🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 198 (from laksa194)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa198.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-james-capers-2026/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-james-capers-2026/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-james-capers-2026\/","crawl_time":1775741670,"first_indexed_time":1772644566,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,taskandpurpose!\/news\/marine-james-capers-2026\/ s443","src_root_hash":"2839310575010973798","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Senate authorizes Trump to award Medal of Honor to Recon Marine","meta_descriptions":["James Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"James Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds.\nPhoto courtesy of James Capers Jr.\nA legendary Reconnaissance Marine who saved his nine-man team during an ambush in South Vietnam is one step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor.\nThe Senate has passed a bill that would waive the award’s time requirement for retired Maj. James Capers Jr., who was shot twice and suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and other injuries during the April 1967 ambush. Not only did Capers lead his team to safety, but he twice tried to get out of the helicopter carrying the rest of his teammates so that it would be light enough to take off, and had to be pulled back inside by his men.\nAuthored by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.),\nthe legislation\nauthorizes President Donald Trump to award the Medal of Honor to Capers and cleared the Senate on Tuesday. It is now headed to the White House.\nUnder current policy, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the date of action. If someone is recommended for the medal after that point, there has to be new information about the day or days in question, or they need a waiver through Congress.\nTop Stories This Week\nSpeaking to Task & Purpose on Wednesday, Capers, 88, said he was “delighted” that the Senate had passed the bill.\n“I will tell you: This really isn’t about me,” Capers said. It’s about the men who didn’t make it home, my troops that followed me.”\nNorman issued\na statement\nfollowing the bill’s passage, praising Capers for “risking everything to save his fellow Marines while severely wounded” during the Vietnam War. \n“His heroism has been known for decades, but the recognition he deserves has been far too long in coming,” Norman said in the statement.\nCapers is the first Black Marine to lead a reconnaissance company and to\nreceive a battlefield commission.\nThe 1967 ambush began when hidden explosives detonated. Capers suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body and a broken leg.\nThe Senate has passed a bill authorizing President Trump to award the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada.\nDespite his wounds, he ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Then, even after losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone. When a helicopter landed, Capers refused to get on board unless the crew took the body of the team’s military working dog.\nCapers was originally awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism, which was\nupgraded to the Silver Star in 2010.\n \nMilitary veterans have long advocated for Capers to receive the U.S. military’s highest military award for valor. Last year, 133 retired senior enlisted leaders signed a letter written by retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia that urged Trump to award Capers the Medal of Honor. Battaglia served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015.\n“I’m grateful to finally see his heroism, gallantry, and courage in combat appropriately recognized. Jim Capers is the epitome of an American Warrior,” Battaglia told Task & Purpose on Wednesday.\nGet Task & Purpose in your inbox\nSign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning.\nPast efforts to have Capers’ Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor faced bureaucratic obstacles, said Brooks Tucker, a former Department of Veterans Affairs official who has been working with lawmakers on the issue.\n“The argument that was given by the administrative side of the Navy is we don’t have any ‘new information’ to justify looking at this award again,” Tucker, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is currently a commissioner on the American Battle Monuments Commission, told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “We simply said to people: Look at this logically; this makes no sense. And enough people who mattered looked at this and said, ‘Yeah it makes sense to me. I don’t know why we need any new information. We have it all here. We’ve had it since 1967. We’ve had it since 2009.’ So that’s how we ended up where we are today. We just basically beat the bushes with common sense, with illustrations of fact, and we rebuffed the bureaucratic answer.”\n \nTask & Purpose Video\nEach week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine.\n ","attrs_markdown":"[![Task & Purpose Logo](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/logo-black.svg?quality=85)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/)\n\n[![Task & Purpose Logo](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/logo-black.svg?quality=85)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/)\n\n- [News](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/news\/)\n  - [Analysis](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/analysis\/)\n  - [Military Branches](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/military-branches\/)\n  - [Opinion](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/opinion\/)\n  - [Around the World](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/around-the-world\/)\n  - [Pentagon Rundown](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/the-pentagon-rundown\/)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/culture\/)\n  - [Entertainment](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/entertainment\/)\n  - [Humor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/humor\/)\n  - [Mandatory Fun](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/mandatory-fun\/)\n- [Military Life](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/military-life\/)\n  - [Active Duty](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/active-duty\/)\n  - [Enlisting](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/enlisting\/)\n  - [Resources](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/resources\/)\n  - [Veterans](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/veterans\/)\n  - [Career Center](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/sponsored-content\/recruitmilitary-career-center\/)\n- [History](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/history\/)\n  - [Historical Figures](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/historical-figures\/)\n  - [Past Conflicts](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/past-conflicts\/)\n- [Tech & Tactics](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/tech-tactics\/)\n  - [Aircraft](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/aircraft\/)\n  - [Ships](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/ships\/)\n  - [Tactics](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/tactics\/)\n  - [Vehicles](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/vehicles\/)\n  - [Weapons](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/weapons\/)\n- [Video](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/task-and-purpose-video\/)\n- [Merch](https:\/\/store.taskandpurpose.com\/)\n- [Got a tip?](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/got-a-tip\/)\n\n[News](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/news\/) [Around the World](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/around-the-world\/) [Indo-Pacific](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/indo-pacific\/)\n\n# Senate authorizes Trump to award Recon Marine the Medal of Honor\nThe Senate has passed a bill to clear the way for retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism during a 1967 ambush in Vietnam.\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\nPublished  Mar 4, 2026 11:48 AM EST\n\n[Add Task & Purpose (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=taskandpurpose.com)\n\nAdding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.\n\n![Japes Capers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Maj-Capers-courtesy-photo.jpg?quality=85&w=1600)\n\nJames Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds.   Photo courtesy of James Capers Jr.\n\nA legendary Reconnaissance Marine who saved his nine-man team during an ambush in South Vietnam is one step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor.\n\nThe Senate has passed a bill that would waive the award’s time requirement for retired Maj. James Capers Jr., who was shot twice and suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and other injuries during the April 1967 ambush. Not only did Capers lead his team to safety, but he twice tried to get out of the helicopter carrying the rest of his teammates so that it would be light enough to take off, and had to be pulled back inside by his men.\n\nAuthored by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), [the legislation](https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/3377) authorizes President Donald Trump to award the Medal of Honor to Capers and cleared the Senate on Tuesday. It is now headed to the White House.\n\nUnder current policy, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the date of action. If someone is recommended for the medal after that point, there has to be new information about the day or days in question, or they need a waiver through Congress.\n\n### Top Stories This Week\n- [News](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/news\/)\n  \n  [Marines remain the few, the proud, the skinny under new standards](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-height-weight-ratio\/)\n  \n  By [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/news\/)\n  \n  [Air Guard and Reserve troops say new Air Force rules add to confusion over benefits](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/air-force-line-of-duty-health-care\/)\n  \n  By [David Roza](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/david-roza\/)\n- [Military Life](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/military-life\/)\n  \n  [Pentagon issues standards for barracks that all services must meet](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/military-life\/military-barracks-standards\/)\n  \n  By [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\nSpeaking to Task & Purpose on Wednesday, Capers, 88, said he was “delighted” that the Senate had passed the bill.\n\n“I will tell you: This really isn’t about me,” Capers said. It’s about the men who didn’t make it home, my troops that followed me.”\n\nNorman issued [a statement](https:\/\/norman.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3415) following the bill’s passage, praising Capers for “risking everything to save his fellow Marines while severely wounded” during the Vietnam War.\n\n“His heroism has been known for decades, but the recognition he deserves has been far too long in coming,” Norman said in the statement.\n\nCapers is the first Black Marine to lead a reconnaissance company and to [receive a battlefield commission.](https:\/\/news.va.gov\/116383\/veteranoftheday-marine-james-capers\/) The 1967 ambush began when hidden explosives detonated. Capers suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body and a broken leg.\n\n![James Capers Jr.](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/James-Capers-Jr.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=1920)\n\nThe Senate has passed a bill authorizing President Trump to award the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada.\n\nDespite his wounds, he ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Then, even after losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone. When a helicopter landed, Capers refused to get on board unless the crew took the body of the team’s military working dog.\n\nCapers was originally awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism, which was [upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010.](https:\/\/www.marsoc.marines.mil\/COMMSTRAT\/News\/Article\/Article\/513731\/force-recon-marines-awarded-for-valor-43-years-later\/)\n\nMilitary veterans have long advocated for Capers to receive the U.S. military’s highest military award for valor. Last year, 133 retired senior enlisted leaders signed a letter written by retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia that urged Trump to award Capers the Medal of Honor. Battaglia served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015.\n\n“I’m grateful to finally see his heroism, gallantry, and courage in combat appropriately recognized. Jim Capers is the epitome of an American Warrior,” Battaglia told Task & Purpose on Wednesday.\n\n## Get Task & Purpose in your inbox\nSign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning.\n\nBy signing up you agree to our [Terms of Service](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/).\n\nPast efforts to have Capers’ Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor faced bureaucratic obstacles, said Brooks Tucker, a former Department of Veterans Affairs official who has been working with lawmakers on the issue.\n\n“The argument that was given by the administrative side of the Navy is we don’t have any ‘new information’ to justify looking at this award again,” Tucker, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is currently a commissioner on the American Battle Monuments Commission, told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “We simply said to people: Look at this logically; this makes no sense. And enough people who mattered looked at this and said, ‘Yeah it makes sense to me. I don’t know why we need any new information. We have it all here. We’ve had it since 1967. We’ve had it since 2009.’ So that’s how we ended up where we are today. We just basically beat the bushes with common sense, with illustrations of fact, and we rebuffed the bureaucratic answer.”\n\n![](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250319-N-ML799-1660K.jpeg?quality=85&w=300)\n\n### Task & Purpose Video\nEach week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine.\n\n[Watch Here](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/task-and-purpose-video\/)\n\n[![Jeff Schogol Avatar](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/24\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-24-at-5.00.10-PM.png?quality=85&w=102&h=102&crop=1)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n## [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n### Senior Pentagon Reporter\n\nJeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He has covered the military for nearly 20 years. Email him at schogol@taskandpurpose.com or direct message @JSchogol73030 on Twitter.\n***\n\n- [History](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/history\/)\n- [Military Life](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/military-life\/)\n- [Past Conflicts](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/past-conflicts\/)\n- [Veterans](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/veterans\/)\n- [Vietnam War](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/vietnam-war\/)\n\n## Trending\n[![Team Fairchild Airmen congratulate U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Stallings, 93rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator, during a decoration ceremony at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, March 31, 2026. The receiving line following an official ceremony allows family, friends and supervisors to personally express their pride and congratulations for honorees. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emilee Seiler)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9594670-e1775674254609.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/boom-operator-two-dfcs\/)\n\n[Air Force](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/air-force\/)\n\n[A boom operator on an Air Force tanker earned two DFCs for combat flights](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/boom-operator-two-dfcs\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/), [Matt White](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/matt-white\/)\n\n[![Air Force bonus](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Air-Force-Bonus.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/air-force-bonuses-2026\/)\n\n[Air Force](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/air-force\/)\n\n[Air Force offers up to \\$50,000 annual bonuses to keep aviators in the service](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/air-force-bonuses-2026\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n## More in Indo-Pacific\n[![Medals of Honor March 2026](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Medals-of-Honor-Feb-2026.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/medal-of-honor-ollis-richardson-edmonds\/)\n\n[These 3 soldiers will be awarded Medals of Honor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/medal-of-honor-ollis-richardson-edmonds\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Bill would honor vets of Bataan and other early WWII battles](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/army-alaska-1.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/gold-medal-pacific-battle-attu\/)\n\n[Bill would honor vets of Bataan and other early WWII battles](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/gold-medal-pacific-battle-attu\/)\n\nBy [Patty Nieberg](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/patty-nieberg\/)\n\n[![U.S. Marines with 12th Littoral Combat Team, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, prepare to execute a live-fire platoon attack on Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 12, 2026. Live-fire training increases Marines’ marksmanship skills, strengthening small-unit leadership and overall combat readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Lucas Lu)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Marines-Deployed-To-Okinawa.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-okinawa-china-2026\/)\n\n[Experts warn moving Marines away from Okinawa would play into China’s hands](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-okinawa-china-2026\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Image: Two U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, hold a security posture on the firing line with a M249 Machine Gun in a Counter Landing live-fire exercise, in support of Exercise Balikatan 25, at Aparri, Cagayan Valley, Philippines, May 3, 2025. This exercise enhanced combined readiness by training U.S. and Philippine forces to counter a simulated adversary assault on key maritime terrain. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brenden Delgado) ](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/9020409.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/army-rotational-force-philippines\/)\n\n[Army reveals new rotational force in the Philippines](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/army-rotational-force-philippines\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/)\n\n[![China's aircraft carriers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Chinas-Aircraft-Carriers.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/tech-tactics\/china-navy-aircraft-carriers\/)\n\n[China’s navy flexes muscles with new flattops](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/tech-tactics\/china-navy-aircraft-carriers\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Lt. Col. Joshua Simms, executive officer for the 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment, stands before the unit at the beginning of the activation ceremony November 7, 2025, at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The activation ceremony of 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment marks a strategic shift in the Army’s ability to gain and maintain information advantage to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army Photo by Russell K. Dodson)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/251107-A-NV268-1001.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/army-pacific-disinformation-unit\/)\n\n[Why the Army set up a counter-disinformation unit in the Pacific](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/army-pacific-disinformation-unit\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/)\n\n[![Reaper](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/01\/Reaper.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-drones-south-china-sea\/)\n\n[Marines send Reaper drone unit to South China Sea](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-drones-south-china-sea\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/)\n\n[![250730-N-IP140-1119 U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (July 30, 2025) An F\/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during flight operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (Official U.S. Navy photo)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9232793.