President Joe Biden on Friday awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest army ornament, to seven U.S. Army veterans for heroism through the Korean Struggle and Vietnam Struggle.
“I am deeply privileged to honor seven American heroes. That is not hyperbole,” mentioned Biden, who famous that Friday’s ceremony was the final time he would award the Medal of Honor as president. “These are real, to-the-core heroes. Heroes of various ranks, totally different positions, even totally different generations, however heroes who all went above and past the decision of obligation, heroes who all deserve our nation’s highest and oldest army recognition, the Medal of Honor.”
President Joe Biden at a Medal of Honor Ceremony on the White Home, Jan. 3, 2026.
Pool/ABC Information
The Medal of Honor is awarded to those that “distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity on the danger of their very own lives above and past the decision of obligation,” in response to the White Home.
“The meritorious conduct should contain nice private bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to obviously distinguish the person above his or her comrades and should have concerned danger of life,” it mentioned forward of the White Home ceremony happening just below three weeks earlier than Biden leaves workplace.
President Joe Biden speaks earlier than presenting the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest army ornament, to a number of recipients throughout a ceremony within the East Room of the White Home, Jan. 3, 2025.
Susan Walsh/AP
5 of the recipients had been killed in battle. Among the many two who survived and being honored is Korean Struggle veteran Richard Cavazos, who turned the primary Hispanic four-star normal for the Military.
Cavazos, who has since died, acquired the Medal of Honor for heroism when preventing as a primary lieutenant within the Korean Struggle, for which he beforehand acquired the Distinguished Service Cross.
Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos.
U.S. Military
“He was a person of deep religion who liked his nation, liked his household, liked his troopers, and it was that love, that selfless love of which there is no larger love that drove him up the hill that evening in 1953 to gather the lads of his firm and get them to security,” his son Tommy Cavazos advised reporters forward of the ceremony.
Richard Cavazos was ordered to withdraw his troops whereas preventing underneath intense enemy hearth and introduced his troops to security, in response to the Military. Nonetheless, he remained on the battlefield alone and located 5 wounded males, evacuating them one after the other. He then returned to the battlefield to seek for lacking troopers, main not less than two teams of males who had been separated from the primary preventing pressure to security.
“He firmly believed that the Military supplied the chance for bizarre residents to boost their fingers, take their oaths and do the extraordinary job of defending this nation,” Tommy Cavazos added.
Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos is pictured in an undated picture.
U.S. Military
On Could 9, 2023, Fort Hood in Texas was renamed Fort Cavazos as a part of a broader Biden administration effort to rename army installations named after Accomplice generals.
“Gen. Cavazos was identified across the Military as a battle confirmed warrior,” Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commanding normal of III Armored Corps, mentioned on the time. “Let his title and all that it represents encourage us all each single day to reside as much as his legacy.”
Pfc. Charles R. Johnson, Cpl. Fred B. McGee, Pfc. Wataru Nakamura and Pvt. Bruno R. Orig had been honored for actions within the Korean Struggle, whereas Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr. and Pfc. Kenneth J. David had been honored for actions within the Vietnam Struggle.
David, who additionally beforehand acquired the Distinguished Service Cross, is the one recipient nonetheless alive. He was awarded for gallantry in a 1970 battle by which he helped his crew of 14 troopers push again a whole lot of North Vietnamese troops.
President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to then-Pfc. Kenneth J. David for actions within the Vietnam Struggle, throughout a ceremony on the White Home, Jan. 3, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
On Could 7, 1970, David exited his platoon’s protection perimeter and repeatedly drew consideration towards himself after an preliminary enemy assault that mortally wounded his platoon chief and a number of other different service members, in response to the Military.
“Surrounded on three sides by the bigger enemy pressure, he engaged them along with his rifle and hand grenades,” the White Home mentioned in its press launch. “When the enemy tried to pay attention their hearth on the wounded, Non-public First Class David jumped from his place and yelled to attract the fireplace again to himself.”
Although wounded within the assault, he continued to attract enemy hearth away from his platoon so the wounded might be evacuated, denying assist for himself till all others had been protected.
“Think about that braveness — come get me, come get me, do not get these people. That is selflessness,” Biden mentioned Friday. “Ken, I need to say to you, that I want I may say to each man that we’re honoring right this moment, you are a hero, a real hero, flat-out, straight-up American hero. And we owe you.”
“It was not till the final helicopter was touchdown that he retreated from his place in entrance of the perimeter and continued laying down hearth till lastly being evacuated himself,” the White Home added.
ABC Information’ Matt Seyler and Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.
