked his position for helicopter support. Ripley, during the 1972 Easter Offensive in Vietnam, spent over three hours under fire dangling under the Dong Ha Bridge to plant 500 pounds of explosives, stopping a North Vietnamese offensive. Congress authorized the award upgrades by waiving the five-year requirement.
Task & PurposeThree officers who overcame desperate odds receive Medals of Honor
President Donald Trump presented the Medal of Honor to three service members in a ceremony on Thursday. Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. was recognized for saving his reconnaissance team during a 1967 ambush in Vietnam, where he called a mortar strike on his own position and refused evacuation until his team and their military working dog were secured. Retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery was honored for bravery in a 2012 Afghanistan battle, including shielding a soldier from a grenade blast and rescuing a comrade from Taliban captors. Retired Marine Col. John W. Ripley received the award posthumously for his legendary actions at the Dong Ha Bridge in 1972, where he spent over three hours dangling under the bridge under enemy fire to plant explosives, stopping a major North Vietnamese offensive. Congress had passed laws waiving the five-year award time limit to allow these upgrades.
Task & PurposeTrump to Preside Over Medal of Honor Ceremony for Vietnam and Afghanistan War Heroes
President Donald Trump is scheduled to preside over a Medal of Honor ceremony on Thursday, honoring servicemen from the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars. According to Task & Purpose, Major James Capers Jr. will receive the nation's highest military decoration for his extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War. In April 1967, Capers, then a Marine reconnaissance team leader, led a nine-man team through a devastating ambush despite sustaining serious wounds. His actions under fire exemplify valor and sacrifice. The ceremony highlights recognition of long-overdue honors for veterans of these conflicts.
Just In NewsThree officers who overcame desperate odds to receive Medals of Honor
President Donald Trump will present the Medal of Honor to three service members: Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr., retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery, and retired Marine Col. John W. Ripley (posthumously). Capers saved his reconnaissance team in Vietnam in 1967 after a bloody ambush, ordering a mortar strike on his own position and refusing evacuation until his team and a military working dog's body were safe. Dockery, during a 2012 battle in Afghanistan, used his body to shield a soldier from a grenade, killed enemy fighters dragging away an unconscious soldier, and marked his position for friendly helicopters. Ripley, in 1972, spent over three hours dangling under the Dong Ha Bridge under enemy fire to plant 500 pounds of explosives, halting a major North Vietnamese offensive. Congress passed laws waiving the five-year award requirement, enabling the upgrades.
Task & PurposeVietnam War Recon Marine James Capers Jr. to Receive Medal of Honor
Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. will receive the Medal of Honor on Thursday, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions during an April 1967 ambush in South Vietnam. Leading a nine-man reconnaissance team from 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, Capers ignored severe wounds including bullet and shrapnel injuries and a broken leg to guide his men to a helicopter landing zone. He refused to board unless the crew also took the body of the team's military working dog. When the helicopter struggled to take off due to weight, Capers twice attempted to exit the aircraft to lighten the load, saying he was willing to be left behind so his troops could escape. Originally awarded a Bronze Star with 'V' device, his award was upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010. President Donald Trump signed a bill on March 26 waiving the five-year time requirement for the Medal of Honor, following years of advocacy by veterans. Capers does not consider himself a hero, stating he was simply doing his job and looking after his men.
Task & PurposeVietnam War Recon Marine James Capers Jr. to Receive Medal of Honor
Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. will receive the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump on Thursday, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions in Vietnam. In April 1967, Capers led a nine-man reconnaissance team to safety after a harrowing ambush, despite severe injuries including bullet and shrapnel wounds and a broken leg. He refused evacuation unless the body of his team's military working dog was also taken. When the helicopter struggled to take off due to weight, Capers attempted to disembark twice to lighten the load. Originally awarded a Bronze Star with V device, his award was upgraded to a Silver Star in 2010. Trump signed a congressional waiver on March 26 to bypass the five-year time limit for Medal of Honor consideration. Capers does not consider himself a hero, saying he simply did his job and looked after his troops. The recognition follows years of advocacy by veterans and officials.
Task & PurposeVietnam War Recon Marine James Capers Jr. to Receive Medal of Honor
Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. will receive the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump on Thursday, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions in South Vietnam. In April 1967, Capers led his nine-man reconnaissance team from 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company to a helicopter landing zone despite suffering multiple serious wounds, including bullet and shrapnel injuries and a broken leg. He refused to board the helicopter unless the crew also took the body of the team's military working dog. When the helicopter struggled to take off due to weight, Capers twice attempted to exit the aircraft to lighten the load, saying he was willing to be left behind so his men could escape. Originally awarded a Bronze Star with 'V' device, his award was upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010. On March 26, Trump signed a congressional waiver to bypass the five-year time limit for Medal of Honor awards. Capers, who does not consider himself a hero, said he was simply doing his job and looking after his troops.
Task & PurposeVietnam War Recon Marine James Capers Jr. to Receive Medal of Honor
Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. will receive the Medal of Honor on Thursday, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions during an April 1967 ambush in South Vietnam. Leading a nine-man reconnaissance team from 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, Capers ignored multiple serious wounds—including bullet and shrapnel wounds and a broken leg—to guide his men to a helicopter landing zone. He refused to board unless the crew also took the body of the team's military working dog. When the helicopter struggled to take off due to weight, Capers twice attempted to exit the aircraft to lighten the load, saying he was willing to be left behind so his troops could escape. Originally awarded a Bronze Star with 'V' device, his award was upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010. On March 26, President Donald Trump signed a congressional waiver to bypass the five-year time limit for Medal of Honor awards, following years of advocacy by veterans. Capers insists he is not a hero, stating he was simply doing his job and looking after his men.
Task & Purpose