The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, CPL Lawrence Edward Jerrell, RA16254406, who died in the service of his country on September 7th, 1951 in Hills 717-682, North Korea. The cause of death was listed as KIA. At the time of his death Lawrence was 28 years of age. He was from Washtenaw County, Michigan. Lawrence's Military Occupation Specialty was 4812-Heavy Weapons Infantryman.
The decorations earned by CPL Lawrence Edward Jerrell include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Corporal Jerrell was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on September 7, 1951. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. For his leadership and valor, Corporal Jerrell was awarded Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
His DSC citation:
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Lawrence E. Jerrell (RA16254406), Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company M, 3d Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Corporal Jerrell distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Tang Won-ni, Korea, on 7 September 1951. On that date, Corporal Jerrell and his squad were part of a friendly force holding a strategic hill position. Although the hill was subjected to a devastating mortar and artillery barrage by the enemy, he constantly exposed himself in order to move among his men, shouting words of encouragement and supervising the evacuation of the wounded. When the artillery barrage lifted, the hostile force launched a fanatical assault against the friendly troops. Because of his personal contact with his men, they met this attack with great self-assurance. In the initial phase of this assault, Corporal Jerrell shared a position with four of his men. The enemy immediately began hurling grenades in an effort to neutralize the deadly accurate fire pouring from the emplacement. With a total disregard for his personal safety, Corporal Jerrell gabbed three of the grenades which had fallen into the position and threw them back at the enemy, thus saving he lives of his comrades. At this point in the battle, a machine-gun, brought forward to replace a weapon which had been disabled by enemy fire, failed to function. Realizing that this weapon was vitally necessary to repulse the repeated hostile attacks, Corporal Jerrell rushed across the fire-swept terrain to the machine-gun and put it back into operation. When the order to withdraw was given, he had been serious wounded by a bursting shell. Although he attempted to remain at the machine-gun to cover the withdrawal of his comrades, the friendly troops placed him on a litter and proceeded to evacuate him, but he died of his wounds before his men could reach the friendly positions.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 1002 (December 20, 1951)
Home Town: Washtenaw, Michigan
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