Spotlight on our veterans: Maj. James Capers, SSGTravis Mills

1. Viet Nam:  Major James Capers Jr.

Major James Capers Jr. is a trailblazing U.S. Marine Corps veteran recognized for his heroism, leadership, and groundbreaking achievements as an African American in elite military service.

Born in South Carolina in 1937 to a family of sharecroppers, Capers later moved to Baltimore, where he joined the Marines in 1956 and excelled in boot camp. He became the first African American to join the Marines’ Force Recon Special Operations and the first enlisted African American to receive a battlefield commission, leading a Force Reconnaissance Company.

A documentary on his life and career was made: Major Capers – The Legend of Team Broadminded. Watch the trailer here.

Team Broadminded was the name of an elite nine-man Force Recon team led by Major Capers during the Vietnam War. The team was known for successfully completing over 50 classified missions, often against overwhelming odds, and was part of the U.S. Marine Corps’ history as one of its most decorated reconnaissance units.

The team undertook numerous classified missions, including POW rescue operations, amphibious assaults, and covert reconnaissance patrols behind enemy lines.

Watch: Maj. James Capers talks about his extraordinary service and being recognized with the Fox Nation Patriot Awards’ ‘Salute to Service Award’ for heroism during the Vietnam War.

Watch the video:

Maj. Capers published his memoirs in 2022: Faith Through the Storm: Memoirs of Major James Capers, Jr.

2. Afghanistan: SSG Travis Mills

Travis Mills is a retired United States Army Staff Sergeant who became a quadruple amputee after being critically injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan on April 10, 2012. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive such extensive injuries. Following an extensive recovery and rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Medical Center, Mills has since become a motivational speaker, advocate for wounded veterans, and founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, which provides support and retreats for veterans and their families.

Despite losing portions of both arms and legs from an IED while on active duty in Afghanistan, Travis continues to overcome life’s challenges, breaking physical barriers and defying odds. Travis lives by his motto:

“Never give up. Never quit.”

Watch 2 videos:

Read Travis’ story at Travis Mills Foundation.org.

Visit SSG Travis Mills’ X page.

Previous StudentNewsDaily posts on U.S. Army vet Travis Mills:

• Hero soldier who lost all his limbs finds purpose inspiring other amputees (Dec 2015)
• Quote: U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills (Nov 2016)
• Editorial: Support our Veterans! (Nov 2015)

Travis Mills has written two books:

• Tough As They Come (2016)
• Bounce Back: 12 Warrior Principles to Reclaim and Recalibrate Your Life (2023)

SSG Travis Mills.