Former Wilmington resident James Capers Jr. receives Medal of Honor for Vietnam War heroism

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WWAY) — Former Wilmington resident and retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. received the Medal of Honor on Thursday, becoming the first African American Marine Corps officer to be awarded the nation’s highest military decoration.

President Donald Trump presented the award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., recognizing Capers’ actions during the Vietnam War in 1967.

“So I’m honored not necessarily to be the first, but to be in this position,” Capers told WWAY before the ceremony.

Capers, a South Carolina native who later lived in Wilmington, was selected during the Vietnam War to serve in the elite Force Recon Marine unit. He went on to lead a specialized reconnaissance team known as Team Broadminded.

The Medal of Honor recognizes Capers’ actions during combat operations in Vietnam. Reflecting on the sacrifice of those who served alongside him, Capers noted that only one member of Team Broadminded remains alive.

“They gave it all for this country and for the Marine Corps,” he said.

Capers said his service and sacrifice were driven by his commitment to the nation and those who fought alongside him.

“That flag is important to me and all those men that shed their blood in foreign countries, we have to believe in that flag,” he said.

The Medal of Honor adds to a long list of military decorations earned by Capers throughout his career, including the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, the Combat Action Ribbon and three Good Conduct Medals.

While recovering from combat injuries in the 1960s, Capers was selected to serve as the face of a Marine Corps recruiting campaign that became one of the service’s most recognizable advertisements of the era.

Friends, supporters and elected officials spent years working to secure the Medal of Honor recognition. Among those advocating for the award were U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy of North Carolina and Ralph Norman of South Carolina.

“They decided, let’s take a look at this thing, let’s put together a team, and let’s see whether we can get to the bottom of it, and they did,” Capers said.

Retired Marine Maj. Isaiah Johnson said the recognition was long overdue after previous efforts to secure the award were denied.

“These things get overlooked once combat’s over and they don’t do the paperwork and things get away for a while,” Johnson said. “I’m just so happy for him and finally getting the recognition that he so well deserved.”

Capers is also recognized for participating in more than 50 highly classified military operations, many of which remained secret for decades.

Click here for a link to a full documentary on Major James Capers Junior.