WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to three U.S. Army soldiers during a White House ceremony, recognizing acts of valor spanning World War II, the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan, according to the White House and the U.S. Army. Two of the awards were presented posthumously to the families of the recipients.
The ceremony took place in the East Room of the White House on March 2, where Trump presented the nation’s highest military decoration to retired Command Sgt. Maj. Terry P. Richardson and posthumously to Master Sgt. Roderick W. Edmonds and Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis. The Medal of Honor is awarded in the name of Congress for acts of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.
According to the White House, Edmonds was recognized for his actions as a prisoner of war in Germany during World War II. Military records state that, after being ordered by German captors to identify Jewish American prisoners, Edmonds instructed fellow prisoners to stand together rather than separate by religion, an act cited as protecting hundreds of soldiers under his command. Edmonds died in 1985.
Richardson received the award for actions during combat in Vietnam in June 1968. According to his official citation, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire while directing air support and coordinating the evacuation of wounded troops after his unit became surrounded. Military officials said his actions helped save dozens of fellow soldiers.
Ollis, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2013, was honored for shielding a wounded Polish officer during an insurgent attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni. According to his citation, Ollis placed himself between the officer and a suicide bomber, sustaining fatal injuries when the explosive vest detonated.
During the ceremony, Trump described the recipients as “three really incredible American heroes,” according to remarks reported by media outlets covering the event. Family members, military leaders and veterans attended the presentation.
The awards followed years of review by the Army and the Department of Defense. White House officials announced the planned presentations in late February after the recommendations completed the military honors review process.
On the day after the White House ceremony, the Army held a Hall of Heroes induction event at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, according to Army officials. The three soldiers were formally added to the roster of Medal of Honor recipients, joining a select group recognized for extraordinary acts of courage in combat.
