Missing Medal of Honor portrait found in McDowell County
A Medal of Honor recipient's portrait and citation are now out of a courthouse closet and back up on a courthouse wall. The Bluefield Daily Telegraph recently ran a letter to the editor from Ed Rotenberry of Princeton, who was concerned that a portrait and citation honoring McDowell County native Phil McDonald, a McDowell County native and recipient of the Medal of Honor, was missing from its place at the McDowell County Courthouse. Rotenberry had researched McDonald's history and worked to get his portrait in a place of honor. On June 7, 1968, McDonald was serving as a platoon leader in Vietnam when his unit came under heavy fire and volunteered to evacuate two of his fellow soldiers who were wounded. Crawling through intense enemy gunfire, he destroyed an enemy automatic weapon emplacement threatening the evacuation, then returned to his platoon and volunteered to keep providing covering fire while the other soldiers moved from their exposed position. Enemy gunners then concentrated their fire on McDonald. Despite being hit and seriously wounded, McDonald recovered a wounded machine gunner's weapon and kept firing so the wounded soldier could be evacuated. When other soldiers were pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, McDonald crawled to the enemy position and destroyed it with hand grenades. He was mortally wounded during this action. McDonald's sacrifice was recognized in April 1970 during a White House ceremony when President Richard Nixon posthumously presented him with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. The award is sometimes called the Congressional Medal of Honor because it was created by Congress, but it is a military award, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Rotenberry said that he requested permission from the McDowell County Commission to hang McDonald's portrait and citation at the McDowell County Courthouse. Both were placed at the courthouse on June 19, 2009. In an article, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph then noted that McDonald is McDowell County's only Medal of Honor recipient. Rotenberry said that he and his wife paid for the portrait and citation. Not long after his letter to the editor was published in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Rotenberry called the newspaper and said that McDonald's portrait and citation had been found in a courthouse closet and was once again hanging on a courthouse wall. McDonald is one of two Medal of Honor recipients now memorialized in the West Virginia Military Hall of Fame. The second one is the late Hershel 'Woody' Williams of the Marine Corps. Williams, a native of Marion County, was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 5, 1945, for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima, according to the West Virginia Hall of Fame. Williams arrived on the beach of Iwo Jima with 1st Battalion, 21st Marines on Feb. 21, 1945. Two days later, tanks opening up a lane for the infantry were halted by several enemy pillboxes. Williams, armed with a flamethrower and demolition charges and joined by four other Marines, spent four hours destroying the enemy positions so American forces could keep advancing. One Medal of Honor recipient who called Mercer County home isn't currently in the West Virginia Military Hall of Fame, but an interstate bridge now bears his name. His Medal of Honor is on display at the Those Who Served War Museum in Princeton. The display features a painting of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Ira 'Junior' Spurrier being congratulated by Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. Spurrier was serving in France during World War II when, despite being by himself, he attacked German positions around the French town of Achain. Using captured German weapons and ammunition when Americans ones were not on hand, he drove enemy troops into a barn and then set it on fire. When the battle was over, Spurrier had inflicted 36 causalities on the enemy and captured 32 prisoners. This achievement earned him the nickname 'Task Force Spurrier.' Maybe a portrait hall of fame could be created someday for paintings of all West Virginia's Medal of Honor recipients as well as other outstanding West Virginians such as General Chuck Yeager. It could be a starting point for educating future Mountaineers about the people who came before them and brought honor to the state.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ft. Eisenhower releases statement about name-change
FT. EISENHOWER, Ga. (WJBF) – Seven Army installations whose names were changed in 2023 because they honored Confederate leaders are all reverting back to their original names, the Army said Tuesday. But to be clear, they are being renamed for different people who were not associated with the confederacy, but have the same last name as the original honoree. Fort Gordon was changed to Fort Eisenhower to commemorate the former president's time leading Allied forces in Europe in World War II. It will now be named for Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon. He was honored for his valor during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, where he defended wounded crew members at a helicopter crash site and held off an advancing enemy force. The Cyber Center of Excellence Public Affairs Officer Ms. Lesli Ellis-Wouters, released the following statement on behalf of Ft. Eisenhower. 'As we prepare to receive additional guidance from the Secretary of the Army, we appreciate the support and understanding of our Central Savannah River Area community that has been a stalwart proponent of the installation since its inception in the early 1940s. Our mission remains unchanged in supporting national defense operations and training world-class, highly skilled Signal, Cyber, and EW professionals to fight and win America's wars. We will provide more information as transition timelines are developed and approved. ' Ms. Lesli Ellis-Wouters, Cyber Center of Excellence Public Affairs Officer The six other bases that are scheduled to change names again are Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. To find out more about what the names will be change to and who they honor, click here. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
President Trump shares birthday with Flag Day. 10 things to know about national holiday
