United States. A Purple Heart to Pte Elmer E. Lewellyn, KIA near Oneamsong, Korea, 1951

United States. Purple Heart, two-piece construction bronze gilt and enamels, 34mm (w) x 47mm (h), ELMER E. LEWELLYN engraved on reverse, on original ribbon with brooch pinback, slight contact wear on obverse, extremely fine condition; ribbon bar, 35.5mm (w) x 10mm (h), on brooch pinback, extremely fine condition; lapel pin, enamel, 17mm (w) x 12.5mm (h), A.E. CO / UTICA N / ICBWU impressed on reverse, very fine condition; original case of issue, 89mm (w) x 164mm (h) x 24mm (d), stamped PURPLE HEART on exterior lid, numerous glue stains on exterior lid, very fine condition.

Accompanied by Decoration Notice, and photocopies of individual deceased personnel file, official correspondences and military records.

Footnote: Elmer E. Lewellyn was born on January 15, 1917 in Hartford VT, to Wesley E and Harriett Lewellyn.  He enlisted in the army on December 9, 1936 in Boston, MA. Pte Lewellyn was stationed in Hawaii with the Chemical Welfare Service before being transferred to the Panama Canal Department, to work with the Signal Co at Quarry Heights, in July 1837. In 1939, he was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. In 1945, Lewellyn was a corporal at Fort Bliss in Texas, remaining in the state until 1950. In December, he was transferred to Camp Stoneman, a major staging area located in California. On January 13, 1951 Lewellyn was located in Korea and was assigned to the 38th Infantry Regiment of Company E. He was killed in action near Oneamsong the same day, while he valiantly held a dangerous position regardless of his wounds in the face of gaining enemies.

The citation for his Distinguished Service Cross reads: “The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross Posthumously to Elmer E. Lewellyn ER06142686, Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company E, 2d Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Private First Class Lewellyn distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Oneamsong, Korea, on 13 January 1951. On that date, Company E was defending a key terrain feature in the Wonju area when a numerically superior enemy force launched several fanatical attacks against the company positions. In the initial attack, Private Lewellyn, a newly assigned replacement that had joined the company the preceding day, was thrown from his foxhole by the force of an enemy concussion grenade that exploded near his position. Quickly recovering from the shock of the blast, he crawled back to his position and aided in repulsing the attack by placing withering fire on the enemy. When the enemy troops rallied and launched a second attack, Private Lewellyn, heedless of the intense enemy fire, moved from one position to another in order to gain a better field of fire and thus inflict greater casualties on the enemy. Although seriously wounded during the second enemy assault, Private Lewellyn refused to retire for medical attention. When the enemy closed in for the third and final assault, Private Lewellyn leaped from his foxhole and stood fully exposed to the hostile fire, yelling taunts at the enemy and shouting words of encouragement to his comrades. During the final assault, enemy troops approached to within a few yards of Private Lewellyn’s position but he steadfastly refused to fall back and killed several enemy soldiers at his position before he fell mortally wounded. Inspired by the intrepid courage and self sacrifice of Private Lewellyn, his comrades tenaciously held their positions, inflicted tremendous casualties on the enemy and successfully repelled the hostile assaults.” For this sacrifice, Pte Lewellyn was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart.

At the time of his death, Elmer’s next of kin were his three children, Harlan J., Ethel J., and Sharan A. While his father made a formal request for his son’s remains, effects, papers and purple heart to be sent to him in New Hampshire, they were originally sent a Miss Elsie Brasier in Tennasse, whom Lewellyn had named his emergency contact. Following an investigation made by the family, the remains were then sent to his ex-wife to be passed on to his eldest child when legally able. The couple were divorced prior to Lewellyn seeing any action in the Army. Pte Lewellyn is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor, Maine.