Trump awards Medal of Honor to Vietnam and Afghanistan war veterans
President Donald Trump honored three U.S. military veterans with the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military decoration for bravery, during a ceremony at the White House. The recipients included Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr. and Marine Corps Col. John Ripley, who served in Vietnam, and Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery, who fought in Afghanistan.
Capers was recognized for rescuing wounded soldiers in 1967 during a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam, demonstrating remarkable bravery despite injuries. Ripley was awarded posthumously for his heroic efforts in 1972,when he single-handedly destroyed a crucial bridge to halt North Vietnamese forces,climbing steel beams and detonating explosives after five hours. Dockery was honored for rescuing wounded soldiers in 2012 under Taliban attack, coordinating rescue operations and signaling enemy positions to U.S. gunships.
Trump praised the men as “great people” and expressed gratitude for their service, emphasizing that the nation will never forget their sacrifices. during the event, he also joked about wanting a Medal of Honor for himself, joking that he would have given it to himself if he could. The ceremony highlighted the valor and heroism of these service members in their respective conflicts.
President Donald Trump on Thursday awarded the Medal of Honor to three U.S. military veterans who served in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
The highest military decoration for acts of valor was given to Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr. and Marine Corps Col. John Ripley, both of whom fought in Vietnam, and Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery, who fought in Afghanistan.
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“These are great men, great people,” Trump said at the White House ceremony. “We thank you and we will never, ever forget you.”
Capers helped rescue wounded men in 1967 after they were ambushed by Vietnamese fighters during a reconnaissance mission that went wrong. At one point, he sustained serious injuries, including a broken leg, but he pushed through the pain.
“After a shot of morphine, Jim asserted command of the firefight,” Trump said in recounting the mission. “He took over like nobody’s ever seen before.”
In 1972, Ripley single-handedly laid and detonated 500 pounds of explosives to destroy a key bridge that North Vietnamese forces would have crossed. The ordeal lasted five hours, with Ripley climbing the bridge’s steel beams himself. He prayed and then detonated the bridge, halting the enemy’s advance.
“John completed not one, not two, but five such trips,” Trump said, calling him a “very strong guy.”
Ripley’s award was awarded posthumously; he died in 2008. His family attended the ceremony in his place.
Dockery rescued wounded soldiers in 2012 when his platoon was surrounded by the Taliban. He also coordinated the rescue operation while calling in mortar support and using smoke grenades to signal enemy positions for U.S. gunships. Dockery left the area once all of his wounded comrades were taken to safety.
“You were the last man to depart the battlefield that day,” Trump told him, “and you left it a legend and a hero.”
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At the ceremony, the president joked he once wanted a Medal of Honor of his own, even though he never served in the military.
“I wanted to give it to myself, but I was informed I couldn’t do it,” he said. “And I couldn’t find anything where I was actually worthy, so here we are.”
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