Captain John G. McNamara

Biography and Wartime Service

John Gilmore McNamara was born on January 6, 1921 in Bellaire, Ohio to the late John J. (1892-1949) and Anna M. Kraus McNamara (1891–1987).

John McNamara was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with the class of January 1943. Commssioned into the Field Artillery upon graduation. Known to everyone here as 'Mac' this serious minded Ohioan came to West Point trough prep school. His Irish nature prevents him from being dominated, but once convinced it's a necessity to do a thing he does it completely. With a philpsophy similar to Omar Khayyam's life will probably go well for him. Having found his red comformer all other activites became secondary. When he makes up his mind as to his branch, he will probably go very far.

Source: Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY) - Class of January 1943

John G. McNamara entered the service on January 19, 1943. During World War Two, then Captain, John McNamara served as a Battery Commander with the 908th Field Artillery Battalion, 83rd Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Bronze Star for heroic action in the Steckby Forest of Germany. The infantry battalion for which he was the liaison officer was hit by two German infantry battalions and tanks, and the lead companies were overrun. Although under heavy small arms, tank, and artillery fire, John stood his ground and directed devastating fire on the enemy from an exposed position. Resigned his commission on May 21, 1954.

A romantic story!

John McNamara married Anne Rita McClure (1921-1995) in Paris in August 1945. They met during WWII. She was a nurse in the 16th General Hospital. They were set up by Dr. Debakey, the heart surgeon, forerunner of MASH units, to get medical help closer to the front lines. Saved many more lives than previous systems. They met in England during the build up to the war, and he courted her throughout the war. They had three children, Nancy McNamara Hamilton, John McNamara, and Michael McNamara.

The 16th General Hospital in Belgium

Anne McClure's 1000 bed tent hospital was located in a former apple orchard (Rue du Vieux Sart 21, 4610 Beyne-Heusay, Liège), a short distance down the street from the 'Chateau Fayenbois' (Castle Fayenbois) and was one of the closest hospitals to the fighting lines of the Battle of the Bulge, and the destination for the German army to reach in order to cross the Meuse River there and head for the Port of Antwerp, where they could cut off all Allied supplies.
Anne and her fellow Army nurses worked in snow, ice and ankle-high mud, tending to wounded GI's during one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. For more than two months, starting before the Battle of the Bulge commenced in December 1944 and continuing through the New Year, they faced a near-constant barrage of German attacks, with V1 buzz bombs exploding every 15 minutes, day and night. The tents were hit three times by V1 bombs. Official hospital records show that this occurred on December 17 and 18, 1944, and on January 11, 1945. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1944, a German aircraft strafed the hospital tents and dropped anti-personnel bombs on them. These incidents resulted in deaths and injuries among patients and hospital staff.

Their daughter Nancy McNamara Hamilton recounts her parents wartime romance:

1st Lt. Anne R. McClure aka 'Red McClure', for the hair of course. When John McNamara would have time between the battles and would come looking for her, he would just say, 'I'm looking for a redheaded nurse' and there were few enough of them that he could find her fairly soon. They had a very romantic courtship, for sure. She was so funny! An elderly Belgian man who was helping me track down war related locations and information on her and my father told me that he talked to one of my mother's nurse friends that he was able to help secure the Legion of Honor medal for (so my mom would be eligible too, had she lived, she had the same experiences). This woman, Lt. Dorothy M. Taft aka 'Dottie', remarked too on my mother's humor. She said that when they all were mock fighting with each other, my mother, who was a Catholic, would say, 'You Dirty Prods' (Protestants).

So when I called Dottie the first time, this man told me to say, 'I want to speak to the dirty prod.' I did, and there was a stunned silence and then she burst into laughter. We both laughed and laughed. I called three of these nurses who served with my mother, just because it is a link with her.

John Gilmore McNamara died on January 18, 1981 and is burried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery, Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio.

Thanks to Nancy 'McNamara' Hamilton, daughter of Anne and John McNamara for the photos of her parents.

Gallery

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