AMERICA 250
June 25, 2026
MAJOR JAMES CAPERS JR.
United States Marine Corps
Vietnam War Veteran
Medal of Honor Recipient
Today, for Veteran of the Day: America 250, we proudly honor Major James Capers Jr., a United States Marine whose courage, leadership, and devotion to his men survived the battlefield and endured nearly six decades of waiting for recognition.
Major Capers served as a Force Reconnaissance Marine during the Vietnam War, operating deep in dangerous territory where small teams were often sent far beyond friendly lines.
In 1967, Capers led a nine-man reconnaissance team on a mission to locate a suspected North Vietnamese base camp. What began as a patrol through dense jungle became a desperate, days-long fight for survival.
Capers and his Marines were surrounded and attacked by a much larger enemy force. Gunfire, grenades, and explosions tore through the team.
Major Capers was shot and struck by shrapnel numerous times. One of his legs was badly injured, and wounds to his body left him in tremendous pain.
Yet he continued to lead.
He directed his Marines, coordinated supporting fire, called for air assistance, and helped hold the enemy back while his wounded men prepared for evacuation.
Even as his own strength faded, Capers refused to place himself ahead of the Marines under his command.
When a rescue helicopter finally arrived, he made certain that his wounded teammates were placed aboard before him. As the heavily loaded aircraft struggled to lift away from the battlefield, Capers attempted to leave the helicopter so the others could escape.
His Marines refused to abandon him.
They pulled their leader back aboard.
Every member of the team survived the mission.
Major Capers’s actions represented the deepest meaning of Marine leadership: the responsibility to place the lives of others ahead of one’s own.
He had reportedly been recommended for the Medal of Honor following the mission, but the paperwork was never completed after his commanding officer was killed.
The years passed.
The mission remained.
The courage remained.
And the Marines whose lives were saved never forgot.
On June 18, 2026, nearly sixty years after the battle, Major James Capers Jr. received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration for valor.
At 88 years old, he stood before the nation as his courage was finally recognized.
The medal did not create his heroism.
It acknowledged what his Marines had known since 1967.
James Capers was a leader who remained at his post while wounded, refused to leave his men behind, and was willing to sacrifice his own chance of survival so that they could return home.
As America marks its 250th year, his story reminds us that history does not always deliver recognition on time.
Sometimes honor must travel a long road before reaching the person who earned it.
But courage does not expire.
Sacrifice does not fade.
And the bond between Marines does not surrender to the passing of years.
Today, the Micky Spano Radio show and VetVault.org proudly salute Major James Capers Jr., a Force Reconnaissance Marine, a Vietnam veteran, and a Medal of Honor recipient whose leadership brought every member of his team home.
We Honor
Major James Capers Jr.
United States Marine Corps
Force Reconnaissance Marine
Vietnam War Veteran
Medal of Honor Recipient
Veteran of the Day – America 250
The nation may have taken nearly sixty years to place the medal around his neck, but James Capers never waited to place his Marines before himself.
Honor the Fallen.
Support the Living.
Teach the Next Generation.