Medal of Honor: John J. McGinty III – Vietnam War, July 18, 1969

Name: John J. McGinty III

Rank at Time of Action: Second Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant)
Conflict: Vietnam War
Unit: Company K, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of Action: July 18, 1966
Location: Republic of Vietnam

Summary of Action:

In the blistering jungle heat of Quang Tri Province, Second Lieutenant John J. McGinty III found himself and his 32-man platoon at the heart of a violent, four-hour battle against an enemy force estimated to be a full regiment strong. His platoon was providing rear security during the withdrawal of a battalion that had been under siege for three days when the enemy struck in waves—a human tidal assault of machine gun fire, mortars, and sheer numbers.

Time after time, the enemy surged forward. Time after time, McGinty stood firm—rallying his Marines, directing fire, and holding the line.

Then disaster struck. Two of his squads were cut off, pinned down, and nearly overwhelmed. McGinty, with total disregard for his own safety, sprinted through a storm of fire to reach them. There he found 20 wounded Marines and their corpsman dead. Bleeding from his own wounds, he reloaded weapons for the injured, organized a defense, and shouted orders and encouragement as enemy troops closed in.

When enemy soldiers attempted to outflank the position, McGinty stood his ground and killed five of them at point-blank range with his pistol. As the enemy threatened to overrun them completely, he calmly and skillfully called in air and artillery strikes within just 50 yards of his position—deadly close, but devastatingly effective.

When the smoke cleared, an estimated 500 enemy dead lay across the field. His small force—bloodied, exhausted, but unbroken—had survived the impossible.

Lt. McGinty's heroism, leadership, and refusal to surrender in the face of overwhelming odds saved lives, crushed the enemy, and became a defining act of Marine Corps valor in Vietnam.

Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 2d Lt. McGinty’s platoon, which was providing rear security to protect the withdrawal of the battalion from a position which had been under attack for 3 days, came under heavy small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire from an estimated enemy regiment. With each successive human wave which assaulted his 32-man platoon during the 4-hour battle, 2d Lt. McGinty rallied his men to beat off the enemy. In 1 bitter assault, 2 of the squads became separated from the remainder of the platoon. With complete disregard for his safety, 2d Lt. McGinty charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their position. Finding 20 men wounded and the medical corpsman 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 5 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 50 yards of his position. This destructive firepower routed the enemy, who left an estimated 500 bodies on the battlefield. 2d Lt. 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 U.S. Naval Service.