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H. 5281
STATUS INFORMATION
Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Lourie, Allen, Altman, Anthony, Bailey, Bales, Barfield, Battle, Bingham, Bowers, Branham, Breeland, G. Brown, J. Brown, R. Brown, Cato, Ceips, Chellis, Clark, Clemmons, Clyburn, Coates, Cobb-Hunter, Coleman, Cooper, Cotty, Dantzler, Davenport, Delleney, Duncan, Edge, Emory, Freeman, Frye, Gilham, Gourdine, Govan, Hagood, Hamilton, Harrell, Harrison, Harvin, Haskins, Hayes, Herbkersman, J. Hines, M. Hines, Hinson, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Jennings, Keegan, Kennedy, Kirsh, Koon, Leach, Lee, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Lloyd, Loftis, Lucas, Mack, Mahaffey, Martin, McCraw, McGee, McLeod, Merrill, Miller, Moody-Lawrence, J.H. Neal, J.M. Neal, Neilson, Ott, Owens, Parks, Perry, Phillips, Pinson, E.H. Pitts, M.A. Pitts, Quinn, Rhoad, Rice, Richardson, Rivers, Rutherford, Sandifer, Scarborough, Scott, Simrill, Sinclair, Skelton, D.C. Smith, F.N. Smith, G.M. Smith, G.R. Smith, J.E. Smith, J.R. Smith, W.D. Smith, Snow, Stewart, Stille, Talley, Taylor, Thompson, Toole, Townsend, Tripp, Trotter, Umphlett, Vaughn, Viers, Walker, Weeks, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Wilkins, Witherspoon and Young
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gjk\21259sd04.doc
Introduced in the House on May 19, 2004
Introduced in the Senate on May 19, 2004
Adopted by the General Assembly on May 19, 2004
Summary: John J. McGinty, III
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5/19/2004 House Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-8 5/19/2004 Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence SJ-10
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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO 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, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST AWARD THAT CAN BE BESTOWED UPON A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
Whereas, throughout our nation's history, men and women in all eras from Concord and Lexington to Falleujah have gone in harm's way to protect and secure our country's freedom and way of life; and
Whereas, to recognize extraordinary heroism the Congress of the United States established the Medal of Honor which represents the highest award for valor that can be bestowed upon a member of the armed forces of the United States; and
Whereas, there have been more than three thousand four hundred recipients but fewer than one hundred forty remain with us today; and
Whereas, most recipients of the medal are ordinary Americans from ordinary backgrounds who, under extraordinary circumstances and at great risk to their own lives, performed an incredible act or a series of acts of conspicuous valor that clearly sets them apart from their comrades; and
Whereas, thirty-seven citizens with South Carolina roots have received the Medal of Honor since its inception; and
Whereas, Staff Sergeant John J. McGinty III is one of these heroes who fortunately is with us today; and
Whereas, on July 15, 1966, his battalion was helicoptered into an area along the demilitarized zone where infrared photographs taken by air reconnaissance showed enemy activity. Coming into the landing zone, the choppers came under heavy fire and three helicopters were lost off-loading the Marines; and
Whereas, once he was finally on the ground, Staff Sergeant McGinty saw that the enemy was not the pajama-clad Vietcong guerrillas the Marines were used to fighting, but rather, for the first time, uniformed and well-supplied North Vietnamese Army soldiers. United States intelligence had drastically underestimated their numbers, and the Marines were facing an entire NVA regiment; and
Whereas, on the morning of July eighteenth, during a pause in the fighting, the battalion was ordered to withdraw, with Sergeant McGinty's company acting as the rear guard. His platoon was the last platoon out, staying behind to cover the Marine engineers as they destroyed the downed American helicopters in order to keep sensitive equipment aboard out of enemy hands. The North Vietnamese attacked again; and
Whereas, Staff Sergeant McGinty and his men opened fire and held back the first wave of North Vietnamese. The second wave was stopped by United States fighter planes dropping napalm before they could charge. For the next six hours, McGinty rallied his men repeatedly, receiving wounds in his legs and left eye; and
Whereas, seeing two squads cut off from the rest of the platoon, Staff Sergeant McGinty ran to them through intense machine gun and mortar fire. Finding twenty men wounded and a corpsman dead, he reloaded weapons for the injured men and organized a defense. He killed five enemy soldiers at point-blank range with his pistol. Then, as North Vietnamese troops again threatened to overrun his position, he called in air strikes to within fifty yards of his men; and
Whereas, as night fell, the enemy withdrew. When helicopters arrived to evacuate the Marines, only nine of the fifty were still able-bodied. There were more than five hundred enemy dead left behind; and
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly, by this resolution, would like to publicly recognize and honor Staff Sergeant John J. McGinty III for his extraordinary heroism in the defense of our country and her ideals which epitomizes the very best of what America stands for. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly 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, which is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a member of the armed forces of the United States.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Staff Sergeant John J. McGinty III.
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