President Trump awards Medal of Honor to two Marines, one posthumously, and an Army soldier
Trump hosts Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House
President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to three military officers for heroism in Vietnam and Afghanistan: Retired Marine Major James Capers Jr., Retired Army Major Nicholas Dockery, and Retired Marine Colonel John W. Ripley (posthumous).
President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony Thursday to Major James Capers, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), Colonel John W. Ripley, U.S. Marine Corps (Posthumous), and Major Nicholas Dockery, U.S. Army (Retired).
U.S. Marine Corps Major James Capers Jr., retired, awarded the Medal of Honor
President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to Major James Capers, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (Retired) for his heroic efforts while fighting in the Vietnam War.
Capers, Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions taken during an April 1967 reconnaissance mission in Vietnam while serving as a second lieutenant.
Ret. Marine Major James Capers Jr. is presented the Medal of Honor by U.S. President Donald Trump (R) during a Medal of Honor Ceremony in the East Room of the White House on June 18, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
During the mission, Capers led a nine-man Force Reconnaissance patrol near Phu Loc where he and his team repeatedly encountered larger enemy forces while conducting operations and on their final day of patrol, they were ambushed and Capers Jr was severely wounded by gunfire and fragmentation wounds.
Despite his extensive injuries and blood loss, Capers refused to leave and stayed in command of his Marines where he continued directing fire support and coordinated his team’s movements and evacuation. He stayed until every member of the patrol was safely aboard the extraction helicopter.
During his 22-year Marine Corps career, Capers broke barriers and opened doors for future generations of Marines as he became the first Black Marine to join Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance (FORECON), elite conventional units that provide deep ground and amphibious reconnaissance, surveillance, and limited-scale raids for Marine Expeditionary Forces. Capers also received a battlefield commission in Marine special operations, and commanded a reconnaissance company.
U.S. Marine Corps Colonel John W. Ripley awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously
Then-Captain John W. Ripley received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on April 2, 1972, while serving as Senior Marine Advisor to the Third Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion in the Republic of Vietnam.
Captain Ripley played a pivotal role in halting a major North Vietnamese mechanized assault where the enemy’s rapid advance depended on the capture of a bridge in the village of Dong Ha.
President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honor to the family of Colonel John W. Ripley, U.S. Marine Corps (Posthumous), during a Medal of Honor Ceremony in the East Room of the White House on June 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. Major James Capers Jr
Captain Ripley single-handedly moved 500 pounds of explosives into position to destroy the bridge and over a three-hour period, he repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire as he climbed beneath the bridge along its bridge’s steel beams to emplace the explosive charges at key structural points. He was able to successfully set the explosives and detonate the charges, completely destroying the bridge and stopping the enemy’s advance.
U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Nicholas Dockery, retired, awarded the Medal of Honor
Then-Second Lieutenant Nicholas Dockery received the Medal of Honor for his actions beyond the call of duty while serving as a Platoon Leader, 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan.
Major Nicholas Dockery, U.S. Army (Retired). is awarded the Medal of Honor by U.S. President Donald Trump (R) during a Medal of Honor Ceremony in the East Room of the White House on June 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. Major James Capers Jr., an 88-year-
On October 2, 2012, a large and well-armed Taliban force ambushed Second Lieutenant Dockery’s platoon and over the course of four hours, he fought and maintained contact with the enemy in extremely restricted urban terrain. During the battle, he risked his life numerous times to protect and evacuate three wounded members of his platoon.
Dockery was able to direct rotary wing aircraft against subsequent enemy counter-attacks from an exposed rooftop while his unit evacuated the wounded soldiers.
The Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest award for military valor in action. It is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty while:
- Engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
- Engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
- Serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
To learn more about the Medal of Honor, visit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by The White House and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. This story was reported from Orlando.