Medal of Honor Designee Major James Capers Jr. Inducts Oral History into Library of Congress Veteran

Major Capers, a pioneer of Marine Force Recon and legend of the elite “Team Broadminded,” is designated to become the first Black Marine officer in United States history to receive the Medal of Honor. During his visit to the Library of Congress, Major Capers  provided a firsthand account of his 64 long-range reconnaissance patrols in Vietnam, and his role as the face of the Marine Corps’ first fully integrated national recruitment campaign in 1967.

Media can access high-resolution images of this historic induction: www.majorcapers.com (Photo Credit: Matthew Denny)

The Official Media Kit Features:

• The “Induction” Portrait: Medal of Honor Designee Major James Capers Jr. (USMC, Ret.) stands in full Dress Blue uniform within the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., following the March 2026 signing of H.R. 3377 into law. As a pioneer of Marine Force Recon and the first African American Marine officer in history to be authorized for the nation’s highest military honor, Major Capers visited the Library to induct his oral history into the Veterans History Project. (Photo: Matthew Denny)

• The Family Legacy: The passing of knowledge: Inside the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, researcher Aneesah Akbar-Uqdah (left), a Capers daughter, discusses the history of the space with Major James Capers Jr (center) is escorted by his grandson, U.S. Coast Guard OS3 Joden Brunson. Akbar-Uqdah is currently conducting research on Maritime Law and Port Health & Security within the same iconic Reading Room where Major Capers’ oral history will now be permanently archived through the Veterans History Project. (Photo: Matthew Denny)
• The VHP Induction Team: A high-angle view looking down into the Great Hall of the Library of Congress captures Medal of Honor Designee Major James Capers Jr. (center, Dress Blues) surrounded by the inter-agency team who made his historic Veterans History Project induction possible. The group includes family members, Library of Congress staff, and leadership from the Veterans History Project (VHP) who coordinated the archival recording of the Major’s legendary Marine Corps career. (Photo: Matthew Denny)
• Major James Cpaers origianl recuriting poster from 1967, when he was the first African American Marine to be used in a national military recruiting campaign. 

About Major James Capers Jr. 

Born to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South, James Capers Jr. broke racial barriers to become the first African American Marine promoted from enlisted to officer via a battlefield commission. As a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Commando Hall of Honor, his tactics remain foundational to special operations forces today. Major Capers lives in Jacksonville, North Carolina, actively mentoring within the Special Operations community.

Personal Decorations:

Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star with two Gold Star and Combat V, Purple Heart with three Gold Stars, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Joint Service commendation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expedition Medal (Lebanon), and National Defense Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, Inducted by Special Ops Command (SOCOM) to the Commando Hall of Honor, CG Certificate of Merit, Submitted by Congressman Walter P Jones 3rd district of North Carolina for the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007, CINC PAC Letter of Merit, Letter of Appreciation, Letters of Commendation, and a Letter of Appreciation from President Richard M. Nixon. On March 26, 2026, the President signed H.R. 3377 into law, which officially authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers Jr. for acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

About the Veterans History Project

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) collects, preserves, and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans so that future generations may hear directly from them and better understand the realities of war.

This press release is distributed by the Newsworthy.ai Press Release Newswire – News Marketing Platform. The reference URL for this press release is located here Medal of Honor Designee Major James Capers Jr. Inducts Oral History into Library of Congress Veteran.

The post Medal of Honor Designee Major James Capers Jr. Inducts Oral History into Library of Congress Veteran appeared first on citybuzz.