Retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr., a Bishopville, South Carolina, native now living in Jacksonville, North Carolina, is one presidential signature away from finally receiving the Medal of Honor for a Vietnam War reconnaissance mission that nearly killed him while he was saving his team.
Congress has advanced a rare private bill to make it happen, after years of pressure from veterans, lawmakers and former Marines who served with him. Capers survived a brutal 1967 ambush near Phu Loc that left him gravely wounded as he fought to pull his men out alive.
Authorization Bill Clears Congress
The private measure, H.R. 3377, passed the House on Feb. 3, according to Congress.gov, and cleared the Senate by unanimous consent on March 3, according to the Senate. The unusual step of approving a private act waives statutory time limits that would normally block such an award so long after the war.
Supporters say the move is the result of years of work to fix what they see as a long-standing oversight, with veterans, members of Congress and former members of Capers' unit all pushing to clear the legal roadblocks.
The Phu Loc Mission Laid Out In Eyewitness Accounts
Eyewitness statements and a congressional recommendation packet describe a four-day reconnaissance mission from March 31 to April 3, 1967, near Phu Loc in Quang Tri Province. During that operation, then-2nd Lt. Capers led a nine-man team, call sign Team Broadminded, that ran into a numerically superior North Vietnamese force and fought through multiple ambushes.
The documents, compiled by the office of Rep. Ralph Norman as part of a Feb. 12, 2025, recommendation, describe how Capers directed suppressive fire, called in artillery and air strikes dangerously close to his own position, refused to be evacuated until his Marines were safe, and even tried to sacrifice himself during helicopter loading so his men could get out.
The narrative and sworn statements in that packet became the backbone of lawmakers' effort to overcome the statutory time limit blocking the Medal of Honor.
Decorations, Wounds And The Long Recovery
Capers is regarded as one of the most decorated Marines of the Vietnam War. His record includes two Bronze Stars for combat valor, one of which was later upgraded to a Silver Star, along with three Purple Hearts and a slate of other awards.
The Marine Corps notes that Capers was formally presented a Silver Star in 2010 during a ceremony recognizing Force Recon Marines who fought in the Phu Loc operation. According to the service, Team Broadminded engaged the enemy seven times over the course of that mission, and Capers absorbed heavy shrapnel and gunshot wounds while making sure his Marines could evacuate.
Capers' Own Words And Persistent Advocacy
Now 88, Capers told WBTV that the memories of the fighting "keep me awake at night" and recalled yelling, "Get my team out of here and leave me behind" while he was wounded on the battlefield.
On Capitol Hill, supporters circulated a Feb. 12, 2025, recommendation, and roughly four dozen lawmakers signed a bipartisan letter urging the president to act, according to Rep. Ralph Norman. Veterans organizations and retired service members have also written to the White House and senior Defense officials in recent months to press Capers' case.
What Comes Next
If President Trump signs H.R. 3377, Capers would formally receive the Medal of Honor, and a presentation ceremony would likely be arranged that includes his family and any surviving members of Team Broadminded.
Veterans groups have already cheered Congress' action. Vietnam Veterans of America called the final passage of the bill "a correction of a historic wrong" and noted that the measure "now heads to President Trump's desk" in a March 5, 2026, release. The timing of any ceremony will depend on the White House schedule and coordination with the Pentagon.
