Laverne Parrish

Technician Fourth Grade, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War II

Technician Fourth Grade Laverne Parrish (16 July 1918 - 24 January 1945) was a U.S. Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War II.

Laverne Parrish was born on 16 July 1918 in Knox City, MO. He joined the Army from Ronan, MT, in 1941. On 18 January 1945, he was serving as a Technician Fourth Grade in the Medical Detachment of the 161st Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. At Binalonan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines that day, he exposed himself to enemy fire in order to aid two wounded soldiers. Six days later, on 24 January, near San Manuel, he again braved hostile fire to tend to the wounded, carrying five men to safety and treating dozens more before being mortally wounded himself. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Technician 4th Grade, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 161st Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.

Place and date: Binalonan, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 18-24 January 1945.

Citation: He was medical aid man with Company C during the fighting in Binalonan, Luzon, the Philippine Islands. On the 18th, he observed 2 wounded men under enemy fire and immediately went to their rescue. After moving 1 to cover, he crossed 25 yards of open ground to administer aid to the second. In the early hours of the 24th, his company, crossing an open field near San Manuel, encountered intense enemy fire and was ordered to withdraw to the cover of a ditch. While treating the casualties, Technician Parrish observed 2 wounded still in the field. Without hesitation he left the ditch, crawled forward under enemy fire, and in 2 successive trips brought both men to safety. He next administered aid to 12 casualties in the same field, crossing and re-crossing the open area raked by hostile fire. Making successive trips, he then brought 3 wounded in to cover. After treating nearly all of the 37 casualties suffered by his company, he was mortally wounded by mortar fire, and shortly after was killed. The indomitable spirit, intrepidity, and gallantry of Technician Parrish saved many lives at the cost of his own.

Death and Burial

Technician Fourth Grade Laverne Parrish was killed in action on 24 January 1945. He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Ronan, MT.