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/navy-nimitz-fa18-helicopter-crash\/)\n\n[Two USS Nimitz aircraft crash within an hour in separate mishaps](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/navy-nimitz-fa18-helicopter-crash\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/indo-pacific\/)\n\n## More in Around the World\n[![Medals of Honor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Medals-of-Honor.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/military-medals-of-honor-2026\/)\n\n[Trump awards Medals of Honor to Maduro raid and Korean War pilots](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/military-medals-of-honor-2026\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/OllisMoHAnnouncement-Final.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/army-michael-ollis-medal-of-honor\/)\n\n[Soldier who died saving Polish officer in Afghanistan to receive Medal of Honor, family says](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/army-michael-ollis-medal-of-honor\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Royce Williams](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Medal-of-Honor-Law-2025.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/royce-williams-medal-of-honor\/)\n\n[Navy pilot to receive Medal of Honor nearly 75 years after shooting down 4 MiGs](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/royce-williams-medal-of-honor\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Kyle Carpenter Ship](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kyle-Carpenter-Ship-copy.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/navy-kyle-carpenter-ship\/)\n\n[Navy destroyer named for Marine Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/navy-kyle-carpenter-ship\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Ranger legend Col. Ralph Puckett honored at U.S. Capitol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/29\/8354869-scaled.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/col-ralph-puckett-honored-in-capitol\/)\n\n[Ranger legend Col. Ralph Puckett honored at U.S. Capitol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/col-ralph-puckett-honored-in-capitol\/)\n\nBy [Patty Nieberg](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/patty-nieberg\/)\n\n[![Marine Drill Instructors and Recruiters among special duty award winners](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/14\/MOY-scaled.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-corps-special-duty-awards\/)\n\n[Marine Drill Instructors and Recruiters among special duty award winners](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-corps-special-duty-awards\/)\n\nBy [Patty Nieberg](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/patty-nieberg\/)\n\n[![Navy Seaman 1st Class James R. Ward, of Springfield, Ohio, was killed on Dec. 7, 1941 when he stayed aboard the sinking USS Oklahoma to help fellow crewmen escape. He will be buried Dec. 21 in Arlington National Cemetery.](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/07\/PearlHarborMedalOfHonor.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/sailor-medal-of-honor-pearl-harbor\/)\n\n[Sailor awarded Medal of Honor for Pearl Harbor heroism identified by DNA](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/sailor-medal-of-honor-pearl-harbor\/)\n\nBy [Patty Nieberg](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/patty-nieberg\/)\n\n[![Army’s first M10 Booker, ‘Another Episode,’ christened by families of soldiers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/18\/Another-Episode.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/booker-tank-ceremony\/)\n\n[Army’s first M10 Booker, ‘Another Episode,’ christened by families of soldiers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/history\/booker-tank-ceremony\/)\n\nBy [Patty Nieberg](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/patty-nieberg\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/around-the-world\/)\n\n## More in News\n[![Japes Capers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Maj-Capers-courtesy-photo.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-medal-of-honor\/)\n\n[Legendary Recon Marine could finally get the Medal of Honor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-medal-of-honor\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![A painting by Charles Waterhouse of Marine Capt. John W. Ripley, who braved enemy fire for more than three hours planting explosives on the Dong Ha Bridge on April 2, 1972. Congress cleared the way last month for Ripley to receive the Medal of Honor.](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ripley-e1772744134118.png?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-john-ripley-medal-of-honor\/)\n\n[Marine who crawled under bridge to plant explosives approved for Medal of Honor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-john-ripley-medal-of-honor\/)\n\nBy [Matt White](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/matt-white\/)\n\n[![Japes Capers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Maj-Capers-courtesy-photo.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-trump-medal-honor\/)\n\n[A legendary Marine doesn’t have the Medal of Honor. Veterans want to change that.](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marine-trump-medal-honor\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Medal of Honor Roddie Edmonds](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Roddie-Edmonds-Medal-of-Honor-1.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/roddie-edmonds-medal-of-honor\/)\n\n[Soldier who shielded Jewish POWs from guards will receive Medal of Honor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/roddie-edmonds-medal-of-honor\/)\n\nBy [Matt White](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/matt-white\/), [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![The Medal of Honor.](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/original-e1764969259457.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/military-life\/medal-of-honor-pension-increase\/)\n\n[Under new law, Medal of Honor recipients will receive \\$67,500 annual stipend](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/military-life\/medal-of-honor-pension-increase\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/)\n\n[![Marine Drill Instructor of the Year](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Drill-Instructor.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-top-drill-instructor\/)\n\n[Marine Corps’ top drill instructor explains the correct way to yell at recruits](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/marines-top-drill-instructor\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[![Image: Col. Daniel Voorhies, 341st Missile Wing commander, pins 20th Air Force’s first-ever Air Medal on Maj. Collin Urbanowicz, 341st Medical Group aeromedical physician assistant, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Nov. 20, 2025. The Air Medal recognizes meritorious achievement or heroism during aerial flight, acknowledging performance beyond standard expectations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Bowers) ](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/9404476.