Their stories unfolded in different wars, under different circumstances, and in different generations. One grew up in the Jim Crow era and led Marines through the jungles of Vietnam. Another became a Marine Corps legend by hanging beneath a bridge under enemy fire during the Easter Offensive. The third, a young Army platoon leader in Afghanistan, repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to rescue wounded soldiers and rally a force under attack.

Yet all three demonstrated the values the Medal of Honor embodies: courage, commitment, and an extraordinary service to others in extreme circumstances.

Major James Capers Jr.

Born in South Carolina in 1937 and raised in a family of sharecroppers, James Capers Jr. joined the Marine Corps in 1956 and went on to break barriers throughout his military career. He became the first Black Marine to join Force Reconnaissance, the first Black Marine to receive a battlefield commission in Marine Special Operations, and later the first Black Marine to command a Reconnaissance company.

From March 31 to April 3, 1967, then-Second Lieutenant Capers led a nine-man reconnaissance patrol near Phu Loc, Vietnam. Despite suffering multiple gunshot and fragmentation wounds during a fierce enemy ambush, he continued directing supporting fires, coordinating his team’s movement, and overseeing the evacuation. Refusing to leave before his Marines, Capers ensured every member of the patrol was extracted before boarding the helicopter himself.

After retiring as a Major in 1978, Capers devoted himself to veterans, mentoring Marines and sharing his experiences through public speaking and his memoir, Faith Through the Storm. His Medal of Honor recognizes not only extraordinary courage in combat, but a lifetime defined by service to others.

Click here to read his full Medal of Honor Citation.

Colonel John Walter Ripley

Born in Radford, Virginia, in 1939, John Walter Ripley enlisted in the Marine Corps before earning an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. He later served with Force Reconnaissance, completed advanced military training with the Army Rangers and British Royal Marines, and participated in 26 major combat operations during two tours in Vietnam.

On April 2, 1972, while serving as senior advisor to the 3rd Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion near Dong Ha, South Vietnam, then-Captain Ripley faced a rapidly advancing North Vietnamese offensive. Recognizing that a critical bridge had to be destroyed to slow the assault, he repeatedly climbed beneath the bridge while under enemy fire, hanging from its steel girders for hours as he emplaced hundreds of pounds of explosives. The destruction of the bridge helped blunt the enemy advance and bought critical time for friendly forces to regroup.

Ripley retired as a Colonel in 1992 and went on to serve as an educator, college president, military historian, and Director of Marine Corps History and Museums. When he passed away in 2008, he left behind a legacy that extended far beyond a single battle. His actions at Dong Ha became known simply as “Ripley at the Bridge,” a story still taught to generations of Marine officers.

Click here to read his full Medal of Honor Citation.

Major Nicholas Dockery

Raised in Indiana, Nicholas Dockery began his military service in the Indiana National Guard before graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2011. Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Light), 4th Infantry Division, he deployed to Afghanistan as an infantry platoon leader.

On October 2, 2012, then-Second Lieutenant Dockery was leading a combined force of American and Afghan soldiers in Kapisa Province when they were ambushed by a large Taliban force. Throughout the battle, Dockery repeatedly crossed open ground under enemy fire to rally friendly forces and reinforce isolated positions. He used his body to shield a fellow soldier from a grenade blast, fought his way to an unconscious soldier being dragged away by enemy fighters, and provided lifesaving aid before continuing to expose himself to enemy fire to help friendly aircraft suppress the attack.

Dockery continued his Army service after his deployment to Afghanistan, earning the Green Beret and serving with the 7th Special Forces Group. Over the course of his career, he has led Special Forces teams, advised partner forces overseas, and served in leadership roles across the Army. Beyond his military service, he has remained committed to helping others through the Nicholas Dockery Foundation, which supports innovative mental health and recovery programs for veterans, military families, and others facing emotional and psychological challenges. He remains on active duty and continues a career defined by service, leadership, and commitment to others.

Click here to read his full Medal of Honor Citation.

A Legacy Shared

With the addition of James Capers Jr., John Walter Ripley, and Nicholas Dockery, the number of Medal of Honor Recipients rises to 3,536. Among the more than 40 million Americans who have served in the Armed Forces since the Civil War, fewer than one-hundredth of one percent have received the nation’s highest award for valor.

Their stories span different generations, different wars, and different paths to service. Yet each reflects the courage, sacrifice, and commitment to others that the Medal of Honor was created to recognize—and that continue to inspire America today.