President Joe Biden is awarding the Medal of Honor to seven U.S. service members, six of them posthumously.
The Medal of Honor is given to members of the military who demonstrate conspicuous bravery or self-sacrifice, risking their own lives against enemies of the United States or other opposing armed forces.
Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth J. David was awarded the medal Friday, while Private Bruno R. Orig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred B. McGee, Private First Class Charles R. Johnson, retired General Richard E. Cavazos and Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. all received posthumous awards.
Kenneth J. David was then a Private First Class who served as a radio-telephone operator during the Vietnam War.
On May 7, 1970, David engaged a superior enemy force to draw their fire away from wounded comrades. He was wounded by a satchel charge himself but continued to draw enemy fire until medevac helicopters were able to land.
Private Bruno R. Orig served with Company G, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in the Korean War.
On February 15, 1951, Orig rendered first aid to injured comrades and then manned a machine gun to engage enemy positions to cover the friendly evacuation. He was later found dead beside the gun when friendly forces reclaimed the territory.
Private First Class Wataru Nakamura served with Company I, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in the Korean War.
On May 18, 1951, when friendly positions came under attack, Nakamura charged with a fixed bayonet to destroy an enemy machine gun emplacement and clear out enemy-held bunkers. He then rearmed himself with the help of comrades and charged the bunker positions again, where he was killed by a grenade.
Corporal Fred B. McGee served as a light machine gunner in a weapons squad during the Korean War.
On June 16, 1952, McGee provided cover fire for friendly assault troops despite being under machine gun and mortar fire himself. McGee took command of his squad when its leader was wounded, and later ordered his comrades to withdraw while he stayed behind to evacuate the wounded and the dead.
Private First Class Charles R. Johnson served with Company B, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during the Korean War.
On the night of June 11, 1953, Johnson was injured but continued to provide first aid to comrades during an assault on their entrenched position. To protect wounded comrades he held off Chinese troops outside a secure bunker. He was killed in action on June 12, 1953.
Then-First Lieutenant Richard E. Cavazos served as the Company Commander, Company E, 2d Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during the Korean War.
On June 14, 1953, Cavazos led multiple charges against entrenched enemy positions, through active barrages. He then evacuated casualties and directed scattered troops to safety. Cavazos served for 30 more years and retired as a Four-Star General in 1984. He died aged 88 on October 29, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas.
Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. served as a member of the 114th Aviation Company (Airmobile Light) during the Vietnam War.
On June 5, 1966, when his helicopter was downed by enemy fire, Nelson evacuated the crew, shielding at least one of them with his own body from enemy small arms fire, which killed him. The rest of the evacuated crew were able to signal for a rescue.
