Veteran of the Day — January 5, 2026
Corporal Owen McGough
United States Army
Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery
American Civil War
Born: June 29, 1829 – County Monaghan, Ireland
Died: January 5, 1908 – Troy, New York
Buried: St. Peter’s Cemetery, Troy, New York
Why we honor him
Corporal Owen McGough earned the Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery at the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) on July 21, 1861, one of the earliest major battles of the Civil War. (Congressional Medal of Honor Society)
In the chaos of that fight, with Confederate fire hammering his battery, McGough helped save a gun that otherwise would have been lost on the field. His Medal of Honor citation credits him for bringing off one of the battery’s guns “through his personal exertions under heavy fire.”
Artillery in that era wasn’t just equipment. It was the backbone of the line. Saving a gun meant saving lives later and preserving the unit’s fighting power when it mattered most.
Reflection
Some heroes carry rifles. Some weigh a cannon wheel through smoke and terror.
On January 5, we honor Owen McGough because courage isn’t measured by rank; it’s measured by what you do when the world turns violent, and you refuse to yield.
Coolbeaners Appreciation
At mickyspano.com/, we honor the men and women who stepped forward when our nation called.
Today, we recognize Corporal Owen McGough, United States Army, a Civil War artilleryman and Medal of Honor recipient whose bravery under fire at Bull Run helped save his battery’s gun and preserve his unit’s fighting strength.
mickyspano.com/
The Micky Spano Show
Honoring a Veteran of the Day, every single day.
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