Charles L. McGaha

Charles L. McGaha (February 26, 1914 – August 8, 1984) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Biography McGaha was born in the small town of Cosby in eastern Tennessee to Laura McGaha. His family had a long history of service in the United States military. In October 1937, at age 23, he traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, hoping to enlist in the United States Navy. The Navy recruiter, having filled his quota of enlistees, turned him away, so McGaha left for Knoxville to enlist in the United States Army instead.

McGaha fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign and the northern Solomons before participating in the campaign to recapture the Philippines from Japanese control. His nomination for the Medal of Honor was approved a year after the battle, on April 2, 1946. During a ceremony at the White House on March 27, 1946, President Harry S. Truman formally presented McGaha and another man, Navy Commander Richard O'Kane, with Medals of Honor.

In December 1949, McGaha married Jeanette Large.

McGaha again became a commissioned officer and reached the rank of major before retiring from the Army.

McGaha died at age 70, after being stabbed forty times in an apparent robbery attempt, and was buried in Union Cemetery, Newport, Tennessee.

Medal of Honor citation

Medal of Honor citation McGaha's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Awards and decorations alt=A metal device depicting a blue bar with a rifle, in front of a wreath of silver leaves.