Private First Class Ross A. McKim is distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.
McGinnis was on patrol and an insurgent on a nearby rooftop threw a grenade at McGinnis’s vehicle. He unsuccessfully attempted to deflect the grenade, and it entered the vehicle behind him. McGinnis quickly announced, “Grenade!”
According to official accounts by survivors, McGinnis stood up and was preparing to jump out of the vehicle. The machine gunner is trained to announce the grenade, give a fair amount of time for people in the vehicle to react, and then he’s supposed to save himself.
McGinnis saw the grenade sitting on the radio mount behind him and realized the others weren’t aware of its location. They were combat-locked in the Humvee and would not have time to escape. As he gave his response, he pushed the gunner strap out from under him and laid his back on top of the grenade. It detonated, killing him instantly.
For that selfless act, which save the lives of others on the Humvee, PFC McGinnis was awarded the Medal of Honor.
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