Alexander Ramsey Nininger Jr. (October 20, 1918 – January 12, 1942) was a Second Lieutenant of the Philippine Scouts who received the Medal of Honor during World War II. Biography Nininger, nicknamed "Sandy", was born in Gainesville, Georgia in 1918. He attended the United States Military Academy and graduated in May 1941. After being commissioned a Lieutenant he was sent to the Philippines and was attached to the 57th Infantry Regiment (United States) of the Philippine Scouts. After entering active service, according to Malcolm Gladwell, Nininger "wrote a friend to say that he had no feelings of hate, and did not think he could ever kill anyone out of hatred. He had none of the swagger of the natural warrior. He worked hard and had a strong sense of duty." Nininger loved to draw pictures. During the first month of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Nininger's unit helped prepare American defenses in Bataan. After the Japanese launched their assault on Bataan, Niinger voluntarily joined another company because his unit was not yet engaged in combat. Nininger was killed in action near Abucay, Bataan on January 12, 1942. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leading an assault on Japanese positions. He was the first American army soldier to be so honored in the Second World War. West Point Nininger graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point with the Class of 1941. At the Academy, he was involved in track, the debating society, and was chairman of the lecture committee. He was part of the Academy's 3rd Battalion "L" Company, in which he served as a Cadet Sergeant. "Sandy" Nininger's Yearbook biography is as follows: "'--'tis not what man does which exalts him, but what man would do!' It was Sandy's good fortune to be provided with the means and the background necessary to know and appreciate the many arts. His interest in the theatre, a devotion to books and music, and a love for painting make him an excellent conversationalist. Could it be these artistic inclinations that have so often prompted 'Is she pro?' Proof enough isn't it, that Sandy was one of us?" The West Point Class of 1941 Yearbook also lists Nininger's hometown as Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Medal of Honor citation Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, U.S. Army. Place and date: Near Abucay, Bataan, Philippine Islands, January 12, 1942.