President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to two pilots during the State of the Union address on Tuesday — a 100-year-old Korean War veteran and a hero recently wounded during the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The president first recognized Captain Royce Williams, a Korean War veteran, upgrading his Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor for his courage during a solo dogfight with seven Soviet pilots — what some have called one of the greatest aviation feats in military history.
“Tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy Captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves,” the president said. “He was a legend long before this evening.”
Royce then stood up alongside first lady Melania Trump to be presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The president then awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Aviator Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who endured several gunshots to the leg while piloting a helicopter carrying U.S. troops during the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain,” Trump said.
As noted by the New York Post, Slover piloted a “twin-rotor MH-47 Chinook, the lead aircraft, tasked with inserting the assault team in the heavily fortified compound where Maduro was believed to be holed up.”
“As the helicopters approached, Venezuela defense systems opened fire,” it added. “Slover was struck three times in the leg, the New York Times reported in its account of the raid.”
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