Trump to award Medal of Honor to South Dakotan who downed Soviet pilots
Royce Williams’ Korean War engagement had been kept classified until end of Cold War
A South Dakota native who shot down several Soviet fighter jets will be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump.
Royce Williams’ engagement with the Soviets occurred during the Korean War, and to keep tensions between the two superpowers from boiling over, the engagement was kept classified during the Cold War.
Because it was classified, Williams didn’t receive the honor he would have had the dogfight occurred against open combatants, supporters argued. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award.
