WASHINGTON D.C. (WOOD) — His comrades on the battlefield called him “Doc,” and for good reason.
Former U.S. Army medic and South Haven native James McCloughan is credited with saving the lives of 10 fellow soldiers in the battle of Nui Yon Hill in 1969.
Nearly 50 years after he served in the Vietnam War, Specialist Five McCloughan will receive the military’s highest honor: the Medal of Honor. President Donald Trump will present the award at the White House Monday afternoon.
“It means a lot to the men who fought in that battle,” McCloughan told 24 Hour News 8, deflecting the credit onto those who served alongside him.
On May 13, 1969, McCloughan was one of two medics among 89 men from Charlie Company going up against 2,000 or more enemy soldiers. For 48 hours, their unit was under heavy fire.
McCloughan was hit by shrapnel or small-arms fire three separate times. At one point, his lieutenant told him to seek medical attention and take the next helicopter out. McCloughan refused.
“I knew that they were going to need me. I wasn’t going to leave my men. Nope. I thought that would be my last day on Earth, though,” McCloughan said in a December 2016 interview with 24 Hour News 8.
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