Lawrence Joel
| Lawrence Joel | |
|---|---|
 
Lawrence Joel, Medal of Honor recipient
|
|
| Born |
February 22, 1928 Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Died | February 4, 1984 (aged 55) |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1946–1973 |
| Rank |
 Sergeant First Class
|
| Unit |
503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade
|
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
 Medal of Honor Silver Star Purple Heart |
Lawrence Joel (February 22, 1928 – February 4, 1984) was a United States Army Sergeant First Class who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. While serving in Vietnam, as a medic with the rank of Specialist Five assigned to 1st Battalion of the 503rd Infantry Regiment in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Joel received the Silver Star and the Medal of Honor for his heroism in a battle with the Viet Cong that occurred on November 8, 1965. He was the first medic to earn the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam conflict and the first living black American to receive this medal since the Spanish–American War in 1898.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia. His grave can be found in section 46, lot 15-1.
Joel was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the third of 16 children. Due to the extreme poverty of his family, from the age of 8 to 18, Joel was raised by a neighboring family, the Samuels. Joel attended city public schools, including Atkins High School, and joined the Merchant Marines for one year. In 1946, at age 18, Joel decided to join the United States Army, making a career out of it. He enlisted in New York City.
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Wikipedia