thedrifter
06-30-08, 08:31 AM
06-26-2008 -- Matthew Dodd
A Hero’s Choice
(Twenty-Fourth in a Series)
He had time to jump out of the truck. He chose not to. He's a hero. He was just an awesome guy.
I know medals never crossed his mind. He was always about friendships and relationships. He just took that to the ultimate this time.
Those two simple, heart-felt quotes, the first one from a grateful fellow soldier, and the other from a heart-broken dad, were spoken about our Nation’s latest Medal-of-Honor (MOH) hero, Army Private First Class (PFC) Ross A. McGinnis. His citation tells his incredible story:
Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.”
As a retired career Marine infantry officer, I have a great respect and appreciation for the M2 .50-caliber machine gun. For those who have never been around one, or had the privilege of firing one, all I can say is that you are missing out. I always considered the weapon to be a living, modern-day dinosaur (it has been in service since 1921, longer than any other small arm in U.S. inventory) whose sheer power and killing efficiency is unmatched. It is big, heavy, very loud, and has a great range. From my experience, not every machine gunner can effectively fire the weapon, so being an M2 gunner is something special. Because its lethal effects can ‘reach out and touch’ at great distances, great care must be taken in both selecting and training a trooper to be a vehicle-mounted M2 gunner.
The citation continued:
That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Private McGinnis was manning the M2 .50-caliber Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner's hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled "grenade," allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade's blast.
On this day, an insurgent got in what he would call a lucky throw, but I call it a tragic throw. Controlling sectarian violence by insurgents is an extremely dangerous, up-close-and-personal mission. Manning a vehicle-mounted M2 in that environment demands constant vigilance. Properly reacting to a sudden grenade attack like Private McGinnis requires well-trained instincts. What happened next is the stuff of heroes and legend….
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. Private McGinnis' gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death.
At the June 2, 2008 ceremony at the White House, where President Bush presented a posthumous Medal-of-Honor to PFC McGinnis’ parents, Romayne and Thomas, he also honored this heroic act by recognizing the soldiers who were saved:
We're also joined by Private McGinnis's vehicle crew -- the very men who witnessed his incredible bravery. We welcome Sergeant First Class Cedric Thomas, Staff Sergeant Ian Newland, Sergeant Lyle Buehler, and Specialist Sean Lawson.
I get goose-bumps when I think about what that moment must have been like for those soldiers and for the McGinnis family.
The citation concluded:
Private First Class McGinnis' extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Since I often struggle to find appropriate words to add following the final words of every hero’s citation, I will defer to the words of our Commander-in-Chief:
No one outside this man's family can know the true weight of their loss. But in words spoken long ago, we are told how to measure the kind of devotion that Ross McGinnis showed on his last day: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Gospel also gives this assurance: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." May the deep respect of our whole nation be a comfort to the family of this fallen soldier. May God always watch over the country he served, and keep us ever grateful for the life of Ross Andrew McGinnis.
As I write my tributes for our heroes in this war on terror, I am always personally inspired by different thoughts, words, or deeds in each hero’s story. I often do not know what that inspiration is until I start writing my tribute. For PFC McGinnis, my personal inspiration comes from the opening quotes.
At nineteen years of age, PFC McGinnis was suddenly given a choice between two options, a choice with deadly consequences either way. In a split-second, his choice was clear for he responded without hesitation. His was a hero’s choice, a choice that, I have to be honest, I do not know if I would make. I wonder how many of us, given the same circumstances, would make the same choice? I consider it a blessing that because of men like him, who took relationships and friendships to the ultimate when faced with a deadly choice, many of us will live out our lives wondering how we measure up against the heroic actions and character of our newest MOH hero, PFC Ross Andrew McGinnis.
Ellie
A Hero’s Choice
(Twenty-Fourth in a Series)
He had time to jump out of the truck. He chose not to. He's a hero. He was just an awesome guy.
I know medals never crossed his mind. He was always about friendships and relationships. He just took that to the ultimate this time.
Those two simple, heart-felt quotes, the first one from a grateful fellow soldier, and the other from a heart-broken dad, were spoken about our Nation’s latest Medal-of-Honor (MOH) hero, Army Private First Class (PFC) Ross A. McGinnis. His citation tells his incredible story:
Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.”
As a retired career Marine infantry officer, I have a great respect and appreciation for the M2 .50-caliber machine gun. For those who have never been around one, or had the privilege of firing one, all I can say is that you are missing out. I always considered the weapon to be a living, modern-day dinosaur (it has been in service since 1921, longer than any other small arm in U.S. inventory) whose sheer power and killing efficiency is unmatched. It is big, heavy, very loud, and has a great range. From my experience, not every machine gunner can effectively fire the weapon, so being an M2 gunner is something special. Because its lethal effects can ‘reach out and touch’ at great distances, great care must be taken in both selecting and training a trooper to be a vehicle-mounted M2 gunner.
The citation continued:
That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Private McGinnis was manning the M2 .50-caliber Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner's hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled "grenade," allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade's blast.
On this day, an insurgent got in what he would call a lucky throw, but I call it a tragic throw. Controlling sectarian violence by insurgents is an extremely dangerous, up-close-and-personal mission. Manning a vehicle-mounted M2 in that environment demands constant vigilance. Properly reacting to a sudden grenade attack like Private McGinnis requires well-trained instincts. What happened next is the stuff of heroes and legend….
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. Private McGinnis' gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death.
At the June 2, 2008 ceremony at the White House, where President Bush presented a posthumous Medal-of-Honor to PFC McGinnis’ parents, Romayne and Thomas, he also honored this heroic act by recognizing the soldiers who were saved:
We're also joined by Private McGinnis's vehicle crew -- the very men who witnessed his incredible bravery. We welcome Sergeant First Class Cedric Thomas, Staff Sergeant Ian Newland, Sergeant Lyle Buehler, and Specialist Sean Lawson.
I get goose-bumps when I think about what that moment must have been like for those soldiers and for the McGinnis family.
The citation concluded:
Private First Class McGinnis' extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Since I often struggle to find appropriate words to add following the final words of every hero’s citation, I will defer to the words of our Commander-in-Chief:
No one outside this man's family can know the true weight of their loss. But in words spoken long ago, we are told how to measure the kind of devotion that Ross McGinnis showed on his last day: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Gospel also gives this assurance: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." May the deep respect of our whole nation be a comfort to the family of this fallen soldier. May God always watch over the country he served, and keep us ever grateful for the life of Ross Andrew McGinnis.
As I write my tributes for our heroes in this war on terror, I am always personally inspired by different thoughts, words, or deeds in each hero’s story. I often do not know what that inspiration is until I start writing my tribute. For PFC McGinnis, my personal inspiration comes from the opening quotes.
At nineteen years of age, PFC McGinnis was suddenly given a choice between two options, a choice with deadly consequences either way. In a split-second, his choice was clear for he responded without hesitation. His was a hero’s choice, a choice that, I have to be honest, I do not know if I would make. I wonder how many of us, given the same circumstances, would make the same choice? I consider it a blessing that because of men like him, who took relationships and friendships to the ultimate when faced with a deadly choice, many of us will live out our lives wondering how we measure up against the heroic actions and character of our newest MOH hero, PFC Ross Andrew McGinnis.
Ellie