I made a mistake. Did you make it, too?

[00:00:00]I posted a video earlier today about the Medal of Honor ceremony from June 18th.

[00:00:06]And ever since I posted it, something just hasn't been sitting right.

[00:00:10]And it took me a little while to figure it out, but I finally figured out what it was. And I would like to correct that right now.

[00:00:17]What I did wrong was that I made that entire ceremony about him. And I will not be stating the name in this video. It was about him.

[00:00:29]And it was not about the people who were being awarded the Medal of Honor.

[00:00:35]I realized when I was talking that I kept stating things like he and that gentleman who and I never once said their name.

[00:00:46]And this is a post where I will be only talking about the Medal of Honor and those three recipients because that is important. Not who is giving the medal, but the people who are receiving them.

[00:01:01]And if you feel like you made the same blunder that I did, I certainly don't fault you. Clearly, I did it, too.

[00:01:08]But I do encourage you to sit and listen through the rest of this video in honor of these people.

[00:01:15]Now, I do have a decent number of followers who are not from the United States, and I would like to first express what it requires to earn the Medal of Honor. And I will be reading this because I want to get it right. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States.

[00:01:34]It is given to members of the US Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty.

[00:01:46]In order to receive this award, the acts must be performed while engaged against an enemy of the United States or during military operations involving conflict with an opposing force.

[00:01:57]It must have a clear risk of death to the service member. It must be witnessed and thoroughly documented. And it must undergo an extensive review process through the military chain of command, military historians, legal review, and ultimately approval by the president.

[00:02:14]Examples of actions that have led to the Medal of Honor include charging into heavy enemy fire to rescue fellow soldiers, defending a position against overwhelming odds, shielding others from a grenade or other deadly threat, continuing to lead and save lives despite severe wounds.

[00:02:31]Many recipients do not survive the actions for which they are recognized.

[00:02:35]The three people who were awarded the Medal of Honor at that ceremony have names.

[00:02:43]And I would like to tell you a little bit about them.

[00:02:46]The first was James Capers Jr. And he was recognized for extraordinary heroism during a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam in 1967.

[00:02:56]Despite multiple severe wounds, he continued to lead his team, call in support, and help evacuate wounded Marines.

[00:03:04]The second was John W. Ripley, who was awarded this posthumously.

[00:03:10]He was honored for destroying a strategic bridge in Vietnam in 1972 while under intense enemy fire, helping stop a major North Vietnamese advance.

[00:03:20]And his family was there to accept the medal on his behalf.

[00:03:24]And the third person who was awarded the Medal of Honor that day was Nicholas Dockery.

[00:03:31]He was awarded the medal for actions during a 2012 firefight in Afghanistan, where he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to rescue wounded soldiers and coordinate the defense.

[00:03:45]Sometimes I think we all get hyper-focused on one thing and one person.

[00:03:53]And I made that mistake. And I wanted to do something to honor these men, given that I made an entire video about their ceremony and never once mentioned their names.

[00:04:07]And I will not make that mistake again.