James McCloughan coached Legion baseball for decades in Michigan.
Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan says he’s merely “a caretaker” of the most prestigious decoration in the U.S. military.
“This is not my medal. This belongs to 89 men that fought in that battle,” McCloughan said, referring to the May 1969 battle near Tam Ky, Vietnam, where his actions earned him the Medal of Honor. “Whether they came out alive or not, it’s theirs.”
McCloughan shared his story Friday at American Legion Post 155 in Kings Mountain, N.C., with the teams competing in the American Legion World Series this week in nearby Shelby. National and department Legion officials and ALWS staff and volunteers met at Post 155 to share brunch and hear from McCloughan, who will be throwing out the first pitch at one of Saturday’s games as part of Military Appreciation Day at the ALWS.
He was also set to sing the national anthem before Friday’s opening game, just as he did to open the Post 155 event Friday morning.
McCloughan, a member of Post 49 in South Haven, Mich., said he was “humbled” to be in North Carolina this week “with some of the most talented and best coaches and players in the nation.”
“I urge you to remember what my father told me, that you do your best. And you know what? If you do your best, when you look in the mirror at night, you can say, you did it for another day and you did it well.
“Remember the many people you represent back home. If you think about that, you’ll always do the right thing. You’ll always perform and behave the way you should,” he added.
McCloughan spoke about his childhood, his experience in Vietnam, and his many years as a coach and teacher, including his decades coaching the post’s baseball program after playing for the same team when he was a teenager.
He urged the players to never forget their roots.
“You should never forget where you came from. You should never forget your boyhood home. You should never forget your parents, your coaches, your teachers, your mentors, and the bosses that you’ve had in the several jobs that I’m sure that many of you have attended to, who have developed your character, who have made you the individual that you are,” he said.
Also during the event, Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler presented a key to the city to National Commander Denise Rohan and Auxiliary National President Diane Duscheck.
- Baseball