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/malmstrom-air-medal-mountain-rescue\/)\n\n[Malmstrom airman awarded Air Medal for mountain rescue](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/malmstrom-air-medal-mountain-rescue\/)\n\nBy [Nicholas Slayton](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/nicholas-slayton\/)\n\n[![Royce Williams](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Medal-of-Honor-Law-2025.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/medal-of-honor-veterans\/)\n\n[Proposed law would open the door for more troops to be awarded the Medal of Honor](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/medal-of-honor-veterans\/)\n\nBy [Jeff Schogol](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/authors\/jeff-schogol\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/news\/)\n\n[![White Task & Purpose logo](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tap-logo-white-footer.svg?quality=85&w=128&h=55&crop=1)](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/)\n\n## Get Task & Purpose in your inbox\nSign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning.\n\nBy signing up you agree to our [Terms of Service](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/).\n\n- [Got a tip?](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/got-a-tip\/)\n- [About](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/about-task-purpose\/)\n- [Video](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/task-and-purpose-video\/)\n- [Merch](https:\/\/store.taskandpurpose.com\/)\n\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/sitemap\/)\n- [Terms and Conditions](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n## FOLLOW US\n### DISCLAIMER(S)\nArticles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.  \n Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.  \n © 2026 [Recurrent](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/). All rights reserved.\n\n[Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information]().\n\n- [News](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/news\/)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/culture\/)\n- [Mandatory Fun](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/mandatory-fun\/)\n- [Military Life](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/military-life\/)\n- [History](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/history\/)\n- [Tech & Tactics](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/category\/tech-tactics\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"![Japes Capers](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Maj-Capers-courtesy-photo.jpg?quality=85&w=1600)\n\nJames Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds.   Photo courtesy of James Capers Jr.\n\nA legendary Reconnaissance Marine who saved his nine-man team during an ambush in South Vietnam is one step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor.\n\nThe Senate has passed a bill that would waive the award’s time requirement for retired Maj. James Capers Jr., who was shot twice and suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and other injuries during the April 1967 ambush. Not only did Capers lead his team to safety, but he twice tried to get out of the helicopter carrying the rest of his teammates so that it would be light enough to take off, and had to be pulled back inside by his men.\n\nAuthored by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), [the legislation](https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/3377) authorizes President Donald Trump to award the Medal of Honor to Capers and cleared the Senate on Tuesday. It is now headed to the White House.\n\nUnder current policy, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the date of action. If someone is recommended for the medal after that point, there has to be new information about the day or days in question, or they need a waiver through Congress.\n\n### Top Stories This Week\nSpeaking to Task & Purpose on Wednesday, Capers, 88, said he was “delighted” that the Senate had passed the bill.\n\n“I will tell you: This really isn’t about me,” Capers said. It’s about the men who didn’t make it home, my troops that followed me.”\n\nNorman issued [a statement](https:\/\/norman.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3415) following the bill’s passage, praising Capers for “risking everything to save his fellow Marines while severely wounded” during the Vietnam War.\n\n“His heroism has been known for decades, but the recognition he deserves has been far too long in coming,” Norman said in the statement.\n\nCapers is the first Black Marine to lead a reconnaissance company and to [receive a battlefield commission.](https:\/\/news.va.gov\/116383\/veteranoftheday-marine-james-capers\/) The 1967 ambush began when hidden explosives detonated. Capers suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body and a broken leg.\n\n![James Capers Jr.](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/James-Capers-Jr.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=1920)\n\nThe Senate has passed a bill authorizing President Trump to award the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada.\n\nDespite his wounds, he ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Then, even after losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone. When a helicopter landed, Capers refused to get on board unless the crew took the body of the team’s military working dog.\n\nCapers was originally awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism, which was [upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010.](https:\/\/www.marsoc.marines.mil\/COMMSTRAT\/News\/Article\/Article\/513731\/force-recon-marines-awarded-for-valor-43-years-later\/)\n\nMilitary veterans have long advocated for Capers to receive the U.S. military’s highest military award for valor. Last year, 133 retired senior enlisted leaders signed a letter written by retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia that urged Trump to award Capers the Medal of Honor. Battaglia served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015.\n\n“I’m grateful to finally see his heroism, gallantry, and courage in combat appropriately recognized. Jim Capers is the epitome of an American Warrior,” Battaglia told Task & Purpose on Wednesday.\n\n## Get Task & Purpose in your inbox\nSign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning.\n\nPast efforts to have Capers’ Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor faced bureaucratic obstacles, said Brooks Tucker, a former Department of Veterans Affairs official who has been working with lawmakers on the issue.