WATCH: President Trump Awards Medal of Honor to Three War Heroes

It’s very important to recognize brave soldiers who go above and beyond their line of duty.

And, that’s just what President Trump did today.

During a beautiful White House ceremony, President Trump awarded three U.S. Army soldiers with our nation’s highest honor — the Medal of Honor.

These heroes were from three different wars.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Richardson was awarded for his actions during the Vietnam War that ended up saving the lives of 85 other soldiers!

Watch here:

🚨 BREAKING: President Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Richardson, who faced heavy machine gun fire 3 times to rescue severely wounded soldiers — and directed tactical air strikes in Vietnam

He ultimately helped save 82 MEN. The best of the best. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/k84zSQKlRi

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 2, 2026

The other two soldiers were awarded post-humorously.

President Trump presented the Medal of Honor to the parents of fallen Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, who was killed just before his 25th birthday while saving a Polish ally in Afghanistan.

Watch that moment here:

🚨 NOW: President Trump posthumously awards the Medal of Honor to Afghanistan war hero Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis — who personally took a suicide vest explosion from an insurgent to help save an injured Polish army officer

"Staff Sgt. Ollis was killed just weeks before his 25th… pic.twitter.com/KtRnqzH6zn

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 2, 2026

Master Sgt. Roderick Edmonds, a prisoner of war in Germany during WWII, was also awarded for leading a resistance that saved hundreds of lives.

He passed away in 1985, but his son has been pressing the White House to recognize him for years.

Today, that finally happened.

See here:

🚨 JUST NOW: President Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Master Sgt. Roderick Edmonds posthumously — a PRISONER OF WAR of Germany in World War 2 who stood up to the Nazis and saved hundreds of lives

🫡🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3J7ID2TEVN

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 2, 2026

AP has more details on these heroes’ incredible stories:

Richardson led a Vietnam reconnaissance mission

On Sept. 14, 1968, Richardson was a staff sergeant on a reconnaissance mission as a platoon leader in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, part of the Republic of Vietnam.

According to his citation, Richardson, a native of Cass City, Michigan, came under fire from the North Vietnamese Army, including heavy machine gun fire as he rescued three wounded soldiers. After the rescues, he led his unit to its intended destination, a hilltop identified as a place to direct airstrikes. He found the location to be part of an enemy camp but remained for at least seven hours, directing strikes even after being wounded by a sniper.

Enemy forces eventually fled. Richardson, when found by other U.S. forces, declined medical evaluation so he could remain with his troops.

“His gallant and selfless actions … spared the lives of 85 fellow soldiers,” the White House said.

Trump praised Richardson, who attended with some members of his unit, as a “brave man” and described him as “central casting.”

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“You feel like fighting? I think we could take him today,” Trump said, joking with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Ollis was killed shielding someone else in Afghanistan attack

As a staff sergeant at Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Ollis was a skilled infantryman who led soldiers during an attack on the base by enemy combatants on Aug. 28, 2013.

Ollis, 24 at the time, first directed soldiers to a bunker before returning to the building where they had been to check for any more endangered people, according to his citation. The New York City native came upon a Coalition Forces officer Lt. Karol Cierpica of Poland. They moved toward combatants who breached the base perimeter and joined other coalition forces.

During fighting, one enemy combatant confronted Ollis and Cierpica.

“With complete disregard for his own safety, he positioned himself between the insurgent and the Coalition Forces Officer, who had been wounded and unable to walk,” his commendation reads. “Staff Sergeant Ollis fired on the insurgent and incapacitated him, but as he approached the insurgent, the latter’s suicide vest was detonated, mortally wounding him.”

Called to the podium by Trump, Cierpica at times grew emotional as he paid tribute.

“A soldier is not something you are from time to time. It is who you are forever,” Cierpica said, later adding, “I am deeply moved, happy and grateful to God.”

Cierpica named his son, Michael, after Ollis, and he addressed members of Ollis’ family by name, calling them “my second family from Staten Island” and the U.S. his “second homeland.”

Edmonds led resistance in POW camp during World War II

A master sergeant, Edmonds was the ranking non-commissioned officer among American prisoners of war at a German camp in early 1945.

According to the commendation, the Germans announced on Jan. 26, 1945, that “only Jewish-American prisoners would fall out for roll call the following morning, at the threat of execution.”

Edmonds, who enlisted from South Knoxville, Tennessee, determined that allowing that segregation would result in the torture or death of 200 Jewish American POWs. He directed officers to have all 1,200 American troops present themselves for roll call.

With a German commandant enraged, Edmonds stood his ground and invoked prisoners’ rights under international law.

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“We are all Jews here,” Edmonds said in a quote that Trump recounted Monday.

The German officer relented and made no further efforts to identify the Jewish American soldiers.

“Really amazing, right? It’s an amazing story,” Trump said.

Weeks later, as Allied forces advanced toward the camp, the Germans ordered POWs to prepare for evacuation. Edmonds prepared the POWs to assemble in formation and resist. German forces eventually retreated from the camp.

“Without regard for his own life Master Sergeant Edmonds gallantly led these prisoners in a relentless pursuit of opposition and resistance, forcing the Germans to abandon the camp leaving the 1,200 American prisoners behind,” the White House said.