SC Marine finally receives Medal of Honor at White House ceremony
Almost 60 years after nearly losing his life in a Vietnam firefight, James Capers has finally been recognized with his country’s highest honor.
Capers, a Marine Corps major who was born in Bishopville, S.C., 88 years ago, was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump in a White House ceremony on Thursday.
It was the culmination of a long effort to secure the honor for Capers, who suffered serious injuries while saving his men from an enemy ambush during a mission near the Vietnamese village of Phu Loc in 1967.
“Everybody knew he should get it, but life is life,” Trump said at the ceremony presenting Capers with the medal. “His commanding officer, who was his biggest fan, was tragically killed before the paperwork was signed ... Jim, the nation kept you waiting far too long, so I say to you ‘Congratulations. You made it.’ ”
Joining the Marines after high school, Capers volunteered to go to Vietnam at the height of the war in Southeast Asia.
“In Vietnam, the Corps promoted him from staff sergeant to second lieutenant, unusual, making Jim the first Black Marine in history to receive a battlefield commission in the middle of a war,” Trump said at last week’s ceremony.
He ended up leading a reconnaissance team on a mission to identify and destroy an enemy base.
“Over the course of four days under Jim’s leadership, Team Broadminded repulsed brutal attacks, brutal as they’ve ever seen, cleared trails of bloody traps and killed more than 200 of the enemy,” the president said.
When Capers’ nine-man team came under attack, the lieutenant suffered shrapnel wounds across his body and a broken leg. He held off the enemy assault with his firearm and directed air support to the site until the team could be rescued by helicopter. When it looked like the aircraft wouldn’t be able to take off with all men aboard, Capers told them to leave him behind before his comrades pulled him aboard.
“I hope this isn’t giving you bad memories, Jim,” Trump said at the ceremony as he recounted the engagement, “but everybody admires what you went through, believe me.”
The 22-year Marine Corps veteran previously told The State wasn’t sure he would ever receive the medal. Current policy says the Medal of Honor should be awarded within five years of the action. After that, an award has to be based either on new information or a special waiver from Congress, according to military news site Task and Purpose.
Capers told The State finally receiving the medal was bittersweet because his wife and son passed away before he was presented with the recognition.
“That’s what war is, you win some, you lose some,” Capers said in a phone interview after the ceremony. “I lost my child, I lost my wife, and I lost friends along the way ... They’re with me in my heart. It was good to be recognized after all these years. ”
But he managed to make the trip to Washington, D.C., from his home in North Carolina along with some friends from his service days. He said Trump was very kind to him during the ceremony.
“My legs were shattered in the war, and I still have metal in my legs. Sometimes I use a wheelchair,” Capers said. “The president held on to my hand and said, ‘I’ll hold you,’ which was very kind.”
Members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation pushed for legislation that would grant the recognition to Capers, sponsored by Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, whose district includes Capers’ hometown of Bishopville. Congress finally passed a measure authorizing the president to award Capers the Medal of Honor earlier this year.
“When I first learned Major Capers’ story, I was struck by the magnitude of his sacrifice and the extraordinary valor he displayed in service to our country,” Norman said in a statement after the presentation. “It became clear to me that his actions deserved the highest recognition our nation can bestow. For years, I have worked alongside many others to help ensure his heroism received the consideration it earned.
“Major Capers’ courage, devotion to his fellow Marines, and unwavering commitment to duty serve as an enduring example for future generations,” Norman said.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-Charleston, also praised Capers in a statement following the ceremony.
“Major James Capers, Jr. overcame humble beginnings to become an American hero,” Scott said. “His sacrifice and selflessness on behalf of his brothers in arms embody the American spirit and what it means to go above and beyond the call of duty. The Palmetto State is proud that this great South Carolinian has rightfully been recognized with the Medal of Honor.”
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