A group of veterans and lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to award an 87-year-old Marine Corps “legend” and war hero the Medal of Honor after he was snubbed by former President Joe Biden.
The veteran, Maj. James Capers, served in the Vietnam War and saved seven fellow Marines when his recon group was ambushed and outnumbered by North Vietnamese troops in Phú Lộc in 1967.
According to the sworn testimony of the surviving Marines, then-Lt. Capers’ unit was ambushed in the jungle, with blasts from claymore mines inflicting devastating injuries on him and his men. Despite the blasts ripping open his stomach and breaking his leg, a heavily bleeding Capers kept command of his Marines and led two in holding off the enemy long enough for the medevac flight to arrive.
When the overloaded aircraft struggled to take off, Capers attempted to sacrifice himself by jumping from the helicopter and insisting he be left behind until he was pulled back on board by the medevac crew chief.
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Capers received multiple gunfire wounds and 19 pieces of shrapnel in the firefight. He continues to suffer from the wounds to this day. But due to his heroic actions, Capers and all of his Marines survived.
For his heroism, Capers was awarded the Bronze Star, which was later upgraded to the Silver Star. However, many believe that Capers rightfully should have received the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at Phú Lộc.
Unconcerned about his own recognition, Capers continued to serve in the Marines after the war and became a central figure in the “Ask a Marine” program, where he shared his experiences and inspired countless young Americans to serve their country.
For years now, a collection of Marine and other military veterans has been advocating for Capers to finally receive the recognition they believe he deserves. But despite their efforts, Capers, who happens to have also been the first African American to serve in a recon battalion in Vietnam, continued to be ignored by the Biden administration.
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With his advanced age and frail health, friends of Capers are worried he may never get the recognition they feel he deserves.
But with Trump in the Oval Office, Bill Cortese, one of Capers’ supporters, feels confident it will finally happen.
Cortese, who is also a Marine Corps vet, told Fox News Digital that he believes Capers could be an inspiring and unifying force in the country.
“When you are overseas, when those bullets start flying, no one’s a Democrat or a Republican. No one’s a conservative or a progressive. And I think Maj. Capers is sort of the example of someone who just did what had to be done,” he explained. “This is someone who led the way, who grew up in Jim Crow South Carolina, overcame incredible racism and incredible obstacles to join the Marine Corps and serve his country, and not once did he ever look for anyone to give him anything based on the color of his skin. It was entirely on his merit and his actions. And so that’s something that we can rally around.”
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Despite this, Cortese said he found it “mind-boggling” how the previous administration “found every reason why not to upgrade this award to the Medal of Honor.”
“It’s strange, but it seems we received every excuse under the sun.” he explained.
He suspects Biden snubbed Capers because he does not fit into the left’s political box and narrative.
“Anyone who knows Maj. Capers knows that he is not someone who bought into any of the woke ideology the last administration was pushing,” he explained. “He wouldn’t, I think, sing the song that they wanted, and so, I think they just decided to sit on their hands and not do anything, which is sad and unfortunate.”
“That’s why we’re just trying to do the right thing,” he continued. “And we know this administration knows how to do the right thing when it comes to veterans.”
“We know President Trump cares about our veterans. We know he cares about recognizing their heroic actions. And so, we feel very positive about this new administration that they’re going to recognize the value in this both for the veteran community itself, but also for the country as a whole.”
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The push recently gained even more momentum when 47 members of the U.S. House and Senate formally signed a letter asking Trump to give Capers the recognition he deserves.
“We firmly believe that Major James Capers, Jr., has met the stringent criteria for the Medal of Honor,” the lawmakers wrote. “His selfless actions, leadership, courage, and initiative uphold the highest traditions of the United States Armed Forces. The exceptional valor displayed by Major Capers during his missions in the Republic of Vietnam from March 31 to April 3, 1967, serves as a shining example for all servicemen and women, and it is deserving of the highest recognition.”
Cortese said he is very grateful for the lawmakers and that he is thankful just to be a part of the movement to finally give Capers the honor he deserves.
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“We stand on the shoulders of people like Maj. Capers,” he said. “So, we think it’s very important to make sure that we honor those who have come before us, honor those who have served, put their lives on the line like Maj. Capers.”
“As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I think it’s important to recognize tradition, and it’s important to recognize those who have paved the way before you,” he explained. “I think that’s something that is instilled in us as Marines to always remember that, to keep those traditions alive and to recognize those like Maj. Capers who are Marine Corps legends.”
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