Lee Ross Hartell

When enemy soldiers stormed a Korean mountainside and advanced to within ten yards of his position, First Lieutenant Lee R. Hartell refused to abandon his radio. Wounded and facing overwhelming numbers, he continued directing artillery fire until his company's position was protected. His final transmission called for both supporting artillery batteries to keep firing. It was an act of extraordinary courage that cost him his life but helped save the men around him.

Lee Ross Hartell was born on 23 August 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became associated with Danbury, Connecticut. He began his military career in the Connecticut National Guard, serving as an officer with the 192nd Field Artillery Battalion, 43rd Infantry Division, before its mobilization for the Second World War. He served with the battalion throughout its Pacific Theater operations, earning four campaign stars on his Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. His wartime service established the foundation for a military career that would ultimately take him back into combat in Korea.

During the Korean War, Hartell served as a First Lieutenant in Battery A, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. As an artillery forward observer, he was attached to Company B, 9th Infantry Regiment, where his responsibility was to direct supporting artillery fire close to the advancing infantry. On 27 August 1951, near Kobangsan-ni, Korea, during the fighting around Hill 700, enemy forces launched a powerful assault against the American positions. Hartell moved his radio to an exposed position, requested illumination flares and directed devastating artillery fire against the attacking troops. Even after suffering a severe hand wound, he continued transmitting with his other hand. When the enemy threatened to overrun the position, he made his final radio call, urging both supporting batteries to fire continuously. Although mortally wounded, his actions helped halt the assault and enabled his company to hold its strategic strongpoint.

For this extraordinary act of gallantry, Lee R. Hartell was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration. His official citation was issued under Department of the Army General Orders No. 16, dated 1 February 1952. His widow received the medal at the Pentagon on 16 January 1952. His combat service is also recognized by the Purple Heart and the campaign and service honours associated with his participation in the Second World War and Korean War.

Hartell died on 27 August 1951, aged just 28, and was laid to rest at Saint Peter's Cemetery in Danbury, Connecticut. His sacrifice remains part of Connecticut's military heritage. In recognition of his courage and lasting legacy, the Connecticut National Guard named its installation at Windsor Locks Camp Hartell in his honour.

First Lieutenant Lee R. Hartell's story is more than the account of a Medal of Honor recipient. It is the story of an artillery officer who continued to serve his soldiers when retreat might have saved his own life. His final radio transmission became a lasting testament to courage, devotion to duty and the extraordinary responsibility he felt toward the men entrusted to his protection.