President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover and retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to two pilots on Tuesday: Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, who was wounded while flying a helicopter during January’s mission that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro; and retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams, who shot down four Soviet jet fighters during the Korean War.
Both Slover and Williams were presented with the U.S. military’s highest award for valor as Trump gave his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday. CBS News first reported that Trump planned to recognize Williams with the award during the speech.
“It’s an honor to be in the same room with you,” Trump said after the awards were presented. “Thank you both.”
Also on Tuesday, Trump awarded the Legion of Merit to Coast Guard rescue swimmer Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Ruskan, who helped rescue 165 people from a girls’ summer camp during last year’s deadly floods in Texas. Trump also awarded the Purple Heart to Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, of the West Virginia National Guard. Both Wolfe and Beckstrom were shot in November while serving in Washington, D.C. Beckstrom, who died of her wounds, received the award posthumously.
The White House did not issue any official announcements prior to Tuesday’s address about Williams and Slover receiving the Medal of Honor. However, Trump gave a speech earlier this month at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during which he said that one of the service members who took part in the Maduro mission would get the award. He did not say who specifically.
A secret battle and a near miss
In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment carrying Delta Force special operators arrived at Maduro’s compound in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas.
Slover was piloting a CH-47 Chinook helicopter as the operation’s flight lead as the U.S. troops reached Caracas, Trump recounted on Tuesday.
As Slover prepared to land, his helicopter came under machine gun fire “from every angle,” and Slover was shot four times in his leg and hip, Trump said.
“Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat — turned 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,” Trump said.
After Slover safely landed the Chinook, he told his co-pilot, who was also wounded, “Take over; I’m about ready to pass out,” Trump said.
Slover, who is still recovering from his wounds, used a walker to stand by his wife, Amy, as he was presented with the Medal of Honor on Tuesday by Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, head of Joint Special Operations Command.
Ten other service members who participated in the Maduro mission will also receive medals at a private ceremony that will soon be held at the White House, Trump said.
Immediately afterward, Trump announced that Williams would also receive the Medal of Honor for his aerial duel against seven Soviet MiG-15 fighters that was kept classified for decades. The 35-minute battle was the longest dogfight in Navy history.
Although the Soviet Union supported North Korea during the war, it was not an official belligerent in the conflict.
Yet on Nov. 18, 1952, Williams and three other Navy aviators faced off against seven MiGs that had taken off from a base inside the Soviet Union and were ordered by Soviet ground controllers to attack Navy aircraft, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.
“It was his first aerial combat of the war,” Trump said on Tuesday. “Despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the take down of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others, vanquishing his adversaries while taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt.”
Williams was later awarded the Silver Star for his bravery, which was upgraded to the Navy Cross in 2023.
On Tuesday, first lady Melania Trump presented Williams with the Medal of Honor. Because his mission was classified for so long, Congress had to pass legislation waiving any time limitations for the award in his case.
“Tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves,” Trump said. “He was a legend long before this evening.”
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