Actions that make heroes: Medford man returns rare handgun to Medal of Honor winner

History buff George Berry, of Medford, has a Colt .45-caliber, semiautomatic pistol he has long coveted, which he received after returning a similar pistol that had been stolen from a Medal of Honor winner in 1978. Mail Tribune Photo / Jamie Lusch

Marine John J. McGinty's brave act on March 12, 1968

President Lyndon Johnson presented John J. McGinty with the Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the White House on March 12, 1968. In the presentation, then Marine Staff Sgt. McGinty was cited for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" during Operation Hastings in July of 1966.

The troops had been battling toe-to-toe with a larger force of North Vietnamese army troops attempting to push south near the demilitarized zone. McGinty was commanding a 32-man platoon serving as a rear guard as the Marine battalion withdrew at the end of a three-day battle.

For four hours, his platoon was attacked by small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire, the citation reads. At one point, two squads became separated from the main body of the platoon.

"With complete disregard for his safety, McGinty charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their position," it read. "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," it continued.

The citation mentions his Colt .45 pistol.

"When the enemy tried to out-flank his position, he killed five of them at point-blank range with his pistol," it concluded.

— Paul Fattig

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