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platoon. With complete disregard for his safety, Second
Lieutenant John McGinty charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their position. Finding twenty men wounded and the medical corpsmen killed, he quickly reloaded ammunition magazines and weapons for the wounded men and directed their fire upon the enemy. Although he was painfully wounded as he moved to care for the disabled men, he continued to shout encouragement to his troops and to direct their fire so effectively that the attacking hordes were beaten off. When the enemy tried to out flank his position, he killed five of them at point-blank range with his pistol. When they again seemed on the verge of overrunning the small force, he skillfully adjusted artillery and air strikes within fifty yards of his position. This destructive fire power routed the enemy, who left an estimated 500 bodies on the battlefield. Second Lieutenant John McGinty's personal heroism, indomitable leadership, selfless devotion to duty, and bold fighting spirit inspired his men to resist the repeated attacks by a fanatical enemy, reflected great credit upon himself, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the
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fire from an estimated enemy regiment. With each successive human wave which assaulted his thirty-two-man platoon during the four- hour battle, Second
Lieutenant John McGinty rallied his men to beat off the enemy. In one bitter assault, two of the squads became separated from the remainder of the
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For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Acting
Platoon Leader, First Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, Third Marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam on 18 July 1966. Second Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant) John
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in April 1966, he served successively as a platoon sergeant and platoon commander, Company K, 3rd
Battalion, as S-2 Officer and Operation Chief, H&S Company, 3rd Battalion, and as Operations Chief, with Headquarters Company, 4th Marines. It was in 1966, during
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674:"commend the extraordinary heroism of Marine Staff Sergeant John J. McGinty III, a native of Massachusetts who entered the service in South Carolina, and who was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam Conflict for Valor."
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John McGinty was born on
January 21, 1940, in Boston, Massachusetts. He completed grammar school in Louisville, Kentucky in 1955, and attended high school in Louisville for a year and a half prior to enlisting in the
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Dan Rice (N.Y. National Guard) recounts the 2005 visit of Medal of Honor recipients, including Capt John McGinty to U.S. troops in Iraq entry on meeting the six touring Medal of Honor recipients, including John
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Upon his return to the United States in May 1967, he reported to the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. He served as a drill instructor until his promotion to
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McGinty's platoon, which was providing rear security to protect the withdrawal of the battalion from a position which had been under attack for three days, came under heavy
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on August 8, 1967. The following day, he assumed his assignment as Series
Officer, 1st Recruit Battalion, at the Recruit Depot, Parris Island.
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From
November 1964 until December 1965, Sgt McGinty saw duty as Assistant Brig Warden, Marine Barracks, U.S. Naval Base, Norfolk, Virginia.
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In the 1980s McGinty felt that there was a conflict between wearing his Medal of Honor (which bears the image of the Roman goddess
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McGinty died at his home in
Beaufort, South Carolina on January 17, 2014. The cause was bone cancer. He was buried at
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381:) and his new-found Christian faith. Some news agencies reported that McGinty wanted to return his Medal of Honor.
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Upon
Discharging from the Marine Corps Reserve, he enlisted in the Marine Corps as active duty on March 3, 1958.
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802:"Remarks Upon Presenting the Medal of Honor to Maj. Robert J. Modrzejewski and 2d Lt. John J. McGinty III, USMC"
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On March 12, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to 2ndLt McGinty in a ceremony at the
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From there, he was ordered to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, and assigned duty as
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Sergeant McGinty was ordered to the West Coast for transfer to the Far East. Joining the
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in June 1959, he saw duty as a rifleman leader, and later, squad leader with Company I,
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Private First Class McGinty completed the Noncommissioned Officers Leadership School,
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820:"John James McGinty III, Medal of Honor recipient and Beaufort resident, dies at 73"
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846:"John J. McGinty III, Vietnam veteran who received the Medal of Honor, dies at 73"
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A complete list of his medals and decorations includes: the Medal of Honor, the
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912:. South Carolina General Assembly, 115th Session, 2003-2004. Archived from
775:. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p.
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985:"Heroes make third trip to motivate and educate service members"
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Captain McGinty retired from the Marine Corps in October 1976.
961:. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from
746:. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from
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until May 1959. While stationed in Alaska, he was promoted to
1010:"Traveling Through Iraq with Six Medal of Honor recipients"
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United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
700:
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
291:, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion. He was promoted to
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United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients
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Company, USMCR, Louisville, Kentucky, to serve as a
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309:(left), along with Army Medal of Honor recipients
242:in September 1957, and was transferred to the 7th
804:. The American Presidency Project. Archived from
740:"Captain John James McGinty III, USMC (Retired)"
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772:U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966
32:John J. McGinty, III, Medal of Honor recipient
8:
1085:Vietnam War recipients of the Medal of Honor
186:militaries' highest decoration — the
178:(January 21, 1940 – January 17, 2014) was a
1060:Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
910:"2003-2004 Bill 5281: John J. McGinty, III"
635:The official Medal of Honor citation reads:
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1029:John J. McGinty III, War Hero, Dies at 73
226:with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion,
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228:Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
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1090:Burials at Beaufort National Cemetery
7:
1031:The New York Times, 22 January 2014.
