President Donald Trump awarded Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot wounded during the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Medal of Honor during his recent State of the Union address on Tuesday.
President Trump has just awarded CW5 Eric Slover the Medal of Honor at the State of the Union for his heroic actions in Operation Absolute Resolve. pic.twitter.com/ljQRuPhs3H
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) February 25, 2026
According to Trump, as Slover’s helicopter approached Maduro’s heavily fortified Caracas compound during the January 3 Operation Absolute Resolve mission, it came under intense machine‑gun fire.
Despite sustaining multiple leg and hip wounds, he kept the aircraft aloft, enabling Delta Force operators to complete the high‑risk mission.
“There were many heroes [in] that January raid to capture Maduro. Really great heroes. It was very dangerous,” Trump said, describing the perilous mission.
“He absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces,” the president continued, telling lawmakers that “the success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinge on Slover, ability” to keep flying as blood “pour[ed] down the aisle.”
Slover, who is still recovering from his wounds, attended the ceremony with his wife, Amy.
U.S. Navy Captain E. Royce Williams, a 100-year-old Korean War veteran, also received the Medal of Honor from Trump for his bravery during a previously classified 1952 aerial engagement over the Sea of Japan.
Meanwhile, six New York Army National Guard Soldiers who helped rescue 34 French special forces during an August 2023 firefight in Iraq were awarded the French National Defense Gold Medal, the French equivalent of the Bronze Star, during a Feb. 22 ceremony.
They were honored for providing rapid aerial support to French special operations forces pinned down under enemy fire near Hawija, Iraq, on the night of Aug. 28–29, 2023, while the French unit carried out a mission targeting ISIS terrorists.
Six New York Army National Guard soldiers were awarded the French National Defense Gold Medal with Bronze Star in recognition of the aid they offered to French #SOF in August 2023 during an Aug. 28–29, 2023, mission in northern #Iraq. 🇫🇷🇺🇸
by Sgt. Jean Sanon @USArmy pic.twitter.com/bzSEzYwDPM— Tom Antonov (@Tom_Antonov) February 23, 2026
Should have been issued a Purple Heart and silver star but not MOH
Agreed. That was not worthy of the MOH.
I completely disagree, for several reasons. First, I’ve known guys who earned a Silver Star without being wounded. Second, flying the flight lead MH-47F into an urban environment like that is extremely dangerous to begin with, and crashed helicopters tend to have a 100% fatality rate. Third, he got hit by four armor-piercing machine gun rounds, which means they were 12.7mm (.50 cal) or possibly even 14.5mm (.57 cal) rounds, including one that got him in the hip. That would have put most guys out of action, but instead he safely delivered the assaulters, then turned his MH-47 so his door gunner could neutralize the machine guns. Finally, he completed the mission and got the assault force back to the ship that launched the mission.
CW5 Slover definitely deserved the MoH for that mission. He’s still recovering from his wounds, but I think he was using a walker at the State of the Union Address just because lugging around a pair of 10 lb. brass balls can’t be easy. NSDQ, indeed.
Catching a 50 call. In your leg would have taken the leg off let alone a couple, then one in his hip, landscapers his copter let’s off the troops then attacks and defeats the enemy and brings everyone back safely. That man deserves more than the CMH!!
Combat is rough!