Born: April 20, 1830 at Drumbarty, Ireland
Entered Service in the US Army from Sumner, IL
Earned The Medal of Honor During the Civil War For heroism May 22, 1863 & March 14, 1864 at Vicksburg, MS & Ft DeRussey, LADied: September 03, 1911 at the age of 81
The Vicksburg campaign was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It included battles in west-central Mississippi at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Big Black River and numerous smaller battle fields. On the morning of May 22, General Grant launched what he hoped would be a crushing assault against Vicksburg. In the fighting that followed, the Union Infantry was repulsed and thrown back along a three-mile front. The Union Army suffered more than 3,000 casualties, and 97 Union soldiers earned Medals of Honor (the second largest single-day total in history.) First Lieutenant Menomen O'Donnell voluntarily joined the color guard in the assault on the enemy's works when he saw indications of wavering and caused the colors of his regiment to be planted on the parapet. He also voluntarily placed himself in the ranks of an assaulting column (being then on staff duty) and rode with it into the enemy's works, being the only mounted officer present. Lieutenant O'Donnell was wounded twice in this battle. Following the failed assault on May 22, a forty-seven day siege was laid against the city, which finally surrendered to Union forces on July 4.
This is my blood, standing up when he was called for service for his Nation, and was awarded the highest award in the military. Menomen wouldn't be going along with all the socialistic crap facing us now, thats for sure. He lived for 81 years during the start of the 20th century. Thats one tough son of a bitch. No Medicare, no Viagra, no Lipitor, no Zocor, no Ambien, wounded twice in battle during the Civil War and he never asked the government for anything.
Menomen is my hero and has been since I was a teenager. He is the epitome of the people which formed his Nation and their contributions should never be forgotten.
