Trump Plans To Honor 100-Year-Old Veteran During State of the Union
President Donald J. Trump will make history Tuesday night when he presents the Medal of Honor to 100-year-old Korean War hero E. Royce Williams during his State of the Union address — marking the first time a commander-in-chief has awarded the nation’s highest military decoration for valor in combat in that setting.
Williams, a retired Navy captain, carried out one of the most extraordinary and long-classified feats in American military history. In 1952, during the height of the Korean War, he engaged in what remains the longest aerial dogfight in U.S. Navy history — battling seven Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets and shooting down four in a harrowing 30-minute engagement.
At the time, Soviet involvement in the conflict was officially denied, and the encounter was kept secret for decades. Flying off the coast of the Korean Peninsula with another American pilot, Williams suddenly found himself under fire from the Soviet aircraft.
“Since they initiated the confrontation, I retaliated,” he later recalled.
After initially engaging one MiG alongside his wingman, Williams found himself alone against the remaining enemy aircraft. Despite facing what military accounts later described as hundreds of incoming rounds, he maneuvered with precision and courage, downing three more Soviet jets in one of the fiercest air battles of the war.
“In the moment I was a fighter pilot doing my job,” Williams told Task & Purpose in a 2022 interview. “I was only shooting what I had.”
His aircraft sustained significant damage during the fight. Though he considered ejecting over frigid waters, Williams chose to attempt a daring return to the American carrier. He successfully executed a high-speed landing, saving both himself and his crippled aircraft.
Because the clash involved direct combat between American and Soviet forces during a tense Cold War standoff, Williams was ordered to keep the incident classified. He remained silent about the encounter for years — not even telling his wife.
It was only after the fall of the Soviet Union that archival records and military histories revealed the full scope of the battle. Three years ago, Williams received the Navy Cross, the highest decoration for valor that can be awarded to a member of the Navy or Marine Corps short of the Medal of Honor.
California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, whose district includes Williams’ home in San Diego, championed the effort to upgrade the award. Last year, Congress granted the president authority to waive the long-standing five-year time limit on awarding the Medal of Honor, clearing the path for long-overdue recognition.
“The heroism and valor he demonstrated for more than 35 harrowing minutes almost 70 years ago in the skies over the North Pacific and the coast of North Korea unquestionably saved the lives of his fellow pilots, shipmates, and crew,” Issa said in a statement earlier this month.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed the moment during an appearance on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning, promising that President Trump’s address would honor American greatness while outlining an ambitious path forward.
“He’s going to share the stories of GREAT American heroes who exemplify bravery and the spirit of 1776,” Leavitt said. “And the president is, of course, going to tout his administration’s record-setting accomplishments over the past year while laying out an ambitious agenda to continue making the American dream more attainable for working-class people across the country.”
She added: “It’s gonna be a great speech. There will be some tear-jerking moments as there was last year, in addition to some moments of levity, and so we hope everyone will tune in.”
As America approaches its 250th anniversary this July, President Trump’s decision to spotlight a forgotten warrior from the Korean War underscores a broader message: the nation’s strength rests on the courage, sacrifice, and quiet heroism of men like E. Royce Williams — patriots who answered the call without seeking recognition.
On Tuesday night, after decades of silence, that recognition will finally come.