WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum pays tribute to the only native of Winston-Salem who has been awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest combat award... Joel, an Army medic assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 503rd Infantry in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, was recognized for having saved the lives of 13 fellow soldiers during a Viet Cong attack north of Saigon on November 8, 1965. Although twice wounded in the legs by enemy gunfire, Joel crawled across the battle area for more than 24 hours, administering aid to his comrades... In February 1986, the Winston-Salem Board of Alderman voted to name the city's new arena "Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum" in honor of Joel and all other Forsyth County veterans who died in service to their country.

Primary location: Winston-salem United States