Gun returned to MOH owner

| August 17, 2011

ROS sent us a link to the Southern Oregon Mail Tribune article about one veteran who returned a stolen M1911 to it’s owner, a Medal of Honor recipient who had used the handgun during the deed which earned him the medal;

“His medal citation actually mentions the pistol,” Berry observed, referring to the fact the wounded McGinty used it to kill five enemy soldiers attacking his position.

However, Berry did not yet know whether it was the same McGinty associated with his newly acquired pistol. He used the Internet to track down McGinty, 71, in Beaufort, S.C. McGinty had retired from the corps as a captain in October 1976.

The retired Navy warrant officer called the retired Marine Corps officer and asked him if it was his pistol.

“He said, ‘Do you mean 0103889?’ ” [George Berry] recalled, noting [John J. McGinty USMC] had just recited the gun’s serial number.

That’s when McGinty informed him the pistol had been stolen in 1978 when it was on display along with his uniform and sword. It was the very same pistol McGinty had used in Vietnam to repulse that final assault.

Berry sent the pistol to Beaufort. After receiving it, McGinty called and wanted to pay Berry for all his expenses.

“I told him I didn’t want any money, that I had just wanted a Model 1911,” Berry said.

Turns out that McGinty had a completely original Colt 1911 manufactured in 1918 that had been owned by John Finn, a longtime friend. Out of gratitude for having received his pistol back, he sent the Finn pistol to Medford for Berry to pick up last week.

Category: Real Soldiers

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1AirCav69

Amazing. A great story like this and it didn’t even make the Beaufort Gazette. No surprise. Glad I got to read it here.

Honor and Courage

ROS

This story makes me so happy. 😀

NHSparky

Good deeds are their own reward, but it never ceases to amaze me of the selflessness of people like this. Thanks for giving me a little extra faith in humanity to push on through.

Old Tanker

Concern yourself with what is right and you’ll never second-guess that decision,” he concluded.

What a way to start the day…. Out f&%$ing standing!

OldSoldier54

What Old Tanker said. Awesome!!!

adrian

Wow… definately awesome… even better he got to own a 1911 owned by John Finn…. dang! that dude rocked hard core… one of the retirement ceremonies I was at prior to retiring myself, he attended and told just how he got his MOH. He got so involved in fighting that at the time, didn’t notice he had been hit in the torso by enemy aircraft fire until a LT told him to go to medical for his wounds. like I said Hard core…

TopGozT

Helluva story.

Doc Bailey

“. . . A true man of honor feels humbled when he can not help humbling others.”

~Gen Robert E. Lee

John Curmudgeon

Great story!

PintoNag

I’ll bet if that gun could talk, it’d have quite a story to tell!