President Biden The Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, was awarded to seven U.S. Army veterans for their heroism during the Korean and Vietnam wars at the White House on Friday.
Private Bruno Urig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Private First Class Charles Johnson, Retired Army Gen. Richard Cavazos, Captain Hugh Nelson Jr., and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth David were honored.
“These are the true heroes of their primary heroes. Heroes of different ranks, different positions, even different generations. But they all went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes who all deserve our nation's highest and oldest military tribute,” Biden said. .
Five Medal of Honor recipients were killed in action, including Captain Hugh Nelson Jr., the first ever graduate of the Citadel Military College in South Carolina to receive the Medal of Honor. Nelson has previously received an award US Army Distinguished Service Cross.
President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, to then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, January 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Captain Nelson, 28, served as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War with the 114th Air Mobile Light. On the fateful day of June 5, 1966, near Moc Hoa, a rural area in South Vietnam, Nelson was the acting pilot of a search-and-destroy reconnaissance mission. The UH-1B Huey armed helicopter he was flying was hit by enemy fire, rendering the aircraft nearly uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot were able to land the plane without side controls.
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But they fell directly into the middle of the enemy's positions. The accident destroyed all weapons on board the plane. Nelson was the first of his crew members to regain consciousness. He soon saw that the enemy was surrounding the crash site. Ignoring his own injuries and enemy fire from 30 feet away, Nelson sprang into action and began evacuating his three wounded crewmates—the crew chief, door gunner, and copilot. The crew chief was pinned in the cargo hold and the door gunner was trapped in the Huey. With his bare hands, Nelson tore off one of the helicopter's doors to evacuate himself and his crew while insurgents fired from 30 feet away. Nelson used his body as a human shield when the gunner lifted the door to the floor and was shot dead after being shot between six and 20 times while doing so.
Captain Hugh Nelson is the first graduate of The Citadel to receive the award. (US Army)
Because of Nelson's sacrifice, the wounded specialist was able to signal support with a smoke grenade. SSupport aircraft responded immediately, prevented the insurgents from advancing on the downed aircraft, and successfully rescued the three injured crew members and the remains of Captain Nelson.
Nelson's daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father's behalf at the Academy Awards White House Gala. She was only 5 years old and her little brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6 months old when their father left for Fort Bragg, now called Fort Liberty, to begin his tour in Vietnam. The Army informed Nelson's family that he had been killed in action just one day before his infant son's first birthday.
“Nelson's conscious decision to sacrifice his life for the lives of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members on that fateful day,” his Medal of Honor citation reads. “Nelson’s distinguished accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit, and the United States Army.”
Captain Nelson graduated from the Citadel in 1959. Before the fateful battle, he served for three years In Taiwan. The rescued co-captain was Captain Billy Jones. Jones also graduated from The Citadel, Class of 1964.
Thomas Fitzpatrick, a senior Army ROTC cadet at The Citadel, attended the ceremony Friday.
Nelson's daughter, Debra McKnight, accepted the award on her father's behalf at the White House ceremony. (swimming pool)
“Captain Hugh Nelson's sacrifice is a powerful reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel — honor, duty and respect. As someone who plans to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation, we all strive to lead with the same courage and commitment,” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick will join the Army Infantry after he graduates in May. The Citadel's Army ROTC Division is one of the nation's largest commissioning sources with 120 second lieutenants commissioned into the Army in 2024 alone.
“Captain Hugh Revis Nelson, Jr. embodied the highest values of courage, selflessness and leadership that we instill in every Citadel cadet. Nelson's service to his comrades and country remains a lasting inspiration to us all,” Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters said in a statement.
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“To learn these stories From Americans Like Bruno, Wataru, Fred, Charlie, Richard, Hugh and Ken, Americans who not only fought for our nation, but embodied the best our nation has to offer. Let me also say that today we award these individuals with the Medal of Honor. We cannot stop here because as a nation, it is up to us to give this medal meaning, to keep fighting, to keep fighting for each other, for each other, to keep standing up for everything these heroes fought for and so many of them died for. ,” Biden said.
