Join Fox News for access to this content
The maximum number of articles has been reached. To read more, log in for free or create an account.
Enter your email address[続行]By pressing , you agree to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, including notice of financial incentives.
Please enter a valid email address.
Need help? Click here.
President Biden on Friday awarded the nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, to seven U.S. Army veterans for their heroism in the Korean and Vietnam Wars at the White House.
Private First Class Bruno Orig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Private First Class Charles Johnson, retired Gen. Richard Cavazos, Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr., and Private First Class Kenneth David were honored.
Biden to award Medal of Honor to union soldier for ‘one of the earliest special operations operations’ in military history
“These are heroes at their core. They are heroes from different classes, different positions, even different generations, but all are heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. All are heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty,” Biden said. They are heroes worthy of the nation’s highest and oldest military award.” .
Five of the recipients were killed in action, including Captain Hugh Nelson, Jr., the first graduate of the Citadel Military College in South Carolina to receive the Medal of Honor. Nelson was previously awarded the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Cross.
President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, to then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, January 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Captain Nelson, 28, served in the Vietnam War as a helicopter pilot with the 114th Air Mobile Light. On that fateful day, June 5, 1966, Nelson was serving as acting aircraft commander for a search-and-destroy reconnaissance mission near Moc Hoa, a rural area in southern Vietnam. The armed UH-1B Huey helicopter he was piloting was hit by enemy fire and became virtually uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot were able to force-land the aircraft without lateral control.
‘We believe in Donald Trump’: More than a dozen Medal of Honor recipients support former president
However, they crash-landed in the middle of enemy territory. The crash destroyed all weapons on board. Nelson was the first of the crew to regain consciousness. He soon realized that the enemy had surrounded the crash site. Nelson sprung into action, ignoring his own injuries and enemy fire 30 feet away, and began evacuating the three wounded crew members, the crew leader, door gunner, and co-pilot. The crew leader was pinned down in the cargo hold and the door gunner was trapped inside the Huey. While the rebels fired from 30 feet away, Nelson ripped off one of the helicopter’s doors with his bare hands and evacuated himself and his crew. Nelson used his body as a human shield to lift the door gunner to the ground, and was shot between six and 20 times and killed.
Captain Hugh Nelson is the first graduate of The Citadel to receive this award. (US military)
Thanks to Nelson’s sacrifice, the wounded specialist was able to signal support with a smoke grenade. Support aircraft responded immediately, preventing the rebels from advancing aboard the downed aircraft, and successfully rescued the three injured crew members and Captain Nelson’s body.
Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf at the White House ceremony. She was only 5 years old and her brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6 months old when her father left for Fort Bragg (now named Fort Liberty) to begin his trip to Vietnam. The Army notified Nelson’s family that he had been killed in action just one day before their young son’s first birthday.
Biden awards Medal of Honor to Committee Chair Liz Cheney on January 6: America is ‘better for their dedication’
Nelson’s Medal of Honor states, “Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his life for his comrades saved the lives of three of his fellow crew members on that fateful day.” “Nelson’s outstanding accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.”
Captain Nelson graduated from the Citadel in 1959 and served three years in Taiwan before the fateful battle. The rescued co-captain was Captain Bailey Jones. Jones also graduated from The Citadel as a member of the class of 1964.
Thomas Fitzpatrick, an Army ROTC cadet from The Citadel, attended Friday’s ceremony.
Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf at the White House ceremony. (pool)
“Captain Hugh Nelson’s sacrifice is a powerful reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel: honor, duty, and respect. As those who plan to join the U.S. Army after graduation, we all share the same courage. and strive to lead with dedication,’” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick plans to join the Army Infantry after graduation in May. The Citadel’s Army ROTC division is one of the nation’s largest contracting sources. In 2024 alone, 120 second lieutenants were commissioned.
“Capt. Hugh Revis Nelson Jr. exemplified the highest values of courage, selflessness and leadership that we instill in all Citadel cadets. Nelson’s service to his comrades and his country was He continues to be a lasting inspiration to all of us,” said Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters. statement.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Learning the stories of Americans like Bruno, Wataru, Fred, Charlie, Richard, Hugh, and Ken. They were Americans who not only fought for their country, but who represented the best of what this country has to offer. Let me also say this: Today we award these people the Medal of Honor. We can’t stop because, as a nation, it’s up to these heroes to give this medal a meaning that will continue to fight, to continue to fight for each other, and to continue to protect all. and many of them died for it,” Biden said.
Source link
