A Hero Worth Learning Much Much More About - LCDR John McCloy

As a prolific letter writer myself, I am very pleased that the U.S. Postal Service will be introducing four stamps to honor Naval heroes in February 2010. I am very familiar with 3 of the 4 men.

The fourth, LCDR John McCloy, was a mystery man to me (and very likely to most others). He is one of only 19 men to have earned two separate Medals of Honor. He earned both of them prior to his commissioning as a Naval officer. The first MOH was earned as a coxswain and the second was earned as a Boatswain Chief.

His tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery bears the simple inscription M.H. (2) and N.C. (for the 2 Medals of Honor and the Navy Cross that he earned). He served in the Navy from 1903 to 1928, retiring in 1928 as a Lieutenant. For reasons that I have yet to determine, he was promoted on 23 February 1942 to Lieutenant Commander and retired again. He passed away in 1945.