What's in a Name?

I felt moved to write about one of my heroes tonight, Army Spc. Ross Andrew McGinnis. If you don't know about this young man, I'd like to give you some background on him. Ross was an ordinary young man, born in Meadsville, PA in June of 1987. He had wanted to be a soldier since he was in kindergarten-and he made it happen. He joined the Army at age 17 & was sent to Fort Benning  for training. His unit deployed to Iraq in 2006, where he was the .50 cal machine gunner in the Humvee on the day he met his fate. A grenade was lobbed into the Humvee & he hollered to the other 4 men in his vehicle that there was a live grenade so they could try to escape the blast. Instead of jumping out the gunner's hatch, he threw himself on top of the grenade, absorbing the blast which killed him instantly. The other 4 soldiers came away with only minor injuries. Ross Andrew McGinnis gave his life for his brothers and paid with his own at the tender age of 19 on December 4 ,2006. For his bravery, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously. It was given to his parents by President George W. Bush on June 2, 2008.

When I was trying to find a name for the baby boy I carried in 2010, I knew I wanted a strong name. Someday, he will ask me, "Mama, why did you name me Iain Ross? Am I named after somebody?" We have all done it, wondered where our moms & dads got the inspiration for our own names. Iain is Scottish for John, and I have just always liked the name. But what for the middle name? I thought back to when I visited the Medal of Honor museum the summer before in Charleston, SC aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown. It is a moving place and I personally recommend it highly. Every American should see it. That year, they had only just awarded the Medal of Honor to Ross, so his exhibit was not completed yet but there was information on it available. Such a young man to show that much courage and self-sacrifice, I thought. When I said his name, I knew. It was a strong name that resonated with bravery and honor. Ross would be my son's middle name in honor of Spec. Ross Andrew McGinnis. As long as the story of Iain's name would be told, there would be someone who could learn about Spec. McGinnis. He would not be forgotten. When my son is old enough to appreciate it and remember it, I will take him to the Medal of Honor museum in Charleston and we'll look together at Spec. McGinnis' exhibit and I'll tell him, "That is the man you are named for. Do his name proud."