Two American soldiers watch as combat helicopters of the 1st Air Cavalry Division fly over during a search-and-destroy mission on the Bong Son Plain and An Lao Valley of South Vietnam. (Patrick Christain/Getty Images)
Capers received multiple gunfire wounds and 19 pieces of shrapnel in the firefight. He continues to suffer from the wounds to this day. But due to his heroic actions, Capers and all of his Marines survived.
For his heroism, Capers was awarded the Bronze Star, which was later upgraded to the Silver Star. However, many believe that Capers rightfully should have received the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at Phú Lộc.
Unconcerned about his own recognition, Capers continued to serve in the Marines after the war and became a central figure in the "Ask a Marine" program, where he shared his experiences and inspired countless young Americans to serve their country.
For years now, a collection of Marine and other military veterans has been advocating for Capers to finally receive the recognition they believe he deserves. But despite their efforts, Capers, who happens to have also been the first African American to serve in a recon battalion in Vietnam, continued to be ignored by the Biden administration.
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Marines stand in formation. (iStock)
Despite this, Cortese said he found it "mind-boggling" how the previous administration "found every reason why not to upgrade this award to the Medal of Honor."
"It's strange, but it seems we received every excuse under the sun." he explained.
He suspects Biden snubbed Capers because he does not fit into the left’s political box and narrative.
"Anyone who knows Maj. Capers knows that he is not someone who bought into any of the woke ideology the last administration was pushing," he explained. "He wouldn't, I think, sing the song that they wanted, and so, I think they just decided to sit on their hands and not do anything, which is sad and unfortunate."
"That's why we're just trying to do the right thing," he continued. "And we know this administration knows how to do the right thing when it comes to veterans."
"We know President Trump cares about our veterans. We know he cares about recognizing their heroic actions. And so, we feel very positive about this new administration that they're going to recognize the value in this both for the veteran community itself, but also for the country as a whole."
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Recently, 47 members of the U.S. House and Senate asked Trump to give Maj. James Capers the recognition he deserves.
"We stand on the shoulders of people like Maj. Capers," he said. "So, we think it's very important to make sure that we honor those who have come before us, honor those who have served, put their lives on the line like Maj. Capers."
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"As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I think it's important to recognize tradition, and it's important to recognize those who have paved the way before you," he explained. "I think that's something that is instilled in us as Marines to always remember that, to keep those traditions alive and to recognize those like Maj. Capers who are Marine Corps legends."
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/veterans-ask-trump-award-medal-honor-marine-corps-war-hero-snubbed-biden