MCGINNESS HARRY J

CPT Harry J McGinness was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 04/06/2003 at the age of 58.7 from Cancer
Columbus, OH
Flight Class 71-40
Date of Birth 07/18/1944
Served in the U.S. Army
This information was provided by Bruce Oestreich

More detail on this person: The Passing of Harry McGinness Earlier today, Sunday April 06, 2003 at 6:02 pm, Harry J. McGinness III quietly and peacefully passed away at home per his and Debbie's wishes. Harry was 58 years old. Debbie, along with their children Shawn and Heather, as well as a host of family and friends, were at his side. We are coordinating funeral arrangements through Minshall-Shropshire Funeral in Media (Middletown). Details will be provided as soon as they are completed; however, it is likely the earliest a memorial service locally would take place is Saturday April 12, 2003. Interment is scheduled at Arlington National Cemetery as soon as we can arrange the details. The love and compassion showed by all of you who have touched the McGinness family over the years and especially in the last few months, has been tremendous and deeply appreciated by Debbie and the kids. Please share this note with those I have missed, especially our external Customers who also were extremely supportive over the past few months. From: Bruce Oestreich

Harry J. McGinness the 3rd was 3rd generation Army. Being four years younger than Harry, I don't know much about Harry's Nam days because I was in college in California watching banks burn and all... Harry never told me specifically anything about his service, only that he flew big-wigs around in helicopters. One newspaper account states that, "He was the MH-47E program manager, a position which enabled him to have contact with his friends in the Army 160th Special Operations Regiment, the Night Stalkers." If that meant that he was one of them, I do not know.

Regarding Harry's medical condition -- he was hard as nails, physically, even into his middle age. As well-honed as he was, it made his illness all the more humbling - starting with a spot on his tongue and ending with the splinic nerve in his leg being attacked by cancer. Doctors scraped away what cancer they could and tried to irradiate the rest. The official diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma. He is buried in Site 67 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Holly Bundy

Harry was my brother, 12-13 years older. I didn't really know him, but my respect for his life is great. He helped me buy my house, and I will always be in awe of his accomplishments. I didn't really know the extent of his efforts unitil his burial at Arlington in 2003. The list of awards was long and surprising to me because he never boasted, or even spoke of his experience in Viet Nam He was a good person.

From: John McGinness

Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

This information was last updated 05/18/2016

Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters

Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list

Return to VHPA web site

Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association