Trump Salutes American Heroes With Nation’s Highest Honors

[ad_1] President Donald Trump introduced six of the nation’s highest honors throughout his State of the Union tackle on Tuesday, recognizing acts of navy heroism and athletic excellence.

Trump gave the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest navy award, to Military Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, a helicopter pilot wounded throughout the profitable raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Slover was struck 4 occasions by enemy hearth whereas making ready to land his Chinook helicopter at Maduro’s compound.

“Eric steered the Chinook beneath the duvet of night time and descended swiftly upon Maduro’s closely protected navy fortress. This was a significant navy set up protected by hundreds of troopers,” Trump mentioned. “Whereas making ready to land, enemy machine weapons fired from each angle. And Eric was hit very badly within the leg and hip, one bullet after one other. He absorbed 4 agonizing photographs, shredding his leg into quite a few items.”

Trump additionally awarded the Medal of Honor to 100-year-old naval aviator Royce Williams, who fought in World Conflict II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam, flying greater than 200 fight missions.

“In 1952, Royce was within the dogfight of a lifetime,” Trump mentioned of an encounter throughout the Korean Conflict. “Flying via blizzard circumstances, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes. It was his first aerial fight of the struggle, and regardless of being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of 4 enemy jets and nearly destroyed the others, vanquishing his adversaries whereas taking 263 bullets to his personal aircraft and being significantly damage. His story was secret for over 50 years. He didn’t even wish to inform his spouse, however the legend grew and grew.”

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049447" class="size-full wp-image-1049447" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760.jpg" alt="US First Lady Melania Trump presents US veteran Captain E. Royce Williams with the Medal of Honor during US President Donald Trump's the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Credit score: Picture by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP by way of Getty Pictures.

Trump awarded the Purple Coronary heart to Air Power Workers Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, a Nationwide Guardsman who was significantly wounded in a capturing assault in Washington, D.C., earlier than Thanksgiving. He additionally introduced a Purple Coronary heart to the household of Military Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a Nationwide Guard soldier who was killed in the identical assault.

“With God’s assist, Andrew has battled again from the sting of loss of life,” Trump mentioned. “He’s bought a bit work to do, however he’s doing nice.”

The person suspected of attacking them was an Afghan nationwide who was let into the nation after former President Joe Biden withdrew American forces from Afghanistan.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049449" class="size-full wp-image-1049449" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460.jpg" alt="National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who survived a November 2025 shooting attack in Washington, DC, receives a Purple Heart as he is recognized by US President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. " width="1024" height="675" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460-300x198.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460-874x576.jpg 874w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460-768x506.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Credit score: Picture by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP by way of Getty Pictures.

Scott Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer who saved 165 individuals throughout lethal flooding in Texas in July 2025, was awarded the Legion of Advantage, a navy ornament recognizing excellent service.

“It was Scott’s first ever rescue mission,” Trump mentioned. “Individuals watched Scott from a distance, and so they couldn’t consider what they had been seeing.”

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049451" class="size-full wp-image-1049451" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 24: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan and Milly Cate, a camper who was rescued by Ruskan during the flooding at Camp Mystic, attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump delivered his address days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration's tariff strategy, and amid a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf threatening Iran." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Picture by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Pictures.

Trump additionally introduced that he'll award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for a civilian, to Connor Hellebuyck, the goalie for the Olympic gold-medal-winning U.S. males’s hockey workforce. In the course of the workforce’s 2-1 time beyond regulation victory over Canada within the last, Hellebuyck recorded 41 saves, together with a vital third-period cease that preserved the victory.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049453" class="size-full wp-image-1049453" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124.jpg" alt="Goalie Connor Hellebuyck raises his gold medal as members of the US Men's Olympic hockey team are recogized by US President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Credit score: Picture by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP by way of Getty Pictures.

“I’ve by no means seen a goaltender play in addition to goalie Connor Hellebuyck,” Trump mentioned. “ I'll quickly be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor.”