Major James Capers Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps for over two decades, completing more than 60 missions. In 1967, he led a nine-man reconnaissance team in the battle of Phu Loc, Vietnam, as a Second Lieutenant, in which he sustained 17 wounds.
With his team outnumbered, and himself badly wounded, Capers was able to maintain command of the situation and safely direct his team to a helicopter extraction site days later.
For his bravery and support, Capers was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump at the White House last month, becoming the first African-American Marine Corps Commissioned Officer to receive the honor.
Last night at City Hall, this accomplishment was praised by city officials and residents alike, as as member of Wilmington’s Planning Commission Jack Pollock, who also helped facilitate the presentation, cited the medal’s significance.
“When a Medal of Honor recipient enters the room, all members of the military, including the President of the United States as Commander in Chief, are required to stand and render the appropriate salute and recognition, " Pollock said. "As at that point, that individual is regarded as the highest-ranking individual in the room.”
After completion of his service, Capers went on to become Vice President of Jefferson Pilot Insurance in Wilmington and became the first African-American to purchase a radio station in the city, known as WWIL 1490 AM.
Capers talked about what it means for him and his fellow veterans to call Wilmington their home.
“You give us something that I lost along the way, but when I come home, I feel like I'm part of something again. So thank you for allowing me to come home again, and you've been very kind to the old warrior,” Capers said.
The 89-year-old vet noted, he’s not so sure he deserves the recognition, but accepts it on behalf of the men he fought beside. And with that, the crowd let out a hearty, "oorah!"
