Ludovicus Maria Matheus Van Iersel

Before he earned America's highest military decoration for valor, Ludovicus Maria Matheus Van Iersel had already risked his life to save strangers at sea. But his greatest test of courage would come on a shattered bridge in France, just two days before the end of World War I. Under relentless German machine-gun fire, the Dutch-born soldier would make a decision that earned him a place among America's Medal of Honor heroes.

Born on 19 October 1893 in Dussen, the Netherlands, Ludovicus Maria Matheus Van Iersel, later known as Louis Van Iersel, began his extraordinary journey as a merchant seaman. In February 1917, while serving aboard a Danish vessel, he helped rescue British sailors from a torpedoed ship, an act of bravery recognized with Britain's Sea Gallantry Medal. Arriving in the United States later that year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army despite initially speaking little English. His determination carried him from military training to the battlefields of France with Company M, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division.

Van Iersel quickly distinguished himself through his courage, initiative and ability to speak several European languages. During the fierce fighting near Soissons on 18 July 1918, he reportedly helped rescue 17 wounded American soldiers under enemy fire. Contemporary accounts associate this action with a French Croix de Guerre citation with palm. Further French citations followed for actions associated with Champagne on 19 August and St. Mihiel on 18 September 1918. His Croix de Guerre ultimately bore two bronze palms and a silver star, recognizing three separate citations. France also honored him with the prestigious Médaille militaire, while historical accounts record additional distinctions from Italy and Montenegro, including the Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra and the Montenegrin Medal for Military Bravery.

His defining moment came on the night of 9 November 1918, near Mouzon, France. German machine guns dominated a damaged bridge across the Meuse River, threatening American troops attempting to advance. Volunteering for a dangerous reconnaissance mission, Van Iersel crawled along the wrecked bridge under rifle and machine-gun fire from enemy positions only 75 yards away. When part of the structure collapsed beneath him, he plunged into the swift current. Refusing to abandon his mission, he swam to the enemy-held bank, concealed himself among the bridge timbers and carefully examined the German defenses. He then made his way back across the river and delivered vital intelligence to his battalion commander.

His extraordinary actions earned him the Medal of Honor under War Department General Orders No. 34 of 7 March 1919. General John J. Pershing personally presented the decoration in France later that year. Van Iersel's reconnaissance gave American commanders valuable information about a dangerous crossing and the German positions beyond it, demonstrating that battlefield heroism could be measured not only in ground captured, but also in lives protected through courage and sound judgment.

After the war, Van Iersel became an American citizen in September 1919 and built a family with his wife, Hendrika Johanna van de Ronde. Yet his military service was far from over. During World War II, when his sons also entered military service, he volunteered again, this time joining the United States Marine Corps. Serving in the Pacific with the 3rd Marine Division, including the Bougainville campaign, he demonstrated his commitment to his adopted country across two world wars.

Ludovicus Maria Matheus Van Iersel died on 9 June 1987 at the age of 93 and was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. From a Dutch village and a rescue at sea to the battlefields of France and the Pacific, his life became a remarkable story of immigration, sacrifice and service. His legacy endures not merely because he received the Medal of Honor, but because, whenever lives were in danger, Louis Van Iersel repeatedly chose to act.