Career
He was awarded the medal for twice falling on a grenade to protect his fellow soldiers during a 1951 battle. Born on June 26, 1931, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Kanell later joined the Army from that city. By September 7, 1951, he was serving in of Korea as a private in Company I of the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.
On that day, near Pyongyang, his unit was attacked by a numerically superior force.
When a grenade was thrown into his emplacement, he smothered the blast with his body to protect two nearby soldiers. Although severely wounded in the explosion, he used his body to shield his comrades from another grenade which was thrown seconds later.
Aged 20 at his death, Kanell was buried at Fairdealing Cemetery in Fairdealing, Missouri. A numerically superior hostile force had launched a fanatical assault against friendly positions, supported by mortar and artillery fire, when An enemy grenade was hurled into his emplacement and