President Donald Trump presented Chief Warrant Officer Five Eric Slover, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot wounded in the audacious raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with the Medal of Honor on Tuesday during his State of the Union address.
As Slover, 45, and his wife entered the chamber, they received a standing ovation while chants of “USA, USA, USA” rang out. The scene struck a bipartisan high note. Slover, who is still recovering from his injuries, appeared in full dress uniform and relied on a walker to steady himself.
Trump offered a rare window into the covert Jan. 3 mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve. The president cast Slover not just as one of its principal architects, but as the flight lead in the cockpit.
He said Slover was the first Chinook helicopter to approach Maduro’s heavily fortified Caracas compound under the cover of darkness.
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The president described the operation as “very dangerous” because the enemy “knew we were coming.” The military installation was protected by thousands of soldiers and guarded by Russian and Chinese military technology, Trump said, before quipping: “How did that work out? Not too good.”
According to Trump, as the Chinook approached the target, it came under intense machine-gun fire from multiple directions.
Slover was hit repeatedly, sustaining serious wounds to his leg and hip. Yet, he still maintained control of the aircraft, enabling the Delta Force operators to carry out their mission.
“One bullet after another. He absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces,” Trump continued, painting the scene in graphic detail.
“Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat,” he continued, “saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory.”
The president emphasized that “the success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain.”
The operation resulted in the successful capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, without any American lives lost. The deposed Venezuelan president and Flores are now being held in a Brooklyn jail on drugs and weapons charges.
“Maduro was the only thing Eric was thinking about,” Trump declared. “Then, even as he was gushing blood which was flowing back down the aisle, [the] helicopter lands at a steep angle.”
Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, placed the medal around Slover’s neck in the Capitol gallery, marking the first time a Medal of Honor had been presented during the annual address.
Slover enlisted in the Army in 2005, Lt. Col. Allie Scott, a United States Army Special Operations Command spokesperson, told Military Times.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Slover’s awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross with V Device, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with C Device, the Air Medal with numeral 3, the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Army Aviator Badge, the Master Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the Army Service Ribbon.
During the Tuesday evening ceremony, Trump also bestowed the nation’s highest military decoration on Retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams for his actions as a fighter pilot during the Korean War.
Tanya Noury is a reporter for Military Times and Defense News, with coverage focusing on the White House and Pentagon.
