Durham High grad awarded Medal of Honor for saving fellow soldiers’ lives in Vietnam
An Army captain who grew up in North Carolina and died while saving three fellow soldiers in a downed helicopter in Vietnam in 1966 was one of seven servicemen awarded the Medal of Honor Friday in a ceremony at the White House.
Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr. was born in Alabama, according to the Army, but the family soon moved to North Carolina. The Army lists his hometown as Rocky Mount and says he graduated from Durham High School in 1955.
Nelson graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, four years later. He became an Army helicopter pilot and served in Taiwan for three years before being sent to Vietnam on Jan. 2, 1966, according to the Army.
The day he died, June 5, 1966, Nelson was commanding a Huey helicopter on a “search-and-destroy reconnaissance mission” in Moc Hoa east of Saigon near the Cambodian border. The helicopter was hit by enemy fire, forcing Nelson and the pilot to make a crash landing.
The Medal of Honor commendation, read aloud in the East Room of the White House on Friday, describes what happened next:
Though injured himself, Nelson got out of the Huey and crossed to the other side, where he found his dazed and wounded crew chief trapped inside. After removing the soldier and placing him on the ground, Nelson climbed in to help the door gunner, who was still strapped in and unable to move.
At that point, the enemy opened fire from about 30 feet away, according to the Army. Nelson continued freeing the wounded door gunner and forced him onto the ground, using his body as a shield.
Nelson was hit several times and died. His wounded comrade was able to use a smoke grenade to signal other U.S. aircraft in the area. Those aircraft forced the enemy to retreat, rescued the three wounded crew members and retrieved Nelson’s body.
The Medal of Honor commendation concludes: “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. 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.”
Nelson was 28 when he died and left behind his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children. One of his daughters, Debra Nelson McKnight, accepted the Medal of Honor on behalf of the family on Friday. McKnight stood next to President Joe Biden, holding his hand, as the commendation was read aloud.
The Army awarded Nelson the Distinguished Service Cross after his death. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis says his office worked closely with the Nelson family to have that upgraded to the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.
“Captain Nelson was a true American hero whose unwavering courage and selfless service embody the very best of our state and nation,” Tillis said in a written statement Friday.
The seven men honored Friday served in either the Korean War or the Vietnam War.
