Lloyd C. Hawks, saying “Let us cherish
Park Rapids’ WWII war hero is remembered
By Shannon Geisen
Editor’s note: This originally published May 1, 2024.
“They fought so we may have peace. They fought so we may enjoy our life, liberty, happiness and justice. We are here today to honor one of those who fought for these rights,” Johnson said.
“The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest award for valor under fire that can be awarded to members of the armed forces.”
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) celebrate “all who have patriotically served our country in any war,” said SUVCW Junior Vice Camp Commander James Johnson, adding it’s their duty “to honor the memory of the men who stood shoulder to shoulder on the bloody fields of battle, who guarded so faithfully, so honesty fought for liberty and the dear ol’ flag.” Johnson made his remarks before the gravestone of Sergeant First Class Lloyd C. Hawks on April 27, 2024. Hawks was the first medic in military history to receive a Medal of Honor for his actions in WWII.
More than 3,400
Medals of Honor have been awarded, he continued, since it was first authorized in 1861.
‘Displaying dogged determination’
“The march of this soldier is over,” Johnson said of Hawks. “Let us remember comrade Hawks, here at rest under the blue skies of heaven and guarded by the silent stars that in life watched over him when he bivouacked on the battlefield and laid down, weary and footsore, at the end of a day’s march.”
Hawks joined the U.S
Shannon Geisen/Enterprise
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War remembered
his example as a patriot and defender of those principals he believed to be right.”
Shannon Geisen/Enterprise
The Park Rapids American Legion Honor Guard participates in Hawks ceremony. From left are First Vice Commander Ron Pierzinski, Bob Safratowich, Commander Kasey Krautkremer.
Donald
Laura Winterberger U.S. Army E-4
Ernie D. Hernandez Navy LCDR
Robert Linder U.S. Army Cpl
Richard Kok Air Force Airman 1st Class
Raymond J. Wolf Army P.F.C.
John G. Brauch Navy LTJG
Shelly Gates-Shermer Army Spec-4
Cal Astrum U.S. Navy WWII
Charles M. Hensel Army Tech. Sgt. 5
Allen Kruse U.S. Navy RM3
James Geisen
David E. Zick Army Sergeant
Chad Sackett
Lloyd Allen Hensel Army Pfc Served 4 years
Richard Peterson Army SFC E-7 Served 20 years Korean War
Army from Park Rapids in 1942.
“By Jan. 30, 1944,” said SUVCW member Vern Barker, “he was serving as a private first class in the medical detachment of the 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On that day, near Perano, Italy, he crawled through intense enemy fire to aid two wounded men.”
Hawk’s official Medal of Honor citation explains the wounded men “were lying in exposed positions within 30 yards of the enemy. Two rifleman, attempting a rescue, had been forced to return to their fighting poles by extremely severe enemy machinegun fire after only crawling 10 yards toward the casualties.”
Reading from the citation, Barker said a medic had been critically wounded in a similar attempt.
“PVC Hawks, nevertheless, crawled 50 yards through a veritable hail of machine gun bullets and flying mortar fragments to a small ditch and administered first aid to his fellow aid man who had sought cover therein.”
Hawks then continued another 50 yards to the other casualties. A bullet “penetrated his helmet, knocking it from his head, momentarily stunning him. Thirteen bullets passed through
his helmet as it lay on the ground within six inches of his body.”
Hawks treated the most seriously wounded man and “dragged him to a covered position 25 yards distant.”
Hawks then assisted the other man. The citation continues, “As he raised himself to obtain bandages from his medical kit, his right hip was shattered by a burst of machine gun fire. A second burst splintered his left forearm. Displaying dogged determination and extreme self control, Hawks, despite severe pain and his dangling left arm, completed the task of bandaging the remaining casualty, and with super-human effort, dragged him to the same depression to which he had brought the first man. Finding insufficient cover for three men, at this point, Hawks crawled 75 yards in an attempt to regain his company.”
Hawks recovered from his injuries, and on Jan. 5, 1945, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Hawks stayed in the Army, later serving in the Korean War.
He died of a heart attack, at 42, on Oct. 26, 1953. He’s buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Park Rapids.
SUVCW Chaplin Ken Kunze invoked a “divine blessing,” followed by a three-gun salute and the playing of “Taps.” Barker placed a special marker next to Hawks’ gravestone.
Shannon Geisen can be reached at sgeisen@ parkrapidsenterprise.com.
Shannon Geisen/Enterprise
SUVCW bugler John Swenson plays “Taps” for Hawks. During the Teus ceremony, he and Park Rapids American Legion bugler Bill Peterson, not shown, performed ‘Taps’ in a round.
Paul Leon Shepersky Army Sp4 Served 2 years
Darius Simon U.S. Army E-5 Sgt
Tony Yerkes USNR LT Served 6 years Vietnam
Mark O. Hensel Army Private 1st Class
Joe Markell USCG E-6
William Knapp U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Elaine McGaughey Nelson U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant
Clifford Kimball Staff Sergeant Served 2 years WWII
Jonathan Fondow Army - MSG Served 21 years Iraq, Afghanistan
James Vocelka Air Force E4
Steven Hoeke U.S. Marine Served 5 years, Afghanistan
Henry Moyer Army National Guard E1
Lawrence Hensel Army Staff Sergeant
Lloyd Lundstrom Navy Seaman 1st Class
Robert Hoeke U.S. Navy Served 4 years
Robin (Bob) Rossi Army Sergeant Served 2 years Vietnam War
Matt Knott Army Infantry
Chad Bittmann U.S. Army E-7 Sergeant 1st Class Served 15 years Afghanistan & Iraq
Bruce Henderson Marine Vietnam War
Russell H. Rasmussen Army Corporal
Melvin Hochstatter Army PFC Served 2 years Korean War
Bryan Kutter Army SSG - E6 Served 13 years Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq
Michael Moyer U.S. Army National Guard E-3
Jonathan M. Hensel Air Force Major
James D. (Jerry) Cole Air Force SSGT
Harold M. Ziegler Jr Marine Corps Sergeant
Rex Lindblom Army E-5 - SP2
George M. Isaacson Air Force Sergeant
Frank
Kasey Krautkremer Air Force
Robert L. Schroeder Navy HM3 Army Cpt
Amber Treziok Navy E6
Ethan H. Hensel Marine Corps Sergeant
George Roger Clark Navy EN2
Bill Pinnick U.S. Army
Bud Gates (AKA: Santa Claus) Marine Corps Corporal
John Glatzmaier Air Force Sergeant
Arthur Conway Army
Paul Bridwell Engineers 1st Lt
Gerald C. Paquin Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Lance Hansen Navy E-3
Aloysius J. Pfeifer Navy E5
Orville Vredenburg U.S. Army Corporal
Jerry Ritola Army Specialist E5, Cold War, Berlin Served 3 years
Charlie Hensel Marine Corp Lance Corporal
Diane Cole Air Force Sergeant
John G. Glatzmaier Navy Nicholas Grundyson U.S. Army SGT
Annalea Grundyson U.S. Army SPC
Debra Anderson-Gates Navy E-5
Jan Bauerle U.S. Army
Edward Anton Jonas Navy Petty Officer 3rd Clas Served 4 years USS Stallion
E. Soukup Jr. USMC LCPL
Melvin F. Larson
Hensel
