Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to Clarion soldier
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President Bush, right, kisses Romayne McGinnis, center, while shaking the hand of her husband Tom McGinnis during the presentation of the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony today. The McGinnis' son, Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis, of Knox, was killed in Iraq, Dec. 4, 2006.
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WASHINGTON -- President Bush today presented a Clarion County family with the Medal of Honor for their son, who died when he threw himself onto a grenade and saved four fellow soldiers.
Tom and Romayne McGinnis of Knox accepted the medal awarded to Specialist Ross McGinnis, who was 19 when he sacrificed his life on Dec. 4, 2006. He was posthumously promoted to specialist.
Spec. McGinnis was part of a Humvee crew when an insurgent tossed a grenade into their vehicle in Baghdad. He had the opportunity to jump off the Humvee but instead covered the grenade.
At today's ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Mr. Bush hailed him as an ordinary man who did an extraordinary thing. He noted that Spec. McGinnis didn't care much for school but blossomed in the Army.
During the ceremony, Mrs. McGinnis was comforted by Mr. Bush, who hugged her and kissed her cheek.
About 300 people attended, including Vice President Dick Cheney and members of Congress.
The four soldiers Spec. McGinnis saved, all of them with various degrees of injury from the shrapnel, also attended.
Ian Newland, the most seriously injured, told reporters afterward that he thinks often about Dec. 4, 2006, and the pain and grief that resulted. Mr. Newland uses a cane and said he hopes one day to run again.
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First Published June 2, 2008 10:34 am
