Legendary Recon Marine could finally get the Medal of Honor
Ambushed in Vietnam, retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. led a small team of Force Reconnaissance Marines despite suffering from bullet and shrapnel wounds. For the third time, there's a bill to see him awarded the Medal of Honor.
Jeff Schogol
Published May 29, 2025 11:38 AM EDT
In April 1967, Marine 2nd Lt. James Capers Jr. ignored his numerous bullet and shrapnel wounds to lead his nine-man team from 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company against an enemy ambush in South Vietnam.
The ambush had erupted with hidden explosives that threw Capers against a tree. Shrapnel from the blast punctured his body in more than a dozen places, including wounds to his abdomen and a broken leg, Capers told Coffee or Die Magazine in 2021.
Still, Capers ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Despite losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone.
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