Retired School Teacher, Vietnam War Hero Awarded The Medal Of Honor By Trump
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (WWJ) - A retired South Haven high school teacher and coach is being given the Medal of Honor at the White House for his heroism on a Vietnam battlefield in 1969
James McLoughan was a 23-year-old private first class Army medic when, even though he had taken heavy Viet Cong fire, he refused to be evacuated from the area for two days so he could tend to other wounded soldiers.
"I was hit with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) round, I went out into the kill zone about six times," said McLoughan, who'd suffered serious injuries caused by shrapnel. "I'm glad that 10 of them got to lead a full life because of Doc McLoughan."
The 71-year-old McLoughan is being given the Medal of Honor through an act of Congress signed by President Obama, with President Trump bestowing the award in an East Room ceremony.
"They are crediting me with saving 10 Americans and one Vietnamese ... I wasn't counting, I was just doing what I had to do," he said.
McLoughan will be the first person to receive the Medal of Honor from Trump.