President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, to seven U.S. Army veterans for their heroism during the Korean and Vietnam Wars at the White House on Friday.

Private Bruno Orig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Private First Class Charles Johnson, retired General Richard Cavazos, Captain Hugh Nelson, Jr., and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth David were all honored.

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"These are genuine to their core heroes. Heroes of different ranks, different positions, and even different generations. But heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes who all deserve our nation's highest and oldest military recognition," Biden said.

Five of the recipients were killed in battle, including Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr. who is the first-ever graduate from The Citadel Military College in South Carolina to receive the Medal of Honor. Nelson was previously awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Cross.

28-year-old Captain Nelson served as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war under the 114th aviation company Air Mobile Light. On the fateful day of June 5th, 1966, near Moc Hoa, a rural district in Southern Vietnam, Nelson was the acting aircraft commander on a search and destroy reconnaissance mission. The armed UH-1B Huey helicopter he was flying was struck by hostile gunfire that made the aircraft virtually uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot were able to crash land the aircraft without lateral controls.

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But they crash landed right in the middle of enemy positions. The crash destroyed all the weapons on board. Nelson was the first of his crew to gain consciousness. He quickly saw the enemy was surrounding the crash site. Ignoring his own injuries and enemy fire from 30-feet away, Nelson sprang into action and began evacuating his three wounded crew mates—the crew chief, the door gunner, and co-pilot. The crew chief was pinned down in the cargo compartment and the door gunner was trapped in the Huey. With his bare hands, Nelson ripped off one of the helicopter doors to evacuate himself and his crew while insurgents were firing rounds from 30-feet away. Nelson used his own body as a human shield as he lifted the door gunner to the ground and was killed by the gunfire after being shot between six and 20 times while doing so.

Because of Nelson’s sacrifice, the wounded specialist was able to signal support with a smoke grenade. Supporting aircraft responded immediately, preventing the insurgents from advancing on the downed aircraft and successfully rescued the three wounded crew members and Captain Nelson’s remains.

Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf at the White House ceremony. She was just 5-years-old and her little brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6-months-old when their father left for Fort Bragg, now named Fort Liberty, to start his tour in Vietnam. The Army notified Nelson’s family that he was killed in battle just one day before his infant son’s first birthday.

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"Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his own life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day," his Medal of Honor citation reads. "Nelson’s distinctive accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army."

Captain Nelson graduated from The Citadel in 1959. Before the fateful battle he served three years in Taiwan. His co-captain who was rescued was Captain Bailey Jones. Jones also graduated from the Citadel, in the class of 1964.

Top Army ROTC Cadet at the Citadel, Tomas Fitzpatrick, attended the ceremony on Friday.

"The sacrifice of Captain Hugh Nelson is a powerful reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel — honor, duty and respect. As someone who plans to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation, we all strive to lead with the same bravery and commitment," Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick will be joining the Army infantry after graduation in May. The Citadel’s Army ROTC department is one of the largest commissioning sources in the country. 120 Army 2nd lieutenants were commissioned in 2024 alone.

"Captain Hugh Reavis Nelson, Jr. exemplified the highest values of courage, selflessness and leadership that we instill in every Citadel cadet. Nelson’s service to his comrades and country remains an enduring inspiration for us all," Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters said in a statement. 

"To learn these stories of Americans like Bruno and Wataru, and Fred, and Charlie, Richard, Hugh, Ken, Americans who have not only fought for our nation but who embodied the very best our nation has to offer. Let me also say this today we award these individuals a medal of honor. We can't stop here because as a nation, it's up to us to give this medal meaning, to keep fighting, to keep fighting for one another, for each other, to keep defending everything these heroes fought for and many of them died for," Biden said. 

The New Year started off with a Cybertruck catching fire and detonating makeshift explosives in front of a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

First on Fox: Hundreds of veterans across the nation are offering their unequivocal support to former Democrat Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence under President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration, Fox News Digital has learned. 

"President Donald Trump’s selection of Tulsi Gabbard reflects a profound recognition of her steadfast dedication to our nation and her unwavering commitment to safeguarding the American people. While most Americans know Tulsi as a fearless and principled Congresswoman who stood up to entrenched political systems, we know her as a fellow veteran—one whose worldview was forged through the crucible of serving in combat zones and a lifelong devotion to service," reads a letter, "American Veterans for Tulsi Gabbard," which was published Monday and obtained by Fox News Digital. 

More than 250 veterans signed the letter, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn, former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, Arizona Rep. Rep. Eli Crane, Florida Rep. Brian Mast and political commentator Jack Posobiec. 

"Because of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, Tulsi answered the call of duty, enlisted in the Army, and stepped away from her position as a Hawaii State Representative when she volunteered to deploy to Iraq with her unit. Instead of using her political status to avoid deployment, Tulsi volunteered to serve in a medical unit in Iraq, directly facing the harsh realities, costs, and traumas of war," the letter continues.

