This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/18/2021
In 2011, George Berry, a history enthusiast, former Marine, and retired Naval Warrant Officer, purchased a Colt 1911 .45 ACP pistol from an online auction with the name "John J. McGinty" on the slide. Through a combination of fate and fortune, Mr. Berry managed to locate John McGinty, who had been issued the Medal of Honor in Viet Nam for actions on July 18th, 1966, when McGinty's platoon came under attack while providing rear security to extract a battalion that had been under a 3 day siege. During the 4 hour battle, McGinty's men became separated and, through automatic fire and mortar shells, McGinty maneuvered to find 20 wounded soldiers and a dead corpsman. He reloaded weapons and ammo for the wounded and directed their fire, only to be wounded himself. In spite of his injuries, McGinty still directed fire and provided aid to the wounded so effectively that the enemy was forced to retreat and try to outflank. McGinty came face to face with the flankers, and he killed 5 of them (McGinty personally recounted that they were armed with semi-automatic rifles) with his Colt .45 pistol before adjusting artillery fire and air strikes to within 50 yards of his position. When the smoke cleared, the enemy had 500 bodies on the battlefield, and McGinty was awarded the Medal of Honor for his conduct by Lyndon Johnson on March 12th, 1968. McGinty retained his .45 and put it, his sword, and his uniform on display in 1978 when the pistol was stolen. Through unknown means, it came up for auction, where George Berry purchased it and, upon finding McGinty’s inscription, made contact. McGinty was able to immediately recite the pistols serial number from memory, as he had never forgotten the gun. Mr. Berry offered to return the pistol, and McGinty offered to pay Berry what he had paid at auction, but Berry declined, choosing instead to reunite McGinty and his 1911. In lieu of payment, and to provide Berry with a 1911 of his own, McGinty sent him the firearm offered in this lot, which belonged to another Medal of Honor recipient: John William Finn. Finn was a Chief Aviation Ordnanceman stationed at Kaneohe Bay during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. When he was awoken by gunfire from the first wave of Japanese planes, he secured a dual .50 caliber machine gun from a PBY Catalina on an instructional mount, set it up in the middle of the open, and opened fire for 2 hours, only ceasing when the planes were gone. By the end of his defense, he had received 21 wounds between shrapnel and bullet wounds, was given credit for a downed Zero, but declined to seek medical attention, choosing instead to oversee the rearming of American planes. He would eventually be directly ordered to receive medical attention where he received treatment. Coincidentally, this is also where he met a young petty officer from the now-sunken USS Arizona. The petty officer was assigned to shore patrol and had been issued a Colt 1911 from the ship’s armory, and was now faced with a dilemma; the armory he needed to return it to was now underwater. Knowing Finn was a Chief Aviation Ordinanceman, the petty officer approached Finn and asked him to take possession of the pistol. Finn agreed and ultimately had the United States Property stamp removed; a not uncommon practice for those leaving service and did not want their gun to be marked as US property. Finn was given the Medal of Honor on September 15th, 1942, by Admiral Chester Nimitz on the USS Enterprise. Finn ultimately gave the gun to one his closest friends, Captain McGinty, and told him the story, including the USS Arizona association. However, McGinty did not just send Berry just the gun, he also sent him a challenge coin from McGinty's Medal of Honor citation and a card that was printed on the occasion of Finn's 100th birthday. When the story took over the internet, a group of intrepid Marines also arranged to have one of Finn's coins delivered to Berry as well, an unbelievably rare piece as the coins are limited mint and Finn's had been long exhausted. When Berry returned the gun to McGinty, the story was quickly picked up by the Associated Press and exploded, with several news articles written including in the Marine Corps Times, numerous newspapers, and online publications. McGinty and Berry were even invited onto the show “Sons of Guns” in order to share their story (which ultimately did not happen). The pistol is a standard Colt 1911 as issued by Colt with half-moon front sight, U-notch flat top rear sight. Left side of the slide with 2-line 2-patent and address information with intercepting pony, right side of slide with "MODEL OF 1911. U.S. ARMY". "G" stamp on top of frame near disconnector hole. Barrel is marked "HP" with intertwined leg, oriented to be read barrel down. Left side of frame has "(Eagle Head) / S5" proof, right sight with serial number and ground area where "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" was removed. Very careful inspection reveals remnants of letters, which appears to be "STATES". Small parts comprise spurred checkered hammer, thick tab safety, relief undercut slide release, checkered magazine release, long smooth trigger, short 1911 grip safety, smooth flat mainspring housing with lanyard loop. Checkered truncated diamond walnut grips. 2 tone magazine marked "R" on lip for Risdon manufacture. CONDITION: Good, with most blue having worn away with some flashes left in protected areas and on small parts, with balance a silver patina with some light browning. Some normal marks from handling and use, including takedown mark, commensurate with hard use. Action works appropriately when cycled by hand, bore is good with strong rifling and some minor frosting. PROVENANCE: This gun is accompanied by an abundance of provenance, including both challenge coins, the John Finn 100th birthday card, a written hand note from John McGinty to George Berry thanking him and noting that he was sending the challenge coin; a brief summary of Finn's actions during Pearl Harbor and his later activities; the original package top from John McGinty to George Berry, numerous copies of articles summarizing the story of this incredible gun including Marine Corps Times, the Mail Tribune, and Automag magazine; the email to join Sons of Guns from producer Michael Twardy; an article about the renaming of DDG 113 to USS John Finn, a Colt Factory letter for this gun indicating shipment to New York, 1919, in a shipment of 35,700, and several additional articles on John Finn and John McGinty. Having a gun associated with 2 different Medal of Honor recipients and an oral history connecting the gun to the USS Arizona is virtually unheard of, and the known story aspect of this gun elevates into near mythical status. This lot would be the pinnacle of any military oriented collection. EMW
Accessories
Binder of Provenance, Challenge Coins