Today our walk was dedicated in honor of:
Army SGT Troy A McGill, Age 29 of Knoxville, TN.
KIA Mar. 4, 1944
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He was killed in action. He served as a Sergeant in the United States Army in Troop G, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on March 4, 1944, at Admiralty Group, Los Negros Islands. Citation: “On 29 February 1944, a reconnaissance-in-force of about 1,000 officers and men from the reinforced 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, landed on Los Negros. The initial landings caught the Japanese off guard, facing the opposite direction. But the Japanese fought back with a fury; vicious night fighting typified the next five days. Krueger threw sufficient reinforcements into the battle to tip the balance in the cavalrymen’s favor. After three days of piecemeal attacks, the Japanese struck hard on the night of 3-4 March and nearly succeeded in breaking the cavalrymen’s lines. During this action, Sgt. Troy A. McGill and his eight-man squad withstood repeated attacks. When all but McGill and another man had been killed or wounded, McGill ordered the survivor to the rear, fired his rifle at the advancing Japanese until it jammed, then fought them in front of the position, using the rifle as a club until he was killed. His actions earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor. MacArthur’s luck and daring, plus the courage of a handful of cavalrymen like Sergeant McGill, had won an impressive victory.
We had a great 1.12 Mile walk at the Knoxville National Cemetery. We walked to his grave and I placed a penny to let them know another Veteran had come to visit. I thanked him for his service and gave a salute. We then walked around this amazing cemetery. We read many names of our fallen brothers and sisters. I want to thank my friend Robert for walking with us today in helping me honor this hero.
Army SGT Troy A McGill will not be forgotten !
