Several members of the U.S. military and Coast Guard received the highest honors for acts of courage and bravery.
Two received the Medal of Honor, two received Purple Hearts and one received the Legion of Merit.
Retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams received the Medal of Honor on Tuesday and on Wednesday, he was inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes.
Williams was recognized for his heroic actions during the Korean War. He also served in World War II and Vietnam. A South Dakota native, he joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program when he was 17. He began flight training in 1943 and retired from the Navy as a captain in 1980.
His renowned solo dogfight with seven Soviet pilots in 1952 has been described by military experts as “one of the greatest feats in aviation history.” He was awarded the Silver Star in 1953, which was upgraded to the Navy Cross in 2023.
“In the skies over Korea in 1952, Royce was in the dog fight of a lifetime, a legendary dog fight,” President Donald Trump said during his State of the Union address. “Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes. It was his first aerial combat of the war. And despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others – vanquishing his adversaries while taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt.”
For more than 50 years, his mission had been kept a secret and Williams didn’t even tell his wife, Trump said. “But the legend grew and grew,” and now at 100 years old, “this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”
Williams described what happened as “God reaching in and dipping His hand in to pick somebody up for the most unusual reasons and displaying him in front of his fellow citizens,’ at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover also received the Medal of Honor for an act of bravery causing him to sustain severe injuries.
He was recognized for his role in the capture of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro during an overnight joint U.S. military mission in Caracas, Venezuela on Jan. 2. The former president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro, were indicted in 2020 on multiple federal charges, including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
“Slover planned a mission and was the flight lead in the cockpit of the first helicopter,” Trump said. “Eric steered the Chinook under the cover of night and descended swiftly upon Maduro’s heavily protected military fortress.
“While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle, and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip – one bullet after another. He absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces.”
Despite his severe injuries, Slover delivered military operatives to the drop zone. Ensuring they “would capture and detain Maduro was the only thing Eric was thinking about then,” Trump said. “The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain.
“Even as he was gushing blood … Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat – turn the helicopter around so the gunners could take care of business – saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash, deep in enemy territory.”
Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Ruskan has been awarded the Legion of Merit “for extraordinary heroism” after he saved 165 people during the Texas Hill Country flash flood disaster on July 4, 2025. It was the first mission of his career, The Center Square reported.
“People watched Scott from a distance, and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The winds were blowing, the rain was pouring, everything was going and that rapid water, nobody had ever seen anything like it. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan descended from a helicopter above. Nobody knew where he came from,” Trump said.
Two National Guardsmen have also been awarded the Purple Heart after they were shot while patrolling the nation’s capital on Nov. 26. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries and received the award posthumously. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was also awarded the honor after recovering from life threatening injuries.
The Medal of Honor is only presented by the president to U.S. service members who distinguish themselves “through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”
The Purple Heart is awarded to military members who are injured or killed in combat, from acts of terrorism or friendly fire.
The Legion of Merit is awarded by the departments of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Homeland Security “for exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding service.”
