Buzzoca

The ceremony honored retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. for leading his team through a brutal Vietnam ambush in 1967 despite severe wounds, ensuring everyone’s safety; Marine Col. John W. Ripley posthumously for wiring explosives on a bridge under fire during the 1972 Easter Offensive; and retired Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery for rallying his platoon against 150 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in 2012. Trump called them the bravest heroes, personally presenting medals upgraded from prior awards after congressional reviews, with his son accepting for Ripley who died in 2008. Lighter touches included Trump’s self-deprecating joke about the medal and a quip after fumbling Dockery’s clasp into a knot.