Full name:  Segel, John D.
Army Serial No: 17081821

Enlisted: October 22, 1942 (St. Louis, Missouri)

Born: October 4, 1921

Died: January 17, 2002 in San Diego

John D. Segel was a combat medic in the 326th Medical Company, assigned to the 326th Airborne Engineer Combat Battalion, 101st Airborne Division and was attached to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment for Operation Market Garden. Two of his Bronze Star Medals are for Heroic achievement. One during Market Garden and the other for Bastogne. I would have to assume his third Bronze Star Medal was a CMB conversion after the war. He also got the Presidental Unit Citation (Army).

First Bronze Star (Operation Market Garden):

Private First Class John D. Segel distinguished himself by heroic achievement in action. On September 29, 1944 in the vicinity of Vechel (Veghel)-  Holland. He exposed himself to intense enemy fire in order to personally evacuate a wounded comrade and 4 civilian children who had been left in a burning farm house after the withdrawal of friendly forces. While evacuating his charges through a route which was subjected to heavy machine gun and small arms fire, Pfc Segel observed another civilian wounded and lying by the side of the road. After returning his original evacuees to safety, he retraced his route and treated and evacuated the other civilian. (General Order 178 – July 27, 1945 - HQ, 101st  Airborne Division – APO 472 US ARMY).

Second Bronze Star (Bastogne):

Private First Class John D. Segel distinguished himself by heroic achievement in action. On December 27, 1944 in the vicinity of Bastogne – Belgium. He made his was through intense machine gun, small arms and mortar fire to join a unit which was sorely in need of medical aid. Although the unit was subject to heavy enemy action, Segel remained and treated the casualties. He then took a vehicle without medical markings and evacuated the wounded, on one occasion going beyond the established lines under heavy fire to rescue a wounded man (General Order 198 – September 23, 1945 - HQ, 101st  Airborne Division – APO 472 US ARMY).

Combat Medic Badge (Operation Market Garden):

Segel was also attached to a line company during one operation when he qualified for his CMB. That detachment can be deduced from the fact that the given regiment awarded him the CMB even though he was assigned to a unit who's medics were not eligible for the CMB (General Order 34 – November 29, 1945- HQ, 506th P.I.R – APO 472 US ARMY- effective September 20, 1944).

Purple Heart:

No information found yet, but it can be assumed that his Purple Heart was most likely awarded by the hospital that treated his wounds and there were hundreds of hospitals in the European Theatre.