James L. McCormick
James Leroy McCormick II (born 1968 in West Virginia to present) is a member of the Ohio National Guard who is arguably one of the most decorated Iraqi Freedom veterans.
Captain McCormick served in the Persian Gulf war with the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division under General McCaffery where he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor and first of three Purple Heart Medals. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he volunteered to join the 1487th Ohio Transportation Company stationed out of Camp Navistar. He was one of the key architects for the establishment of the only combat gun truck company with ACTIVE duty, reserve and national guard troops. He and a handful of his men singlehandedly fought off two hundred Shiite Mahdi Militiamen during the Easter 2004, Battle of BIAP along the South Wall, Cpt McCormick has been nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross for this action (Reference: Articles written by Richard Killblane US Army Command Historian and Award recommendation submited at J1 OHARNG). He also led a patrol that thwarted a large scale convoy ambush in southern Iraq and assisted British troops in the counterattack of the 30 January 2005 ambush on bridge 6A on ASR's TAMPA and HEART, CPT McCormick was nominated for the Silver Star Medal for this action. (Reference: Richard Killblane Command Historian and OHARNG J1 awards recommendations) note: McCormick was wounded two additional times during this tour and each time refused medical treatment to continue the mission.
McCormick is married and lives with his children in New Haven, West Virginia.
www.lic.eustis.army.mil/documents/Transportation%20Corps%20in%20Operation%20Iraqi%20Freedom%202.doc