Defense &
National Security
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Defense &
National Security
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Trump awards 3 Medals of Honor to war heroes |
President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest award of the U.S. armed forces, to two Marine Corps veterans and an Army officer, recognizing their bravery and actions in the Vietnam War and Afghanistan.
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Retired Marine Maj. James Capers and late Marine Col. John Ripley were awarded for their heroism in the Vietnam War.
Capers, who was the first Black enlisted Marine to receive a battlefield commission, had to wait the longest for his medal out of the three veterans. That ended on Thursday when the president clasped the pale blue ribbon around his neck at the White House for his efforts during a four-day reconnaissance mission in 1967 in Vietnam.
Ripley, who died in 2008, was recognized for his action in 1972 for maneuvering under a bridge in Dong Ha while coming under enemy fire. He detonated the charges, blowing up the bridge and was credited for delaying the North Vietnamese military's advance. His son received a cased medal from Trump.
"A 250-year tradition of the bravest and greatest heroes ever to walk the earth, but only a few have received our highest military distinction, the Congressional Medal of Honor," Trump said at the White House. "I wanted to give it to myself, but I was informed I couldn't do it, and I couldn't find anything where I was actually worthy. So here we are."
Typically, to be considered for the Medal of Honor, recommendations have to be made within three years of combat. For those whose recommendations came later, they have to be greenlighted by legislation in Congress, which was signed earlier this year.
"Maybe this is better. You had to wait a little while, didn't you? Huh. Jim, the nation kept you waiting far too long. So I say to you, congratulations, you made it," the president said.
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Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Filip Timotija — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
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The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee slammed the reported contents of the deal between the U.S. and Iran, calling them a “catastrophically bad outcome.” “The White House has not released the memorandum of understanding, so neither Congress nor the American people can fully assess what the Administration agreed to. If the reported details of the Iran agreement are accurate, this would represent a catastrophically …
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President Trump will preside over a Medal of Honor ceremony Thursday for heroes in the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars. Task & Purpose reported Maj. James Capers Jr., who led his Marine reconnaissance team through a harrowing ambush despite serious wounds, will be awarded the highest military honor. In April 1967, Capers led a nine-man team from the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company to a helicopter landing zone despite suffering …
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The U.S. military lifted its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S., Iran and intermediaries signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the conflict in the Middle East. U.S. forces ended the blockade, which barred maritime traffic from entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) wrote in a Thursday social media post. The blockade had been in place …
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Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chair of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday he was “concerned” the U.S.-negotiated memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the President’s goals.” “Specifically, the $300 billion fund for the reconstruction and economic development …
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
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Senate fumes as Clayton chaos unwinds path to renew FISA
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President Trump’s scuttling of a hearing to review his pick for director of national intelligence has once again plunged Congress into chaos over who will lead the intelligence community and how lawmakers can renew the nation’s lapsed spy powers. The Senate spent the morning ping-ponging over whether …
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Events in and around the defense world:
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- The Atlantic Council is hosting a discussion on Monday at 9 a.m. ET on "Colombia’s new government and the road ahead."
- The Washington Institute for Near East Policy is hosting a discussion on Monday at 10 a.m. ET on "Middle East in Crisis, NATO in Disarray: The Stakes for the Ankara Summit."
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News we’ve flagged from other outlets:
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Two key stories on The Hill right now:
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The Interior Department on Thursday touted the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool by comparing algae to the Iranian navy. “The advanced … Read more
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Former Presidents Biden, Clinton and Bush are set to attend the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, according to a new report. The Chicago Sun-Times … Read more
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Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill:
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