On January 3, President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, America's highest military honor for valor, to seven Army soldiers.
“These are heroes of different ranks, different positions and even different generations,” Biden said at the ceremony. “They are heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Private Bruno R. Orig received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions at the battle of Chipyong-ni during the Korean War. During the battle, Orig noticed a group of soldiers taking casualties and ran to their aid, continuously exposing himself to enemy gunfire as he evacuated the wounded. With a machine gun unattended due to the wounded, Orig manned the position and laid down effective covering fire, which allowed his teammates to safely retreat.
Private First Class Wataru Nakamura received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions at during the Korean War at P’ungch’on-ni. Nakamura single-handedly attacked an enemy position in a bayonet charge that cleared out an enemy machine gun nest and several bunkers they had captured. After rearming, he charged back into combat and fought until he was killed by an enemy hand grenade.
Corporal Fred B. McGee received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions at Tang-Wan-Ni during the Korean War. McGee was a light machine gunner in the weapons squad, supporting an assault on an enemy position. He gave his teammates effective covering fire and exposed himself to enemy fire in order to do so. When his squad leader was wounded, he took control of the squad. When his machine gunner was killed, he jumped back on the gun. McGree is also credited with helping to evacuate several wounded comrades while under enemy fire.
Private First Class Charles R. Johnson received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the Korean War when his unit came under a surprise attack by the enemy. Chinese troops assaulted the bunkers and trenches that Johnson's squad occupied relentlessly. John was wounded by an artillery strike and then an enemy hand grenade but continued to render aid to his injured teammates. While dragging teammates to safety, Johnson engaged and killed several enemy combatants in hand-to-hand combat. He then placed himself between his squad and the enemy to hold them back. Johnson was killed on the last day of the battle.
First Lieutenant Richard E. Cavazos received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions near Sagimak during the Korean War. Cavazos led his men in an assault against entrenched enemy positions in June of 1953. When his unit was ordered to withdraw, Cavazos remained behind to look for missing soldiers, identifying and rescuing five of them. Cavazos made four more trips between the site of the battle and friendly lines in order to rescue wounded soldiers and help lost ones return. After he cleared the hill of friendly casualties, he was treated for various injuries. Cavazos went on to serve in the Army for over thirty years, retiring as a General.
Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions at Moc Hoa during the Vietnam War. When his helicopter crashed in 1966, Nelson helped wounded comrades escape the wreck. He continued to go back into the helicopter under blistering enemy fire from a range of thirty feet away. While using his own body as a human shield to protect a member of the helicopter crew, he selflessly gave his life for his team mates.
Private First Class Kenneth J. David received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Thua Thien Province, Vietnam in 1970 when he served as a radio-telephone operator. His base came under a heavy enemy attack, and David moved to draw enemy fire away from his wounded teammates. He then positioned himself at the perimeter of the base where he was surrounded by the enemy from three sides. Despite being wounded by an enemy satchel charge, David remained in position fighting the enemy until he was evacuated out on the last helicopter sent to rescue them.