Jonah Edward Kelley
| Jonah Edward Kelley | |
|---|---|
SSG Jonah Edward "Eddie" Kelley
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Eddie" (family) "Ed" (friends) "Jolting Jonah" (boot camp) "Combat Kelley" (during combat) |
| Born |
April 13, 1923 Rada, West Virginia |
| Died | January 31, 1945 (aged 21) KIA in Kesternich, Germany |
| Place of burial | 1945-1948 Netherlands American Cemetery 1948 moved to Queens Point Cemetery, Keyser, WV |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank |
 Staff Sergeant
|
| Unit | Company E, 311th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II • Battle of Hürtgen Forest • Battle of Kesternich |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor (posthumously) 175lb Boxing Champion Pin, 2nd BN. 311 Infantry |
Medal of Honor (posthumously)
Bronze Star (posthumously)
Purple Heart with Oak leaf cluster (posthumously)
West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal (posthumously)
Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Jonah Edward "Eddie" Kelley (April 13, 1923 – January 31, 1945) was a United States Army soldier who received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.
Kelley was born in Rada, West Virginia, on April 13, 1923, and grew up in nearby Keyser. He was the middle child and only son of Jonah and Rebecca Kelley; his two sisters were Beulah and Georgianna. A sports enthusiast, Kelley played football and basketball while attending Keyser High School and also participated in Boy Scouts and activities through his church, Grace United Methodist. After graduating from high school, he entered Potomac State College where he played on the football team until being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943.
Sent to Germany, Kelley served as a staff sergeant with the 311th Infantry Regiment of the 78th Infantry Division. The division had been fighting for weeks to take the village of Kesternich, south east of Aachen, because occupation of the village would also give control of the nearby Roer River dams.
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