National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to honor one of the greatest heroes our country has ever seen in combat: Major James Capers from Lee County, South Carolina.

Many may not know the story of Major Capers, but his heroic actions during the Vietnam war led him to become the first Black Marine Corps officer nominated for the Medal of Honor, where he ultimately received the Silver Star.

He is not only a hero because of his service in the Marine Corps but also for his unwavering service in the special operations community. Born in Bishopville, South Carolina, during the era of Jim Crow, Major Capers willingly enlisted in the military to serve a nation that did not always have his best interests at heart. That, in itself, is heroism.

After his enlistment, Major Capers was soon selected to join the elite Force Recon Marine Unit, where he excelled. He became the first African American to get a battlefield commission in the Marine Corps Force Recon and was promoted from staff sergeant to second lieutenant, giving him control over the unit.

He is a natural leader. He is a father figure to Team Broadminded, a specialized group of Force Recon Marines. Capers and Team Broadminded were routinely selected to go to the most dangerous and clandestine missions in Vietnam.

Serving in five major campaigns in Vietnam, Major Capers' missions included a POW rescue ordered by President Johnson, amphibious assaults in the DMZ, recovery of a B-57 rumored to have nuclear bombs, and search and destroy patrols in Phu Loc. Team Broadminded conducted these covert missions and countless more, many of which nearly took the life of Major Capers.

In the fall of 1967, still recovering from combat injuries, Major Capers was selected to represent the United States Marines in a national recruiting campaign. A trailblazer for African Americans in the Marine Corps, Major Capers' image, his picture, became the Marine Corps' most popular recruiting campaign.

Sadly, Mr. Capers lost his wife and son to cancer, both of whom are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He still regularly receives visits from his fellow soldiers and other young marines and has served as a mentor for decades in the Marines' special forces community.

Major Capers is soft-spoken. His commendations offer an inspiring view of heroism and self-sacrifice. He was nominated for the Medal of Honor. He has been awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and three Purple Hearts.

Major Capers exemplifies what it truly means to be a hero. It is not the medals but someone who stares adversity in its face and is willing to sacrifice his own life for those of his brothers next to him.

It is my hope that every person of future generations can see and hear the story and be willing to do what he has done, which is to be a hero.

For these reasons, I have offered two amendments to this NDAA. The first would authorize the President to award Major James Capers, Jr., the Medal of Honor for his acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam war. The second amendment would establish that it is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Navy shall name a vessel of the United States Navy the USS Major James Capers, Jr.

Mr. Chairman, it is my honor and privilege to recognize a true American hero, Major James Capers.

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