FEBRUARY 26, 2026 – Last night, retired Navy Capt. Elmer Royce Williams received the Medal of Honor from President Donald J. Trump during the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol. Today, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle inducted Williams into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes for his heroic actions during the Korean War.
“Capt. Royce Williams did what warriors are called to do when the moment comes — he stood his ground, took the fight to the enemy and protected his fellow Americans. Outnumbered, outgunned and alone in the sky, he prevailed through sheer skill, courage and will,” said Hegseth. “Today, we honor not just a remarkable dogfight, but a lifetime of quiet strength and service. Capt. Williams embodies the fighting spirit of the United States Navy and the warrior ethos that keeps this nation free.”
Williams was joined by an audience of family, friends, fellow Naval Aviators and senior Navy leaders.
“Capt. E. Royce Williams represents the very best of the United States Navy,” said Phelan. “On Nov. 18, 1952, flying from USS Oriskany and outnumbered in the skies over North Korea, he chose to engage to protect the ships of Task Force 77 and the sailors aboard them. In a 35-minute dogfight, he shot down three MiG-15s and severely damaged a fourth one. For decades, much of this story remained classified, but the facts never changed. His courage, airmanship and devotion to duty saved lives and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval service. Today, we are proud to formally recognize a Naval Aviator whose example will endure for generations.”
Yet when reflecting on that historic day and the recognition it brought, Williams did not speak of skill or courage, but of humility and faith.
“I know how momentous this moment is, and I never imagined myself or allowed myself to think it was going to happen to me,” Williams said. “I imagined it as God reaching in and dipping his hand in to pick somebody up for the most unusual reasons and displaying him in front of his fellow citizens.”
He continued, emphasizing that the honor was never something he expected or sought.
“And to be entirely amazed and appreciative for the accommodations and accolades. But that’s so unusual that you don’t fool around thinking that it’s ever going to come your way,” he said. “This is God doing something usual, with his finger in the pie and with his influence. And what did I have to do with it? Well, I was the principal, in a way, that is receiving the recognition, but maybe some of that recognition misses the influence that really caused this special recognition.”
Williams was born in Wilmot, South Dakota, and enlisted in the Army at 16 years old in Ortonville, Minnesota. Upon completion of basic training, he returned to Ortonville to train with his unit in a reserve status until he finished high school. Once he turned 17, Williams was eligible for the Naval Aviation Cadet program and joined the Navy, where he began flight training in 1943. Among many other aviation platforms, Williams learned to fly the F9F-5 Panther jet and was assigned to active duty in the Korean War, during which he flew 70 missions. Williams went on to serve in the Vietnam War, flying over 110 missions in the A-4 Skyhawk and F-4 Phantom from the USS Kitty Hawk. Williams later served as commanding officer of the command ship USS El Dorado from September 1969 to January 1971. He retired from the Navy as a Captain in 1980.
His Medal of Honor is an upgrade of the Navy Cross he was previously awarded in January 2023, which was an upgrade to the Silver Star Medal he was previously awarded while assigned to the “Pacemakers” of Fighter Squadron 781 in 1953.
By Office of the Navy Chief of Information