releases: https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/burchett-attend-silver-star-presentation-ceremony-us-army-specialist-four
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/burchett-attend-silver-star-presentation-ceremony-us-army-specialist-four | Burchett to attend Silver Star presentation ceremony for U.S. Army Specialist Four Gerald McGinnis | 2021-10-29 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | TN | Tim Burchett | B001309 | burchett.house.gov | burchett | https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 29, 2021) -- On Saturday, Oct. 30, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (TN-02) will attend a Silver Star presentation ceremony for U.S. Army Specialist Four Gerald McGinnis at Park West Church in Knoxville, Tenn. "Sheltering in a war-torn Vietnam bunker on March 22, 1968, Spc. McGinnis' back was against the wall," Rep. Burchett said. "In that desperate moment, he fought off North Vietnamese Army attackers in defense of three wounded American soldiers in his bunker. Spc. McGinnis deserves the Silver Star for his heroism that day and it will be an honor to attend this ceremony." Rep. Burchett will deliver remarks on Spc. McGinnis' military service and read the medal citation for the Silver Star. Retired military leaders will also be on hand for Spc. McGinnis' Silver Star ceremony. Admiral Ray Alexander will lead the invocation and Major General Max Haston will present the Silver Star to Spc. McGinnis. Background on Specialist Four Gerald McGinnis An enlisted man in the U.S. Army, Spc. McGinnis was assigned to Company C in the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Infantry Regiment during the Vietnam War. In the early morning hours of March 22, 1968, his base was attacked by approximately 1,500 North Vietnamese Army soldiers. The bunker next to Spc. McGinnis' bunker was destroyed by enemy artillery fire. American soldiers inside that bunker were either critically injured or killed. Three of these injured soldiers were relocated to Spc. McGinnis' bunker for safety. Spc. McGinnis defended these men for the remainder of the battle, preventing the North Vietnamese from overrunning the base in the process. Following his military service, Spc. McGinnis obtained a theological education and settled in Knoxville. He founded Park West Church in 1980, where he continues to serve as pastor and director of leadership development. In 2016, Spc. McGinnis was awarded the Bronze Star for his brave actions in Vietnam. Additional information for media members | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |