Medal of Honor Recipient James McCloughan on Service, Sacrifice, and Veterans Day

The home James McCloughan grew up in had no electricity until he was five and no running water—just a pump out back. It was a modest upbringing in South Haven, Michigan, shaped largely by a father he describes as both parent and best friend. He had plans to become a teacher and coach. Vietnam changed the course of everything.

McCloughan entered the war at its deadliest stretch. In 1969 alone, nearly 17,000 American soldiers were killed in action and more than 87,000 were wounded. His background in kinesiology, anatomy, and first aid had made him a natural fit for the role of medic—though, as he puts it, nothing in that training could prepare him for what he encountered on the front lines.

On May 13th, 1969, as his battalion came under heavy fire, McCloughan pulled multiple wounded soldiers to safety despite being struck by shrapnel himself. It was an act of courage that would eventually earn him the nation's highest military honor. In 2017, he was presented the Medal of Honor—nearly 50 years after the battle.

McCloughan accepts the recognition with characteristic humility. "It isn't my medal," he has said. "It belongs to 89 guys that went into the battle. I'm only the caretaker." He credits his actions not to individual heroism but to the character built long before he ever wore a uniform—by his parents, his teachers, his coaches.

Since receiving the medal, McLuhan has made it a mission to speak with young people across the country, drawing a clear and deliberate line between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. "I look at those two days as a day to remind me that there's a whole lot of people that didn't get to be veterans because they died for their country," he said.

His message to the next generation is direct: the best way to honor those who served is to make full use of the freedom they fought to protect. "Don't misuse it and don't abuse it, but enjoy it—because some people have put a lot of effort into making sure that you have it."