Award-winning author, Medal of Honor recipient, highlight fall patriotic programming
GROSSE POINTE FARMS Sept. 1, 2025 – This fall, The War Memorial’s Vietnam War Commemoration Celebration continues with a couple of special appearances. The first of which happens on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. when author Elizabeth Patridge leads a conversation about her 2018 nonfiction book “Boots on the Ground America’s War in Vietnam.”
Partridge, 73, is an American author of books for both adults and young readers, including biographies of Dorothea Lange, John Lennon, and Woody Guthrie. In fact, Lange – best known for her Depression-era work and famed 1936 photograph “Migrant Mother” - was Partridge’s godmother.
“Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam” weaves together the stories of men and women who served in Vietnam and presents questions like what did they experience? How were they received when they came back home and tried to put their lives back together?
“Every other chapter is about the politics that were going on during the war,” the author said. “I arranged by timeline of those involved in the war. In between that, I look at what Lyndon Johnson was doing, for example. There was a lot of photo research, so I love finding really good photos to make my point.”
In determining who to highlight in the book, Partridge knew she wanted folks of different races and from various parts of the country.
“I also wanted to include one woman, and a Vietnamese refugee who experienced the whole situation,” she said.
When asked what the public can expect from her appearance at The War Memorial, which will mark her first time in metro Detroit, Partridge commented that part of it is about remembering and honoring.
“I think it’s sharing an acknowledged time in our history that is very personal and honestly wasn’t that far away,” she said.
The following month, Medal of Honor Recipient Jim McCloughan will serve as keynote speaker at Veterans Day Breakfast on Nov. 11.
The Vietnam War veteran is one of 61 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest recognition for valor in combat. Residing in Saugatuck, he is the only living Medal of Honor recipient from Michigan.
In Tam Ky, Vietnam from May 13-15, 1969 - his Medal of Honor action dates - McCloughan is credited with saving the lives of 10 Americans and one Vietnamese interpreter.
“It was a very horrific battle,” the former combat medic said. “Nothing can prepare you to see what I saw as a combat medic. I saw things that to this day, the infantry men that were in my unit had no idea what I saw. I made sure, when I could, that they would never see that.”
On May 13, as his Medal of Honor citation reads, McCloughan, “with complete disregard for his life and personal safety, led two Americans into the safety of a trench while being wounded by shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade. He ignored a direct order to stay back and braved an enemy assault while moving into the ‘kill zone’ on four more occasions to extract wounded comrades.”
“My father always told me to never do a job halfway and do it until the job is done,” McCloughan said. “Having seen the number of people coming down that hill, I knew they were going to need me. I thought by saying that I had just spent my last day on earth. I’d rather be dead in a rice paddy then alive in a hospital to find out that one of my men died because I wasn’t there.”
The following day, McCloughan was wounded a second time by small arms fire and shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade while rendering aid to two soldiers in an open rice paddy. The 23-year-old McCloughan, again with complete disregard for his life, went into the crossfire numerous times throughout the battle to extract wounded soldiers, while also fighting the enemy.
During the early morning hours of May 15, McCloughan knocked out a rocket propelled grenade position with a grenade, fought and eliminated enemy soldiers, treated numerous casualties, kept two critically wounded soldiers alive during the night, and organized the dead and wounded for evacuation at daylight.
“It’s not about the medal, but the action that has produced the medal,” McCloughan said in response to what the Medal of Honor means to him. “A lot of recipients call it a two-edged sword. It’s a humbling honor to receive it. I received it for 89 guys who fought in that battle.”
To register for Patridge’s event on Oct. 4 and for Veterans Day Breakfast, visit warmemorial.org/patriotic.
About The War Memorial
The War Memorial, located on the shores of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Farms, is an experiential space open to everyone. For over 75 years, this nonprofit organization has served as a patriotic, cultural, and community center, offering a wide range of innovative programs for all ages. Annually, The War Memorial welcomes thousands of guests for community events, educational programming, and private gatherings in its unique and historic setting.
At its core, The War Memorial celebrates the ideas of American democracy while honoring those who have defended these ideals with tireless effort and personal sacrifice. As a dynamic and forward-thinking hub for southeast Michigan, The War Memorial remains committed to inspiring and enriching the community through unparalleled experiences. This includes a steadfast commitment to patriotic programming that honors the legacy of service members and amplifies the voices of veterans through storytelling, education, and public engagement.
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CONTACT:
Alex Szwarc, The War Memorial
Patriotic Programming and Communications Administrator
313.881.7514, aszwarc@warmemorial.org