President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest navy ornament, to seven U.S. Military veterans for his or her heroism in the course of the Korean and Vietnam Wars on the White Home on Friday.
Personal Bruno Orig, Personal First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Personal First Class Charles Johnson, retired Basic Richard Cavazos, Captain Hugh Nelson, Jr., and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth David have been all honored.
“These are real to their core heroes. Heroes of various ranks, completely different positions, and even completely different generations. However heroes who all went above and past the decision of obligation. Heroes who all deserve our nation’s highest and oldest navy recognition,” Biden mentioned.
5 of the recipients have been killed in battle, together with Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr. who’s the first-ever graduate from The Citadel Army School in South Carolina to obtain the Medal of Honor. Nelson was beforehand awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Cross.
President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest navy ornament, to then-Personal First Class Kenneth J. David, throughout a ceremony within the East Room of the White Home in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Picture/Susan Walsh)
28-year-old Captain Nelson served as a helicopter pilot within the Vietnam warfare below the 114th aviation firm Air Cellular Mild. On the fateful day of June fifth, 1966, close to Moc Hoa, a rural district in Southern Vietnam, Nelson was the appearing plane commander on a search and destroy reconnaissance mission. The armed UH-1B Huey helicopter he was flying was struck by hostile gunfire that made the plane just about uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot have been capable of crash land the plane with out lateral controls.
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However they crash landed proper in the course of enemy positions. The crash destroyed all of the weapons on board. Nelson was the primary of his crew to realize consciousness. He shortly noticed the enemy was surrounding the crash web site. Ignoring his personal accidents and enemy hearth from 30-feet away, Nelson sprang into motion and started evacuating his three wounded crew mates—the crew chief, the door gunner, and co-pilot. The crew chief was pinned down within the cargo compartment and the door gunner was trapped within the Huey. Along with his naked palms, Nelson ripped off one of many helicopter doorways to evacuate himself and his crew whereas insurgents have been firing rounds from 30-feet away. Nelson used his personal physique as a human defend as he lifted the door gunner to the bottom and was killed by the gunfire after being shot between six and 20 occasions whereas doing so.
Captain Hugh Nelson is the primary graduate of The Citadel to obtain the award. (U.S. Military)
Due to Nelson’s sacrifice, the wounded specialist was capable of sign assist with a smoke grenade. Supporting plane responded instantly, stopping the insurgents from advancing on the downed plane and efficiently rescued the three wounded crew members and Captain Nelson’s stays.
Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf on the White House ceremony. She was simply 5-years-old and her little brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6-months-old when their father left for Fort Bragg, now named Fort Liberty, to begin his tour in Vietnam. The Military notified Nelson’s household that he was killed in battle simply someday earlier than his toddler son’s first birthday.
“Nelson’s aware choice to sacrifice his personal life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day,” his Medal of Honor quotation reads. “Nelson’s distinctive accomplishments are consistent with the very best traditions of navy service and replicate nice credit score upon him, his unit and the US Military.”
Captain Nelson graduated from The Citadel in 1959. Earlier than the fateful battle he served three years in Taiwan. His co-captain who was rescued was Captain Bailey Jones. Jones additionally graduated from the Citadel, within the class of 1964.
Prime Military ROTC Cadet on the Citadel, Tomas Fitzpatrick, attended the ceremony on Friday.
Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf on the White Home ceremony. (Pool)
“The sacrifice of Captain Hugh Nelson is a strong reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel — honor, obligation and respect. As somebody who plans to enlist within the U.S. Military after commencement, all of us try to steer with the identical bravery and dedication,” Fitzpatrick mentioned. Fitzpatrick will likely be becoming a member of the Military infantry after commencement in Might. The Citadel’s Military ROTC division is likely one of the largest commissioning sources within the nation. 120 Military 2nd lieutenants have been commissioned in 2024 alone.
“Captain Hugh Reavis Nelson, Jr. exemplified the very best values of braveness, selflessness and management that we instill in each Citadel cadet. Nelson’s service to his comrades and nation stays a permanent inspiration for us all,” Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters mentioned in a press release.
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“To be taught these tales of Americans like Bruno and Wataru, and Fred, and Charlie, Richard, Hugh, Ken, Individuals who haven’t solely fought for our nation however who embodied the easiest our nation has to supply. Let me additionally say this immediately we award these people a medal of honor. We will not cease right here as a result of as a nation, it is as much as us to provide this medal which means, to maintain preventing, to maintain preventing for each other, for one another, to maintain defending every little thing these heroes fought for and lots of of them died for,” Biden mentioned.
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