Two American Heroes: The Medal of Honor at the State of the Union

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. It is awarded only to service members who demonstrate “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”

During the most recent State of the Union address, the nation paused to recognize two such men. In a rare moment during the speech, the Medal of Honor was presented to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover of the U.S. Army and Captain Elmer “Royce” Williams of the U.S. Navy (Ret.)—one for heroism in a modern special operations mission, and the other for a legendary act of courage in the skies over Korea more than seventy years ago.

Their stories span two very different eras of American warfare, but they reveal the same timeless truth: courage does not belong to one generation.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover: Courage Under Fire

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover is a helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)—known as the Night Stalkers, perhaps the bravest and most technically capable pilots in the entire world. They are responsible for areial infiltration for Special Mission Units within JSOC, the most famous perhaps being Operation Neptune Spear where the Night Stalkers flew DEVGRU into Pakistan to eliminate Osama bin Laden.

During Operation Absolute Resolve—the raid to abduct Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro—Slover piloted the lead MH-47 Chinook helicopter carrying American forces into hostile territory. As the aircraft approached the objective, it came under intense machine-gun fire.

Slover was hit four times—suffering severe wounds to his leg and hip. Yet despite his wounds, he refused to relinquish control of the aircraft. Bleeding heavily, he continued

flying and successfully landed the helicopter, allowing the assault force to complete its mission and saving the lives of the soldiers on board. Below is his MOH Citation:

Chief Warrant Officer Five Eric A. Slover distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, on January 3, 2026, during a mission in Venezuela, in support of Operation Absolute Resolve. Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover piloted his MH-47 as the lead aircraft of the operation, tasked with executing a highly complex infiltration through hostile Integrated Air Defense Systems to safely deliver military forces.

During ingress, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover skillfully led the helicopter force through a dense jungle valley in a mountainous region, navigating marginal weather conditions, numerous topographical hazards, and near insurmountable surface to air threats. Upon touching down at the designated landing zone, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover’s aircraft was immediately engaged by multiple machine gun positions at close range.

The hostile fire resulted in 15 armor-piercing rounds entering his cockpit, with four rounds striking his leg. Despite the intense and effective enemy fire, and at great personal risk, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover maintained his situational awareness and aircraft’s position in the line of fire to ensure the safe infiltration of the military forces.

After the force disembarked, and despite suffering significant life-threatening injuries, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover identified hostile heavy machine gun positions that were engaging his aircraft and targeting the ground forces. He maneuvered his aircraft to enable his door gunner to deliver effective fire, successfully neutralizing the threats.

Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover’s heroic actions undoubtedly saved countless American lives and ensured the complete and overwhelming success of the mission. His gallantry under fire and extraordinary valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Captain Royce Williams: The Forgotten Ace of Korea

While Slover represents heroism in modern warfare, Captain Royce Williams represents the long memory of American valor.

Williams, now over 100 years old, was a naval aviator during the Korean War. For decades his story remained largely classified. But history eventually revealed what happened during one extraordinary mission.

In November 1952, Williams launched from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany in an F9F Panther fighter jet. During the patrol he encountered a formation of Soviet MiG-15 fighters—some of the most formidable aircraft of the era.

What followed was one of the most astonishing aerial engagements in U.S. Navy history.

Outnumbered and alone, Williams fought a prolonged dogfight against multiple MiG-15s and managed to shoot down three enemy aircraft and cause another to retire from the fight due to significant damage.

His aircraft returned to the carrier riddled with hundreds of bullet holes, barely able to remain airborne.

Because the Soviet involvement in the war was politically sensitive at the time, much of the story remained hidden for decades. Only later did the full scale of Williams’ heroism become widely known, leading to the eventual award of the Medal of Honor.

More than seventy years after the battle, the nation finally recognized a hero whose courage had been waiting in the shadows of history. Below is his MOH Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 18 November 1952 while leading a division of three jet fighters attached to Fighter Squadron SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE (VF-781) and embarked on the USS ORISKANY.

While flying a combat patrol mission over the northeastern coastal waters of enemy-held North Korea, Lieutenant Williams demonstrated extraordinary heroism by intercepting a superior force of attacking enemy MiG-15 fighters in order to protect the ships of Task Force 77. After thwarting the enemy’s initial attack, he maneuvered his aircraft to make two firing passes on one MiG, which then spiraled into the sea.

He inflicted heavy damage to a second MiG-15, which started smoking badly and retired from the fight. When his own aircraft was severely damaged by a direct hit from one of the remaining enemy MiG-15s, Lieutenant Williams evaded further enemy attack while continuing to direct the dogfight. He eventually found cover in a cloud bank, broke off the engagement, and miraculously landed his nearly uncontrollable aircraft on the USS ORISKANY.

His exceptional airmanship, coupled with his complete disregard for his own personal safety, resulted in the destruction of three enemy MiG-15s and severe damage to a fourth, and undoubtedly saved the lives of hundreds of Task Force 77 sailors. By his undaunted courage, bold initiative, and total devotion to duty, Lieutenant Williams reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Courage Across Generations

The heroism of Eric Slover and Royce Williams remind us that the character required for heroism has not changed. The technology of war evolves—from jet fighters over Korea to special operations helicopters in modern conflicts—but the heart of a warrior remains the same.

In both cases:

• The situation turned against them.
• Retreat would have been understandable.
• Survival was far from certain.

Yet both men chose to press forward. One held the controls of a damaged helicopter while wounded. The other faced multiple enemy fighters in the sky, outnumbered.

In an time where headlines are often dominated by politics, division, and cultural noise, moments like these serve as a reminder of something deeper about the American character.

The Medal of Honor is not awarded for skill alone. It is awarded for courage so uncommon that it forces the nation to stop and take notice. Eric Slover and Royce Williams represent two generations of warriors who embodied that standard.

Remeber, Train Hard. Train Smart. And honor American courage.