\n\n“The argument that was given by the administrative side of the Navy is we don’t have any ‘new information’ to justify looking at this award again,” Tucker, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is currently a commissioner on the American Battle Monuments Commission, told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “We simply said to people: Look at this logically; this makes no sense. And enough people who mattered looked at this and said, ‘Yeah it makes sense to me. I don’t know why we need any new information. We have it all here. We’ve had it since 1967. We’ve had it since 2009.’ So that’s how we ended up where we are today. We just basically beat the bushes with common sense, with illustrations of fact, and we rebuffed the bureaucratic answer.”\n\n![](https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250319-N-ML799-1660K.jpeg?quality=85&w=300)\n\n### Task & Purpose Video\nEach week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	James Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds. Photo courtesy of James Capers Jr. A legendary Reconnaissance Marine who saved his nine-man team during an ambush in South Vietnam is one step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor. The Senate has passed a bill that would waive the award’s time requirement for retired Maj. James Capers Jr., who was shot twice and suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and other injuries during the April 1967 ambush. Not only did Capers lead his team to safety, but he twice tried to get out of the helicopter carrying the rest of his teammates so that it would be light enough to take off, and had to be pulled back inside by his men. Authored by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), the legislation authorizes President Donald Trump to award the Medal of Honor to Capers and cleared the Senate on Tuesday. It is now headed to the White House. Under current policy, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the date of action. If someone is recommended for the medal after that point, there has to be new information about the day or days in question, or they need a waiver through Congress. Top Stories This Week Speaking to Task & Purpose on Wednesday, Capers, 88, said he was “delighted” that the Senate had passed the bill. “I will tell you: This really isn’t about me,” Capers said. It’s about the men who didn’t make it home, my troops that followed me.” Norman issued a statement following the bill’s passage, praising Capers for “risking everything to save his fellow Marines while severely wounded” during the Vietnam War. “His heroism has been known for decades, but the recognition he deserves has been far too long in coming,” Norman said in the statement. Capers is the first Black Marine to lead a reconnaissance company and to receive a battlefield commission. The 1967 ambush began when hidden explosives detonated. Capers suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body and a broken leg. The Senate has passed a bill authorizing President Trump to award the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada. Despite his wounds, he ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Then, even after losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone. When a helicopter landed, Capers refused to get on board unless the crew took the body of the team’s military working dog. Capers was originally awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism, which was upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010. Military veterans have long advocated for Capers to receive the U.S. military’s highest military award for valor. Last year, 133 retired senior enlisted leaders signed a letter written by retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia that urged Trump to award Capers the Medal of Honor. Battaglia served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015. “I’m grateful to finally see his heroism, gallantry, and courage in combat appropriately recognized. Jim Capers is the epitome of an American Warrior,” Battaglia told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. Get Task & Purpose in your inbox Sign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning. Past efforts to have Capers’ Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor faced bureaucratic obstacles, said Brooks Tucker, a former Department of Veterans Affairs official who has been working with lawmakers on the issue. “The argument that was given by the administrative side of the Navy is we don’t have any ‘new information’ to justify looking at this award again,” Tucker, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is currently a commissioner on the American Battle Monuments Commission, told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “We simply said to people: Look at this logically; this makes no sense. And enough people who mattered looked at this and said, ‘Yeah it makes sense to me. I don’t know why we need any new information. We have it all here. We’ve had it since 1967. We’ve had it since 2009.’ So that’s how we ended up where we are today. We just basically beat the bushes with common sense, with illustrations of fact, and we rebuffed the bureaucratic answer.” Task & Purpose Video Each week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine.
Markdown	[![Task & Purpose Logo](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/logo-black.svg?quality=85)](https://taskandpurpose.com/) [![Task & Purpose Logo](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/logo-black.svg?quality=85)](https://taskandpurpose.com/) - [News](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/news/) - [Analysis](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/analysis/) - [Military Branches](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/military-branches/) - [Opinion](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/opinion/) - [Around the World](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/around-the-world/) - [Pentagon Rundown](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/the-pentagon-rundown/) - [Culture](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/culture/) - [Entertainment](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/entertainment/) - [Humor](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/humor/) - [Mandatory Fun](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/mandatory-fun/) - [Military Life](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/military-life/) - [Active Duty](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/active-duty/) - [Enlisting](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/enlisting/) - [Resources](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/resources/) - [Veterans](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/veterans/) - [Career Center](https://taskandpurpose.com/sponsored-content/recruitmilitary-career-center/) - [History](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/history/) - [Historical Figures](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/historical-figures/) - [Past Conflicts](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/past-conflicts/) - [Tech & Tactics](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/tech-tactics/) - [Aircraft](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/aircraft/) - [Ships](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/ships/) - [Tactics](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/tactics/) - [Vehicles](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/vehicles/) - [Weapons](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/weapons/) - [Video](https://taskandpurpose.com/task-and-purpose-video/) - [Merch](https://store.taskandpurpose.com/) - [Got a tip?](https://taskandpurpose.com/got-a-tip/) [News](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/news/) [Around the World](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/around-the-world/) [Indo-Pacific](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/indo-pacific/) # Senate authorizes Trump to award Recon Marine the Medal of Honor The Senate has passed a bill to clear the way for retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism during a 1967 ambush in Vietnam. By [Jeff Schogol](https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/) Published Mar 4, 2026 11:48 AM EST [Add Task & Purpose (opens in a new tab)](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=taskandpurpose.com) Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. ![Japes Capers](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Maj-Capers-courtesy-photo.jpg?quality=85&w=1600) James Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds. Photo courtesy of James Capers Jr. A legendary Reconnaissance Marine who saved his nine-man team during an ambush in South Vietnam is one step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor. The Senate has passed a bill that would waive the award’s time requirement for retired Maj. James Capers Jr., who was shot twice and suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and other injuries during the April 1967 ambush. Not only did Capers lead his team to safety, but he twice tried to get out of the helicopter carrying the rest of his teammates so that it would be light enough to take off, and had to be pulled back inside by his men. Authored by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), [the legislation](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3377) authorizes President Donald Trump to award the Medal of Honor to Capers and cleared the Senate on Tuesday. It is now headed to the White House. Under current policy, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the date of action. If someone is recommended for the medal after that point, there has to be new information about the day or days in question, or they need a waiver through Congress. ### Top Stories This Week - [News](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/news/) [Marines remain the few, the proud, the skinny under new standards](https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marines-height-weight-ratio/) By [Jeff Schogol](https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/) - [News](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/news/) [Air Guard and Reserve troops say new Air Force rules add to confusion over benefits](https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-line-of-duty-health-care/) By [David Roza](https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/david-roza/) - [Military Life](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/military-life/) [Pentagon issues standards for barracks that all services must meet](https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/military-barracks-standards/) By [Jeff Schogol](https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/) Speaking to Task & Purpose on Wednesday, Capers, 88, said he was “delighted” that the Senate had passed the bill. “I will tell you: This really isn’t about me,” Capers said. It’s about the men who didn’t make it home, my troops that followed me.” Norman issued [a statement](https://norman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3415) following the bill’s passage, praising Capers for “risking everything to save his fellow Marines while severely wounded” during the Vietnam War. “His heroism has been known for decades, but the recognition he deserves has been far too long in coming,” Norman said in the statement. Capers is the first Black Marine to lead a reconnaissance company and to [receive a battlefield commission.](https://news.va.gov/116383/veteranoftheday-marine-james-capers/) The 1967 ambush began when hidden explosives detonated. Capers suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body and a broken leg. ![James Capers Jr.](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/James-Capers-Jr.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=1920) The Senate has passed a bill authorizing President Trump to award the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada. Despite his wounds, he ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Then, even after losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone. When a helicopter landed, Capers refused to get on board unless the crew took the body of the team’s military working dog. Capers was originally awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism, which was [upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010.](https://www.marsoc.marines.mil/COMMSTRAT/News/Article/Article/513731/force-recon-marines-awarded-for-valor-43-years-later/) Military veterans have long advocated for Capers to receive the U.S. military’s highest military award for valor. Last year, 133 retired senior enlisted leaders signed a letter written by retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia that urged Trump to award Capers the Medal of Honor. Battaglia served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015. “I’m grateful to finally see his heroism, gallantry, and courage in combat appropriately recognized. Jim Capers is the epitome of an American Warrior,” Battaglia told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. ## Get Task & Purpose in your inbox Sign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning. By signing up you agree to our [Terms of Service](https://recurrent.io/terms-and-conditions/) and [Privacy Policy](https://recurrent.io/privacy-policy/). Past efforts to have Capers’ Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor faced bureaucratic obstacles, said Brooks Tucker, a former Department of Veterans Affairs official who has been working with lawmakers on the issue. “The argument that was given by the administrative side of the Navy is we don’t have any ‘new information’ to justify looking at this award again,” Tucker, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is currently a commissioner on the American Battle Monuments Commission, told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “We simply said to people: Look at this logically; this makes no sense. And enough people who mattered looked at this and said, ‘Yeah it makes sense to me. I don’t know why we need any new information. We have it all here. We’ve had it since 1967. We’ve had it since 2009.’ So that’s how we ended up where we are today. We just basically beat the bushes with common sense, with illustrations of fact, and we rebuffed the bureaucratic answer.” ![](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/250319-N-ML799-1660K.jpeg?quality=85&w=300) ### Task & Purpose Video Each week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine. [Watch Here](https://taskandpurpose.com/task-and-purpose-video/) [![Jeff Schogol Avatar](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/24/Screen-Shot-2022-02-24-at-5.00.10-PM.png?quality=85&w=102&h=102&crop=1)](https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/) ## [Jeff Schogol](https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/) ### Senior Pentagon Reporter Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He has covered the military for nearly 20 years. Email him at schogol@taskandpurpose.com or direct message @JSchogol73030 on Twitter. *** - [History](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/history/) - [Military Life](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/military-life/) - [Past Conflicts](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/past-conflicts/) - [Veterans](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/veterans/) - [Vietnam War](https://taskandpurpose.com/category/vietnam-war/) ## Trending [![Team Fairchild Airmen congratulate U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Stallings, 93rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator, during a decoration ceremony at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, March 31, 2026. The receiving line following an official ceremony allows family, friends and supervisors to personally express their pride and congratulations for honorees. 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Readable Markdown	![Japes Capers](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Maj-Capers-courtesy-photo.jpg?quality=85&w=1600) James Capers Jr. led a small reconnaissance team through an ambush in Vietnam even though he had more than a dozen shrapnel and bullet wounds. Photo courtesy of James Capers Jr. A legendary Reconnaissance Marine who saved his nine-man team during an ambush in South Vietnam is one step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor. The Senate has passed a bill that would waive the award’s time requirement for retired Maj. James Capers Jr., who was shot twice and suffered 17 shrapnel wounds and other injuries during the April 1967 ambush. Not only did Capers lead his team to safety, but he twice tried to get out of the helicopter carrying the rest of his teammates so that it would be light enough to take off, and had to be pulled back inside by his men. Authored by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), [the legislation](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3377) authorizes President Donald Trump to award the Medal of Honor to Capers and cleared the Senate on Tuesday. It is now headed to the White House. Under current policy, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the date of action. If someone is recommended for the medal after that point, there has to be new information about the day or days in question, or they need a waiver through Congress. ### Top Stories This Week Speaking to Task & Purpose on Wednesday, Capers, 88, said he was “delighted” that the Senate had passed the bill. “I will tell you: This really isn’t about me,” Capers said. It’s about the men who didn’t make it home, my troops that followed me.” Norman issued [a statement](https://norman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3415) following the bill’s passage, praising Capers for “risking everything to save his fellow Marines while severely wounded” during the Vietnam War. “His heroism has been known for decades, but the recognition he deserves has been far too long in coming,” Norman said in the statement. Capers is the first Black Marine to lead a reconnaissance company and to [receive a battlefield commission.](https://news.va.gov/116383/veteranoftheday-marine-james-capers/) The 1967 ambush began when hidden explosives detonated. Capers suffered shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and other parts of his body and a broken leg. ![James Capers Jr.](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/James-Capers-Jr.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=1920) The Senate has passed a bill authorizing President Trump to award the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada. Despite his wounds, he ordered a mortar strike on the team’s position to keep the enemy at bay. Then, even after losing a significant amount of blood and being administered morphine, he led his team to a helicopter landing zone. When a helicopter landed, Capers refused to get on board unless the crew took the body of the team’s military working dog. Capers was originally awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism, which was [upgraded to the Silver Star in 2010.](https://www.marsoc.marines.mil/COMMSTRAT/News/Article/Article/513731/force-recon-marines-awarded-for-valor-43-years-later/) Military veterans have long advocated for Capers to receive the U.S. military’s highest military award for valor. Last year, 133 retired senior enlisted leaders signed a letter written by retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia that urged Trump to award Capers the Medal of Honor. Battaglia served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015. “I’m grateful to finally see his heroism, gallantry, and courage in combat appropriately recognized. Jim Capers is the epitome of an American Warrior,” Battaglia told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. ## Get Task & Purpose in your inbox Sign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning. Past efforts to have Capers’ Silver Star upgraded to the Medal of Honor faced bureaucratic obstacles, said Brooks Tucker, a former Department of Veterans Affairs official who has been working with lawmakers on the issue. “The argument that was given by the administrative side of the Navy is we don’t have any ‘new information’ to justify looking at this award again,” Tucker, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is currently a commissioner on the American Battle Monuments Commission, told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. “We simply said to people: Look at this logically; this makes no sense. And enough people who mattered looked at this and said, ‘Yeah it makes sense to me. I don’t know why we need any new information. We have it all here. We’ve had it since 1967. We’ve had it since 2009.’ So that’s how we ended up where we are today. We just basically beat the bushes with common sense, with illustrations of fact, and we rebuffed the bureaucratic answer.” ![](https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/250319-N-ML799-1660K.jpeg?quality=85&w=300) ### Task & Purpose Video Each week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine.
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