Lawrence Joel

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 Viet Nam 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.

Childhood
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.

Vietnam War
On November 8, 1965 then-Specialist Five Lawrence Joel and his battalion of paratroopers were sent on a patrol for Viet Cong soldiers near Bien Hoa, warzone "D" in the heart of Vietnam, conducting Operation Hump. Joel and his battalion shortly found themselves in a Viet Cong ambush, outnumbered six to one. Under heavy gunfire, Joel did his duty as a medic, administering first aid to wounded soldiers. Joel defied orders to stay to the ground and risked his life to help the many wounded soldiers; nearly every soldier in the lead squad was either wounded or killed in the battle. Even after being shot twice (once in the right thigh and once in the right calf), Joel continued to do his job; he bandaged his wounds and continued to help the wounded in not only his unit, but in the nearby company as well. When his medical supplies were depleted, he hobbled around the battlefield for more, using a makeshift crutch while SP4 Randy Eickhoff ran in front and provided covering fire. Eickhoff later was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions. Joel attended to thirteen troops and saved the life of one soldier who suffered from a severe chest wound by improvising and placing a plastic bag over the soldier's chest in order to seal the wound until the supplies were refreshed. After the firefight which lasted over twenty four hours, Joel was hospitalized and shipped to locations including Saigon, Vietnam and Tokyo, Japan to recover. Shortly after, he received the Silver Star for his activities on November 8, 1965.

Medal of Honor citation
On March 9, 1967 on the White House lawn, President Lyndon Johnson presented Joel with the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War. His citation reads as follows:

Winston-Salem Parade
On April 8, 1967, the city of Winston-Salem held a parade, the first time the city had ever held a military parade to recognize a single individual, to honor Lawrence Joel. He grew up on the east side of the city, a predominantly African-American section of the city at the time. The New York Times called it the biggest tribute the city had ever staged. Watch WFMY News 2 vintage video of the parade.

Retirement
Lawrence Joel retired from military service in 1973. On February 4, 1984, Joel died of complications from diabetes. He is buried in Section 46 of Arlington National Cemetery adjacent to the Memorial Amphitheater.

Honors and awards
Besides being the recipient of the Medal of Honor, several different buildings and memorials have been named in his honor.

The first military memorial named in his honor was Joel Drive, which encircles Blanchfield Community Hospital at Fort Campbell, KY, dedicated in 1985.

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
In memory of Lawrence Joel and all Forsyth County veterans, the Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen (now City Council) in February 1986 decided to name the city's new coliseum the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Construction for the coliseum began one year later and opened in 1989. In 2007, a study funded by the Winston-Salem City Council opened the possibility of selling the coliseum's naming rights to some corporation.

Lawrence Joel is mentioned in the song "8th of November" by country group Big & Rich. Kris Kristofferson gives a prelude speech to the song in which he recognizes Joel and his heroic feats on the 8th of November, 1965 in Vietnam.

The Joel Auditorium at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. is named after Lawrence Joel.

The U.S. Army clinics at FT McPherson, GA and FT Bragg, NC, are named after Joel.