Phill G. McDonald

He helped wounded men and crawled toward a hostile gun post.

Phill Gene McDonald was born at Avondale, West Virginia, on 13 September 1941, one of fourteen children. As a teenager he moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. He worked at a cedar plant and was active in the Central Assembly of God church, teaching Sunday school, singing and playing the guitar. He hoped to become a minister.

He was inducted into the United States Army in 1967. After training he went to Vietnam and served in Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His comrades knew him as Preacher. He became a private first class and led a small team.

On 7 June 1968, near Kontum, a concealed enemy force pinned down his platoon. McDonald volunteered to take two wounded men toward an evacuation point. Crawling through fire, he destroyed an automatic weapon with a grenade so the casualties could be moved.

Returning to his platoon, he provided covering fire for its withdrawal. Although wounded, he took over a machine gun and protected the evacuation of its injured gunner. When more soldiers were held down by another hostile weapon, he crawled forward to attack it with grenades. He was mortally wounded during this final effort.

His Medal of Honor was presented posthumously to his sister by President Richard Nixon at the White House on 7 April 1970. He was buried in Guilford Memorial Park at Greensboro. His papers, including letters and a notebook kept in Vietnam, entered the Greensboro History Museum, preserving parts of his civilian aspirations as well as the record of his last battle.