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"Her commitment to service did not end there," it added, before pointing to Gabbard’s 22 years of standing "shoulder-to-shoulder with her fellow servicemembers," including when she served in the House. 

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"As a Member of Congress and as a civilian, Tulsi has been a stalwart advocate for veterans' health concerning toxic exposures and cancer care as a result of our fellow veterans' military service. Tulsi’s life exemplifies a rare blend of selflessness, courage, and leadership—qualities desperately needed to reform and strengthen our intelligence community," the letter says. 

Nearly 70% of the veterans who signed the letter worked in special operations and/or intelligence, while about 54% of the signatories are retired service members, and the vast majority of signers overall saw combat while in the military, Fox News Digital learned. 

Trump nominated Gabbard just days after his election win over Democrat Vice President Harris last month, arguing Gabbard will bring a "fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength." The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters. 

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Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years. 

She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 White House race. 

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP this year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign. 

She is anticipated to head to Capitol Hill this week to speak with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and GOP leadership to rally support for her confirmation proceedings. Critics have attempted to paint Gabbard as a national security risk who is sympathetic to U.S. adversaries, a narrative the veterans combated in the letter. 

"The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes, and so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check," Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, for example, recently said of Gabbard. 

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The veterans hit back at such critics, saying they are spreading "baseless lies" because they are "unable and unwilling to challenge the substance of her views."

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"We are appalled by the baseless attacks questioning Tulsi’s loyalty to our great nation. For over 20 years and across multiple combat deployments, Tulsi has risked her life to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. These attacks insult not only her, but every one of us Veterans who have served our country," the letter reads. 

"Tulsi’s patriotism, shaped on the battlefield, mirrors the values and aspirations of the American people far more than the failed policies of so called ‘experts’ in Washington, who have been part of the problem for too long."

Gabbard has been outspoken against creating new wars, declaring in her speech in October during Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally that a vote for Harris was a vote for "war."

"I've served now for over 21 years. I've deployed to different war zones three times over that period, and I've seen the cost of war for my brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price. I carry their memories and their sacrifice in my heart every day. So, this choice that we have before us as Americans is critical. It's important to us. It's important to those of us who serve, who have volunteered to put our lives on the line for the safety, security and freedom of our country and our people," she said.

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"A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney. And it's a vote for war, more war, likely World War III and nuclear war. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a man who wants to end wars, not start them, and who has demonstrated already that he has the courage and strength to stand up and fight for peace," she continued.

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The veterans in their letter celebrated that Trump and his upcoming administration have "a clear mandate to enhance national security without engaging in needless wars or infringing on civil liberties" and that Gabbard will "carry out that mandate" if confirmed. 

"We are deeply grateful to President Trump for appointing Tulsi Gabbard to this critical role and proud to stand beside her – a leader whose courage and convictions we know firsthand. A warrior whose vote cannot be bought, and whose integrity cannot be folded. We are honored to call her one of our own," they wrote.

Investigative documents shared with a congressional committee revealed "disturbing and disgusting" sexual relationships and misconduct among workers at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility in Tennessee, the committee chairman said Wednesday.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, has been looking into allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate interpersonal relationships at the Mountain Home VA Medical Center in Tennessee since the allegations surfaced in July.

On Wednesday, the VA shared certain documents from its investigation with the committee that showed sexual misconduct did occur on VA property in Mountain Home.

"The sexual misconduct, harassment, and inappropriate interpersonal relationships that were allowed to persist at the Mountain Home VA facility are disturbing and disgusting," Bost said in a statement on Wednesday. "If these allegations are verified, without question, these men and women have no business serving veterans in East Tennessee, and this should have never happened." 

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Concerns about sexual misconduct among staff at the facility were first raised in July, and later confirmed by whistleblowers, according to the committee. Since July, Bost has sent three letters to VA Secretary Denis McDonough inquiring about the allegations of "a serious culture problem" and requesting an investigation.

The VA told Fox News Digital in a statement that the department has "zero tolerance" for sexual misconduct, and the "employees involved in any wrongdoing are no longer with the VA."

"As soon as allegations of misconduct at this facility were uncovered, VA reported the matter to the proper authorities, began our own investigation, and informed Congress," a VA spokesperson said. "We continue to fully cooperate with all proper authorities in this matter, and we hold our employees accountable to the highest standards of care and respect. Whenever employees fail to live up to those standards, we take immediate action – as we have done in this case."

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The committee on Wednesday said that though the VA’s investigation remains ongoing, to their knowledge, the senior leadership at Mountain Home, who were aware of the "sexually explicit activity," were still employed by the VA.

Fox News reached out to the VA Mountain Home health care facility but has not yet received a response. 

Bost said he’s committed to finding those ultimately responsible for allowing the behavior to occur at the facility and holding all those involved accountable.

"As we continue to get more information from the Department on why this behavior was allowed, who committed these actions, whether those involved are still collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck from VA, and who is ultimately responsible, I will continue to fight tooth and nail to urge the Biden administration to hold everyone involved accountable," Bost said.