Ross McGinnis - Someone You Should Know

 

McGinnis arrived in Iraq in early August and his unit was sent to Eastern Baghdad to help quell the brewing sectarian war.  His unit, from Schweinfurt, Germany, was Charlie Company (the ROCK!), 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, and they had seen some tough fighting lately.

Mostly, due to the sentencing of Saddam, no one really seemed to notice that Charlie had taken out 50 insurgents during a violent period following the verdict.  McGinnis, as a machine gunner, had been awarded nominated for a Silver Star for his actions in that fight.  He was granted a waiver for time in service to be promoted to Specialist, too.

CENTCOM sent an email that describes McGinnis on patrol, on December 4th, standing in the turret. McGinnis was manning his armored humvee's machine gun.  His Platoon Sergeant, SFC Thomas, was the vehicle commander.

From a position above the humvee, an insurgent lobbed a grenade that arced through McGinnis' hatch and fell to the humvee console lodging in the radio at McGinnis' feet.

McGinnis shouted, "GRENADE!  IT'S IN THE TRUCK!"

Nineteen year old Private First Class Ross McGinnis had a choice to make - get the hell out of the truck through the hatch or...

"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...

 

The citation is read: 

    The President of the United States of America, authorized by act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.  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.

     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.  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.  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.