The Wall › Panel 39W › Minnesota › Laszio Rabel
LASZIO RABEL
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
September 21, 1939 – November 13, 1968
Medal of Honor StoryPortrait: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Laszio Rabel, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on November 13, 1968, in Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam, at age 29. His name is inscribed on Panel 39W, Line 62 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
Laszio Rabel received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on November 13, 1968. The official citation reads:
Staff Sergeant Rabel's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Rabel distinguished himself while serving as leader of Team Delta, 74th Infantry Detachment. At 1000 hours on this date, Team Delta was in a defensive perimeter conducting reconnaissance of enemy trail networks when a member of the team detected enemy movement to the front. As S/Sgt. Rabel and a comrade prepared to clear the area, he heard an incoming grenade as it landed in the midst of the team's perimeter. With complete disregard for his life, S/Sgt. Rabel threw himself on the grenade and, covering it with his body, received the complete impact of the immediate explosion. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his safety and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, S/Sgt. Rabel averted the loss of life and injury to the other members of Team Delta. By his gallantry at the cost of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, S/Sgt. Rabel has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Citation text as reproduced in Wikipedia’s article on Laszio Rabel; Medal of Honor citations are official U.S. government records. See also the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and all Medal of Honor recipients on the Wall.
On the Wall
Panel 39W · Line 62
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Infantry Operations And Intelligence Specialist (11F)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 173 AIRBORNE BDE
- Born
- September 21, 1939
- Home of record
- Minneapolis, Minnesota (Hennepin County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- November 13, 1968
- Age
- 29
- Province
- Binh Dinh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Died of Wounds
- Circumstance
- Explosive Device
Context · from the records
What was happening
30 names on the Wall carry the date November 13, 1968; four of them were lost in Bình Định Province. In November 1968, 918 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade, his unit in the record, lost 19 of its members that month.
Read the history
Also on Panel 39W, Line 62
- JAMES COLEMAN HATHORNE JRSpecialist Four · November 13, 1968
- ROBERT RAYMOND RADESPrivate First Class · November 13, 1968
- DALE FRANKLIN ROLLINSSergeant First Class · November 13, 1968
- JOSE CARLOS SANTOSFirst Lieutenant · November 13, 1968
- ELMER ODELL WRAYMaster Sergeant · November 13, 1968
Same unit, same day
- THOMAS W MORRISCorporal · Panel 39W, Line 61
From Minneapolis
- WILLIAM EDWARD SWANSONLieutenant · April 11, 1965
- MICHAEL JOHN ULICSNIPetty Officer First Class · September 8, 1964
- DENNIS LEROY PIERSONPrivate First Class · June 26, 1965
- DON GLENN KNOWLTONWarrant Officer 1 · October 20, 1965
- ROGER MICHAEL MANNIESergeant · October 28, 1965
- TRENT RICHARD POWERSCaptain · October 31, 1965
- DAVID LEONARD UGLANDSecond Lieutenant · November 8, 1965
- WILLIAM MARTIN SAVORENLance Corporal · November 25, 1965
- LAWRENCE FREDRICK RAMAKERSpecialist Four · December 10, 1965
- THOMAS NEWTON SLOANTechnical Sergeant · December 17, 1965
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. The Medal of Honor citation above is the official account of his actions. See something wrong? Report a correction.