Seven veterans who displayed exceptional bravery during the Korean and Vietnam Wars received the Medal of Honor in a ceremony held at the White House on Friday.
Biden presented the medal posthumously to six individuals and one living recipient during the White House event.
“These are heroes of different ranks, different positions and even different generations,” Biden said at the Medal of Honor ceremony, per the Associated Press. “They are heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Among the recipients was the late General Richard Edward Cavazos, whose legacy in the U.S. Army is firmly etched in history. As the first Hispanic four-star general, Cavazos broke barriers for many soldiers in America. His story is now permanently tied to Fort Hood, which was renamed Fort Cavazos in his honor.
General Cavazos posthumously received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery while commanding Company E, 2nd Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, near Sagimak, Korea, on June 14-15 of 1953. During a raid on enemy positions, then-First Lieutenant Cavazos led his men through heavy gunfire, destroying key enemy assets. After an order to withdraw from the United Nations, he remained behind to search for and evacuate five wounded soldiers, making multiple trips through enemy fire to rescue scattered men, making sure the area was cleared before seeking any medical attention for his own wounds. General Cavazos would go on to serve the Army for over 30 years of service before retiring in 1984, and passing away in 2007.
Then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David, a Vietnam War hero and another addition to the Medal of Honor list, received the award on Friday for his courageous actions on May 7, 1970, during a fierce enemy attack near Fire Support Base Maureen in Vietnam. Despite being surrounded by the enemy, the then-Private First Class Radio Operator positioned himself to draw attention away from his wounded comrades, engaging the enemy directly with his rifle and grenades. When the enemy focused on the casualties, Private First Class David deliberately re-exposed his position to draw fire back to himself, even after being wounded. Undeterred, he continued to shield the Medevac helicopters until the last one was safely on the ground, then retreated only when his mission was complete.
Corporal Fred B. McGee, a Korean War hero, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery during an assault on enemy positions near Tang-Wan-Ni, Korea, in June of 1952.
Serving as a light machine gunner, McGee maintained heavy fire from a vulnerable position despite intense enemy machine gun and mortar response. He repeatedly repositioned his gun to support the forward assault and provide cover fire for his platoon. After his squad leader was wounded, McGee took command, continuing to move his squad forward. When his own machine gunner was fatally wounded, McGee took over the weapon himself. Despite his injuries, he stayed behind to help evacuate the wounded and fallen soldiers in the aftermath. Although wounded in the face, Cpl. McGee would bravely expose himself to enemy fire in an attempt to recover the body of his company’s runner.
Private First Class Charles R. Johnson posthumously received the award for his service as a Browning Automatic Rifleman with Company B, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, in Korea on June 11-12, of 1953. During a massive nighttime assault by Chinese forces, his unit came under heavy attack. After being wounded by an artillery strike and a grenade, Private First Class Johnson ignored his own injuries to administer first aid to more seriously wounded soldiers. Despite the enemy’s direct fire, he dragged a wounded comrade to safety, stopping to assist others and engage enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Realizing the dire situation, he left the safety of his bunker, positioning himself between his injured comrades and the enemy to hold them off. His courageous actions are credited with saving the lives of up to 10 soldiers. Private First Class Johnson was killed in action early on the morning of June 12, 1953.
Also posthumously honored was Private Bruno R. Orig who received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary courage on February 15, 1951, while serving with Company G, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, near Chipyong-ni, Korea.
After observing several comrades wounded during an ongoing enemy attack, Private Orig risked his life to administer first aid in an exposed position. With help from others, he then began evacuating fellow wounded soldiers to safety. While returning from one trip, he found a machine-gun crew with only one member still “unhurt.” Without hesitation, he took over the weapon and provided such effective fire that a withdrawing platoon was able to retreat without casualties. Private Orig continued to hold off the enemy until his position was overrun. Later, when the ground was recaptured, he was found beside his machine gun, with multiple deceased enemy bodies scattered in front of it.
Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. posthumously received the honor for extraordinary heroism on June 5, 1966, near Moc Hoa, Vietnam, when his helicopter was shot down and crash-landed in enemy territory. Despite being wounded, he bravely exited the wreckage to assist his trapped and injured comrades, rescuing two soldiers while under heavy fire, and ultimately sacrificing his life to shield one of them, allowing his comrade to signal for rescue, which eventually led to their successful evacuation from the area.
Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, who died in battle in 1951, was honored for his brave solo charge against enemy bunkers near the P’ungch’on-ni area in Korea.
Private First Class Nakamura posthumously received the Medal of Honor for exceptional bravery while serving with Company I, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, on May 18, 1951. After volunteering to repair a communications line, he was surrounded by enemy forces and, without hesitation, charged them with a bayonet, destroying a machine-gun nest and retaking several bunkers. After resupplying, he returned to the fight, killing four enemies in close combat before being killed by a grenade while attempting to continue to press forward.
His nephew, Gary Takashima, reflected on Nakamura’s humility, telling CBS, “(he) would have been greatly honored to receive the Medal of Honor but would have felt all of this was too much for doing what he was supposed to do.”
While these heroes’ actions have been known for decades, the Medal of Honor represents a form of recognition that many felt was long overdue. For some families, this acknowledgment has taken over seventy years to come to fruition.