President Donald Trump presented several major honors during his State of the Union address last night. Trump recognized National Guardsmen, members of the U.S. military, first responders, and an Olympic athlete.
NTD’s Daniel Monaghan has the key takeaways. -- 📺 Watch NTD News 24/7 on cable, broadcast, and streaming: https://www.ntd.com/watch
President Trump presenting several medals and honors
during his State of the Union address last night.
Trump recognized members of the military,
first responders, and an Olympic athlete.
NTD's Daniel Monahan has the key takeaways.
Two military pilots received the Medal of Honor.
Captain Royce Williams, a 100-year-old Navy veteran,
was recognized for his combat service.
Trump says Williams flew a secret mission
involving what Trump called a legendary dogfight
during the Korean War.
Flying through blizzard conditions,
his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.
It was his first aerial combat of the war,
and despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned,
Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets.
While Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover
was honored for leading the operation
that resulted in the capture
of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.
I would now like to ask General Jonathan Braga
to present Chief Warrant Officer Slover
with our nation's highest military award,
the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Slover led the first Chinook flight
to reach Maduro's heavily fortified Caracas compound,
which was defended by thousands of soldiers.
Despite taking multiple gunshot wounds to his leg,
Slover completed the mission
and got his crew home.
Turning to sports, the president welcomed
the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team to the chamber.
Here with us tonight is a group of winners
who just made the entire nation proud,
the men's gold medal Olympic hockey team.
Come on in.
Trump announced he will award
Olympic gold-winning goalie Connor Hellebuck
with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Think of it, 46 shots on gold,
and I asked him, the one shot,
the one where you put your stick in the back
and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off,
do you practice that, or was that a little lucky?
He refused to answer that question.
USA!
The United States ended a nearly half-century wait
for Olympic men's ice hockey gold
with a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada
in a thrilling final on Sunday.
The president also honored
the West Virginia National Guard members
who were attacked in Washington, D.C.
Trump announced he had awarded
the family of Sarah Beckstrom
and her colleague Andrew Wolfe with the awards.
Sarah Beckstrom died in order to defend our capital,
and we are honored to be joined by her.
Wonderful parents.
Trump praised Wolfe's mom for not losing hope
when her son was shot in the head
before having the award presented to Wolfe.
With the award created by our late great president,
George Washington himself,
it's called the Purple Heart.
The announcement prompted several minutes
of bipartisan clapping.
Trump also recognized World War II veteran
George Buddy Taggart,
who fought under General Douglas MacArthur.
And 81 years ago this month,
he liberated the largest internment camp in the Philippines,
one of the largest anywhere in the world.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskin
received the Legion of Merit
for rescuing 164 girls during last year's Texas floods.
As the waters threatened to sweep her away,
11-year-old Millie Kate McClayman
closed her eyes and prayed to God.
She thought she was going to die.
Those prayers were answered when Coast Guard rescue swimmer
Scott Ruskin descended from a helicopter above.
Nobody knew where he came from.
Trump said it was Ruskin's first ever rescue mission.
In all, 27 Camp Mystic campers and counselors
died in the flood in July last year
when the Guadalupe River rose roughly 26 feet
in just 45 minutes.
Daniel Monahan, NTD News.
