From Force Recon to the Medal of Honor: Major Capers on Vietnam's Bloodiest Missions | Ep. 295 | Pt. 2

From Force Recon to the Medal of Honor: Major Capers on Vietnam's Bloodiest Missions | Ep. 295 | Pt. 2

From Mike Drop by Mike Ritland

June 11, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Major James Capers shares his harrowing experiences as a Force Recon Marine during the Vietnam War and the sacrifices he made to save his men.

Major James Capers ran 50 missions in Vietnam as a Force Recon Marine — combat swims in shark-infested waters, a POW rescue that earned him his first Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and a four-day battle that left him wounded with his legs broken and his dog dead. He was one of the few African Americans in Force Recon, and fought his way into Combat Swimmer school when the commanding officer tried to send him home before he even started. He spent three months at Khe Sanh facing a Chinese division, and when the helicopter finally came in on his bloodiest mission, he put every man on board and stayed on the ground alone. President Trump called him personally to invite him to the White House to receive the Medal of Honor. In this episode, Major Capers walks through the missions and what it cost him to bring everybody home. Support Major James Capers https://www.instagram.com/major_james_capers_jr/ https://www.capersthedoc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Major-James-Capers-Jr-100040737672030/ https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/holt-oral-history-program/james-capers-jr-major ---------- SPONSORS PARTICLE FOR MENCheck out Particle’s Face Cream here…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Ritland

Guest: Major James Capers

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