During the Revolutionary War, the infant United States of America flew several different flags. That all changed on June 14, 1777, when Congress passed the Flag Resolution of 1777, establishing the U.S. flag with 13 alternating stripes of red and white, and a union of white stars on a blue field. While the number of stars has changed over the last 248 years, the overall design has not. But it took more than 170 years before Flag Day became a national holiday, celebrated on June 14 every year. "The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing, according to the official Flag Code." 'Flag Day is an honor and tradition that displays the national flag with pride and happiness," said Anniston Army Depot Sgt. Maj. Happiness Brown on "It is an annual observance which reminds us of the dedication and sacrifices made by our military service members. It's also a time to pray for our troops, those at home and abroad." On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on the new country's flag design. "That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation," the resolution read. A flag of this design was first carried into battle less than three months later, on Sept. 11, 1777, in the Battle of the Brandywine, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "In the late 1800s, schools all over the United States held Flag Day programs to contribute to the Americanization of immigrant children, and the observance caught on with individual communities," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14, according to the Library of Congress. Both Wilson, in 1916, and President Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for June 14 to be observed as National Flag Day. Congressional legislation designating the date as national Flag Day wasn't signed into law until 1949 by President Harry Truman. The legislation also called upon the president to issue a Flag Day proclamation every year. President Trump was born on Flag Day on June 14, 1946. "I am blessed to have shared my birthday with the Star Spangled Banner and the U.S. Army," he said. ➤ US Army's 250th anniversary a celebration that coincides with Trump's birthday. How to attend In 2017, he proclaimed not only Flag Day but Flag Week, saying, "On Flag Day, we honor the symbol that reminds us that we are one Nation under God, united in our pursuit of liberty and justice for all. "By honoring our flag, we pay due respect to the patriots and heroes who have laid down their lives in defense of the liberty it represents. "The Congress also requested, in 1966, that the President annually issue a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as 'National Flag Week' and call upon citizens of the United States to display the flag during that week." "According to legend, in 1776, George Washington commissioned Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag for the new nation. "Scholars, however, credit the flag's design to Francis Hopkinson, who also designed the Great Seal and first coin of the United States. Even so, Ross most likely met Washington and certainly sewed early American flags in her family's Philadelphia upholstery shop," according to the Library of Congress. There have been 27 official versions of the flag, but the arrangement of the stars has varied according to the flag-makers' preferences until 1912. That's when President Taft standardized the then-new flag's 48 stars, according to the Library of Congress. That changed when Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959. The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960. The current American flag was designed by Bob G. Heft, a high school student from Lancaster, Ohio, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. "Even though Bob's history teacher gave him a B- for not knowing how many states the Union had, Bob submitted his design to the White House (unprompted) in anticipation of Hawaii and Alaska joining the Union. To his surprise, President Eisenhower called him! Today, it's Bob Heft's 1958 design — showing 50 stars in a field that included five rows of six stars and four rows of five stars — which is now our 50-star American flag." Heft's teacher changed his grade to an A. The Continental Congress left no record explaining why it chose red, white and blue for the country's new flag. In 1782, the Congress of the Articles of Confederation chose the colors for the Great Seal of the United States with these meanings: white for purity and innocence red for valor and hardiness blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice The U.S. Flag Code provides guidelines on how to display and care for the U.S. flag. Flags should always hang freely but never with the stars down, except as a distress signal. The U.S. flag flies above any other flag. Never use the flag for decoration. Use bunting with the blue on top, then white, then red. It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated at night. When a flag becomes unfit to fly, it should be destroyed with dignity. Do not let the flag touch the ground. Do not fly flag upside down unless there is an emergency. Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it. Do not use the flag as clothing. Do not store the flag where it can get dirty. Do not use it as a cover. Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free. Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag. No. The flag should be flown at full-staff, at the top of the pole on Flag Day. No, Flag Day is not a federal holiday, but the president traditionally proclaims its observance every year. The date, June 14, remains the same, no matter which day of the week it falls. Here are 2025 federal holidays: Jan. 1: New Year's Day Jan. 20: Inauguration Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day Feb. 17: Washington's Birthday. Many state and local governments designation it as Presidents Day. May 26: Memorial Day June 19: Juneteenth July 4: Independence Day Sept. 1: Labor Day Oct. 13: Columbus Day Nov. 11: Veterans Day Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day Dec. 25: Christmas Day Contributing: Janet Loehrke, USA Today Network This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 10 things to know about Flag Day, President Trump's birthday
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elkins celebrates assembly of Gold Star Families memorial monument with a parade
ELKINS, (WBOY) — Before his death, veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Hershel 'Woody' Williams believed that no one should have to drive more than an hour to reach a Gold Star monument, and one of his last wishes was to expand the network of Gold Star monuments across West Virginia. With the help of a few patriots, Woody Williams' wish is being fulfilled in Elkins, as the city welcomed its Gold Star monument with a parade and warm embrace on Tuesday. 12 News spoke with Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco on why the city chose to honor military families in this way. 'We respect our veterans completely and we want to showcase that at any chance we can, and this is for those families out there who have lost family members that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, that have an empty place setting at the table, we want them to know that we haven't forgotten them and the sacrifices their families have made,' Marco said. Marco said that he hopes to create a veteran's park at the intersection of Harrison and Railroad Avenues. A groundbreaking ceremony will also be held next Monday for a life-size Rosie the Riveter statue in the same location. West Virginia Rhododendron Girls State returns to Davis & Elkins College But as for the Gold Star monument, its establishment was a joint effort between the Elkins Rotary Club, the city of Elkins, local veterans, patriots, and Dan McCarthy, who was the governor of the rotary district when Woody Williams passed away. 12 News also spoke to McCarthy on the importance of this monument. 'This is all about honoring those families that have lost someone in service to our country, and being a veteran, I'm probably as sensitive as anyone to the importance of recognizing those families. And we often talk about the veterans, but the families sacrifice as much as the veterans do in a different way. And sometimes, unless you've been a veteran, you don't realize how much the families sacrifice,' McCarthy said. The city of Elkins will host an unveiling for the Gold Star monument at 11 a.m. on July 5, after hosting its first-ever 4th of July parade the day before, both of which are open to the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
