PropertyValue
rdf:type
rdfs:label
  • Joseph F. Merrell
rdfs:comment
  • Joseph Frederick Merrell (August 21, 1926 – April 18, 1945) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Merrell, aged 18 at his death, was buried in Saint Peters Cemetery, West New Brighton, New York.
owl:sameAs
Unit
  • 3
dcterms:subject
dbkwik:military/property/wikiPageUsesTemplate
serviceyears
  • 1944
Birth Date
  • 1926-08-21
Branch
death place
  • near Lohe, Germany
Name
  • Joseph F. Merrell
placeofburial label
  • Place of burial
Birth Place
  • Staten Island, New York
Awards
death date
  • 1945-04-18
Rank
Allegiance
Battles
placeofburial
  • Saint Peters Cemetery, West New Brighton, New York
abstract
  • Joseph Frederick Merrell (August 21, 1926 – April 18, 1945) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Merrell joined the Army from his birthplace of Staten Island in August 1944 (a week after his 18th birthday), and by April 18, 1945 was serving as a private in Company I, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On that day, near Lohe, Germany, he single-handedly attacked German positions which were firing on his unit. He disabled two enemy machine gun emplacements and killed nearly two dozen German soldiers before he was himself killed. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor (now on exhibit at Fort Wadsworth) ten months later, on February 26, 1946. Merrell, aged 18 at his death, was buried in Saint Peters Cemetery, West New Brighton, New York.