Melania Trump presents Medal of Honor to 100-year-old Navy veteran at State of the Union address oan

OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
9:55 AM – Wednesday, February 25, 2026

During his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump presented the highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, to 100-year-old retired Navy Captain Royce Williams for his service in the Korean War.

“Tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He was a legend long before this evening,” Trump said during the address on Tuesday, prompting a standing ovation from both sides of the congressional aisle.

First Lady Melania Trump placed the medal around the neck of the “living legend.” She sat by the veteran alongside her son, Barron Trump, and her stepdaughter, Ivanka Trump, sitting to her other side.

Williams, who wore his dress uniform, could be seen thanking the U.S. Commander-in-Chief and First Lady as the crowd applauded and whistled.

The president highlighted Williams’ actions in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War, where he flew “over 220 missions.”

“In the skies over Korea 1952, Royce was in the dogfight of a lifetime — legendary dogfight! — flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes,” Trump said, adding that this was his “first aerial combat of the war.”

 

Despite being outnumbered, seriously injured and taking 263 bullets to his plane, Williams “led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others, vanquishing adversaries” in his 35-minute dogfight.

The veteran kept the secret that he shot down four soviet jets in the classified operation for more than 50 years, even from his wife.

In 1992, however, his actions were made public in newly released records, and he was awarded a Silver Star, which is awarded by all branches of the Armed Forces to a person who displayed gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. It was then elevated to a Navy Cross in 2023, the second-highest military decoration in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard for extraordinary heroism in combat against an enemy.

Trump jested that he “always wanted the Congressional Medal of Honor, but I was informed
I’m not allowed to give it to myself, and I don’t know why I would be taking it.”

Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who represents California’s 48^th district, including Escondido, California, where Williams is from, celebrated the award, announcing it earlier this month.

“My friend, constituent, and hero Royce Williams is 100 years young, a Top Gun pilot like no other, and an American hero for all time,” said the representative in a February 4^th news release. “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. His story is one for the ages and it now has its rightful chapter as Royce receives the Medal of Honor.”

 

“What Royce did is — still to this day — the most unique U.S.-Soviet aerial combat dogfight in the history of the Cold War, and one in which Royce Williams demonstrated indomitable courage of the highest skill under incalculable duress. It is my honor to have fought all these years for Royce to gain a recognition that he has not sought, but so richly deserves,” Issa added.