Eric Slover honored with Medal of Honor during State of the Union
President Trump presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to a helicopter pilot who was wounded in the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, naming eric slover as the lead Chinook pilot. The awards were handed out during the State of the Union address, an occasion that also featured the long-delayed honor for 100-year-old Navy veteran E. Royce Williams.
Medals presented in the House chamber during Feb. 24, 2026 address
The ceremonies took place in the House chamber at the U. S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, during President Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. U. S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover received the Congressional Medal of Honor in the chamber, and first lady Melania Trump placed the Medal of Honor around the neck of World War II Navy pilot Capt. E. Royce Williams during the same address. An update on the broader coverage was posted on February 24, 2026 at 11: 30 PM EST, and the plan to include the presentation had been first reported earlier Tuesday.
Eric Slover’s role in the Maduro raid and the medal citation
President Trump said that U. S. Army Chief Warrant Officer eric slover was the pilot of the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter during the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The president noted that the helicopter pilot had been wounded in that operation, and the award was presented during Trump’s speech.
Royce Williams’ 1952 dogfight and the long secrecy around it
The president also honored retired Navy Captain E. Royce Williams, who is 100 years old. Williams was part of what the military describes as the longest aerial engagement in U. S. Navy history: a roughly half-hour dogfight in 1952 in which he and another American pilot encountered seven Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets off the coast of the Korean Peninsula during the height of the Korean War. Williams struck one of the MiGs while his fellow American pilot pursued another; then, flying alone, Williams engaged the remaining aircraft and shot down three more after maneuvering through what military accounts later described as hundreds of rounds of incoming fire.
Secrecy, later recognition and lawmakers’ actions
Soviet involvement in the 1952 engagement was top secret at the time and the records were classified for decades. Williams has said he was instructed to keep the clash secret and that he spoke of it to no one, not even his wife. Details of the operation surfaced only years after the collapse of the Soviet Union when archival records and military histories were made public. Three years ago Williams was awarded the Navy Cross, and last year lawmakers authorized the president to bestow the Medal of Honor in this case by waiving the longstanding five-year time limit for such awards.
Remarks, memories and a congressional push
When Mr. Trump introduced Williams in the chamber he praised the centenarian: "Tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He was a legend long before this evening, " the president said as Williams stood. Williams has recalled that the Soviet aircraft opened fire and later said, "Since they started the fight, I shot back. " In a 2022 interview he said, "In the moment I was a fighter pilot doing my job" and added, "I was only shooting what I had. "
Republican Rep. Darell Issa of California, whose San Diego-area district includes Williams’ home, had pressed for the retired Navy pilot to receive the Medal of Honor. Issa wrote earlier this month that "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. " Mr. Trump called Williams earlier this month.
Disruption on the House floor after the address
Separately, Rep. Al Green was ejected earlier from the House chamber for holding a sign that said "Black people aren't apes. " He was still holding the sign when he spoke to reporters in the Capitol and told them President Trump "got the message" on the sign. That exchange was recorded on Feb. 25, 2026.
