Recognition and more LDW pics

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private Owen McGar (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on October 21, 1876 – January 8, 1877, at Cedar Creek, Montana. His citation reads:

Gallantry in action.

Technical Sergeant Vernon McGarity (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 16, 1944, near Krinkelt, Belgium. His citation reads:

He was painfully wounded in an artillery barrage that preceded the powerful counteroffensive launched by the Germans near Krinkelt, Belgium, on the morning of 16 December 1944. He made his way to an aid station, received treatment, and then refused to be evacuated, choosing to return to his hard-pressed men instead. The fury of the enemy's great Western Front offensive swirled about the position held by T/Sgt. McGarity's small force, but so tenaciously did these men fight on orders to stand firm at all costs that they could not be dislodged despite murderous enemy fire and the breakdown of their communications. During the day the heroic squad leader rescued 1 of his friends who had been wounded in a forward position, and throughout the night he exhorted his comrades to repulse the enemy's attempts at infiltration. When morning came and the Germans attacked with tanks and infantry, he braved heavy fire to run to an advantageous position where he immobilized the enemy's lead tank with a round from a rocket launcher. Fire from his squad drove the attacking infantrymen back, and 3 supporting tanks withdrew. He rescued, under heavy fire, another wounded American, and then directed devastating fire on a light cannon which had been brought up by the hostile troops to clear resistance from the area. When ammunition began to run low, T/Sgt. McGarity, remembering an old ammunition hole about 100 yards distant in the general direction of the enemy, braved a concentration of hostile fire to replenish his unit's supply. By circuitous route the enemy managed to emplace a machinegun to the rear and flank of the squad's position, cutting off the only escape route. Unhesitatingly, the gallant soldier took it upon himself to destroy this menace single-handedly. He left cover, and while under steady fire from the enemy, killed or wounded all the hostile gunners with deadly accurate rifle fire and prevented all attempts to reman the gun. Only when the squad's last round had been fired was the enemy able to advance and capture the intrepid leader and his men. The extraordinary bravery and extreme devotion to duty of T/Sgt. McGarity supported a remarkable delaying action which provided the time necessary for assembling reserves and forming a line against which the German striking power was shattered.

Private William D. McGee (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on March 18, 1945, near Mulheim, Germany. His citation reads:

A medical aid man, he made a night crossing of the Moselle River with troops endeavoring to capture the town of Mulheim. The enemy had retreated in the sector where the assault boats landed, but had left the shore heavily strewn with antipersonnel mines. Two men of the first wave attempting to work their way forward detonated mines which wounded them seriously, leaving them bleeding and in great pain beyond the reach of their comrades. Entirely on his own initiative, Pvt. McGee entered the minefield, brought out 1 of the injured to comparative safety, and had returned to rescue the second victim when he stepped on a mine and was severely wounded in the resulting explosion. Although suffering intensely and bleeding profusely, he shouted orders that none of his comrades was to risk his life by entering the death-sown field to render first aid that might have saved his life. In making the supreme sacrifice, Pvt. demonstrated a concern for the well-being of his fellow soldiers that transcended all considerations for his own safety and a gallantry in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.


We’d like to share this news story with you about James Island native Blue Spivey. As I’m sure you know, I played high school baseball (and American Legion baseball) with his little brother Brett. What is not as well-known is that Blue was a teammate of mine on my first baseball team many (many, many) years ago. He is also married to the sister of my friend and Charleston Baseball Hall of Famer Donald Morillo.

You can see the story here.


I’m sure you will remember us congratulating my Labor Day Aunt Janie on her winning the Jack Callaghan Cornerstone Award. Below is a video related to this. I’m sure Teresa Lynn will be confused, so let me point out that in the video Janie goes by her undercover name of “Jane”. So, Teresa Lynn, when you hear people on here talking about “Jane”, they are talking about our Labor Day Aunt Janie… NOT our Labor Day Cousin Jane (who, I can only hope, will go by “Janie” when she has a video related to her winning an award posted on the internet). One other note about this video, some of you may notice that my name is not brought up at all during “Jane’s” speech. Fear not… When she thanked tables “8 and 9”, that was really code for her thanking I’m just saying… and Greg. Janie understands that I’m not real big on having attention thrown my way and, therefore, decided to thank me using code. She knew I would be smart enough to figure it out.

Flashback Friday

As a reminder, in the Fridays leading up to the 2013 Labor Day Weekend we are going to look at pictures from past Labor Day Weekends and other Labor Day sanctioned events (i.e. weddings and other gatherings involving my Labor Day family). I hope you enjoy these pictures… but even if you don’t, you can rest easy knowing that I do.

Not sure what Labor Day this is from... But here we see Dad, Not Janie, Mom, Harriet, Janie, DG and Paul

From that same Labor Day... Jason, Julie, The Wife, Me, Sally, Ansley, Brent and (center front) Teresa Lynn and Leah

The Real Jane, AJ and The Wife

Not Janie, Janie, Harriet and Mom

Sally, Jason, The Wife, Me, The Real Jane, AJ, Teresa Lynn, Julie and Will - True story, Will (a preacher) once wrote a note asking Jenn to excuse me for missing church one Labor Day weekend.  Well... I might not be 100% right about that.  Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I wrote the note and Will signed it... using a crayon.  But he made an effort (minimal though it may have been).