4 March

Sgt. Troy A. McGill
Troop G, 5th Cavalry Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
Los Negros Islands, Admiralty Group
4 March 1944

In the early morning hours of 4, March, Sgt. McGill, and a squad of 8 men were occupying a revetment to the front of the main body of his unit. Enemy troops spent the prior evening “fortifying” their resolve with a local moonshine liquor.

A force of over 200 moonshine crazed enemy soldiers appeared out of the darkness attacking the small squad of Americans.

All but McGIll and one other soldier were killed or wounded and it was clear the enemy had cut them off from any reinforcement from the rear, the situation was untenable. McGIll ordered his men to pull back toa position of cover while he stood in the gap, providing covering fire.

Sgt. McGill held his ground giving his men a window of opportunity to pull back then continued to fight off the attacking force while his unit regrouped for a counter-offensive. With enemy attackers less than 15 feet away – McGIll’s weapon seized from the heat of continuous firing.

McGill charged from his foxhole in the face of certain death wielding his rifle like a Louisville Slugger, clubbing the enemy in hand-to-hand combat until he finally fell to an enemy round.

At sun up, 105 enemy dead enemy soldiers were found around Sgt. McGill’s position, many of them showed clubbing wounds.

Sgt. Troy McGIll’s MOH citation ends this way:

Sgt. McGill’s intrepid stand was an inspiration to his comrades and a decisive factor in the defeat of a fanatical enemy.