Vietnam to Afghanistan: Three Warriors Honored with the Nation’s Highest Award for Valor

On June 18, 2026, President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to three veterans whose actions in combat span generations of American military service. Major James Capers, Jr. (USMC, Ret), Colonel John W. Ripley (USMC, Ret) (posthumously), and Major Nicholas Dockery (USA, Ret) were recognized for acts of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. (The White House)

The awards recognize heroism from both the Vietnam War and War on Terror, demonstrating that the values embodied by the Medal of Honor transcend era, branch of service, and battlefield.

Major James Capers, Jr.: A Recognition Nearly Sixty Years in the Making

Few stories surrounding this year’s Medal of Honor awards are as remarkable as that of Major James Capers, Jr.

In March and April of 1967, then-Second Lieutenant Capers led a nine-man Force Reconnaissance patrol deep inside enemy-controlled territory near Phu Loc, Vietnam. During a four-day mission, his team was ambushed by a much larger North Vietnamese force. Despite suffering seventeen shrapnel wounds and two gunshot wounds, Capers continued directing his Marines, coordinating supporting fires, and organizing the evacuation of his team. He repeatedly refused treatment until every member of his patrol had been evacuated to safety. (U.S. Naval Institute)

Capers was originally recommended for the Medal of Honor by Major General Bruno Hochmuth, commander of the 3rd Marine Division. Before the recommendation could be completed, Hochmuth was killed in a helicopter crash. The recommendation stalled, and Capers ultimately received a lesser award. Decades of advocacy by fellow Marines, veterans’ organizations, historians, and supporters eventually led Congress to authorize the Medal of Honor award in 2026. (wearethemighty.com)

The award carries additional historical significance, as Capers is recognized as the first Black Marine Force Reconnaissance officer to receive the Medal of Honor. Throughout his career, he was a trailblazer that broke barriers within the Marine Corps while earning a reputation as one of the most respected reconnaissance leaders of the Vietnam era. (wearethemighty.com)

Colonel John Ripley’s heroism has long been legendary within Marine Corps history.

During the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive in April 1972, then-Captain Ripley undertook a mission that would become one of the most celebrated acts of combat engineering in modern warfare. As North Vietnamese armored forces advanced southward, Ripley climbed beneath the Dong Ha Bridge while under enemy fire and spent hours placing hundreds of pounds of explosives on the structure. When detonated, the charges destroyed the bridge and prevented a major armored advance, buying critical time for South Vietnamese and American forces. (U.S. Naval Institute)

For decades, Marines and military historians argued that Ripley’s actions met the standard for the nation’s highest award for valor. Following congressional authorization earlier this year, that recognition was finally granted. Ripley passed away in 2008, making this award a posthumous honor accepted by his family. (Military.com)

Major Nicholas Dockery (USA, Ret) received the Medal of Honor for actions during combat operations in Afghanistan. While public details surrounding his citation remain limited, Congress passed special legislation authorizing the award, recognizing acts of valor that military leaders determined met the extraordinarily high standard required for the Medal of Honor. (The White House)  (I WOULD NOT SAY THIS SENTENCE… This text is pulled from his Army’s MOH page)

Dockery was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the summer of 2012 where he served as a platoon leader in Kunar and Kapisa Provinces, among the most dangerous areas of the Afghanistan conflict. During this time, Dockery worked alongside Special Forces teams training and advising host nation forces, which left an indelible impact on him and solidified his desire to one day become a Green Beret. It was during this deployment where Dockery’s selfless actions as a platoon leader earned him a Silver Star that would be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Dockery would later be deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and the Resolute Support Mission where he advised the 5th Special Operations Kandak Commandos and the 24N Afghan Special Forces Company and conducted ground force clearing operations across Balkh, Faryab and Jowzjan Provinces. During this deployment, Dockery was awarded his second Silver Star for the Battle of Faryab Province — making him the only commissioned Army officer to receive the Silver Star twice since Sept. 11, 2001.

Since it was first introduced in 1961, our country has awarded 3,555 Medals of Honor to 3,536 individuals with only 65 Medal of Honor Recipients living today.  Each Recipient’s story becomes part of a larger legacy of courage, sacrifice, leadership, and service. (The White House)

The Medal of Honor stories of Capers, Ripley and Dockery remind us that heroism often emerges in moments of extraordinary danger, but its impact can last for generations. Whether on a jungle patrol in Vietnam, beneath a bridge under enemy fire, or on the battlefields of Afghanistan, these men demonstrated the qualities that the Medal of Honor was created to recognize.

At the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, our mission centers on preserving and sharing these Medal of Honor stories, from the First Medal awarded in1863 to the present day. Each of these new Medal of Honor Recipients serve as a powerful reminder that the legacy of valor is still being written.

To learn more about the Medal of Honor and these stories of valor, come visit the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in downtown Chattanooga—the Birthplace of the Medal of Honor— in person at 2 Aquarium Way in Chattanooga or visit us online at https://www.mohhc.org.