On December 4, 2006, PFC Ross A. McGinnis, 19, was manning the gunner’s hatch when a terrorist tossed a grenade from above. It flew past McGinnis and down through the hatch, lodging near the radio.
Being in the gunner’s hatch, McGinnis had time to escape.
He also had time to give his own life to save his crew and his platoon sergeant.
He chose the later.
In this post on PFC McGinnis I wrote:
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.
Today President Bush awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor — our Nation’s highest medal — to PFC McGinnis:
Reacting quickly, he yelled “grenade,” allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade’s blast. Then, rather than leaping from the gunner’s hatch to safety, Private McGinnis made the courageous decision to protect his crew. In a selfless act of bravery, in which he was mortally wounded, Private McGinnis covered the live grenade, pinning it between his body and the vehicle and absorbing most of the explosion.
Four other men have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions during the Global War on Terror:
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.
Not to detract from the heroism of PFC McGinnis but didn’t the attacks of September 11 provide us ample opportunity to witness the courage of everyday people working at the WTC and the Pentagon or flying in an airliner?
Left by Preston on June 2nd, 2008 at 4:07 pm