Ask Sam: Lawrence Joel, hometown hero

Q: Wasn’t Lawrence Joel awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War? What was the citation of his heroic act? — L.R.

Answer: Joel was an Army medic who won the Medal of Honor for his actions in 1967 during the Vietnam War.

“According to the citation read by President Johnson in March 1967 when Joel was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Joel was shot twice on Nov. 8, 1965, during a 24-hour battle on Hill 65 near Bien Hoa,” the Journal’s Scott Sexton wrote in a column in 2007. “Despite his injuries and the fact that most of the soldiers in the lead elements of his company were killed or wounded, he continued to treat the remaining wounded at great personal risk.

“The citation credits him for saving the lives of at least 13 troopers throughout the battle.”

According to the citation, after Joel ran out of medical supplies, he placed a plastic bag over the chest injury of a fellow soldier to congeal the blood and saved the soldier’s life.

“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.”

Joel died in 1984, and the city named its new coliseum in honor of him and his fellow veterans in 1986.

In 2012, to commemorate Joel’s 84 birthday, his family shared some of their memorabilia with the public.

Among the items on display at Joel Coliseum were his Medal of Honor, the commendation, medals and pictures.

His daughter, Deborah Joel, said at the time, “We have a treasure chest of military history, and we want to share it. We wanted to thank the city for honoring him.”

On that day in 1965, Joel’s unit had been sent out to check on reports of enemy activity in the area. The unit found the enemy, and the U.S. troops were vastly outnumbered. As troops were wounded, Joel took care of them.

He was wounded twice but continued to take care of his buddies.

Joel was presented the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon Johnson on March 9, 1967, in a ceremony at the White House. In addition, Joel also received the Bronze Star, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

One of the people who came to the 2012 exhibit was one of the soldiers treated by Joel that day. Art Thomas came from his home in Graham to see the display.

“He saved my life. The only reason I’m standing here today is because of him,” Thomas said, his voice cracking with emotion. “There was about 80 men out there that day, (and) 48 of them are on the wall in Washington.”

Thomas said he was wounded soon after the battle started, and it took Joel a while to get to him. Joel gave Thomas a shot of morphine to kill the pain until help arrived and the wounded could be evacuated.

“Joel deserved every honor he got,” Thomas said. “A lot of us are fathers and grandfathers now because he was there.”

The Army honored Joel’s memory by naming clinics at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in his memory. Although Walter Reed Army Medical Center has closed, an auditorium there was named for Joel.