Where do we find such men?
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis packed only 136 pounds into his 6-foot frame, but few have ever matched his inner strength.
McGinnis sacrificed himself in an act of supreme bravery on Dec. 4, belying his status as the youngest Soldier in Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The 19-year-old amateur mechanic from Knox, Pa., who enjoyed poker and loud music, likely saved the lives of four Soldiers riding with him on a mission in Baghdad.
McGinnis was manning the gunner’s hatch when an insurgent tossed a grenade from above. It flew past McGinnis and down through the hatch before lodging near the radio.
His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Cedric Thomas of Longview, Texas, recalled what happened next.
“Pfc. McGinnis yelled, “Grenade’s in the truck,” Thomas said. “I looked out of the corner of my eye as I was crouching down and I saw him pin it down.”
McGinnis did so even though he could have escaped.
“He had time to jump out of the truck,” Thomas said. “He chose not to.”
Thomas remembered McGinnis talking about how he would respond in such a situation. McGinnis said then he didn’t know how he would act, but when the time came, he delivered.
“He gave his life to save his crew and his platoon sergeant,” Thomas said. “He’s a hero. He’s a professional. He was just an awesome guy.”
Three of the Soldiers with McGinnis who were wounded that day have returned to duty, while a fourth is recovering in Germany.
For saving the lives of his friends and giving up his own in the process, McGinnis earned the Silver Star, posthumously. His unit paid their final respects in a somber ceremony here Dec. 11.
Knowing that it would kill him, PFC McGinnis did what he had to do to save his fellow Soldiers around him. I am deeply humbled to call him my brother-in-arms, and forever grateful for his dedication to duty and for his ultimate sacrifice.
Take a look around you, at your fellow employees and colleagues, all sitting comfortably in their cubes or their offices. Now think about how many of them would do the same thing for you.
Where do we find such men? The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard are filled with them.
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PFC McGinnis was not “duped” into joining the Army. It wasn’t his “only option”; he wasn’t poor, stupid, nor a minority. A Soldier is what McGinnis always wanted to be, and he considered it to be more than a “decent” career option:
…[McGinnis' mother] said her son drew a soldier in kindergarten when he was supposed to picture what he wanted to be when he grew up.
“Ross decided at a very young age that he wanted to join the Army,” she said.
On his 17th birthday — the first day he was eligible — Ross McGinnis stepped into the recruiting station and joined the Army through the Delayed Enlistment Program, she said.
The Patriot Guard Riders of Pennsylvania have been invited by the McGinnis family to attend the funeral services for PFC McGinnis. It’s a comfort to know that this fallen American Soldier will be laid to rest with the attention, respect, and honor that he deserves.
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BlackFive has more (h/t to Jeanette at Hang Right Politics)
He is a true hero in every sense of the word. And you’re right, he did provide the ultimate sacrifice… everyday my love and respect grows for our heros.
His heroism surpasses my courage beyond words. God bless his soul.
Left by kw on December 13th, 2006 at 5:09 pm