{"id":75838,"date":"2017-11-08T10:30:07","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T15:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=75838"},"modified":"2017-11-08T10:18:58","modified_gmt":"2017-11-08T15:18:58","slug":"8th-of-november-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=75838","title":{"rendered":"8th of November"},"content":{"rendered":"

We shamelessly snagged this from our partners at The Burnpit<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The 8th of November is the anniversary of Operation Hump near Bien Hoa, War Zone “D” in Vietnam where on November 8, 1965, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade were ambushed by about 1200 Viet Cong. Many of the paratroopers were injured or killed in the first few moments of the ensuing battle, but that didn’t slow down Specialist 6 Lawrence Joel, a medic, as he went on to earn the Medal of Honor<\/a> for his actions in the 24-hour battle – the first living African-American to earn the MOH since the Spanish-American War;<\/p>\n

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp6c. Joel demonstrated indomitable courage, determination, and professional skill when a numerically superior and well-concealed Viet Cong element launched a vicious attack which wounded or killed nearly every man in the lead squad of the company. After treating the men wounded by the initial burst of gunfire, he bravely moved forward to assist others who were wounded while proceeding to their objective. While moving from man to man, he was struck in the right leg by machinegun fire. Although painfully wounded his desire to aid his fellow soldiers transcended all personal feeling. He bandaged his own wound and self-administered morphine to deaden the pain enabling him to continue his dangerous undertaking. Through this period of time, he constantly shouted words of encouragement to all around him. Then, completely ignoring the warnings of others, and his pain, he continued his search for wounded, exposing himself to hostile fire; and, as bullets dug up the dirt around him, he held plasma bottles high while kneeling completely engrossed in his life saving mission. Then, after being struck a second time and with a bullet lodged in his thigh, he dragged himself over the battlefield and succeeded in treating 13 more men before his medical supplies ran out. Displaying resourcefulness, he saved the life of 1 man by placing a plastic bag over a severe chest wound to congeal the blood. As 1 of the platoons pursued the Viet Cong, an insurgent force in concealed positions opened fire on the platoon and wounded many more soldiers. With a new stock of medical supplies, Sp6c. Joel again shouted words of encouragement as he crawled through an intense hail of gunfire to the wounded men. After the 24 hour battle subsided and the Viet Cong dead numbered 410, snipers continued to harass the company. Throughout the long battle, Sp6c. Joel never lost sight of his mission as a medical aidman and continued to comfort and treat the wounded until his own evacuation was ordered. His meticulous attention to duty saved a large number of lives and his unselfish, daring example under most adverse conditions was an inspiration to all. Spc6. Joel’s profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From The Burnpit;<\/p>\n

Sergeant First Class Joel (who retired in 1973) had actually fought in Korea as well, and had earned a Silver Star in addition to his Medal of Honor. He passed away in 1983 from complications of diabetes and is interred in Arlington Cemetery adjacent to the Memorial Amphitheater. (Section 46 if you wish to go visit.)<\/p>\n

While I couldn\u2019t find video of the ceremony at first glance (more on that later) I did find a Youtube that had audio of President Johnson awarding it:<\/p>\n