JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Major James Capers Jr., a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, will be awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership during a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam in 1967.
Major James Capers, Jr. is a longtime resident of Jacksonville, North Carolina, and on Thursday, June 18, President Donald J. Trump will award the Medal of Honor to Capers.
According to a press release, Capers led a nine-man patrol that encountered larger enemy forces and was severely wounded by gunfire and fragmentation wounds on the patrol’s final day. Despite significant blood loss and extensive injuries, Capers continued directing supporting fires, coordinating his team’s movements, and overseeing the evacuation, refusing to leave before his Marines.
Capers broke barriers and opened doors for future generations of Marines, becoming the first Black Marine to join Force Reconnaissance, receive a battlefield commission in Marine special operations, and command a Reconnaissance company.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEDAL OF HONOR:
The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the 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.
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