Onalaska-area veterans and family members and friends of the late U.S. Army veteran Thomas “Jim” Kinsman — who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1969 — were honored by Onalaska Middle and High School students and staff during a Veterans Day assembly in the school’s gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 8.
Onalaska High School National Honors Society President Melissa Reiman shared Kinsman’s story with those inside the gymnasium in honor of Veterans Day, which is on Monday.
Kinsman was born on March 4, 1945, and was raised mostly in Onalaska, graduating from Onalaska High School in 1963. He enlisted in the Army at the age of 22 in 1967 and served in the 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division.
He was on patrol within Vietnam’s vast Mekong River Delta near the city of Vinh Long on Feb. 6, 1968, trying to draw out Viet Cong forces from their hidden positions.
“While Specialist 4th Class Kinsman’s company was traveling through the delta, the company came under intense automatic weapon and rocket fire,” Reiman said.
Viet Cong forces successfully separated Kinsman and seven of his platoon-mates from the rest of the company during the firefight, and it was during that time when a grenade suddenly landed among the soldiers.
“Kinsman immediately shouted ‘grenade!’ and threw his body over the explosive device, saving his comrades. Amazingly, despite receiving severe head and chest wounds, Specialist 4th Class Kinsman survived, and ended up being treated at Fort Lewis,” Reiman said.
Because of his bravery and selflessness, Kinsman earned a Medal of Honor, which he received on May 17, 1969 — presented to him by former President Richard Nixon at The White House in Washington, D.C.
Kinsman ended up settling in Toledo and married his wife, Deloris Kinsman, on Oct. 30, 1971. He remained in Toledo until his death on May 15, 2017.
“Despite his extraordinary bravery, (he) never boasted of being a hero. He is a true example of the selflessness, courage and sacrifice that defines our nation’s veterans,” Reiman said.
The Onalaska High School National Honors Society presented Kinsman’s family with a plaque commemorating Kinsman’s heroism. The plaque will be displayed on the Memorial Wall at the Onalaska Loggers Memorial Field.
His son, Reggie Kinsman, accepted the plaque on behalf of the family.
“It’s really a proud day today for our family. We’re very honored. He made it to these veterans assemblies every year, so it was very important to him and we really appreciate it,” Reggie said.
After the plaque presentation, some of the other veterans in attendance spoke, including Onalaska resident Jim Sabin, who knew Kinsman and went to high school with him, graduating two years after him. He also deployed to Vietnam in the U.S. Navy.
“Each generation has got to do what we’ve done for the next. And for you guys to be free and experience the time of joy and happiness this country offers, each generation has to make their sacrifice to make it so the next generation can have what we have,” Sabin said.
Following the ceremony, Sabin recalled what Kinsman was like after they had both moved on from military service and returned to civilian life.
“He was a very humble man. He never accepted thanks. He would say, ‘What I did was what I was trained to do,’” Sabin said.
To read Kinsman’s Medal of Honor citation, visit https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/thomas-j-kinsman.
