Photo (left to right): The Citadel President Gen. Glenn M. Walters, USMC (Ret.), Debbie Nelson McKnight and Hugh “Tripp” Nelson III at The Citadel War Memorial

Capt. Hugh Reavis Nelson Jr., Citadel Class of 1959, was recently honored with the nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. In further tribute to this recognition, The Citadel held an event on campus for his family to celebrate Nelson’s life and the sacrifice he made.

On Feb. 28, The Citadel and the Nelson family came together to mark this historic award. The family, which included Nelson’s daughter and son, laid a wreath in their father’s honor at The Citadel War Memorial, where Nelson’s name is among many other Citadel alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. In total, 22 members of the Nelson family were present.

Afterwards, a panel discussion was held in the Capers Hall auditorium, bringing together key individuals who played a role in ensuring Nelson’s legacy was properly recognized. The audience also included many members from the Class of 1959 who came to show their respect for their fallen classmate.

The panel discussion featured Nelson’s daughter, Debbie Nelson McKnight, and son, Hugh “Tripp” Nelson III, along with Ted Curtis, ’64, a retired Air Force veteran and member of The Citadel’s Distinguished Alumni committee. Curtis, who was instrumental in the effort to have Nelson posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, provided insight into the extensive process required to secure this long-overdue recognition.

During the discussion, panelists reflected on the significance of the Medal of Honor, sharing personal stories and perspectives on Nelson’s extraordinary bravery and sacrifice. They also spoke about the emotional impact of his long-awaited recognition, both for his family and for The Citadel community. The conversation highlighted not only Nelson’s heroic actions but also the enduring importance of honoring those who exemplify the highest ideals of service and valor.

“He died a hero’s death. I was a high school history teacher, and whenever I taught about the Vietnam War, I would pull out my father’s medals and my mom had all kinds of things framed, so I would take that to school and show it to my students. That’s how I taught the Vietnam War — teaching them about the heroism,” said McKnight.   

Nelson displayed extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War and, while protecting the lives of his fellow soldiers, was killed in combat on June 5, 1966. Nelson was commanding an attack helicopter when it was struck by hostile gun fire and downed, with all weapons destroyed in the crash. After regaining consciousness, Nelson ignored his injuries and began evacuating his fellow soldiers from the helicopter while under enemy fire, using his own body as a human shield to save the life a crew member.

His efforts allowed the surviving crew members to be evacuated. Nelson’s example of sacrifice is particularly meaningful for The Citadel, as his co-pilot, Capt. Warren Bailey Jones, Citadel Class of 1964, survived the crash thanks to Nelson’s actions. Nelson was previously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions.

For Tripp, his father passed away the day before he turned one, so while he didn’t have any direct memories of him, he said that their father was still a prominent figure in their lives. Thanks to items their mother kept, he was still able to get to know what kind of man his father was.  

“He was always very present in our lives as we were growing up, his medals were hanging on the wall. We were very fortunate because we kept a lot of things that related to him. One of the things I was very glad my mother kept were audio tapes that he made. He made them every two to three days that he was deployed, my mother kept these and transferred them over, so I’ve been able to listen to him speak to our family, our mother,” said Nelson. “What I learned from those was that he was where he wanted to be. He felt he was doing the right thing for himself, for his family and for his country.”

Curtis had amassed 85 pages of research on Nelson that he submitted for the Medal of Honor and called the process a six-year journey. The first person he spoke to about this was The Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters, USMC (Ret.), ’79.

“I got myself and Lt. Gen. Buck Shuler, Class of 1959, in General Walter’s office and briefed him on what we were going to do. It was a long shot, but he listened to us and was very kind and gave me a few tips. The best part of the whole six-year journey was the fact that this submission had no military or political influence whatsoever,” said Curtis. “I submitted 85 pages of research on a fellow I thought deserved the Medal of Honor. It went through two review boards of three Lieutenant Generals each, it went through Secretary of the Army, Army Chief of Staff, Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — they all reviewed it. To me, the takeaway was that we have a system that is straight, credible and works on merit alone. That was really an achievement for both Capt. Nelson and myself.”  

When the Nelson family found out this was happening, it still took time but ended with a phone call from former President of the United States Joe Biden telling Debbie that her father would be posthumously recognized for his heroic actions.

“At 4 o’clock on Halloween, I get a phone call, and I pick up the phone, and the person says, ‘Is this Debbie McKnight?’ and I say ‘Yes it is,’ and he says ‘This is President Joe Biden.’ And I was like, I have to sit down,” said McKnight. “He read part of the citation and talked about how he would be honored to posthumously award the Medal of Honor. He made a comment that my father was a handsome man, and I said that my mother thought so too. He laughed and remembered that I had said that later when we met him. It was an honor; I got goosebumps when I talked to him. Just the fact that not only my father’s sacrifice was being recognized, but the incredible work that Ted put into this to bring this honor to our family, is just all overwhelming. Without Ted, we wouldn’t be here.”

Nelson’s son shared that sentiment, stating that “If it wasn’t for the effort that Ted put in, it wouldn’t have happened. Ted did this for a family that he didn’t know, it’s just remarkable.”

At the end of the panel discussion, Nelson’s son and daughter were presented with a lapel pin by Maj. Gen. Edward Chrystal, from the Army Vietnam War Commemoration. In 2012, Congress established the Vietnam War Commemoration, tasked to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families.  

During parade, Nelson’s family had the honor of taking the reviewing stand, a tradition reserved for distinguished guests. As the Corps of Cadets marched in precise formation, Nelson’s daughter and son stood alongside Walters. The moment further marked the respect and gratitude The Citadel community has towards Nelson’s heroic service and sacrifice to his country. For his family, it was a moment to remember his place in history, made even more special by the cadets who uphold the same values of honor, duty and respect that Nelson embodied.

To listen to the full panel discussion, visit this link.