Private First Class McGovern was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while his unit was moving through the village of Hagaru-ri at the southern end of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea on 16 November 1950.

McGovern was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.