Location: University Pkwy in Winston-Salem
County: Forsyth
Original Date Cast: 2026
Lawrence Joel was born on February 22, 1928, in Winston-Salem, N.C. He grew up in extreme poverty in the predominantly Black east side of the city and was the third of sixteen children. At eight years old, he was unofficially adopted by the Samuels, who were neighbors. As a teenager, he sold firewood door-to-door while attending Atkins High School. After graduating in 1945, he joined the Merchant Marines.
After one year in the Merchant Marine, Joel enlisted in the United States Army in New York City on March 1, 1946. Joel was trained as a medic and served for three years in France, Germany, and Italy. He was honorably discharged on February 28, 1949.
Back in Winston-Salem, Joel worked as a machinist for Western Electric, manufacturing circuits and switches for telephone companies. He briefly attended Winston-Salem Teachers College, today’s Winston-Salem State University.
Joel reenlisted in the US Army on March 31, 1953, and subsequently attended airborne school. By July 1954, he was deployed to Korea with the 187th Airborne Regiment, 11th Airborne Division. Following his time in Korea, Joel served in Alaska, Germany, and Lebanon. In 1959, he was reassigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was again transferred to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in 1963.
In 1964, Joel was a medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The 173rd was the first major ground combat formation deployed to Vietnam. The brigade arrived in Vietnam on May 7, 1965. The 173rd was assigned to War Zone D, northeast of the South Vietnamese capital, Saigon.
On November 5, 1965, a joint US and Australian search-and-destroy operation, called Operation Hump, began. The goal was to drive a Viet Cong (VC) unit out of the area north of the Bien Hoa Air Base. Joel’s regiment, 1st/503rd, conducted a helicopter assault, built a base camp, and patrolled the area.
At 6:00 a.m. on November 8, two companies began pushing toward hidden VC positions. They were attacked by a much larger, dug-in VC force. It was in this action that Joel earned the Silver Star and Medal of Honor. The citation states:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. SP6 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 machine gun 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 the 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 one 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, SP6 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, SP6 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. SP6 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.
Despite being wounded twice, Joel continued to treat and comfort soldiers throughout the twenty-four-hour battle. On November 9, he was evacuated to Saigon for medical treatment, and eventually Tokyo, Japan. Once recovered, he returned to service in Vietnam.
President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Joel the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on the White House lawn on March 9, 1967. He was the first medic to receive a Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War, in addition to being the first living Black soldier to earn the award since 1898. Joel is also the only Winston-Salem native to receive the Medal of Honor.
In 1967, Joel was transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division and assigned to Fort Bragg, NC. He was promoted to Sergeant First Class and became a medical training instructor. He continued in this capacity until he retired from the Army on April 30, 1973. Afterwards, he worked for the Veterans Administration in Hartford, Connecticut. Due to health issues, he moved back to Winston-Salem in 1982 and continued working for the local VA.
Joel married Dorothy Region before his deployment to Vietnam. The couple had two children, Tremaine and Deborah Louise. Joel passed away on February 4, 1984, due to diabetes complications. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 46, Grave 15-1.
The U.S. Army further honored Joel by naming medical clinics at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Moore, Ga., for him. Additionally, Joel Auditorium at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., was named for him. Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem is named in his honor. The U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, N.C. contains a vignette depicting Joel’s actions on November 8, 1965.
Lawrence Joel’s military awards:
Medal of Honor
Silver Star
Purple Heart
Combat Medical Badge
Senior Parachutist Badge
Army Good Conduct Medal (third award)
Army of Occupation Medal
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Korean Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with one Silver Star
Vietnam Campaign Medal
United Nations Korea Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
United States Presidential Unit Citation
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