WASHINGTON, DC — Thursday, President Donald Trump recognized nearly 100 Purple Heart recipients, including a Baltimore veteran.
President Trump honors nearly 100 Purple Heart recipients in White House reception.
Major James Capers, Jr., was among those honored on National Purple Heart Day.
Major Capers served in Vietnam and earned three Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, and two Bronze Stars with "V" for valor.
WMAR-2 News spoke to Major Capers in 2016 as part of our Voice for Veterans series.
According to Major Capers' biography, he led more than 60 high-risk missions. He became the first Black Marine to command a Reconnaissance company and broke barriers when featured in the Marine Corps' 1967 national recruitment campaign. He later served in classified operations during the Cold War.
Major Capers, who was born in South Carolina but moved to Baltimore, was inducted into the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Commando Hall of Honor in 2010.
National Purple Heart Day is marked annually on August 7th.
The Purple Heart is the oldest military award still in use. It's awarded to service members who are killed or wounded while engaging in enemy action or as a result of acts of terrorism.
According to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, more than 1.8 million medals have been presented since the award's inception in 1782.
WMAR-2 News Cyera Williams is your Voice for Veterans reporter. On Purple Heart Day, she shared the story of Chad Baker, a Purple Heart recipient wounded in the Iraq War.