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The Story of PFC Ross A. McGinnis 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (attached to 2nd BCT, 2ID) Parents: Tom and Romayne McGinnis Siblings: Becky Gorman and Katie McGinnis Hometown: Knox, Pennsylvania Enlisted: Delayed Entry Program June 14, 2004 at the Pittsburgh MEPS. Completed initial entry training at Fort Benning, Georgia Assignments: 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment (Schweinfurt, Germany) Deployments: Operation Iraqi Freedom Spc. McGinnis’ dedication to duty and love for his fellow Soldiers were embodied in a statement issued by his parents shortly after his death: “Ross did not...

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – Medal of Honor recipient Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis joined a select group of military heroes during a Pentagon ceremony here today. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England hosted the event that added McGinnis’ name to the roster of other Army Medal of Honor recipients. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Gen. Richard R. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, also attended the event at the library and conference center. Medal of Honor recipients “are our nation’s most-revered heroes,” England said. “And every time a name is added, that individual’s story enriches the significance of...

Commentary On Monday I was doing my usual channel-surfing and I was fortunate enough to come across a very special event. George Bush was awarding a posthumous Medal of Honor to the family of U.S. Army Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis. The 19 year-old McGinnis was on patrol in northeastern Baghdad. McGinnis was behind a .50 caliber machine gun which sat atop a Humvee carrying four of his fellow soldiers inside. An insurgent hurled a fragment grenade at the vehicle. The explosive device fell through the gun port and landed among McGinnis' fellow soldiers who prepared themselves for the...

President Bush is expected to award a Clarion County soldier the Medal of Honor in June, which would make Spc. Ross A. McGinnis the fifth soldier who served in Afghanistan or Iraq to receive the nation's highest honor. McGinnis, 19, of Knox died Dec. 4, 2006, from wounds he suffered when he threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of four other soldiers in his Humvee. Citing anonymous sources, the Army Times on Monday said the president has approved the award. Maj. Nathan Banks, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department can't comment on the matter until the...

The President spent the weekend in Washington on the Saturday gave the commencement address at Furman University in South Carolina. On Sunday attended church in the morning and in the evening Ford's Theatre Gala at the held at National Theatre in Washington as the Ford's Theater is currently closed for renovations. Today the President spoke at a ceremony at the White House before awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to the parents of U.S. Army PFC Ross McGinnis, of Knox, Pennsylvania, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. Later the President participated in a meeting on the Economy and Tax...

9:50 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. A week ago on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States flew in half-staff in tribute to those who fell in service to our country. Today we pay special homage to one of those heroes: Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis of the U.S. Army. Private McGinnis died in a combat zone in Iraq on December the 4th, 2006 -- and for his heroism that day, he now receives the Medal of Honor. In a few moments, the military aide will read the citation, and the Medal...

McGinnis was no stranger to combat. The Middle East edition of Stars and Stripes for Nov. 30, 2006, has a picture of McGinnis on its cover. His unit had been involved in a fierce firefight on Nov. 5 and had killed 38 attackers. His superiors were quick to recognize the special nature of McGinnis’ actions. He was awarded a posthumous Silver Star, America’s third-highest award for valor in combat, and nominated for the Medal of Honor. Eighteen months later, McGinnis will receive his medal. Speaking anonymously, sources at the Department of Defense have confirmed this with reporters from the Army...