Lawrence Joel earns Medal of Honor
For action this day in the Iron Triangle northwest of Saigon Specialist Five Lawrence Joel a medic with the 1st Battalion 503rd Airborne Infantry 173rd Airborne Brigade earns the Medal of Honor becoming the first living African American since the Spanish-American War to receive the nations highest award for valor.When his unit was outnumbered in an attack by an enemy force Specialist Joel who suffered a severe leg wound in the early stages of the battle continued to administer aid to his wounded comrades.Wounded a second timewith a bullet lodged deep in his lungsJoel continued to treat the wounded completely disregarding the battle raging around him and his own safety.Even after the 24-hour battle had subsided Joel a 38-year-old father of two continued to treat and comfort the wounded until his own evacuation was ordered.President Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Specialist Joel on March 9 1967 in ceremonies held on the South Lawn of the White House.Also on this day Edward W.
Brooke (R-Massachusetts) becomes the first African American elected to Senate.In California former movie actor Ronald Reagan was elected governor.