800:Lyndon B. Johnson (March 12, 1968).
1070:United States Marine Corps officers
1014:A Year in Iraq - Oct 2004- Nov 2005
959:Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor
944:from websites or documents of the
623:Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
446:Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
209:United States Marine Corps Reserve
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744:Who's Who in Marine Corps History
1008:Dan Rice, Dan (April 12, 2005).
940: This article incorporates
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392:Pistol stolen and later returned
668:South Carolina General Assembly
592:Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
1080:Military personnel from Boston
894:Paul Fattig (August 8, 2011).
599:National Defense Service Medal
434:National Defense Service Medal
1:
442:Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry
404:along with a Medal of Honor
844:Emily Langer (2014-01-21).
655:United States Naval Service
440:with two bronze stars, the
424:with two bronze stars, the
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993:U.S. Department of Defense
989:Armed Forces Entertainment
946:United States Marine Corps
896:"Actions that make heroes"
587:Presidential Unit Citation
430:Presidential Unit Citation
386:Beaufort National Cemetery
180:United States Marine Corps
111:United States Marine Corps
86:Beaufort National Cemetery
565:
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182:officer who received the
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769:Shulimson, Jack (1982).
202:Early life and education
194:during July 1966 in the
90:Beaufort, South Carolina
75:Beaufort, South Carolina
631:Medal of Honor citation
616:Vietnam Gallantry Cross
362:in which fellow Marine
942:public domain material
659:
612:with two bronze stars
595:with two bronze stars
412:Awards and decorations
364:Robert J. Modrzejewski
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211:on February 19, 1957.
176:John James McGinty III
41:John James McGinty III
1065:United States Marines
666:On May 19, 2004, the
609:Vietnam Service Medal
438:Vietnam Service Medal
327:on November 11, 2006.
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238:. He was promoted to
117:Years of service
59:Boston, Massachusetts
670:passed Bill 5281, a
577:Combat Action Ribbon
426:Combat Action Ribbon
284:, until March 1962.
854:. Washington, D.C.
851:The Washington Post
444:with Palm, and the
341:Republic of Vietnam
337:3rd Marine Division
270:1st Marine Division
268:Transferred to the
265:in September 1958.
240:private first class
20:John J. McGinty III
808:on March 13, 2005.
422:Good Conduct Medal
366:was also honored.
346:Operation Hastings
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323:at Camp Taqaddum,
250:until March 1958.
646:automatic weapons
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402:John William Finn
353:second lieutenant
282:Norfolk, Virginia
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995:. March 26, 2006
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321:Gary L. Littrell
314:Robert L. Howard
295:in August 1962.
289:Drill Instructor
224:recruit training
215:Military service
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68:January 17, 2014
56:January 21, 1940
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81:Place of burial
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408:in gratitude.
406:challenge coin
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259:Kodiak, Alaska
255:Camp Pendleton
236:North Carolina
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188:Medal of Honor
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163:Medal of Honor
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1017:. Retrieved
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997:. Retrieved
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967:. Retrieved
963:the original
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918:. Retrieved
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828:. Retrieved
824:the original
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806:the original
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752:. Retrieved
748:the original
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572:Purple Heart
418:Purple Heart
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398:M1911 pistol
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232:Camp Lejeune
221:
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190:— for
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167:Purple Heart
149:Battles/wars
70:(2014-01-17)
1050:2014 deaths
1045:1940 births
360:White House
333:4th Marines
278:5th Marines
196:Vietnam War
153:Vietnam War
143:4th Marines
120:1957 - 1976
1039:Categories
1019:2006-06-23
969:2006-06-23
920:2006-12-29
868:1330888409
830:2014-01-19
706:References
672:resolution
642:small arms
619:with Palm
373:Later life
97:Allegiance
52:1940-01-21
38:Birth name
860:0190-8286
339:, in the
1025:McGinty.
999:June 23,
754:June 28,
678:See also
605:3rd Row
583:2nd Row
563:1st Row
293:Sergeant
263:Corporal
248:rifleman
244:Infantry
174:Captain
105:Service/
932:General
379:Minerva
307:McGinty
192:heroism
129:Captain
866:
858:
783:
711:Inline
662:Honors
650:mortar
436:, the
432:, the
428:, the
420:, the
159:Awards
107:branch
305:Capt
1001:2006
864:OCLC
856:ISSN
781:ISBN
756:2013
648:and
325:Iraq
316:and
135:Unit
125:Rank
65:Died
46:Born
777:361
318:CSM
311:COL
1041::
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719:^
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50:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
